Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 20:32     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
op, keep in mind Great Schools ratings are based on standardized test scores by state. If it's a state with mostly low scores, a 9-10 on Great Schools may be no great shakes.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 08:55     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in your broadbrush statement "much better schools." There are some pretty good school districts in the DMV. I take it you're not in one of them? And how good are the state colleges?


OP here. Without giving too much away, we’d be in a smaller metro area, and the part of that area where we’d be able to afford a home outright has schools that rate 9-10 on Great Schools.

We currently live in a part of the DC area where the schools are terrible. We could move a few miles away for much better schools but that would basically double our mortgage payment.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 08:42     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:how could your husband not find a job in the new place. [/b]he may have to pivot, but since he has a fairly low paying fed job, you might be surprised.

getting out of the DC ratrace would probably be good for you.


Is it low paying? [b]My DH is a fed making about 300k and I can see a bunch of places that are smaller, lower cost of living cities where it would be hard, maybe not impossible, but not a snap of the fingers either to replicate that.


What fed jobs are paying $300K?
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 08:29     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in your broadbrush statement "much better schools." There are some pretty good school districts in the DMV. I take it you're not in one of them? And how good are the state colleges?

Yeah I’m wondering this, too.

Better in every way, including MICH better schools, and cheaper COL? But maybe you’re talking about DCPS? Where is this magical place?
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 08:26     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
I'm interested in your broadbrush statement "much better schools." There are some pretty good school districts in the DMV. I take it you're not in one of them? And how good are the state colleges?
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 08:20     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
option 5 - live apart and try commuting, and make changes, if any, year by year
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 14:03     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
I would do 3 at least for a while to test it out. Your middle schooler is pretty independent right now and will become more so in the next two years. Think of it as weekly business trips and then it doesn’t seem so drastic.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 13:58     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:how could your husband not find a job in the new place. [/b]he may have to pivot, but since he has a fairly low paying fed job, you might be surprised.
[b]
getting out of the DC ratrace would probably be good for you.


Is it low paying? My DH is a fed making about 300k and I can see a bunch of places that are smaller, lower cost of living cities where it would be hard, maybe not impossible, but not a snap of the fingers either to replicate that.


But if you are in a place where you own your home without a mortgage, you don’t need 300k.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 13:43     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:how could your husband not find a job in the new place. [/b]he may have to pivot, but since he has a fairly low paying fed job, you might be surprised.
[b]
getting out of the DC ratrace would probably be good for you.


Is it low paying? My DH is a fed making about 300k and I can see a bunch of places that are smaller, lower cost of living cities where it would be hard, maybe not impossible, but not a snap of the fingers either to replicate that.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 12:35     Subject: Possible relocation - what would you do?
how could your husband not find a job in the new place. he may have to pivot, but since he has a fairly low paying fed job, you might be surprised.

getting out of the DC ratrace would probably be good for you.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 12:26     Subject: Re:Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where the new city is makes a bit of a difference, in that it's a lot easier to fly back and forth from say Nashville (lots of direct flights) than it is from Reno (no direct flights).

You don't need to tell us but you do need to factor that in for Option 3, which is pretty viable.


OP here. It is about a 90 min. plane ride with direct flights hourly. But not easily driveable.


larger and with more job opportunities, but generally that distance

So like Manchester NH?
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 12:08     Subject: Re:Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where the new city is makes a bit of a difference, in that it's a lot easier to fly back and forth from say Nashville (lots of direct flights) than it is from Reno (no direct flights).

You don't need to tell us but you do need to factor that in for Option 3, which is pretty viable.


OP here. It is about a 90 min. plane ride with direct flights hourly. But not easily driveable.


So like Manchester NH?
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 11:50     Subject: Re:Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:Where the new city is makes a bit of a difference, in that it's a lot easier to fly back and forth from say Nashville (lots of direct flights) than it is from Reno (no direct flights).

You don't need to tell us but you do need to factor that in for Option 3, which is pretty viable.


OP here. It is about a 90 min. plane ride with direct flights hourly. But not easily driveable.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 10:42     Subject: Re:Possible relocation - what would you do?
Anonymous wrote:Where the new city is makes a bit of a difference, in that it's a lot easier to fly back and forth from say Nashville (lots of direct flights) than it is from Reno (no direct flights).

You don't need to tell us but you do need to factor that in for Option 3, which is pretty viable.


You also need to consider distance so that you could potentially drive sometimes if flying isn't feasible for some reason. That's a lot more likely from a closer southern city than farther away in the north/west.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 10:41     Subject: Re:Possible relocation - what would you do?
Where the new city is makes a bit of a difference, in that it's a lot easier to fly back and forth from say Nashville (lots of direct flights) than it is from Reno (no direct flights).

You don't need to tell us but you do need to factor that in for Option 3, which is pretty viable.