in my travels, my view is this…

And, recent changes in the U.S. tax laws concerning expat housing allowances also have affected workers’ attitudes toward such benefits.

Jessica Cutrera, an investment advisor with an international clientele primarily in Asia, finds that global cost-cutting means “more people are on their own and housing packages are going away.” Based in Tokyo, she researched her own housing options online before consulting local agents.

“Most international executives do not simply wait to be handed their agency contact upon arrival,” said Leigh Ehrlich, director of Pulford Real Estate, a British firm operating in Moscow and St. Petersburg. “Mostly they are curious and anxious in advance of their move. This is where word of mouth, formal and informal networking and Web advertising come into play.”

Almost everywhere in the world, somebody is online to share a lead or an opinion about housing or lifestyle. International real estate agencies provide streaming video tours of properties and links to expat resources. Many expats also blog about their experiences. A recent count on Expat-blog.com lists 73 blogs in Africa, 460 in Asia, 53 in Central America, 106 in Eastern Europe, 94 in the Middle East, 146 in North America, 84 in Oceania, 71 in South America and 806 in Western Europe.

sanjuanjohn

~ by sanjuanjohn on January 25, 2008.