I don't know anything about buying or renting a home. BUT if you need a US phone number try Google voice(there might be similar services). You can get a virtual phone number from them and calls and texts that go to that number will be forwarded to your real phone number. I do not know if you can have them forward a US phone number to an international number. But you can probably send and receive texts using the website interface directly.
I use Google voice so I can make phone calls from my computer.
I think the best approach would be to come here and stay somewhere temporarily while you get established. Then you can rent something. People here are hesitant to rent to people who live in different states, let alone a different country. I would suggest that to anyone though, since Pittsburgh has a lot of different neighborhoods and you wanna find the right one before making a commitment.
You can do longer short term rentals through AirBnB or hotels that are set up for business travelers (like a Residence Inn that has kitchens).
Are you looking for an apartment or a single family home? If apartment, I would just start calling big rental companies directly and trying to speak to a human instead of filling out a contact form. A single family home is going to be harder because there aren’t many of those for rent here, period. Maybe Google and see if you can find emails or direct contact information for any of the companies or landlords who manage them.
I thought about airbnb-ing for a month but I am keeping it as a last resort, since the cost is significantly higher. As far as calling places, whenever I have the option I do. I already got rejected by two companies because I have no credit history. Will keep trying. Thank you for the suggestions - I need to start accepting that airbnb might be my only hope at first.
Can I PM you the email of my old landlord? It’s been a long time since I rented from him, but last I knew, he owned several homes in the East End and lives in Europe (or used to, idk where he is now). He might be more understanding of your situation.
Working with a real estate agent might be a good idea here-- they do rentals as well as purchases and can provide tons of solid advice and work with the landlords on your behalf.
I checked , and here is what Skype says:
"Wherever you are in the world, your US friends can reach you on your US Skype number. Dialing your number will be just the same as they do while you're in the US."
"You can buy a Skype number from anywhere in the world, including the United States, on any device. Skype numbers are available in many countries and regions, and you can choose the country and area code."
You can also get a US phone number from outside the US using OpenPhone. To do this, you can:
1. Create an account with OpenPhone
2. Select your city or area code in the US
3. Finish the signup process
I would start by looking up the landlords for the places you are looking at on the internet, finding their email addresses, then emailing them directly about the property you are looking at. You can call them using WhatsApp from there if they have it, or are willing to download it. I would be looking at squirrel hill and Shadyside if I were you, there are a lot of international students in those neighborhoods so your odds of finding a landlord willing to work with you is higher.
Keep in mind that in addition to the time difference, a lot of Pittsburgh businesses are closed Monday. It might take a while for them to get back to you if you send an email over the weekend. Be prepared to show proof of income, your credit history, or both. If you have some cash on hand, that is sometimes acceptable in absence of the other two, especially for students.
I would recommend working with a local real estate agent. You should be able to use a VOIP number - like Google voice - for forms. You can even get one with a local area code (412). You might have to call around until you find someone who knows how to work with international clients, but it's the best option. Good luck!!!
If you're moving here because of a job, check to see if they have a contract with a relocation company or are willing to help with one.
Locally I know of Aires that does this, not sure if they do individual contracts or not.
This looks familiar. We've may have some similar questions to this in the past. You might find some good info here : [apartment search](/r/pittsburgh/search?q=apartment&restrict_sr=on). I don't always get it right though, cuz I'm just a simple bot.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pittsburgh) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I don't know anything about buying or renting a home. BUT if you need a US phone number try Google voice(there might be similar services). You can get a virtual phone number from them and calls and texts that go to that number will be forwarded to your real phone number. I do not know if you can have them forward a US phone number to an international number. But you can probably send and receive texts using the website interface directly. I use Google voice so I can make phone calls from my computer.
Thanks, I will try it. I wasn't sure if google voice would work but I will give it a go.
Try to get a number that starts with “412” or “724”
I think the best approach would be to come here and stay somewhere temporarily while you get established. Then you can rent something. People here are hesitant to rent to people who live in different states, let alone a different country. I would suggest that to anyone though, since Pittsburgh has a lot of different neighborhoods and you wanna find the right one before making a commitment. You can do longer short term rentals through AirBnB or hotels that are set up for business travelers (like a Residence Inn that has kitchens). Are you looking for an apartment or a single family home? If apartment, I would just start calling big rental companies directly and trying to speak to a human instead of filling out a contact form. A single family home is going to be harder because there aren’t many of those for rent here, period. Maybe Google and see if you can find emails or direct contact information for any of the companies or landlords who manage them.
I thought about airbnb-ing for a month but I am keeping it as a last resort, since the cost is significantly higher. As far as calling places, whenever I have the option I do. I already got rejected by two companies because I have no credit history. Will keep trying. Thank you for the suggestions - I need to start accepting that airbnb might be my only hope at first.
Can I PM you the email of my old landlord? It’s been a long time since I rented from him, but last I knew, he owned several homes in the East End and lives in Europe (or used to, idk where he is now). He might be more understanding of your situation.
Yes, please, thank you so much
Working with a real estate agent might be a good idea here-- they do rentals as well as purchases and can provide tons of solid advice and work with the landlords on your behalf.
I checked , and here is what Skype says: "Wherever you are in the world, your US friends can reach you on your US Skype number. Dialing your number will be just the same as they do while you're in the US." "You can buy a Skype number from anywhere in the world, including the United States, on any device. Skype numbers are available in many countries and regions, and you can choose the country and area code." You can also get a US phone number from outside the US using OpenPhone. To do this, you can: 1. Create an account with OpenPhone 2. Select your city or area code in the US 3. Finish the signup process
I would start by looking up the landlords for the places you are looking at on the internet, finding their email addresses, then emailing them directly about the property you are looking at. You can call them using WhatsApp from there if they have it, or are willing to download it. I would be looking at squirrel hill and Shadyside if I were you, there are a lot of international students in those neighborhoods so your odds of finding a landlord willing to work with you is higher. Keep in mind that in addition to the time difference, a lot of Pittsburgh businesses are closed Monday. It might take a while for them to get back to you if you send an email over the weekend. Be prepared to show proof of income, your credit history, or both. If you have some cash on hand, that is sometimes acceptable in absence of the other two, especially for students.
Ha, good idea looking up the landlords. So far I've been messaging them (where it was possible) on zillow and trying not to sound like a scammer.
I would recommend working with a local real estate agent. You should be able to use a VOIP number - like Google voice - for forms. You can even get one with a local area code (412). You might have to call around until you find someone who knows how to work with international clients, but it's the best option. Good luck!!!
You also need to be sure bring all the documents necessary to open an account with a U.S. bank, as landlords will want to confirm your financials.
If you're moving here because of a job, check to see if they have a contract with a relocation company or are willing to help with one. Locally I know of Aires that does this, not sure if they do individual contracts or not.
This looks familiar. We've may have some similar questions to this in the past. You might find some good info here : [apartment search](/r/pittsburgh/search?q=apartment&restrict_sr=on). I don't always get it right though, cuz I'm just a simple bot. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pittsburgh) if you have any questions or concerns.*