The Neighborhood Cycle

When I bought my first house, I moved into into a neighborhood with lots of kids under 10 years old. When I moved out 16 years later, many of the kids were in college or had graduated.   In our new neighborhood, the kids were mostly over 12 when we moved in 8 years ago.    So we have already watched many of the kids go to college and graduate. 

For a past five years, there have been no young children (4-8 years old) to play with our six year old daughter.  Last year, she was only one of two children at the bus stop.  Then, despite the poor housing market there was a influx of families with young children.  This year, there six children at our K-4 bus stop with five of them being in K-2.  Add the parents waiting with the kids and there is quite a large crowd.  My daughter is ecstatic.

Our plan is to stay in our current house until our daughter graduate from high school.  We have paid off the mortgage.  We live in a good school district.  We like the neighborhood.  
We'll likely be part of the next neighborhood turnover in 12 years as the K-2 children go to college.  Hopefully, housing will have recovered sufficiently to enable us to sell at a profit :-) 
 
For more on  Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday  for a new segment.
This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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