Life & Trends
ON THE MOVE
some fees, and maybe temporary
40 million Americans change their
famous for moving executives
housing, but a lot won’t pay Realtor home address at least once a year around — as much as 40 per-
fees anymore.”
due to choice, not by requirement
cent of the workforce operates
Other sacrifi ces come with being
such as job loss, illness or family
full-time from home offi ces or
a serial relo. Often, spouses who
upheaval.
remotely at client sites, Kotkin
have careers must put them on
More than one-third of these
says. That means a lot of fre-
hold because of the transient nature
people move across a county or
quent-fl ier miles instead of
of their spouse’s career. Diana used state line. cross-country moves every few
to work in marketing and plans to years.
return to it. Meanwhile, she says,
There has been a 25 percent
“Computers have allowed
“one of you has to sacrifi ce.”
increase in people living in a state
other than the one in which they
people to do their jobs wher-
Kilborn found the stories of
were born.
ever,” Kotkin says. “I have found
spouses — usually wives — striking very often if someone has a
as they spoke of relocation ordeals. At least one- fth of all Americans responsibility of a geographic
The effect is not just on careers,
move one or more times per year.
area, they can do most of it
but on family life and friendships
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU ONLINE
online and go there in person
as well. ooccasionally.”ccas
“Relo wives spoke with con- ThThe recession also has had an
cern about the effects of rootless- iimpact mpm on relocations.
ness, loss, and loneliness, both “As the recession contin-
for their kids and themselves,” uued, they sent more employ-
Kilborn says. “Many said, ‘I have ees on relatively short-term
friends, but not a best friend.’ It asassignments” for less than
can take years to make a best friend, welcoming l i to an iinsecure newcomer. a year, Kilborn says. The families
someone with Diana, who does not have chil- stayed behind and the companies
whom they can dren, says she approached the move avoided the costs of moving the fam-
A study found
confi de anything. to Northern Virginia differently than ily and helping with the sale and
They don’t have the previous moves. Instead of buying purchase of homes.”
that frequent
time or the oppor- in a new “reloville,” where families Many global companies also are
relocation was
tunity for that.” move frequently, the Millers bought using local executives to fi ll top ranks
The book also an older home in Reston. in foreign headquarters, as well as
associated with
cites several stud- “We have a lot of neighbors who expanding features such as telecon-
higher rates of
ies on the effects have been here since the neighbor- ferencing, Kilborn says. In the end,
of repeat moves hood was built decades ago,” Diana however, nothing can substitute for
all measures
on children. A says. “I like that better. I can walk face time.
of child
1993 University of to the farmer’s market. When we “As the global economy rebounds
California study of moved here, almost every neighbor and opens new business opportuni-
dysfunction.
9,915 6- to 17-year- came by to introduce themselves.” ties, the roster of relos will surge
olds found that Author Joel Kotkin says the hey- to new levels,” Kilborn says. “They
“frequent reloca- day of relos already might have come always have in previous recessions.”
tion was associated with higher rates and gone. The number of families Should the Millers relocate again,
of all measures of child dysfunc- relocating annually fell from 14 per- Diana is ready. She has moving
tion.” One study found that 23 cent in 2004 to 10 percent in 2008, down to a science: the time line of
percent of children who moved says Kotkin, who studies economic, things that need to get done and a
.
frequently repeated a grade versus geographic, and social trends. A folder system for a three-step pro-
P
R
O
12 percent of children who never combination of high-tech accessibil- cess of selling, moving, and buying. E
S
C
G
A
moved or moved infrequently. ity and company cost-cutting may “I hope to be here for a while,” I
M
Frequent movers also have a higher mean more people can stay put, he she says. “But you never know what
I
T
E
R
P
propensity to be drawn in by the says. the future holds.”
J
U
9
0
“wrong” crowd, which may seem Even at IBM — the company
2
0
© 2009 WASHINGTON TIMES ©
84 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE / NOVEMBER 2009
82_Life_Relocate.indd 84 9/30/09 6:57 PM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108