The market is such that you will probably not see quality cruising boats available for less than right now. Balancing that, of course, is the added cost of owning something like a Tayana vs. the cost of your Hunter.

The next choice is obviously where to keep it, at your lake or further away in salt water and the costs and inconveniences associated with each choice.

We owned our Tayana 37 about 3 years before leaving for a 2 year cruise and we will have owned our KP-44 less than a year before we take off again next summer. By the time we left on the Tayana, we pretty much knew the boat and and its systems cold. We'll know the new boat less well, but have no doubt that we'll be able to figure out what we don't know as we go along.

Another thing, is the enjoyment factor of owning the boat. The Tayana (or any similar cruising boat) is a far more comfortable boat to spend time on, but the experience of sailing it is fundamentally different than that of your Hunter. If your primary source of enjoyment is the sports car like thrill of sailing a small, lightweight boat like your hunter, you will miss that. However, if what you like is hanging out on the boat, either at the marina or anchored out somewhere, the Tayana will be far, far more comfortable.

Finally, the larger boat is a bit more work just in terms of maintenance and such.

The bottom line is that this is obviously an individual choice that will reflect your personal needs, wants and resources rather than an objective one that other people's opinions will matter much about.

Hopefully you and your wife can come to a consensus.

I've posted it before, but here's a photo of us aboard our Tayana off the coast of Guatemala about 5 years ago.