\A Trend Toward High Temperatures and Low Cost of Living
There was a time when the bright lights of huge coastal metropolises like New York and Los Angeles attracted hordes of people seeking employment. However, today’s relocating employees are drawn to lower-cost markets – especially in the southeastern states.
According to US News & World Report, the majority of 2016 relocations went to Florida, Texas, and North Carolina. Half of the top-ten list of cities from US News & World Report is comprised of cities from the “Sunshine State.” Not surprisingly, when comparing the cost of living in New York City to that of Ft. Myers, Florida, it is easy to see the savings that can be realized by both residents and businesses. Compared to Ft. Myers, New York has consumer prices that are 40.75% higher, average rent that is 225.70% higher, and grocery prices that are 30.95% higher(1). The median home purchase price in New York is $825,000 ($1,728,950 in Manhattan), while it is only $247,000 in Ft. Myers(2). Lastly, utility costs and transportation expenses in the Big Apple are 37% higher and 24% higher respectively than the costs in Ft. Myers(3).
Here are the complete lists of the top US relocation destinations in 2016:
At Global Mobility Solutions (GMS), we see this trend in action. In 2016, roughly one third of all our relocations were to the Top US Cities in southeastern and southwestern states.
If you are thinking about relocating to another destination, request your complimentary city-to-city cost comparison. This free report will detail the cost of living expenses of any two locations of your choosing. Learn before you leap.
Global Mobility Solutions (GMS) is proud to be recognized by HRO Today as a top relocation company for the fourth year in a row. Every year, HRO Today compiles customer surveys and other data to produce their Baker’s Dozen list of the best relocation companies.
HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen rankings are based solely on feedback from buyers of the rated services; the ratings are not based on the opinion of the HRO Today staff. Feedback is collected annually through an online survey, which is distributed both directly to buyers through HRO Today’s own mailing lists and indirectly by sending service providers the link to send to their clients. Overall ranking is determined by analyzing the results across three subcategories: features breadth, deal sizes, and quality. Using a predetermined algorithm that weighs questions and categories based on importance, HRO Today calculates scores in all three subcategories as well as an overall score. The rankings are based on those scores.
The fact that our customers continually place GMS into the Baker’s Dozen list of top relocation companies speaks volumes with regard to our outstanding service, our breadth of programs, and the value that we bring to our clients.
To see how GMS can make your life with regard to workforce mobility easier, simply ask for a complimentary relocation policy review and our expert consultants will discuss how to improve acceptance rates, make assignments more successful, and make the whole process more cost-efficient.
Singapore business district skyline panorama over Marina Bay
Pre-decision Best Practices: Why do many companies have a 50% rate for assignment rejection? It is primarily because the potential transferees do not have a clear understanding of the destination location and the support available for their families.
Assignment rejection and failure can be very costly to a company. Firms spend an average of half a year’s salary in recruiting and training when onboarding a new employee. For high-level executives, the expense can be six to nine months of their salaries. However, according to the ERC, it can be as high as three-times an annual salary for international executives. If assignments are rejected, or fail after a move – which adds much more to the financial loss – companies must go through the expense of onboarding and training new staff.
How can companies ensure that they get the right people in the right place at the right time and for the right price?
The answer is to use pre-decision programs. Global Mobility Solutions (GMS) is the pre-decision pioneer and we continue to develop new, innovative features for pre-decision programs.
Although the number is growing, currently only 22 percent of companies around the world are utilizing pre-decision programs. However, when working with an RMC, nearly 60 percent choose to incorporate pre-decision into their mobility management solutions.
Employees decline relocation assignments due to housing, family, and spousal/partner employment concerns. Many firms had a 50% rate for assignment rejection. 32% housing/mortgage, 55% spouse/partner employment, 69% family issues. By using pre-decision, companies increase assignment acceptance, reduce failed relocations, save money, and project a progressive and employee-friendly image.
Going back to the reasons cited for assignment rejection, let’s see how the in-depth questioning and available services of pre-decision can address each of those concerns.
Housing
Candidates are interviewed to learn about community and lifestyle preferences. Candidates are presented with destination spotlights that highlight the cost of living and attractions of the assignment location. Area tours are arranged. Candidates are pre-approved by participating mortgage lenders. Candidates are provided with home selling and home buying assistance.
Spouse/Partner Employment
The pre-decision interview includes an employee’s spouse or partner. Pre-decision best practices programs offer a career assessment to develop an action plan that will help the spouse or partner adjust to the new location. This can include resume services, aggressive job searching, and more.
Family
Through the pre-decision interview process, the specific needs of the family are determined. To help candidates better understand the new location before moving, they are presented with school reports and detailed community information. Community tours are arranged so that transferees and their families can see schools, hospitals, and centers of culture and entertainment prior to moving.
