Advice for New Zealanders moving to Corvallis, Oregon (apartments, rentals)

[desray]

We are a family of four, from New Zealand who are moving to Corvallis in August.

We have limited knowledge of your American system really and would like some advice on;
*which areas in Corvallis to live in
*which Corvallis schools you would recommend - we have a 6 year old who is in year 2 in NZ and a ten year old who is in year 6 in NZ.
*the best place to find rental accommodation when we get there, and is it difficult connecting to utilities as newcomers - do they require lots of paper work to show we pay our bills or anything like that.
*when jobs are advertised what is 401?
*what is the public transport system like - driving will be a challenge for me until I get used to driving on the right hand side of the road, so thought this may be a better option to begin with.
*how do new immigrants find it?
Anything else that is important for us to know would be greatfully received. Thanks

[jjpop]

Welcome to Corvallis. The University attracts a lot of international students and professors, so you should be in good company. You may even find some fellow New Zealanders around town.

Originally Posted by desray

*which areas in Corvallis to live in

It's hard to find a really bad neighborhood in Corvallis. I would avoid the area just around the OSU campus and out about 5-6 blocks or so to the north. Some areas are a bit shabby, mostly student rentals, and frequently there are loud student parties. There are also a few pockets in south Corvallis with some crime, but overall it is a safe and quiet town.

Originally Posted by desray

*which Corvallis schools you would recommend - we have a 6 year old who is in year 2 in NZ and a ten year old who is in year 6 in NZ.

You probably are asking about public schools. There are also some really nice private schools, but they are expensive. Here's how the public schools are organized:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Kindergarten through 5th grade (ages 5 to 11).
MIDDLE SCHOOL: Sixth grade through 8th grade (ages 12 to 14).
HIGH SCHOOL: Ninth grade through 12th grade (ages 15 to 18).
There is one public elementary school that runs Kindergarten through 8th grade. Corvallis public schools have a very good reputation, particularly at the elementary level where your children would be. My 7 year old goes to a school with a mix of kids from different socioeconomic classes and he loves it there. The teachers are very dedicated and there is a lot of parental involvement. However, while I don't think you can find a bad school here, there's always the possibility of a problematic teacher or a class bully (as at any school). This is why parental involvement is critical.

Originally Posted by desray

*the best place to find rental accommodation when we get there, and is it difficult connecting to utilities as newcomers - do they require lots of paper work to show we pay our bills or anything like that.

Will you be associated with the University? If so, the college or department you will be working in may have some contacts for you. If not, the local newspaper's Classifieds section is a good place to start (Corvallis Gazette Times: Your source for news in Corvallis, Oregon). There are also several property management companies. One word of advice: The students start returning to Corvallis at the end of August, and a lot of the rentals fill up by the beginning of September. If you are looking in early August there should be quite a few rentals to choose from.
As for the utilities, you may be best off to start contacting them yourself before you get here to see what would be required. Here's a list, the actual utility provider depends on where in town you live:
Phone service: Qwest: Phone company with Internet service, cellular, long-distance and digital TV services or Pioneer Telephone Cooperative — Serving Willamette Valley to the Oregon Coast
Electric service: www.pacificpower.net or Consumers Power Home
Natural gas: www.nwnatural.com
Cable TV/internet: Comcast: The Official Website | High Speed Internet | Cable | Telephone Service
Water: City of Corvallis Finance Department
Garbage/recycling: Allied Waste Services

Originally Posted by desray

*when jobs are advertised what is 401?

Sorry, I don't understand this question.

Originally Posted by desray

*what is the public transport system like - driving will be a challenge for me until I get used to driving on the right hand side of the road, so thought this may be a better option to begin with.

The bus system is OK. Corvallis is a compact town, and has a very high percentage of people who commute to work or school by bicycle.

Originally Posted by desray

*how do new immigrants find it?

I think people's opinions vary, whether they come from another state or another country. Some people love the slower pace, while others think the town is boring. I think it's a great place to raise a family.

[desray]

I'm pretty anxious to make the transition as easy as possible for our family, your reply is really helpful, so thank you.

[desray]

when my husband has looked up job vacancies, under benefits it lists things like medical, dental and then there is 401k, we were just wondering what the 401k meant.

[marita]

Hope this helps.

401k Plans as Part of Your Retirement Investment Strategy (http://retireplan.about.com/cs/401k/a/401k.htm - broken link)

[desray]

Thanks for that advice. Next question - when renting, what heating is generally used? Do you provide your own? Are houses double glazed? In New Zealand it is common to have a wood burning fire in the country and heat pumps in the urban areas. Double glazing is only just becoming compulsory, so lots of homes that have ice on the windows during the coldest mornings.
Is anyone able to tell me what qualifications you need to teach, is there one department that deals with teachers qualifications, placements etc or they separate?

[jjpop]

Almost all homes in town are heated either by furnace or by baseboard or wall heaters. These may be powered by electricity or natural gas. Lots of people also heat with wood, but this is usually in addition to a built-in heating source. You pay for the amount of electricity or natural gas you use, of course.

Most of the homes/apartment buildings built within the last 20-25 years will be insulated, so there is not much heat loss. Also, we don't get bitterly cold here very often. Usually low temperatures in the middle of winter are in the 20s and 30s Fahrenheit (-6 to 4 degrees Celsius). Many, but not all homes and apartments have double-paned windows, which I think is what you mean by double glazed...??? The newer homes are more likely.

About the teaching question, I know you need to be certified in order to teach in schools. I'm not really sure about what you have to do to get a certification, but you may want to check out this website: Oregon University System

[Nell Plotts]

Usually it costs more to heat a home or apartment with electric base board heating. Heating oil will be expensive this year, and in future years so I would avoid that too. Natural gas furnaces would be the best bet.

Because most homes built after the 1970s are 'tight' do not ever consider a free standing heating source except electric ($$$$$$). Monoxide poisoning is not uncommon for immigrants.

Welcome to Oregon. You will find it much like the South Island.

[desray]

hey thanks for all the advice above.

Tipping - thats a scarey thought, when, who, how? Is there a general rule, does everyone get tipped for everything. Is it ok to get it wrong, does someone advise you if you do?

[jjpop]

Yes, tipping is a kind of weird custom we have here. Don't worry though, you don't tip everyone who provides you with a service.

Servers at a sit-down restaurant that take your order and bring food to your table generally get a 15% tip for decent service. Some people argue about how much to give, but I will start at 15% and go up or down depending on the quality of the service.

Often there will be a tip jar at other types of restaurants where you place an order at the counter and pick it up yourself. You are under no obligation to leave a tip there, but if you do there's no set amount. I may order a sandwich or coffee that leaves me with 25 cents change and drop the money in the tip jar.

Others to tip: taxi drivers, porters at the airport (I always carry my own bag though), hairdressers or barbers, or others that you think provided you with exceptional service. Hopefully someone else will chime in if they can think of others to tip. It's so ingrained in our culture that I hardly think about it!