Possible move to Chicago area from Portland, OR. Please help as I am freaking out! (Oak Park: house)

[GoCougs!]

My husband is in the final stage of interviews for a position located at the University of Chicago. The job is not his yet, but I want to be somewhat prepared if it is offered to him. Can you help me out?

Not sure what information I need to provide, but I can start with the following needs:

• Strong public schools for our 8 and 12 year old girls.
• Safe area and all the usual stuff that people want for their kids.
• Our housing budget probably will max out at $450,000. I am not afraid of cosmetic home repair- just the hard core remodel.

Any suggestions?

[chet everett]

First, don't freak out. The UofC and its associated medical and publishing facilities are located in Hyde Park. It is one the more expensive neighborhoods in Chicago but there are options that will allow for a reasonable commute and still stay in budget.

Since you have school age kids I would rule out Chicago as the recent budget crisis has resulted in an even higher degree of chaos than in years past. Towns with good schools and good access to UofC can be found both south and west. To the south towns like Flossmoor will allow your budget to go farther than towns to the west like Oak Park or Lagrange.

God Luck!

[GoCougs!]

Flossmoor looks too good to be true...

[chet everett]

At your price point it should be a nice option. The downsides are mostly the relative differences between Flossmoor and most of the neighboring areas. There is big fall off in affleuence in some neighboring towns, as well different issues with the standards for education. The relative history of success at Homewood-Flossmoor and it the feeder schools is generally so long as to allay most fears. I much prefer the long term prospects brought out with the walkability of Flossmoor compared to a more "subdivision and golf community" oriented town like Olympia Fields. Racial balance in the south suburbs continues to shift, but towns that have a tradition of good schools seem more likely to retain value.

The next best options in places like Lagrange or Oak Park are going to take rail commuting to the campus pretty much out of the picture, which raises the daily hassle factor, and your house buying dollar won't go as far...

[Lookout Kid]

Flossmoor is surrounded by some really rough suburbs. The schools were formerly some of the best in Chicagoland, but are now seen as being on the decline by many as test scores have fallen and the racial balance has shifted. Some of that attitude may be racism, and I've heard from parents that are very happy with the education available at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, and the coursework is still challenging. We took a look at Flossmoor, and ultimately decided that the location and schools were not what we wanted. But wow, can you get an amazing house at an amazing price on a block that oozes upscale charm! And it's still a very safe community.

Homewood and Flossmoor used to be the "go to" suburbs for University of Chicago professors, but I think this is changing a bit. I know some U of C personnel that live in Oak Park, but as Chet mentioned, that limits your ability to take the train conveniently. A lot more people are choosing to live in Hyde Park or other city neighborhoods, and either send their kids to private schools or live in better CPS districts on the North Side.