I know I just need to talk to a bank, but...

[mgkimsal]

Welcome to NC!

We moved here 6 years ago, and I wish we'd rented for a year first, as we didn't know the area very well, or where we'd really have liked to live longer term. We got a house thinking we'd be able to move later, but the housing market has sunk enough that we're sort of locked in here for a while longer (not on the market right now, but in general, houses in this area take a fairly long time to sell).

Where in NC are you moving to?

[BuckyBadger]

Thanks for all the comments! I'll be moving to the Raleigh/Durham area. I'll be working in Durham. We're looking at the area between Raleigh and Durham.

I don't see anything happening for the next three months, so I'll have some time to try and slow the buying process down a bit.

[snafu]

How exciting to take on the challenges of new job and new location! Wishing you the best.

Having moved cross country several times for employment I can verify the wisdom of taking your time, renting and even putting stuff in storage as has been suggested. There are so many decisions to be made it can be daunting so it's important to give yourself breathing room. The others are addressing financial reasons, I am looking at moving as 4th on the list of life's traumas as it combines with change of employment.

I hope DH will immediately devote time to prepare the house for sale so it presents from a buyer's point of view which is different from day-to-day living. Perhaps he could look at on-line sites that offer 'stagers' principles. The goal is to try for the highest price in the shortest time in a difficult market. Hire a good agent and remember their fee can be negotiated. At the same time, it's good to evaluate possessions to decide what will move, what can sell, what can be donated[list for tax benefit], and anything broken, wrecked, stained, too old, better to trash.

I read that housing is still dropping in many markets and there are likely best buys still to come in your new location's preferred communities. There is no evidence that interest rates will move up soon to tighten your buying window.

We use small, colored $$ Store dot [red to move, green to sell, yellow to re-gift etc.] to keep things straight. Take photos of items to sell Craigslist, Kijjiji, Bulletin Board @ work etc. If he has time and patience, try a yard sale prepared for folks to make disparaging remarks. Too much work to move things you don't use, don't need, don't love and no longer serves your needs.