Considering school systems when buying a house
DH and I are on the verge of buying our first house EVER. We've been renters up until now, and we are stoked to finally be in a place where we can buy a house. We just can't decided where we'd like to settle down. We've been living with family7 since returning to our hometown over a month ago. We know this area very well, we just cannot make up our mind.
If I picked where we lived, I'd want to right in the city. Right in the thick of things. Where I can walk to a coffee shop or the local performing arts center. If we buy a house in these areas, we will likely get a smaller house in a not so hot school district: Test scores way down and a poor student/teacher ratio. ANd we're not even sure that we'll send DS to school. He's only 14 months. Is this really something we need to think about now?
DH wants to move about 30 minutes outside of the city. Where we can get a 2100 sq foot house on an acre of land. The schools will be better, I suppose. But I still don't want to. AM I being selfish? I can't imagine driving 30 minutes into the city for a doctor's appt with a screaming child in the backseat. Or trying to get home when they're equally as cranky. When I could be blocks from the doctor's office and where I could get home easier? Am I putting my needs above everyone elses? I'm so torn. Advice HIpmamas?
Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
~ Groucho Marx
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To me, 1/2 hour is not a long commute, although I love the idea of being in the city and walking everywhere too.
Are the school's low scores for a reason?
Is the neighborhood safe?
Are there private schools you may consider and could you afford one with a mortgage?
I'm not into big houses, but I do like the idea of some land. Feeling isolated is never a great feeling so if there is absolutely nothing for you to do the big house neighborhood I'd stay in town. I have about a 25+ minute commute to my office or appointments, etc BUT my neighborhood still hosts a great community feel and has a small market, indi coffee house,
little town with gift shops and some restaurants. Nothing is really walking friendly because we're in the hills, but I can still get a latte within 5 minutes.
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to take a drive to the new neighborhood during the day and check out local parks and neighborhoods. Kids playing? People out? I hate those Stepford communities where people only
seem to appear after work. NOt that everyone on your street has to be a SAHM, etc, but at least the neighborhood park should have some action, etc.. These are all things I would look into. Again, the area I live is specific for hiking, horses, stuff of that nature so it's away from the "city" for a reason. Hope I'm making sense?
As you mentioned your dh is gone all day so coming home to some peace is nice. Sound slike you'd get bored. I'd take the smaller house in town. He'd be six by the time you really would have to think about enrolling. It probably would give you time to suss outthe school thing.
Still, working fulltime to send him to a private school doesn;t sound that great either if you can avoid it. I mean, even though they are in school for more hours, I get the empression from my SAHM frineds that they (the moms) stay pretty busy and involved within the school, ect.
Sorry, I'm no real help!
Good school district = good home value, usually. Also, these are places people with kids go, so there tends to be children / family friendly things around, like playgrounds. Scope it out, see what the hood is like in any situation, and list pros and cons specific to that house.
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THe house outside of the city is in the sticks. I'm a VERY social person. I just don't think that I could be that isolated. It's easy for DH to think it's a good idea b/c he goes to a place of work everyday and talks to people all day long. I need to be able to socialize. I need to be able to get somewhere quickly.
Private schools wouldn't be a problem b/c if we do put DS in school, I will be going back to work. And then we could afford one. But there is only a few schools in the area that are secular. And they are harder to get into. We live in the South. Most every school is religious. So that turns us off to private schools.
The place where I want to buy a house is on the up and up. It's not the uber-trendy artsy neighborhood. We can't afford to buy there. But this one is on it's way. Some rich fols in town just bought an old abandoned mill and they're turning it into a preforming arts center for the city. All the old historic homes that were apartments are being bought and turned into these huge mansions. I feel like buying close to there will be a good investment. I don't see any other neighborhood in the entire city that has the potential that this one does.
I guess I'm pleading my case to anyone that will listen./
Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
~ Groucho Marx