re: In the market for a house...

Sounds like you should move, keep renting or get cheaper house. Daycare in northern Virginia is going to cost you over 1000$ a month, they wanted 1500$ for us in Arlington 10 years ago…. So we moved to Williamsburg.

Insurance/taxes only get higher, your house payment will only go up every year. Without rise in income you will be struggling in future with 500k home or have to stop saving