The talent acquisition program manager of a large healthcare company said, “By using pre-decision to initiate relocations prior to the face-to-face interview, we know that transferees have arrived more quickly, have settled better, and stayed longer.”
Because of how it engages relocation candidates and their families, increases assignment acceptance and success, and saves companies time and money, pre-decision best practices should be utilized when it comes to mobility management.
Thai family using technology in their everyday live.
Relocations can generate a lot of excitement as companies eye the potential for increased revenue, organizational growth, and the development of their employees. It is important for those managing workforce mobility to know if their company’s relocation policies make sense in today’s evolving, global business environment. It is critical for all the stakeholders in employee relocation – talent acquisition, human resources, procurement, finance, legal, etc. – to fully understand the best practices to ensure that their policies are competitive, compliant, and effective.
Here are the top 5 reasons you should be reviewing your relocation program and policies:
To ensure competitiveness within your industry in order to attract and retain the best talent
To identify enhancement and cost-saving opportunities (i.e. process, service cost, exception reduction, etc.)
To maintain alignment with your overall mobility objectives across key disciplines
To educate internal stakeholders on current best practices and trends
A best practice across all industries is to conduct program and policy reviews every 12 to 18 months, depending on an individual company’s relocation volume, size, and scale of programming. You can receive expert guidance and award-winning service by submitting a request for contact.
2016 Global Mobility Solutions Partner Forum and Awards Dinner Features Insightful Discussions, Recognition for Top-performing Suppliers, and Philanthropy
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 02, 2016 – Global Mobility Solutions (https://gmsmobility.com/) recently hosted its annual partner forum, an event recognizing members of its Premier Alliance Network – an elite partnership of transportation and relocation service providers. This year’s forum was branded as #TrendUp; the forum focused on emerging trends within the relocation management industry.
“GMS continues to grow, thanks in large part to its exceptional network of partners,” said President Steven Wester. “The relocation industry as a whole is rapidly evolving and keeping abreast of future trends has never been more important. Our partner forum is an opportunity to deliver practical business insights, honor top-performing suppliers within our network, and extends our support to noble causes in the communities we all serve. This year’s event was a big success on each of those fronts.”
The highlight of this year’s forum was the much-anticipated client panel. Suppliers held a lively Q and A session with human resources management from Fortune 500 companies, as well as one of the largest nonprofit health care providers in the world.
GMS recognizes outstanding contributions to its clientele through Partner of the Year awards. The primary criteria for these annual awards include customer satisfaction and on-time service – key indicators of quality and reliability among relocation providers. Partner of the Year award winners for 2016 included the following:
GMS President Steven Wester (left) and GMS Transportation Director Ann Knapp (right) Award Armbruster Moving and Storage (center) with Platinum Partner of the Year Award at 2016 Forum | #TrendUp.
In addition to the client panel and Partner of the Year awards, a trio of workshop sessions provided an opportunity for participants to gain insight into some fast-emerging trends in the relocation industry, led by experienced subject matter experts.
Chuck Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of WGM Holdings and a member of the FBI’s InfraGard partnership, headed a session on cyber security for small to mid-sized businesses. According to cyber security firm Symantec, 60% of cyber attacks target SMBs, resulting in billions in losses annually. Matthews offered background on the origin of these attacks and their continuously evolving levels of sophistication. The session focused primarily on what managers and owners can do to protect their valuable assets, not to mention their reputations, against digital fraud and hacking. Other sessions included “Standards Please,” in which GMS Vice President of Domestic Services Nancy Kritzer illustrated the importance of consistent standards in communication. Meanwhile, performance analytics as a critical tool for the modern enterprise was the theme of “Measuring What Matters” with GMS Vice President of Global Services John Fernandez.
Every year, the partner forum allows GMS and its Premier Alliance Network an opportunity to demonstrate their shared commitment to philanthropy. For GMS, that commitment has included significant efforts to end childhood hunger in local communities. This year’s forum featured both an online pre-forum raffle and an in-forum raffle that resulted in a donation of over 50,000 meals to St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix to help eliminate hunger.
“We are so thankful for this amazing gift,” remarked Lisa Goin, Chief Development and Communications Officer at St. Mary’s Food Bank. “Here in Arizona, there are nearly 500,000 children who literally do not know if they will have dinner tonight. This gift will help feed 50,000 of them a nutritious meal.”
About Global Mobility Solutions
Founded in 1987, Global Mobility Solutions is a global corporate relocation services company that specializes in workforce mobility. The company’s corporate relocation services include global assignment management, domestic relocation management and a range of pre-decision solutions. Global Mobility Solutions is a back-to-back winner of HRO Today’s 2014 and 2015 client satisfaction survey, and rated number 1 in the relocation management industry for breadth of services.
Contact:
Thomas Belnap, Marketing Director
800-617-1904 ext. 8832 [email protected]
Pending Changes Real Estate Laws: Six federal agencies recently adopted new rules requiring mortgage bankers to keep a certain percentage of risk for every loan they provide. As a result, corporate relocation could be affected for the better.
