In the past, getting and taking a job offer wasn't that big deal: Husband got job offer. If he lived in a different area, he sold the house, pulled the kids from school, moved to the new house, and started the new job. As we enter the 21st century, a variety of things have created huge shifts in this model:
- The Working Spouse - Women are in the work force like never before, earning boat-loads of money and running their own businesses. If hubby gets a job, it is no small thing to move the wife away from a career - especially in the many cases where she earns more than he does.
- Insane Housing - I live in SoCal, which isn't cheap, but I bought in six years ago. And I am two miles from the ocean. The new job would be in Silicon Valley and there is no way I could afford a comparable house in NoCal that wasn't less than an hour from work and at least that far from the ocean.
- Schooling - My daughter may be only four years old, but we are shelling out relatively big bucks to send her to a private pre-school. If we were to move, the chances of getting her into a comparable preschool in a decent timeframe are nil. In upwardly mobile, highly populated areas, waiting lists for preschools, elementary schools, or anything outside of the dismal public school systems are unbelievably long.
- Technology - This is the plus side of the trend: the internet, cheap long distance, and cheap air travel has made working remotely easier than ever before.