DH and I have been house hunting for a few months now. We have had to walk away from two homes and were pretty heart broken over them.

So far, we have been focusing on two neighborhoods in Baltimore. Both are our ideal neighborhoods with blue ribbon schools, parks nearby, and shops/restaurants. The problem is, the neighborhoods are extremely expensive and property taxes for both are in the $6,000+ a year range. If we stay focused on houses in these areas, with their average price range being $325,000-$400,000, our mortgage payments are going to be pretty astronomical.

We recently found another neighborhood that we really like. The houses are adorable and the neighborhoods still have that wooded, historic appeal that we like. The neighborhoods have low crime rates, and while not as walkable as the others, are close to plenty of shops and restaurants. The homes in this neighborhood average $260,000-$300,000 and the property taxes are more in the $4,000-$5,000 range so our mortgage payment would be much, much more reasonable.

The only issue with the new neighborhood we like is that the city schools they are zoned for are HORRIBLE. I mean really, really bad. So, if we purchased in this area we would have no choice but to send our child to private schools.

What would you do? I feel like the money we would save on mortgage could be used to help contribute to private schooling. Would that make it worth it? Or would you prefer a much higher mortgage payment but amazing public schools?

House hunting is so stressful!