Expensive musings

(Yes, I've been blog silent, busy busy, yadda yadda, enough of that...)

Lately I have been pondering some really expensive ideas. Like moving to a different neighborhood ideas. And I can't seem to shake it. But then it's completely illogical because we really love our house, we have really nice neighbors, and we live about five miles from my parents. All good. But then I see the many goods of the other place and my mind, she goes a wandrin'.

Here are some of the great things about the other neighborhood:

1) My commute to the kids school would be five minutes tops (versus the current 30-45) and is easily walkable.
2) My commute to work would be 10-20 minutes (versus the current 30-45)
3) We could walk to the museum (a favorite outing)
4) We could walk to see a handful of friends and have a short drive to see others
5) The kids could attend a school that includes the same extras that they get at their current out-of-the-way-from-this-house preschool offers. No such program in current school district.
6) We would spend a lot more of our time walking (healthy)
7) We would drive a lot less (I know that it's obvious from #6, but they are both worth listing as both are important)
8) We would be a lot closer and, in many cases within walking distance, of many things that we enjoy doing and usually either follow through with grudgingly while trying to commute and find parking or just skip because we're not in the mood for the hassle
9) We would be very close to two big parks each of which has multiple playgrounds

The not-so-great things about the other neighborhood:

1) There are a lot more people in a smaller space
2) We would have a much smaller yard (less mowing is a positive, though)
3) We would either have a much smaller house or pay more than twice what we did for our current house to get a similar size
4) The added expense would mean a new 30-year mortgage, and we are on schedule to pay off our current house in December 2015, which is a HUGE factor (no mortgage...how lovely). Of course, the current home equity is what would allow us to make the stretch, too, so it has a good side.
5) The houses are a lot closer, and we do like the distances out here
6) The local income tax is a lot higher in that neighborhood
7) We would be farther from my parents, although not more than 10 miles, so still reasonable

We can't really make a decision of this type for another year because of the uncertainty of working in biotech (Mr. D, not me), so it's not that we're packing our bags, but I think the pondering of the change might be enough motivation to start culling our many buckets o' crap. If nothing else, it will give us a lot more reason to enjoy our current place.