The honest answer is less romantic than people want. Choose the place that makes Tuesday morning easier, not the place that sounds best online. The commute, property taxes, school culture, and car dependency should all be treated as part of the same decision. Also listen to the person in the family who is least excited. They often see the problem everyone else is trying to ignore. The first few months were not a fair test. They were setup, loneliness, paperwork, and too many small decisions.