Anonymous wrote:

I don’t know or have ever met a Federal Employee in my close in neighborhood. Do you really think Fed workers were ever buying many homes in richer areas.

Yes, many Feds who brought their homes a while back live in close in areas. I purchased my house in 2009 and live in an affluent close-in suburb.

Same here, but now it’s unlikely that federal employees are buying at current prices and especially with the unpredictable economy.

Op, can you move to Colorado? The schools are great so I heard, plus change might be a blessing!

I don’t know or have ever met a Federal Employee in my close in neighborhood. Do you really think Fed workers were ever buying many homes in richer areas.

Yes, many Feds who brought their homes a while back live in close in areas. I purchased my house in 2009 and live in an affluent close-in suburb.

I’m sorry, OP. I’m a doged fed (USAID) and the job market is brutal. I think in your position I’d take the move. It’s awful, but the lesser of evils. I hope it all works out for you.

Two hour commute is nothing for a BS 9-5 job.

You will get a relocation package even if you don't sell your house. They might give you temporary housing for a few months.

It really sucks OP.

Job stability was one of the few reasons to stay in federal government and now that's been taken away as they are crashing the economy at the same time.

My dad worked for private industry and when they closed our location and offered people tell to really crappy places in the middle of nowhere it was majorly depressing. It’s okay to have feelings about this. We really couldn’t move because my mom had health issues. I had friends whose parents moved and left them behind so they could finish out HS. There were a ton of kids crashing in other families basements. It really stank. It’s bad enough when private industry does this for bottom line issues. It’s worse when the fed government does it for nonsensical reasons — basically punishing people who don’t support the current administration. OP, I’m really sorry.

Anonymous wrote:Raleigh has decent cost of living, lots of jobs (although stupid Trump NIH cuts are going to hit us hard), friendly atmosphere. I would put that DC house on the market and move. Keep your job....It's close enough that you can visit your eldery parents all the time or move them here. Tons of first floor master suite houses.

Honestly, I will try to move back when there is an opportunity, so it is unlikely for me to put my house on the market.

But if not Raleigh, then the decision will be tougher, I will need to choose between relocation(selling house, move) and severance pay.

Anonymous wrote:Do you really think this is going to happen in the next 3 years? I doubt it.

I do think it will happen(done) next year, before midterm election.

Raleigh has decent cost of living, lots of jobs (although stupid Trump NIH cuts are going to hit us hard), friendly atmosphere. I would put that DC house on the market and move. Keep your job....It's close enough that you can visit your eldery parents all the time or move them here. Tons of first floor master suite houses.

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Anonymous wrote:Can you go to Raleigh? The other locations are not great.

Probably, this is only "acceptable" location. I may go there temporarily, till finding a new fed job within 50 miles.

If Raleigh, I may just sleep in my SUV and go home very weekend.

In that case, they will still pay me DC locality. But my life will be miserable, sleep in my car and drive back and forth every weekend.

That's not accurate, OP would be assigned to Raleigh and receive Raleigh locality pay. It is based upon your duty station, not where you live.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1i54tva/is_locality_based_on_where_you_live_or_where_the/

You are correct, but I may still sleep in my car, to save money on rental apartment (or a room). I hope it will be temporary. But who know if I am able to choose a location.

If I were you I would rent a room like this one for $500 per month: https://raleigh.craigslist.org/roo/d/raleigh-cozy-private-furnished-1br-500/7873626714.html

Honestly you want to be able to prepare your meals and not have to eat out constantly, that alone will probably make up for the cost. Plus you want to sleep comfortably and safely.

That is an option too. If living in my car, I consider cooking on my own.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to Raleigh? The other locations are not great.

Probably, this is only "acceptable" location. I may go there temporarily, till finding a new fed job within 50 miles.

If Raleigh, I may just sleep in my SUV and go home very weekend.

In that case, they will still pay me DC locality. But my life will be miserable, sleep in my car and drive back and forth every weekend.

That's not accurate, OP would be assigned to Raleigh and receive Raleigh locality pay. It is based upon your duty station, not where you live.

I don't think so. I think it is based on where you live, but I am not 100% sure. I want to keep NOVA residence, and pay VA tax and get DC locality.

I am 100% sure that you are wrong. For example, we used to have super commuters that lived out in rest of the US that would get DC pay and report to the office 2x per week. What you are thinking about is how locality pay is set for fully remote workers because in that case their duty station is their house.

As far as taxes, it depends whether the state in which you are working has a reciprocity agreement. For example, if you were worked in NY and lived here you would pay NY taxes and get an offset against your VA income taxes for the NY taxes.

+1. Your pay is based on where your duty station is located. If your duty station is now Raleigh, as in that’s where you report to work, then that’s where your pay is based.

I don't know how other people live in car for long term, maybe take shower in a gym?

Living in a car may become my life soon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to Raleigh? The other locations are not great.

Probably, this is only "acceptable" location. I may go there temporarily, till finding a new fed job within 50 miles.

If Raleigh, I may just sleep in my SUV and go home very weekend.

In that case, they will still pay me DC locality. But my life will be miserable, sleep in my car and drive back and forth every weekend.

That's not accurate, OP would be assigned to Raleigh and receive Raleigh locality pay. It is based upon your duty station, not where you live.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1i54tva/is_locality_based_on_where_you_live_or_where_the/

You are correct, but I may still sleep in my car, to save money on rental apartment (or a room). I hope it will be temporary. But who know if I am able to choose a location.

If I were you I would rent a room like this one for $500 per month: https://raleigh.craigslist.org/roo/d/raleigh-cozy-private-furnished-1br-500/7873626714.html

Honestly you want to be able to prepare your meals and not have to eat out constantly, that alone will probably make up for the cost. Plus you want to sleep comfortably and safely.