New here...I'm starting at Sears in Hoffman Estates and need an apartment... (Elgin: low income)

[oldno7]

I've looked through apartments.com and rent.com, but I'm afraid of what I'm missing. This is a second residence (my family will be staying in Ohio), so I'm looking for something pretty cheap. Not so cheap that I'd have to move passed-out meth-heads out of my parking spot everyday, but cheap: $500 - $700 a month for a studio or 1 bedroom.

Thanks for any help you can give me...

[chet everett]

There are not a whole lot of run down area near the Sears offices in Hoffman Estates. Towns like Barrington have mostly resisted large rental complexes. If you look in Palatine there is ample evidence of the sort of low income crowding that often happens in such developments.

If you just need a studio I would suggest using the local newspapers. There are a handful of older building in-town Barrington that might work well, but those landlords typically don't much more than hang a sign in the window...

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by chet everett

There are not a whole lot of run down area near the Sears offices in Hoffman Estates. Towns like Barrington have mostly resisted large rental complexes. If you look in Palatine there is ample evidence of the sort of low income crowding that often happens in such developments.

If you just need a studio I would suggest using the local newspapers. There are a handful of older building in-town Barrington that might work well, but those landlords typically don't much more than hang a sign in the window...

Yet you can find nice apartments in Palatine. Avoid the large complexes along Rand Rd. and Dundee as a general rule of thumb.

[knitgirl]

That's a pretty low price range for the area, but there are fairly nice areas of Elgin that would have apartments that might work for you. You might have the best luck looking on craigslist. For example, I have a 3-flat built in 1880. We rent our 1 bedroom for $650. It's not fancy, but it's clean and has all the basics. I'm not looking for a new tenant, we're full, but there are similar buildings on the northeast side that would be pretty close to Sears. An owner occupied property is a good choice because they will be picky about their tenants. Apartment complexes in that price range are a little scary to me.

[koriemo]

I agree with pp.

Try apartments in converted houses in East Elgin. Avoid the big complexes in Elgin, but there are some decent small buildings with 2-5 apartments each.

I lived in Hunter's Ridge complex in west Elgin. Studios are $650-800. It's about 15, maybe 20 minutes from the sears building. I recommend it if you don't mind the drive. It's right on I-90.