A few other thoughts for you, AN, with regard to choosing your “dream home.”

Like you, our first consideration was space, space, and more space, but we still wanted to be close to family, the coast, and easily acessible to freeways, airports, shopping, restaurants, medical care, golf, tennis, etc.

My wife wanted a home in which she could raise the kids and entertain, as well as room to paint, write, and a space for her beloved grand piano. On top of that, our kids wanted horses, so, our “Nirvana” was clearly RSF–hands down. Bear in mind, housing prices at that time were still very “reasonable,” so it was “doable.”

My point is, whenever you make this decision, think about how you want to live your daily life in your “dream home,” and factor all of those elements into the equation. Like us, it may, in many ways, help you clarify your options.