I know nothing about the legalities and those certainly have to be a major consideration. That being said, if you are thinking about staying because you will miss your "dream house", I say boo. Material things outside of ourselves never make us happy. Some of the most unhappy people I know have enough wealth to buy whatever they want. I once had my "dream house". I completely renovated it and imagined it be the home that we not only raised our children in, but it also would be the home that our grandchildren would come to visit. Well, the recession hit and we had to move for financial/job reasons. The real estate market had crashed and the house was worth half of what we owed on it. The house became the biggest noose around my neck. By the end of the whole affair, when we could finally sell/give it away, I absolutely hated the dam8 place. I have since lived in two other homes that I absolutely love. I realize that it was never about the home, but more about the memories, the adventure of living that took place in every home that I have ever lived in. If this is really just about the house, you will NOT regret leaving it.