Citing the Associated Press, RISMedia said the agencies are adopting a new, more relaxed approach to mortgage lending. The new stance is one that eliminates the 20 percent down payment if a lender doesn’t hold at least 5 percent of the mortgage securities tied to those loans on its books – or what most consider a high-quality mortgage. In essence, borrowers may soon be able to carry greater debt relative to their income than before, which is good news for prospective homebuyers.
Relaxed regulations in mortgage lending are making it easier to obtain a loan.
Talent mobility and refined mortgage lending The news of the easing mortgage lending practices comes at a particularly interesting time, especially when looked at from a talent mobility perspective. Relocating employees can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to finding a home in their new location, and renters may be more inclined to purchase.
In fact, The Wall Street Journal reported that Mel Watt, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are planning on offering some loans with down payments as small as 3 percent. An agreement was also reached with lenders that outlines what types of mistakes on loans could result in penalties after they’re issued, which could ultimately lower restrictions and ease the loan acquisition process for borrowers with weak credit.
Real estate industry leaders and mortgage bankers have been aggressively lobbying against the 20 percent down payment requirement, noting that it could stifle access to mortgage financing for low- to middle-income borrowers – an integral aspect of the continuing national housing recovery. The new rules come shortly after the real estate market has shown signs of weakening.
Who benefits from the new rules?
That said, it seems as if those on Capital Hill are trying to inject life back into the real estate market. Shortly before the 20 percent down payment regulation was nixed, regulators softened agreements that help protect taxpayers from losses on bad mortgages, The New York Times reported. They also relaxed a regulation that aimed to set safe standards for home loans.
Relocating employees across all industries will likely reap the benefits of the relaxed regulations and pending changes real estate laws recently rolled out by federal regulators. Industry experts feel the new rules are long overdue and that qualified, prospective homeowners couldn’t obtain a line of credit to finance a new home purchase. However, the relaxed regulations, albeit calculated and controlled, will likely help the everyday home buyer secure a mortgage.
Future policy changes could be on their way as well, pending changes real estate laws, The Wall Street Journal added. The Federal Housing Administration is currently under pressure from mortgage lenders to lower the premiums it charges to lenders because it doesn’t offer loans to low- and middle-income borrowers.
Pensive businessman signs a document at the office
CFPB Rule Changes – New regulations set forth by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau are scheduled to take effect next year, which will likely impact the corporate relocation process going forward. The financial information that relocating employees have to provide to lenders is changing.
Employee relocation is a complex process, which is why an expert relocation management company proves to be beneficial in moving talent. A major aspect of an employee relocation is the sale or purchase of a home, and up until this point, the real estate aspect of a relocation has been relatively static.
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 and the Truth in Lending Act of 1968 laid the groundwork for buying and selling residential real estate in that both pieces of legislation required substantial financial information from the buyer. This included a detailed advanced disclosure of estimated and actual mortgage lender, title and other settlement costs to borrowers, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website. In essence, the legislation made it easier to obtain mortgage financing.
Changes are wide-sweeping
Employee relocation services may be impacted by the new CFPB regulations.
In the past, a number of different parties all worked together to provide a seamless and comfortable moving experience for the moving employee. More specifically, the third-party relocation service, the employee’s company, insurance underwriters, attorneys and real estate agents all pitched in to create a comfortable moving experience for relocating employees. While it may seem unrelated that the CFPB – an agency that was created to help prevent another financial meltdown in 2010 after the economic recession was in full swing – has laid out new regulations set to take place in April 2015, corporate relocation will be impacted nonetheless. Since so many parties are involved in making the employee transition smooth, almost everyone is affected in some way.
In April 2012, the CFB Bulletin 2012-03 established new regulations that placed responsibility on the lender to protect consumers who obtained loans to purchase real estate property. The rules were put in place to protect the consumer. Yet, even though banks and lenders are now responsible for financial oversight and protection, the trickle-down affect corporate relocation efforts as well. Although most relocation companies interact with relocated employees prior to the purchase of a property, transferees may likely use a portion of an allocated allowance to apply for a mortgage, which is where the reach of the CFPB comes into play.
Relocation services impacted
More recently, the CFPB announced a rule that eliminated the good faith estimate, the HUD-1, or the former settlement sheet where all seller and buyer costs and proceeds are calculated and shown. The new closing disclosure form must be provided to the buyer three days before closing, or consummation, as the CFPB now calls it. After this window, only limited items can change, according to relocation services industry trade group Worldwide ERC.
Worldwide ERC pointed out that since most relocation service providers now require a HUD-1 at least two days before closing to obtain client approval, the process may be backed up to five days once the new regulations take effect. These added regulations point to the increased complexities surrounding employee relocation, and highlight the need for partnering with an expert in global talent management.
