Long story short, I am going to work in Fort Worth, Texas for 5 months. Something to do with airplanes. I would like it if I could get some info on a decent apartment and how to buy a reliable second hand car. Anyone?
I can't help you, man. I don't have proppiddy in Ft Worth. I read a guide on AF bases and what to expect recently. I think they nailed Texas perfectly: "There's two types of single women in Texas, batshit crazy or with ones with 5 kids."
I can confirm this. I married a woman in Texas. I only have one child. I live in Houston, which is 4 to 5 hours from the Dalls/Ft. Worth metroplex. I don't know much about that area of Texas, other than to say that I drove around it numerous times traveling between home and university. Buying a second-hand car isn't too hard. There is an entire section of local newspapers dedicated to 'for sale' listings, and as long as you make a reasonable offer you can get a car for a relatively cheap price. Just be sure to check it over and give it a test drive. I honestly have no idea if there is anything special you'll need to do to register the car, since I presume you're a foreign national here on a work visa. If I had to guess, I'd say that as long as you can provide proof of liability coverage then you'll just need to pay the fee at the courthouse and get your license plates and registration sticker. I don't have any insight into getting an apartment in Ft. Worth. What I do know is that compared to the rest of the country, housing is relatively cheap in Texas. The greater Austin area, north Dallas (Denton area), and north Houston (Conroe area) are notable exceptions, but those areas are still cheaper than most other comparable places in the rest of the US.
I think there is a AF base on the other side of the factory. I am a danish national, and will be getting my work visa shortly. Would you happen to know how to register a car? The DMV website is not very helpful. Thanks to a friend, my housing is now taken care of. I will be renting i fully furnished apartment 10 minutes from work.
Typically car registration is done via the local tax assessors office (which in my case is in the same building as the local courthouse). If the friend who arranged your housing lives in the area, ask him or her where they handle their registration. Whenever I renew my registration I stand in line at the courthouse, show them my proof of insurance, and pay the fee. For my car (a 2008 MINI Cooper) the fee is $64 per year ($50 registration fee, plus a few additional fees for municipal road maintenance and such). For a new registration, you'll also need the title (piece of paper that says you own the car). If you buy a used car from an established car lot, they usually handle the initial registration for you. If you buy directly from a person, you're on your own. Fun fact, for a $1 fee I can renew my car registration at my local grocery store. I can also pay water and electricity bills there as well. What time of year will you be here? Since you're only 10 minutes from work, and since you'll only be here for 5 months, it may be cheaper to buy a bike. If you plan to take a few day trips to do tourist-type stuff, you might be able to get a friend to tag along. Offer to pay for gas if they provide the car. You'll still end up saving money on the long term, and you won't end up trying to sell a car at the end of your stay.
My friend is unable to help in this matter. Now this sounds good. Can you recommend any used-car dealers? January - June/July I am actually going with a friend who will be working at the same place. We plan all kinds of activities in the weekends, so a car is needed. Yes I looked at that site, but they seem to have little information on how to actually register a bought car. I was looking for something in the line of: 1) buy car 2) do this 3) go there 4) pay thisguy
What kind of fun cars can you get over there, do you have like a national-car-online-offer-service...well you know, like autoscout24 or autotrader
My biggest dream is to get a old school police cruiser. Because it's 106 miles to Chicago we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, its dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Any oldschool american car will do really. Probably my only chance do own one
Eldorado Bwaaaaah!!! Autotrader USA doesn't go back further than 1981, darn! Or this for your Police Cruiser: http://www.lonestarauctioneers.com/
Sorry, I don't have much information for you regarding specific dealers in the Ft. Worth area. There are a few national chains such as CarMax, but I've never used them. My brother has bought a couple of used cars from there, and he seemed happy enough. Other than that, most car dealers are local, independently owned establishments. They range from franchise dealers (e.g. Bob's Giant Chevy Dealer), to little hole-in-the-wall places (e.g. Joe's Discount Cars). Regardless if they are a small lot or a big name dealer, just about every car lot has a used car area. Almost all of them advertise in the local newspaper; there is an entire section dedicated to car sales. If you choose to buy at a car lot, they'll more than likely handle it for you. If you buy a car from an individual, then it will be: 1) Buy car. 2) Gather proof of insurance and proof of ownership (car's title). 3. Go to Tax Assessor's office, which is often located in a local courthouse (go to Google Maps, narrow down to the area in which you plan to live, search for "Tax Assessor"). 4) Wait in line, and when it's your turn smile, be polite, and pay the person behind the counter. They'll give you a registration sticker and license plates for your car. That's how it works here in south Houston area, so it should be the same up north.
I lived in Houston in 1998-1999, though I saw quite small.. I just remember the fact that everything is hot, and the sidewalks are white concrete and reflect everything, so get sunglasses.
