Your spouse has been offered a job in Silicon Valley, you're both flying in to look around before the contract is signed.  How can we help?

You may only have a few days to decide whether this move is right for you and your family.  California Concierges has already talked with you before your trip to assess your needs for accommodation, schools and commute.  We will be ready as soon as you arrive with tours of appropriate neighborhoods, school visits, talking to a mortgage broker, and looking at rentals and homes for sale with a realtor - fundamental but crucial steps in making that decision - should we move to Silicon Valley?   And we will give you a checklist of everything you need to think about before you move home, so the relocation will be as smooth as possible.

 

You've moved to Silicon Valley - now what?

So you've decided Silicon Valley is where you want to live.  If you've just moved here and have thousands of questions about Silicon Valley, e.g.:

• Where's the best neighborhood for our family?
• What schools should we be looking at?
• What's the commute like?
• Where's the best place to buy groceries?
• Where can my kids play soccer/swim?

Ask us. We can answer them. Not only that, we can show you around. Our orientation tour, full of information that YOU want to know, starts at just $1,000 for the day. Contact us to find out more.

Personal Profile Development

First, we get to know you and your family. We conduct a thorough needs assessment to understand who you are, what's important to you, and what kind of lifestyle you'd like to lead in your new home in Silicon Valley. This is a critical step, as it gets you thinking about what it will take to help you feel settled and happy here. We never forget that a home = a house + a community. And remember, our motto is "We Move You Home!"

Silicon Valley: Community Recommendations

Then we come up with some area recommendations, places we think you would want to live depending on desired commute times, family situation, hobbies and lifestyle choices. We'll give you a detailed orientation around and information about each area under consideration, and let you decide which one suits you the best.

School Search Guidance For Santa Clara County

Then we look at schools if you have school-age children. We help you with the difficult task of choosing the right school. We can give you plenty of websites with information about schools:

• National database of school demographics
• Snapshots of academic performance and school comparison
• School districts providing comprehensive academic performance and profiles of over 120,000 schools nationwide

But a school is more than test scores and nothing replaces a visit - the buildings look different, the classrooms look different and the kids look different from what you're probably used to. We'll take you around, meet the principals and answer all those questions you're going to have.

Finding a home in Silicon Valley

You've chosen the community, now what about the house?

The Bay Area housing market is well-known for both its pace and its prices. Whether you would like to rent or purchase a home, we can set you up with a top realtor who specializes in the area in which you're looking.

It's not an easy market, but our realtors can give you critical assistance which can mean the difference between getting a home and spending valuable time looking for one. Check out MLS Listings to give yourself an idea of house prices.

Personalized Community Resource Book

Part of California Concierges' service to everyone moving into Silicon Valley is giving them their own Personalized Community Resource Book.

Once the individual or family has settled into their new home, we compile a resource manual tailored to their city, their interests and their needs which they can keep as a reference manual to find anything from local doctors to their car registration form to great restaurants in the area.

"This book has been indispensable in allowing us to find everything in our local area as quickly and easily as possible. We referred to it constantly in our first year of living here."

John Rotherham, Hyperion Solutions (now Oracle), Santa Clara

Banking, Shopping, and Drivers License Assistance

After the house and the school are settled, there's still work to be done. Where is the grocery store, the bank, the dry cleaners and the nearest mountain biking trail? And you don't have time to wait in long lines at the DMV for your driving license!

We can help with these things, too. We'll set up appointments and tell you where the closest shopping areas are. Nothing you couldn't do yourself, but it's so nice to have the legwork done for you, and to have someone to field questions.

If you're moving from another country, there will also be Social Security, vehicle purchase and many other "how-to" issues to deal with. We offer a Cross-Cultural Training course which will make so many things easier and give you an understanding of how Americans get things done.

Spousal Assistance

Let's not forget the spouse moving here who may have given up his or her own job in order to relocate to Silicon Valley. We can assist them in finding a new position, from creating a resume to searching for opportunities related to their qualifications. Further education courses are also an option for which we can provide information.

Networking Opportunities

Now for having some fun and getting your life back. If you like to play tennis, we probably know someone in your area who also plays tennis. Want to join a book club? Find a softball team?  Even before you get here, you can check out Meetup.com, type in your interest whether it be ski-ing, cycling or just getting together with people your age, and see what groups are available in this area. There's an enormous variety of groups and interests and it's a safe, easy way to meet people in Silicon Valley.

Just want to know other parents with kids? We can help put you in touch. And we can point you in the right direction to be able to find folks with the same interest as you. Remember, we move you home.

Six Month On-Going Assistance

And we don't leave you!

After you've been here for a while, questions are going to come up, and it's invaluable to have someone to call on with questions.

We don't just disappear once you've moved here. We're at the other end of the phone with answers and support during your time of transition from moving in to settling in.