While I'm not Deerfield, I do have a lot of experience in moving (11 times in the last 13 yrs). My moving was all part of the military dictating where I was going. So, some of my moves I knew were short term (2 yrs), which meant I was going to rent. I did move into apartments for a short while and then move into a house within a few months. I would not recommend that unless you have no choice.

First, you know where you are going. Cruise the internet for homes, check schools for where you need to be location wise, and check the crime reports for "bad areas". It is helpful if you know people who have lived there to give you pointers on good/bad areas and schools.

If you are planning on buying, you need to start as early as possible. Work with a realtor soon. Hopefully you can be very specific about your housing needs. Plan on house hunting and set that up early with the real estate agent. I found that I needed to be rudely specific with agents. Some don't plan routes for looking at homes (which wastes your time which is probably not a lot), they show homes that don't meet your requirements, or are out of your budget restaints. You don't have time for someone who doesn't work for you and your requirement. You will also need to get pre-approved for a loan prior to going there and be prepared to submit an offer with earnest money. Have a back-up house in mind if a deal doesn't work. Also check the rental market in case you can't make a deal House hunting is a highly stressful week of your life.

If you want to rent, then a lot of that can be done on the internet. Because most place won't "hold" a place, you will need to rent about a month before the move. Shopping early won't help unless you will rent without being there for a month or two. (I had to do that in San Diego) Be prepared for 1st month plus a security deposit (some places are first and last months rent plus deposit).

IMO, it is best to find a place and not plan to move again. Moving is expensive and stuff gets damaged or broken. The hassle of moving twice is taxing on you and your family. If you can, try to take the whole family in one car. My wife and I drove seperately across the country , it sucked. To do it again, I think I would sell one car and buy when I got to the destination.

Sadly, I am at the 18 month point in my home and my (and my wife's) internal move clock is ticking. As much as moving sucks, it does add to the spice of life. Good luck with your search and your move.