Paying more for the best schools can sometimes be a bad idea. My parents stretched themselves back in the 70s to buy a home in the best school district they could afford, and the financial pressure (their mortgage payments doubled) drove my dad to the bottle. Soon after moving into the new house, my dad started spending more and more time at the bars and my mom finally filed for divorce. I had been a gifted kid, but my mom worked all the time so she didn’t notice when my grades began slipping and got kicked out of all of my honors classes. When it came time to apply for college, I didn’t even bother. Neither of my parents noticed, being too wrapped up in their careers and new relationships. I eventually ended up getting a degree from a state school and I have done well, however all of my teachers had predicted that I’d get an Ivy League education and become a famous doctor or scientist based on my early schoolwork and test scores. To make a long story short, being an active and involved parent and loving partner to your spouse are more important than what school district you choose to purchase a home in.
