Isn’t this why we travel? Have more than one pair of shoes? Drink wine? Buy jewelry or another scarf? Have more than one set of dishes? And so forth . . .
Anything beyond basic food, shelter and clothing is all stuff we want to do.
It sounds as if you have taken care of all of your financial obligations. It’s not clear to me why you’d feel guilty.There are possible legitimate reasons. That your family would realize that you can afford more than they can is not one of them, IMHO.
If you are worried about the environmental impact, which I consider to be a legitimate concern, you can deal with that by investing in energy-saving improvements, eschewing lawn fertilizer that would leach into that waterway, revising plantings, composting, recycling, etc.
If you feel that you shouldn’t spend money when other people are in need, well, my view is that there are ways to actively address that problem. One of those ways is to monetarily support organizations and causes that make a real difference in people’s lives, such as Habitat for Humanity. Maybe you want to set aside more money for those things in your budget. It’s up to you.
It doesn’t sound to me as if you are contemplating obscene conspicuous consumption. 
I think you should go for it.
Go for it!
I would move now , but H doesn’t want to. If he agreed I would.
Sounds unanimous- do it! And don’t be afraid to relocate in years to come. You will never be tied to your current dream house- situations change and what is best changes also.
Financially- consider this. You are helping the economy with the move. You are spending money to buy, sell and move. This gives some income to others. Plus your current house could be some buyers dream house. Win-win. Finally- you can’t take it with you so spend it while you can enjoy your hard earned money.
I would go for it. Unfortunately husband and I are at the stage that we don’t have any dream house nor car, not even dream vacation. We just have a pleasant lifestyle but not over the top, so that is where we are. Enjoy life while you can.
Yes, or tell me where it is… We have relatives who built on the Eastern Shore, and I’m guessing that’s where you are talking about. If it’s something unique enough that you don’t think you will find it “better to your liking” if you are patient, absolutely go for it. Especially if you plan to stay put for the foreseeable future.
Yes, you should move to a location that pleases you. As you get older you actually will be grateful that you have a ‘view’ and something to look out on. It will make every day pleasant.
Also, if you buy a house that has a ‘fun’ factor (waterfront or lake front) you can bribe your kids and your grandkids to come visit more often.
We just put an addition on our house so that it could be our dream house. It was probably a stupid move financially though I have to think it will be easier to sell this house with a master bedroom and a big kitchen.
Hmmm… I say maybe, if your job situation is secure.
We have a house nearly paid off, and it’s a warm fuzzy as we face layoffs cycles at work. (We have survived, but happy to not have the stress of long term mortgage).
Hi @DrGoogle, glad you’re back. Haven’t seen you for a long time. I hope you were on some exotic beach on vacation!
I echo most other people who are telling you to go for it! One thing you can consider, waterfront property is a limited resource. You might be able to consider this as a very good investment. It is hard to regret living in your dream house on the water when it is appreciating like crazy! 
Hi @busdriver11, no I’ve been sick, I’m slowly recovering. I’m glad to be just healthy and pot around my garden, no more planning for exotic beach vacation, Hawaii would do fine for me now.
Oh no, I’m sorry about that! I hope you are doing better now. Hawaii would be a wonderful vacation.
Ouch, DrGoogle! We missed you. So sorry to hear you’ve been sick. Hope things are turning around for you. Gardening is very therapeutic for the soul and mind.
Back to the OP: have we convinced you yet?
Thanks everyone! Hubby thinks it proves how nutty I am. We’re going tonight for a second look and calling the mortgage guy. I hate that part, no one but me and hubby know our finances. We’ve contemplated moving before but something has come up or stopped us. I figure if it’s meant to be it will work out. Sometimes I can filter things through a lens of waiting for the $#!) to hit the fan. We own our own business, just past the 16 year mark, so I think we’re okay. My 22nd employee starts this morning.
I liken it to the kids starving in Africa so I have to eat all my dinner mentality. We’ve been through tough times getting our business off the ground and keeping it consistent years ago. It changed me to be a way more cautious person in terms of storing my nuts for winter. Hubby and I both work in the business, we don’t have a fall back. So I’d call myself an anxious risk taker. Making a decision for pleasure is way more difficult for me than making a work decision.
I don’t know why it was so shocking to see everyone was hell yes on the decision. At first I was like…are you crazy? Where’s Suze Orman when I need her? You know that section of her tv show where people ask if they can afford it and while you sit there you think hell yes you can, what are you thinking about and she’s putting the big denied stamp down?
Too bad I can’t take you all with me to walk through it. Thanks for the boost!
It sounds like there’s little risk. Once you’ve got the new house to your liking, you’ll sell the old one, right?
I don’t know if we should just rent out the current house or sell. We couldn’t sell it now for what we paid for it. Not sure how much of a headache it would be to rent it or if it could be considered diversifying our portfolio and make some income from it.
You folks are brave to consider going through the packing/selling/moving stuff. I am pretty averse to all that, plus I don’t have a “dream” house, and beach weather doesn’t work for me over the long term. So I am probably one of the few nay-sayers who says I am glad this works for you, but it doesn’t for me. Good luck, eyemamom. Go for it if its your dream.
Well, you said you’re going to make some changes to the dream house before moving in, so you’ll have some time to consider what you want to do with the current house.
Buy it. If you want to live on the water definitely do it. It’ll more than make up for whatever drawbacks of the house.
We bought and sold properties for years looking for a spot to build our dream home. Some spots were “okay” in my opinion but all were decent investments so we bought. And sold. Didn’t actually build until we found the dream spot on the water. I knew we were finally “home” the minute we found it. If you feel “at home” --BUY IT! Those properties “with all you’re looking for” don’t come along often.