Lurker with a longwinded request for advice

[Deleted]

How fast does real estate move in your area? Will his company pay for your move? Any reason you want to build instead of buy an existing home?

[kershnic]

When you say late spring/early summer do you mean of 2016 or 2017? If we're talking a move that is 18 months from now, I don't think there's much to really do right now other than save money and think about whether this move is 100% what you want.

[ny96]

We will likely move cross country in the next 18 months, but haven't decided on a city let alone a neighborhood. My advice to you, having moved cross country several times before, is to not check out of the place you're at too soon. Enjoy the area and the friends and continue to invest yourself. 2017 is still a ways away.

[Deleted]

Dec 4, 2015 21:03:26 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

Dec 4, 2015 20:30:15 GMT -5 kershnic said:

When you say late spring/early summer do you mean of 2016 or 2017? If we're talking a move that is 18 months from now, I don't think there's much to really do right now other than save money and think about whether this move is 100% what you want.

2017.  I've wanted to go back for a decade, and DH loves New Orleans.  This is the first time we've had the option of going back because his job has forced us all around the country.  Every promotion has meant a different state.  I'm ready to get some roots in!

Oh so your child hasn't started kindergarten yet?  I'd probably try to move before they start if possible.

[kershnic]

Dec 4, 2015 21:03:26 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

Dec 4, 2015 20:30:15 GMT -5 kershnic said:

When you say late spring/early summer do you mean of 2016 or 2017? If we're talking a move that is 18 months from now, I don't think there's much to really do right now other than save money and think about whether this move is 100% what you want.

2017.  I've wanted to go back for a decade, and DH loves New Orleans.  This is the first time we've had the option of going back because his job has forced us all around the country.  Every promotion has meant a different state.  I'm ready to get some roots in!

Oh, I totally know the feeling.  So it sounds like you're committed!  But still, with 18 months to go...  mostly it's just dreaming and maybe saving right now.

[felicity]

I would think about giving it a little more time before making a big move...give your husband time to settle into the new job and make sure it's one he wants to stay at for awhile. If you move and he needs a job change, are there other jobs he could get where you are moving?

I'm actually surprised to hear you say consulting is less stressful than a corporate job! I've always heard the opposite.

[auntie]

IME, sometimes it works best for a younger child to move before the year is over. It will give her a chance to settle in and make some friends before the summer starts. Plus her teacher will be more able to focus on helping her transition than in the fall when everyone is new to her/him.

[jackie011]

It sounds like you're making a move for the benefit of your family. Your DH can work anywhere, as long as he has good airport access, right? Plus, you'll have family support in a familiar area, where you grew up? Do it!

As a teacher, I also recommend not necessarily waiting until your child has finished the school year. Whenever this would come up, I always reassured parents that it's not the end of the world to move mid-school year. Actually, it's usually better for everyone. When a new student arrives, mid-year, there's always a lot of peer interest, the teacher has established routines with the class, and is able to give the new student a little more attention. When a new student arrives on the first day of school, there is so much adjusting and uncertainty already, everyone is new, kwim? Basically, if you guys are ready to make the big move in March, don't let completing the school year hold you back.

As far as planning ahead, I'd save money and scale back on stuff, if that's an issue. Sounds exciting!!

[heygrey]

In my crazy dreams I would consider if I could sell my house this spring, rent an apt in Nova and get the build going sooner so we have a house to move into. I would also move in the middle of the school year for a kindy. Teachers can help facilitate the transition mid year easier than the beginning.

[Deleted]

We have a possible move coming in the next 12-18 months. I would say 20% chance we go. I've already researched English schools for my kids, areas we may want to live, COL and childcare.

So your crazy is normal to me

[anna7602]

Dec 4, 2015 20:42:07 GMT -5 ny96 said:

We will likely move cross country in the next 18 months, but haven't decided on a city let alone a neighborhood. My advice to you, having moved cross country several times before, is to not check out of the place you're at too soon. Enjoy the area and the friends and continue to invest yourself. 2017 is still a ways away.

This is very true. We moved temporarily for a total period of 18 months. I can't imagine if I'd lived the entire time I was there just planning on what happened after. In that short period of time, so much happened, including DD changing schools once and two job opportunities coming up for me back in our permanent home city just as we were packing up our place abroad and getting ready to move back. 

The biggest thing we focused on during those 18 months was asking ourselves if we really wanted to come back to the same place at the end and what our lives would look like after that move, both personally and professionally (DH has changed jobs since we moved back, I tried a new job and it didn't work out and we also had another child). Beyond that, we focused on enjoying everything we could only enjoy in that specific place for 18 months- food, travel, time with specific friends- and made sure that we were at a place financially that allowed us the options we wanted to have. 

ETA: I forgot, I did stress about school. I had to jump through a lot of hoops to arrange things for DD to start kindergarten when we moved back, starting in about November of the school year before (for her to start the following September). But that's the nature of both public and private school where I live now. No idea if that applies to NOLA. 

[imojoebunny]

My brother did this, he is a partner in a large consulting firm and travels 4-5 days a week, all over the world, except his kids are older and they moved to a different coastal, historic town. It has been great for the kids, and my SIL has liked a lot of things about it, though she is a general grump, she seems less grump having family to help, and living on the water. They did not build a house, but bought an amazing short sale, someone else built, and lived in my grandmother's house (she passed away when the market was in the tank, so our family kept the house for a few years while the market came back, with various family living in it) for a while, while it was worked out.

If you really want to build, I would start looking into builders, as the good ones can book up a year in advance, especially in NOLA where there is a lot of building going on. Since you know the specific neighborhood you want to live in, and likely in New Orleans there are not a lot that meet the specific needs, if you need are seeking to walk to synagog or live in an Eruvim, I would start to look at lots, and if you can afford it, or can work out a deal with the builder to purchase the land and build with a contract to buy at completion, consider contracting or buying before you move and starting the architect/planning process. The planning process, especially if it is a historic area, but also if there are environmental constraints, common in coastal cities, can take a year.

The school thing is huge, but I would assume, since your parents live there, that you are versed in that.