I agree with most of what was said. Most American families are no longer staying in one city, let alone home, for 20+ yrs like my parents did. While my husband had visions of buying a homestead and raising kids and grandkids there, we’ve moved every 2-3 years or so due to practical issues (our original place was a townhouse that was not practical after acquiring 2 dogs and 2 kids), job opportunities, and company relocations. Now that we’re a little older and getting more settled in our careers, we’re looking for a home we can hopefully stay in long-term while we rent for the next year or two. One thing we are non-negotiable on while we keep an eye on homes is a large lot (10,000+ sq ft) as we anticipate that our family will grow and we’d like the space to build out our home if we need to. Anyway, food for thought and yes, kids are VERY expensive – we were paying $1000K/kid/month for daycare and this was not even a high-end place!