Thanks for all the advice
I've looked into some of the areas others have suggested for housing. They seem better, but not by much. Perhaps Fall is not a good time to house hunt? Maybe there just isn't that much desirable on the market? It really looks like a seller's market to me.
Weekends are hard when you have something pending and just want some sort of answer. We will know more Monday about the possible job offer. Meanwhile, I've been looking at our home here in a more appreciative light. I always liked my home, but now I'm really starting to see it for what its worth. We have 2 kids, and our house is so ideal for our needs. Its huge, 3100 sq ft, with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths, 2 living areas and 2 dining areas. We've expanded to fill the space (isn't there some sort of physics law to that effect--nature abhors a vacumn, matter will expand to fill the volume?). Well, we certainly haven't left any volume here. The master bedroom, of course, for dh and me, each kid has a bedroom, then dh and I have taken over a bedroom for home office, crafts, sewing room. It would take a whole moving van to move all our stuff! We have put a lot of work in our home, including a nice screen-enclosed patio, landscaping, etc.Also, our home is one story, which is great for me, because I have arthritis and its extremely difficult for me to climb stairs. Seems every house I looked at up there is 2 story, split level, or has a lot of stairs at the entrance. Not good for me!
1 can't find a home in the MD area that size for any price we can begin to afford! Sadly, we couldn't sell our home for enough to make a substantial down payment on another home, at most we'd clear about 20K. I'm getting way ahead of myself, we don't even have a firm job offer, just a potential interview for sometime next week! I should worry instead about dh's interview, the trip up there, etc. We're still having very hot weather here, days in the 90's, nights maybe a little cooler, around high 60's, still need the ac. I should buy dh a sweater if he's going to MD!
I think if we do get a job offer perhaps the best thing would be to rent a home for at least 6 months-a year. That would give us time to really look around and house hunt. The purchase of a home is a major decision, you can't make an informed decision remotely via the internet! Even if they pay for a househunting trip, you're still pressed into a decision (been there, done that). We've moved many times in the past, I really do have the hang of it, its just that I thought this would be our "forever" home
. It will be hard to find something that makes us as happy. If we rent, we can shop more at our lesiure for a home and really look into all the details, such as taxes, schools, etc. The only problem with renting is that you're at the owner's mercy, they can always decide to not renew the lease, perhaps in a sellers market when it would be a great time for them to sell and a difficult time for us to buy. Then, of course, you have to move all your stuff twice. Decision, decisions!!! Maybe it would be best to stay here, but we can't find employment (my dh is being laid off, he was given 30 days notice). Well, I'll give it a rest for today. We will know something more definite tomorrow. Thanks for all the responses! I haven't heard anything really negative about MD and a lot of positive. Moving is always an adjustment, the price of housing is something to consider. However, I tell myself that people do live there, and they're not all milllionaires! There must be affordable, decent housing for a family of four (and four cats!). Thanks again, eveeryone, additional comments appreciated!
Hi, another Marylander here. Yep, I love where I live. I'm never more than a half a days drive to the beach or the mountains. We live within an hour or less from Baltimore and DC and all that those cities have offer.
