Hello Raptorduck,
I am glad it all worked out for you. I believe you sold a house in the bay area also? Did that go pretty well? I think the fact that you were already raising your family in a home you owned is a big part of the picture. I know very few people with manageable finances who would give that situation up.

I thought about selling my house, waiting a couple of years and buying two. If single, I would have done it in a heartbeat. With my kids, it just didn’t seem worth it. Watching them grow up is definitely enhanced by seeing it happen in a place we built and where it seems we will stay. I like asking them goofy stuff like, “remember when we planted those roses” and watching them anticipate a treehouse and a fish pond when they are big enough. I have no regrets. I hope the result of your move continues to be gratifying too.
Russell