Moving to a distant location?

Seems to me that you have it pretty much figured out. I would not pay down the mortgage since you are planning to rent it out and the house will pay for itself. Concentrate on the new place is my opinion. Lamentably relocating costs and will most likely increase your debt when you consider all the miscellaneous expenses involved. So again i would say concentrate on the new place. And then consolidate all your debts when you settle in.

Hi there, I happened upon your post while thinking about the fact that I may be dealing with something similar. Unlike you, I have not moved frequently, in fact my first 3 moves were in state and very close to each other, after that, I moved to CA where I still am. If we move, it's going to be to the opposite coast. I have never lived on the east coast, however I am used to the south and I do like it, so as long as it's not too different from here in terms of the towns, people, community, I guess it won't be that bad. What part of Florida did you live in? For us, it would be a combination of several things - job advancement and potential for promotion, which is topped out here, more money, lower cost of living, going from 2 hours commute to practically NO commute, etc. We wouldn't be building, we don't need a huge amount of land, I just want the same things we have here, 3+ beds, 2 1/2 baths, a patio, pool, and room for a swingset and outdoor kids toys. The problem we face is the same - the market is bad and if we have to sell, it will end up a short sale. Nothing in this area is valued what the mortgages are so we'll lose money either way, even if we wait another year or two. However, a short sale can be explained if you are moving due to a job offer and the company is paying to move you. We haven't discussed the possibility of renting the house out and I'm not even sure we could. Because the values are not equal to or greater than the mortgages, it would be near impossible to rent the house out for the current mortgage payment, and if we are out of state, it will be extremely hard to make sure nothing bad happens to the property. I've been thinking about this constantly for the last few days, because once my husband applies for any of the openings, there is a 90ish percent chance he'll get interviewed, and if he gets interviewed, I bet he'll get the position. Then the move would be imminent and I wouldn't have much choice but to deal with everything as quickly as possible. I would prefer to take a weekend to go see the area, meet with a realtor and look at properties for rent, scout the town, find out from residents about community activities, schools, and then make a decision, but it will be expensive to fly and stay, even for a weekend. Either way, whether we short sale our current house or decide to rent it out, if we can get at least what we owe on it each month, we will not b purchasing right away, we'll just be renting, probably longterm. We'll need to get out from under this one somehow and then come up with a down to buy something, and if we are wise, we'll wait awhile and scout for the home we want to retire in, and then purchase that. We have two grown kids, one is almost 21 and the other is 19, and then we have a 6 year old. The big kids will both be out of the house, one left right after graduation, the other is getting ready to leave for college. They were really the reason we didn't consider moving earlier. I don't want to move, I am really worried about it lol. I'm not sure if you can move without incurring debt, moving is expensive, even if you move one town away. Cross country moves can get crazy, what with packers and movers, vehicle haulers, uhauls, and extra hands to help you.

It is a good idea to move if you are sure that you can find better opportunities to advance your career and other ways of making money. Moving is always involved with some risk. Don't take an immediate decision without thinking about the situation. I moved to a different town thinking that I could find better opportunities and a better job. I am still confident, but I couldn't find a job yet. I moved to this place and found a nice appartment at a reasonable rate. The only problem is regarding the job. It is better to find a job first and then move. Economy is not in a good shape and there are not many opportunities. Don't decide blindly and make you regret later. All the best for you. I'm telling again to be extra careful and think well before taking the decision.

Not knowing your profession, but you could utilize online headhunters to find you jobs. There would be telephone interviews and if the company's interested further, they'll fly you out for an interview. You can generally contract with them where they cover moving costs if hired. All this is dependent upon the profession, of course. Your idea sounds like a good one and I wish you luck in bringing your family's dreams to fruition.