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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here again. I really appreciate all this insight -- keep it coming!  It is a tricky choice to make and it's great hearing all the different perspectives. I feel like DH and I have been talking about this for years (well, technically we have been, though it's only gotten real in 2020) so it's really great to have all these insights.

I definitely think part of our hang up is that we've been in DC for a long time where prices just go up up up and so there was a little bit of shock/surprise to see how much that is not true in Baltimore. It's ironic because the rapid appreciation in DC was the bane of our existence not that long ago when we were buying and could feel ourselves rapidly being priced out of the market (we were extremely lucky to snag our condo when we did, as two years later I think we really would have been priced out). Also, my parents (who live in a totally different part of the country) financed most of their retirement on house appreciation by downsizing as empty nesters and as people who do not make a ton of money, the idea of having a sound real estate investment we could cash in on in 20 years or so is very appealing. Obviously we have retirement savings as well, but I got sold on the idea of real estate as a long term investment vehicle a long time ago and it's hard to make the mental adjustment. But of course, affordability goes hand in hand with flat prices -- that's the trade-off we need to decide if we can take.

Speaking of sports, though, that might be the biggest strike against Baltimore. We hare HUGE, longtime Nationals fans and while we enjoy rooting for the O's as our AL team, we will miss not being able to go to weeknight Nats games in DC a lot.

It's just hard to leave a place you've lived in for a really longtime, even for a city that is just up the road![/quote]

I’m the PP who hated on the Ravens. (Kidding! Sorta!)

I’m afraid I’m going to come off a little tough love as I go through this. But, first off, being a fan of another sports team in Baltimore really isn’t a huge deal. Rumor has it there are even some Steelers fans that live in the city, god help them. Of course you’ll be outnumbered by Os fans, but there are a fair amount of Nats folks who live in Baltimore and (of course) even more in the counties to the city’s south.

But yes, absolutely, you will not be going to Nats games a ton of weekdays. Maybe some Os games, if you get into them (and Camden Yards is fun!). You will have to come up with your own fun thing to do for Nats games at home—special snacks, drinks, whatever.

But I noticed in your post the only pluses about Baltimore you mention are the cost of houses and that is what you’ve focused on in your responses. I don’t mean to dismiss the importance of making an investment you’re comfortable in but for y’all to make this move there have to be more pluses for you than the base cost of the house—both when it comes to the city itself and your longterm goals. The city has a great, unique culture and paying less for your house and potential private school (which sounds like you’re heading for in DC if you stay) frees up a lot of money for other investments. The bar scene is fun and laid back—as well as continuing to embrace the city’s rye history, which is neat—and the food scene is interesting. You’ll meet a lot less people interested in what you do for a living.

I get how hard it can be leaving a place you’re comfortable in. We moved from a city we loved in a house we adored in the south up to this area—I still miss living there nearly every single day. But there are a lot of great things about living here too and, ultimately, it made a lot more sense for us to be here for this season of life. If you can’t find enough reasons to make the jump past the fact you can get a super cool house in Fed on a good block for a fraction of a comparable place in most areas of DC, then think you should stay put.

Good luck! [/quote]

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