I bought a house 10 yrs ago... thought it was the perfect house. Turned out it was not. Moved 1 year ago. The new house physically is no where near as nice, but the location is way better. I could not be happier and think about the great move I made on a daily basis.

Financially, it would have been far better to land in the new house right away mainly due to the excessive "transaction costs" associated with moving. But I have no regrets and am glad I made the move.

If you don't like where you live - move. Life is too short to waste on bickering neighbors and the like.

In terms of the finances, it will cost you sell, move, and fiance a new home. An agent is going to take 5-6% or you could do For Sale By Owner or look for a flat fee listing service. Moving could cost $50 bucks for a DIY rental truck up to a thousand or more for high end movers to do it for you. Closing costs to buy a new place vary but will certainly be thousands of dollars.

In terms of the loan, you will likely get a lower interest rate than you did 9 years ago, so you can save some cash that way. As long as you don't buy a more expensive home, you could pay your new house off in the same amount of time by getting a 10 or 15 year mortgage.

Before you decide though, you could probably benefit from sitting down with a mortgage broker and seeing what your options are. They should be able to give you a good idea of the costs. You want to get the financial stuff out of the way before you start house shopping anyway.

"If you don't like where you live - move. Life is too short to waste on bickering neighbors and the like."

Amen!

I think I might embroider something similar on a sampler & hang it on the wall.
It is so appropriate for so many things, homes, jobs, relationships...

& although it'll cost you to move, & it isn't the optimum time to sell in terms of what you can get for the house, you'll also be *buying* in a market in which prices are lower.

If you wait several years to sell in a seller's market, you'll be buying in the same seller's market.

I wish you the best.

I agree with the others. Seize the day! Don't put up with your situation if you're not happy there.

Thank you to all! You are right. I'm starting to pack and get things going. I guess I just needed a little push.
Thanks again!

Good luck to you!

rn4design...
If your heart says it is time to move, then it is time to move. Buying and selling personal residences is more than just a financial decision. Many more factors should be included, just like the ones you mentioned.
Do like Bill says... talk with a lender so you know your options.
Don't worry about the market. For any "loss" that you may take as a Seller, you can make up on the Buying side.

Thank you for this thread! I also needed a push!

Last week I had a very scary thing happen in my neighborhood. My neighbor tried to play vigilante and somehow, someway my home ended up in the crossfire.

I need to move because I don't have the same feelings of security.

Good luck with your sale! I hope you find what you are looking for!

It's amazing how the universe works. Just as all of you were telling me to go, I got the final answer at the same time. The City posted notices that the trees on the parkway have to be taken down due to a spreading fungal infection which is killing them. They are so shady and about 50 yrs old and it's the middle of summer. Could the answer be more clear?? I don't think so. lol

can you possibly rent the house and still buy a new house? Most banks will count 75% of rent as income.