We are renting our home right now and have just been offered a two year lease. Unfortunately, there is a penalty clause where we would have to pay the rent for the remaining time period if we were to move before the lease is up. My dh's family lives in the Seattle area (we're in Central CA, near my family) and we've talked about moving up to WA off and on for years. It looks like it may be a possibility again in the near future but my dh is adamant that we buy a home there if we move. Now I have to decide if we sign this lease or find a new rental in this area if we don't want to stay for two years and decide if moving to WA now is what we want and try to find a home online to buy when we've never owned a home before.

I am seriously stressed by the weight of these decisions. Sometimes deciding what we're eating for dinner is a tough choice in my book but now I'm expected to decide which part of the country we're going to live in and find a home there?!?! My head is positively spinning with all the pros and cons and risks and payoffs. Being a grownup is so hard sometimes!

I'd love to get some other perspectives on these ideas and can give more details if that influences your opinions. I'm such a "play it safe" personality that I'm perfectly content to stay right where we are for as long as possible but I don't want to pass up opportunities that could open new doors for us, either.

By Jjb on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 01:47 pm:

I'm sorry you're in this situation! I have trouble making decisions also so I feel your pain. Can you try to negotiate with the landlord for a different penalty clause- from what I hear it's more common to have to pay 2 months rent or sometimes nothing if the house is rented when you leave. Could you sublet it if you have to get out of the lease? Those are just my thoughts. Good luck.

By Chai~latte on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 02:47 pm:

You don't have to lock yourself into a corner; I think you have some options.

Do you have to sign the lease in order to stay in your current location or can you go on renting month to month?

Could you not sublet your lease if you do decide to move? Then you would forgo the penalty however, you might be responsible for any damages or defaults your sublets make. I had a lease one time and managed to sublet and it worked out just fine.

Not every thing should be set in stone, you could move and rent for a few months until you are more familiar with your surroundings and neighborhood, in fact that would be my advice to you. Once you are more familiar with the city you choose then start looking for a home in that area, you may even decide you want a new home and have one built for you. Sometimes when you are in a new city it can take a few months to really determine what each neighborhood is like. Take a look at your own city and think of some of the places you might live in if you were a newcomer, would they be good choices?

Go out and explore the world, be adventurous!

By Tink on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 03:22 pm:

Unfortunately, subletting is forbidden and I'm not sure I want that kind of responsibility when we're hundreds of miles away. We also aren't able to rent month-to-month in this home without a much higher rent. If we sign the two year lease, we are already negotiating a few changes and I don't think changing that penalty clause is one that she is willing to give an inch on.

I know that we can rent a home in the Seattle area if we move up there but my dh is really against it. My MIL would be a great source of information as far as neighborhoods and schools are concerned. My dh's job would transfer us and will move us back in one year if we're miserable but the cost of living is cheaper than it is here so we'd be able to buy a home at a much better price than we would be able to here. I have to admit that I'm leaning towards moving to WA but there is so much stability in this area for our family that it's a big change to contemplate. I've never lived more than 20 minutes from the house I'm in right now.

By Rayelle on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 06:23 pm:

Ugh! I also hate making decisions. If you're leaning towards moving anyway, this new lease could be the "push" you need to go. I can also see why you want to stay. I would need a push! I have lived in the same small town my whole life. I swore I'd leave when I turned 18, but kids change things. Excitement wasn't as important as grandparents and familiarity when everything else was changing. Now I might be stuck here forever,lol! Good luck with your decision. At least it's a positive thing to worry about. It helps me to look at things like that sometimes.

By Crystal915 on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - 12:04 am:

No advice, just hugs... that is a stressful decision. Good luck, hon!!

By Conni on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - 08:34 pm:

Would it be a positive for your dh's career? Is it a positive to own a home vs rent? Is it a positive to have a lower COL? It is on the same coast as your family.....so you will be in driving distance of them.

By Tink on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 01:02 am:

I think we've narrowed it down to staying here in town. This move wouldn't have been a + or - for dh's career, just a change for us. We've decided not to lock ourselves into a two year lease and I think we may have found a house to buy in this area. We're going to find a way to stay in this area, this school district if possible, and this house could work out really well. We're pretty excited but I really feel like it will turn out if it's meant to. Thanks for all the well-wishes!