I doubt this, because in my 3rd year I still have to do TA/RA at school, so it's highly unlikely that I can do everything online. I just wonder whether my re-application pisses my advisor off (though he may understand that family always comes first), and he may write me off (he is an influential scholar and my program is a top one, so his recommendation letter is make or break in whether I get into a new program if I decide to reapply). My wife told me that if I switch, she would be in this area until I finish my PhD because she really likes this job and wants to work in this company for a long time (very good salary as well).
By "master out", you mean I get an MA and reapply into a program in my wife's city? That's also a route that I'm considering. I think I may be able to transfer some credits, but basically I still have to retake most of the classes if I successfully switch the department