Thank you for all your comments! I apologize for my late response; the past few months have been quite exhausting, but things are now returning to normal.
The mortgage process was a nightmare. Despite trusting MoneyPark, it turned out to be a huge disappointment as I mentioned in another thread
We gave notice for our rented apartment at the end of February, received the keys for the new place in April, and completed our move by the end of May. So far, everything has been going well. Our kids love the new place, which is full of children around their age. Almost no cars, and they can ride their bikes or play with balls all day. Additionally, we’re close to the Rhein, where there’s a badi just a few hundred meters away. Our neighbors are fantastic.
Working from home, having a proper workspace, even in my bedroom, is really appreciated.
Surprisingly, there was no bidding process; it was first-come, first-served. However, I think, bidding typically occurs in only a few districts of Schaffhausen: Breite, Emmersberg, and Buchthalen. Our new home is not in Schaffhausen itself but rather 5-10 minutes away (about 5-6 km).
We love Schaffhausen and its surroundings in Kanton Zurich (including Langwisen, Feuerthalen, Flurlingen, and Dachsen). It’s an ideal place for families, with almost everything within reach. Zurich airport is just 40 minutes away, and there are German supermarkets (Lidl, Edeka, and Aldi) about 7 km from here. Numerous playgrounds, forests, and access to the river. However, for young people or singles, it might be bit boring.
Schaffhausen and Kanton Schaffhausen are actively working to attract new companies and families to work here. This is why regarding taxes, income tax rates have decreased over the last 4-5 years, and currently, they are nearly on par with those in Kanton Zurich (Langwisen, Feuerthalen, Flurlingen and Dachsen). Families benefit from additional subsidies in Schaffhausen. For instance, if both parents work, there’s a daily subsidy of 20 CHF per child in the Kita. We used to pay 82 CHF instead of the maximum 102 CHF per day. Moreover, there are better deductions for children on income tax declarations.