To move or not to move...that is the question

When I tell people that I'm working an hour away from where I'm living (which you've probably heard me bemoan several times already), they always ask why we don't move.  That's a good question...why don't we move?  My response has been that we can't break our lease, which isn't up until next June.  In March, when we signed all the papers, we chose the beginning of June because the school year would be over and I could facilitate moving at that point.

Well, Sunday, after returning from graduation, I pulled out our pages upon pages of paperwork to check about ending our lease early.  I found the section that detailed the fees and penalties associated with early termination, and they included giving 60 days notice, paying an extra month's rent, and paying "market value" for the months we have already lived here.  We signed the lease when there was a special for $125 off monthly rent.  Once we calculated the fees, they amount to nearly $2000.  Then we had to take into account moving costs.  To make a move worth it, we would have to lower what we pay each month in rent despite the fact that we'll save money on gas.

To my surprise, we found several properties online in Duluth - where Davis works - that fit our parameters.  I spent Monday and Tuesday visiting different complexes, looking at apartments, and gathering more information.  I also used crimemapping.com (a nifty tool if the local police departments participate) and apartmentratings.com  to find even more information.  (One of the complexes we looked at only had a 7% recommendation rate!)  And I came to a conclusion.  I don't want to move.  I LOVE the complex we're in now.  For the space, price, quality, and safety of the apartment, it just can't be beat.  If we were to move, we would be compromising on safety and quality.  I told Davis all of this, and he agreed.

So, this is the saga of how we decided NOT to move.