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Well guys. After 16 years in Prague I've decided to move back to the USA. Can't put a finger on it exactly but I just feel a need to go home. Might be because business is so slow here. Might be because I've more or less given up on love after being cheated on after a 4 year relationship. Might be I'm just tired of the people here and the stress and strain of not being fluent in the language. Might be because I'm older and want to spend time with family.
In any case here are some options and I would appreciate your thoughts.
I'm originally from New Orleans but I lived in Atlanta for 7 years before coming to Prague. I've been in corporate real estate since 1981 (I'm 54) and got into real estate brokerage in Prague because the market was white hot and I could make a shitload of money selling houses and condos as well as leasing office space to companies like Coke, IBM, HP, etc. I also did loads of work for the State Department.
Atlanta - I know it well and still have lots of friends there. I also now have a brother there, married and two teenage sons. House in ATL and a lake house near the N Carolina. I thought I would find work there without a problem especially since I have 7 years of experience with the FDIC and RTC from the S&L debacle back in the early 90s. Some say yes it's possible but at much lower salaries than before. Still, others say it sucks and that there are literally stacks of resumes from people who have lived in ATL and never moved away. I have a GA real estate license so I guess I could get into that if need be.
South Florida - I was thinking that I could get my Florida license and move to Miami Beach. I could hook up with an agency there and devote my time to getting Europeans to buy in Florida.
New Orleans - only because it's home and always will be. Several people have told me it's doing much better than other places and that going into either brokerage of asset management might work there better than anywhere. I was also told my name might help me there - typical South LA French name. I might also get on with a firm that does asset management for banks etc.
I've sent in numerous applications to the State Department after an Ambassador here recommended that I do it. He even gave me a letter of reference. Of course he was a Bush appointee so maybe it went nowhere. In any case, I have been rejected five times. I can't figure it out. I was thinking that maybe I need to live in the US to apply for the jobs even though it's a realty specialist position which requires international travel and hey, I have 16 years of foreign experience and willing to relocate at my expense to DC. I guess that doesn't count. Maybe I need to have my resume professionally written and geared to government positions?
Guys, I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts on all of this. I'm very conflicted at the moment and sometimes I think I should stay in Prague, enjoy the "easy life", sell a house once in a while and not have the stress that living in the US might bring.
Thanks for your time....
In any case here are some options and I would appreciate your thoughts.
I'm originally from New Orleans but I lived in Atlanta for 7 years before coming to Prague. I've been in corporate real estate since 1981 (I'm 54) and got into real estate brokerage in Prague because the market was white hot and I could make a shitload of money selling houses and condos as well as leasing office space to companies like Coke, IBM, HP, etc. I also did loads of work for the State Department.
Atlanta - I know it well and still have lots of friends there. I also now have a brother there, married and two teenage sons. House in ATL and a lake house near the N Carolina. I thought I would find work there without a problem especially since I have 7 years of experience with the FDIC and RTC from the S&L debacle back in the early 90s. Some say yes it's possible but at much lower salaries than before. Still, others say it sucks and that there are literally stacks of resumes from people who have lived in ATL and never moved away. I have a GA real estate license so I guess I could get into that if need be.
South Florida - I was thinking that I could get my Florida license and move to Miami Beach. I could hook up with an agency there and devote my time to getting Europeans to buy in Florida.
New Orleans - only because it's home and always will be. Several people have told me it's doing much better than other places and that going into either brokerage of asset management might work there better than anywhere. I was also told my name might help me there - typical South LA French name. I might also get on with a firm that does asset management for banks etc.
I've sent in numerous applications to the State Department after an Ambassador here recommended that I do it. He even gave me a letter of reference. Of course he was a Bush appointee so maybe it went nowhere. In any case, I have been rejected five times. I can't figure it out. I was thinking that maybe I need to live in the US to apply for the jobs even though it's a realty specialist position which requires international travel and hey, I have 16 years of foreign experience and willing to relocate at my expense to DC. I guess that doesn't count. Maybe I need to have my resume professionally written and geared to government positions?
Guys, I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts on all of this. I'm very conflicted at the moment and sometimes I think I should stay in Prague, enjoy the "easy life", sell a house once in a while and not have the stress that living in the US might bring.
Thanks for your time....