moving to delaware (Wilmington: house, to buy, schools)

[serendipity998]

We are currently living in Johnson City , TN (but originally from NJ/Philly area) and are relocating to Delaware in the next couple of months with our four-year-old, two-year-old, two very active 45-pound dogs and two old lady cats. Hoping someone has some advice for us.

We would like to buy quickly because living in temp. housing and then having to move again quickly with all of the above occupants will be cumbersome and stressful. But we are unfamiliar with the area. My husband will be working in Wilmington and we are hoping to keep his commute at 30 to 40 minutes. But . . .

We really do not want to live in a soulless subdivision, or in a deed restricted or gated community. We are hoping for 1 acre +/-, roughly 3,000 square-foot house with no fence restrictions, since we will need to be able to put up a five-foot fence for the safety of our fence-jumping, squirrel-crazy pups. I don't want to live WAY out in the country, but I do want a clothes line and a small backyard garden. We're not overly concerned about schools because we will be homeschooling.

Living in PA and commuting to DE is fine, but is that a crazy commute?

We're hoping to find a place for less than $500,000.

So is this realistic at all? The realtor that my husband's new employer set us up with wasn't very encouraging. Really, she acted like this whole fence thing was going to be a total deal-breaker. What do people in DE do with their dogs?? (Shock collars are not an option for us.)

[draptp911]

I visited Delaware in March and must say the area we visited was NEwark because we have friends that live out there and i fell in love with the area. its not that far from Wilmington.