Visiting to set up housing & other amenities, 8/28 & 8/29

[9thmoon]

Spousal unit and myself will be driving all over the Manchester/Derry/Salem area on the afternoon of 8/28 and 8/29 looking for a place to live, a bank, a PMB (private mail box) and get a feel for which town we'd like most to live in.

Interviewing several real estate agents right now and looking for a rent-to-buy house.  Our house in Seattle will be on the market by then and should sell very fast - within days.

Suggestions for banks or credit unions requested.  MUST have online banking and debit cards.  Everything else standard is fine.

Does anyone use a private mail box service?  I'm talking about Mailboxes, Etc. or The UPS Store, where you get something very much like a post office box only it has a street address and they'll sign for packages for you.  We won't have a street address to give them.  In fact, once we move, nobody will have our street address except our utility companies who are providing service there.

What else should I look at?  Don't care about schools.  Have no kids and will homeschool if we eventually have any.  Proximity to airports and such will be readily discernable. 

We really enjoy dining out and like a lot of international cuisines.  Anybody want to suggest a neighborhood to check out?

You guys have all been so helpful getting us to this point.  I can't wait to start meeting people once we're there. 

[Kat Kanning]

Did you try freestater Dave Mincin for a real estate agent?   
Dave Mincin
603-767-8935

Would you like me to try and set up a meeting for you in that area on the evening of the 28th to meet people?

[9thmoon]

I would love to, but I'm afraid we're going to be too pressed for time.  Plenty of time for meeting everyone once we're there all permanent-like.  I'll call Dave, too, thanks!

[FTL_Ian]

9th,

Set up your PMB in NH with your current WA driver's license.  An NH address is not necessary to open a box.  I use the UPS Store in Keene, and they were very friendly.  I'm sure they are all like that.  Also, UPS bought Mailboxes Etc., so you know.

Your responsible pot smoking friend,
Ian

[cathleeninnh]

Yeah, we did the UPS/MBE thing in downtown Manchester before we left SC. No problems. We lived in the millyard for a year. It was ok, a little pricey, a little noisy, but the river is nice, and it was convenient.
We went with Bank of NH which is now TD Banknorth and that has caused us headaches. They just changed the name on the door; the separate systems is a royal PIB.

Comcast sucks.

Decent but not outstanding restaurants. Don't jump on me, guys for that. I've had good meals at lots of places; I reserve outstanding for really special and haven't found it here.


Cathleen

[9thmoon]

Set up your PMB in NH with your current WA driver's license.  An NH address is not necessary to open a box.  I use the UPS Store in Keene, and they were very friendly.  I'm sure they are all like that.  Also, UPS bought Mailboxes Etc., so you know.

Yeah, I know they did, but for some reason nobody knows who "The UPS Store" is and everyone remembers Mailboxes.  They're franchises with various levels of interest in doing things legally.  When I got my first box (lo these many years ago) they required a street address and I had to sign a document that was sent to the USPS authorizing my mail to be picked up by them.  If that's still in place, I'm not sure they'll refer back to another PMB as a valid box.  I will try it and see.

Your responsible pot smoking friend,
Ian

  Thanks for the help, though.  =)

[9thmoon]

Yeah, we did the UPS/MBE thing in downtown Manchester before we left SC. No problems. We lived in the millyard for a year. It was ok, a little pricey, a little noisy, but the river is nice, and it was convenient.
We went with Bank of NH which is now TD Banknorth and that has caused us headaches. They just changed the name on the door; the separate systems is a royal PIB.

Comcast sucks.

Decent but not outstanding restaurants. Don't jump on me, guys for that. I've had good meals at lots of places; I reserve outstanding for really special and haven't found it here.


Cathleen

What's the millyard?
Steering clear of TD Banknorth, check. 
Do we have a choice about Comcast?  Comcast or nothing?  I've had nothing for ten years but I was thinking I might want to actually have a television again. 

[KBCraig]

Do we have a choice about Comcast?  Comcast or nothing?  I've had nothing for ten years but I was thinking I might want to actually have a television again. 

Frankly, all cable sucks, even digital cable. Go with DirecTV. Costs less than cable, because the overhead is lower. Better quality, better programing.

Some people like Dish, but I'm not impressed with their hardware and GUI. DirecTiVo is much better.

Kevin

[BillyC]

There is a townhouse for rent in Concord available on the 1st of September if you are interested.
Good location as easy to get to anywhere in NH, can get PMB and easy to Manchester airport
The landlord is a friend of the freestate

[FTL_Ian]

Yeah, I know they did, but for some reason nobody knows who "The UPS Store" is and everyone remembers Mailboxes.  They're franchises with various levels of interest in doing things legally.  When I got my first box (lo these many years ago) they required a street address and I had to sign a document that was sent to the USPS authorizing my mail to be picked up by them.  If that's still in place, I'm not sure they'll refer back to another PMB as a valid box.  I will try it and see.

You still have to fill out the USPS form, but they will not care if you use a PMB.  Just don't write PMB, as I'm sure you never do.
It works best if you've managed to get your PMB address on your driver's license, like me.

[9thmoon]

You still have to fill out the USPS form, but they will not care if you use a PMB.  Just don't write PMB, as I'm sure you never do.
It works best if you've managed to get your PMB address on your driver's license, like me.

Oh, hell yeah.  It's even the only address on my credit report.  I use # instead of PMB.  Everyone assumes it's an apartment. 

[FTL_Ian]

Oh, hell yeah.  It's even the only address on my credit report.  I use # instead of PMB.  Everyone assumes it's an apartment. 

Yep.  Actually, the only agency to ever discover my plot was the Supervisor of Elections.  I was shocked when they called and asked for another address.  I don't know if it was because they check, or someone at the office happened to recognize the address as that of Pak Mail.

[9thmoon]

There is a townhouse for rent in Concord available on the 1st of September if you are interested.
Good location as easy to get to anywhere in NH, can get PMB and easy to Manchester airport
The landlord is a friend of the freestate

Thank you!  We're actually looking for a single-family house, but I appreciate you thinking of it. 

[intergraph19]

Decent but not outstanding restaurants. Don't jump on me, guys for that. I've had good meals at lots of places; I reserve outstanding for really special and haven't found it here.

^_^  No complaints from me, I also have rather descriminating (read snob) tastes.  I wear that title proudly!

[9thmoon]

Oh, hell yeah.  It's even the only address on my credit report.  I use # instead of PMB.  Everyone assumes it's an apartment. 

Yep.  Actually, the only agency to ever discover my plot was the Supervisor of Elections.  I was shocked when they called and asked for another address.  I don't know if it was because they check, or someone at the office happened to recognize the address as that of Pak Mail.

The only department to catch me was the DMV, but I convinced the clerk that it didn't matter since my residence and PMB were in the same zip, I didn't get away without emissions testing.