European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A High Cost of living plus dirt noise and congestion make new York a place few want to Call Home. It s a Nice place to visit but fewer want to live there by Rick Hampson associated press like most Fri agents Robert Branno spends his Day doing legwork making contacts developing  Brannon is on the Tail of mortgage officers and real estate agents not mobsters or terrorists and his most wanted list consists of affordable suburban Homes within two hours of Manhattan. His assignment find housing for Fri agents transferring to new York. The Fri is one of Many organizations finding it harder and harder to persuade employees to take assignments in a City with the highest Cost of living on the . Mainland and Levels of dirt noise and congestion to match. That big Transfer to the new York office is being regarded More warily by the organization Man and the organization woman. Hom equity inc., the nation s largest corporate relocation firm says 50 percent of Transfer offers to new York Are rejected compared to 25 percent two years ago. When 143 corporations were asked to list the three areas to which transferees expressed the most resistance new York was named by 73 percent the next highest los Angeles was named by Only 39 percent followed by Boston 38 percent and san Francisco 31 percent. Although the Transfer was once an accepted part of the trip up the organizational ladder americans have become More resistant to such moves particularly if the destination is an expensive Urban area. This resistance is most apparent in new York with its Peerless concentration of corporate Headquarters government offices and non profit agencies. About a fifth of the nation s 1,000 largest companies have Headquarters in the new York Region 121 of them in the City itself. The City of Chicago the second most popular corporate base has 37. But last year 16 companies announced plans to leave new York including . Penney and Mobil Oil both of whom cited employee reluctance to Transfer there As one reason for their move. For government and non profit agencies new York is even there tougher to sell. Even though new York offers what the f by s Brannon Calls some of the Best work in the organization in areas such As organized crime and counter intelligence it is last Choice among the nation s Fri agents and the office is Short about 100 agents when the coast guard reorganized its civilian work Force last year and asked More than 100 employees to Transfer to new York All but a few refused. It s easy to see Why. Runzheimer International relocation consultants says the $50,000 it takes to support an executive with a spouse and two children for a year in suburban Tampa fla., or Columbus Ohio would have to increase to $70,000 to do the same in new York. Boston the next priciest Region is far behind at $62,000. New York has $7 movie tickets at most Manhattan heaters$22 parking tabs for 10 hours at a Midtown garage and the most expensive regional housing Market in the United states barring the costly outposts of Alaska and Hawaii. In the first Quarter of 1988, the average Price of a two bedroom apartment South of 96th Street a traditional real estate Boundary line of personal and financial Security was $468,000. The median Price of a single family Home in the metropolitan Region was $186,600, compared to a National figure of $88,100. That Gap relocation experts say reflects the growing disparity Between living costs in larger and smaller cities. The Price swings Are so huge now said Michael Schell president of Moran Stahl & Boyer relocation consultants. The differences were always there but the magnitude has become so enormous it would seem to make relocation impossible in some  one result is horrendous commutes As late entrants to new York s overheated housing Market Are forced to seek less expensive shelter farther and farther from work. The daily Odyssey of Frank Carlin an executive at Catholic Relief services illustrates one reason for the Agency s decision to move to Baltimore next year. When Carlin was transferred to new York two years ago he settled in the Central new Jersey town of Plainsboro because he could t afford housing closer to cars s offices in Manhattan. He must leave Home at 6 40 each morning drive to the train station ride to Manhattan take the subway Uptown and walk 15 minutes to his office. By the time he reverses the process it often is 9 30 or 10 . If cars had not decided to move i could t continue it much longer he said. It really has taken a toll on our family. I barely see my  beyond housing new York has image problems to be overcome admitted Schell. Lance Barclay a Moran Stahl vice president is often reminded of that As he flies into new York. We re All admiring this magnificent View of Manhattan and somebody will say something like somebody Down there is getting mugged you Don t feel the same sort of resistance to la or san  Many americans he said regard the City As a place where the Pace is too fast and the people Are too  although Many approaches to overcoming relocation resistance Are tried it generally boils Down to  said Joseph Susanno of Hom equity. The Limo that meets you at the Airport is window  Federal workers however get neither the Limo nor the dollars the government pays civil servants in new York no More than anywhere else although a trial Cost of living raise for new York has been proposed in Congress. Corporations increasingly offer assistance in Selling the old House and buying a new one and in getting a mortgage for the latter. Many companies also offer bonuses Loans salary adjustments housing allowances and miscellaneous moving budgets when he was recruiting for american express in Manhattan Barclay would try a simpler approach to get people to see the More positive Side of  if it were a Nice Day he would take his visitor outside buy a couple of Beers and Franks and conduct the interview on the Staten Island ferry. On that ferry on a Good Day with that View of Manhattan you got pm monday july 25, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 13