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[quote=Anonymous]OP, here's my $0.03.

I'm 30, married, mom to a 1 year old. Live in a house that we own but that is small and in the burbs. We want to move to the city, for many reasons. I think our situations are vaguely similar because of the following:

1. Both of us feel that it is important to get out of the house with the new baby. I spent my first maternity leave essentially stranded in my neighborhood with a new baby. Could I have gotten in the car and gone somewhere else? Sure, but where? Starbucks? The grocery store? Every time we came downtown, it felt like a huge production. Most of our friends live downtown (the burden of being the first couple to have kids), and I felt really cut off from my former life, my support network, and the dozens of fun things to do even with a small child. On the rare occasions that I packed up all the stuff needed for a full day out of the house, we went to mom/baby yoga, went on long walks, did a couple of meet ups with other new moms, etc. It was great, and I spent those times wishing that it was easier to do that sort of thing more often, without the 45 minutes in the car or on the Metro. Advice on this point: look at what sort of resources are within walking distance or a "commute" of 10-20 minutes from your potential house.

2. Both of us are married to people who are prioritizing the practical aspects of buying a house (interest rates, increased square footage) over the emotional and logistical aspects of the move. For me, this is actually okay, because he is responsive to my concerns. My feeling isolated during maternity leave last year was the driving factor behind our current house hunt. You guys are thinking about the move in different ways, and that is not a problem unless you are also not talking to each other.

3. I was concerned about schools too and still haven't fully resolved my concerns. I would suggest that you definitely get familiar with the schools that you would be guaranteed to get into in your neighborhood. Charter schools operate by lottery and are by no means a sure bet. If you are prepared to pay for private school, you might feel differently. We can't really afford private school.

Basically, right now, you are in a great position. You don't HAVE to move. You have time to shop around for exactly what you want. The interest rates are low now, but that should not in and of itself be a deciding factor for this decision. Look around a bit more, get to know the neighborhood at various times of day, visit the neighborhood schools and try to imagine yourself living there when the baby is 3 months old, when the baby is 3 years old and when the baby starts elementary school. Everyone's comfort zone with various neighborhoods is different. What is outside my comfort zone might be just fine for you, and vice-versa.

Good luck to you![/quote]

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