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"Transplant these homes". Not "tranplant these home prices". Any 4400 square ft., 5 bed 3.5 bath houses in Lagrange that have sub $13k taxes?
The OP has not said that they really want / need a home that large. If that is their priority maybe Naperville makes sense for them. The schools in La Grange or Downers Grove are both better funded than those in Naperville, the commute to UofC is better than Naperville too... Relative scarcity of 5 br homes in La Grange drives prices higher and as fraction of selling price property taxes are much more tolerable.
If they want to rely on railroad I might suggest Chesteron IN -- property taxes are very reasonable in Indiana, home prices are generally extremely attractive too. If they have kids school quality is currently superior to Flossmoor...
In general, the folks in the South Suburbs should be those MOST UPSET about the trajectory of Illinois budget crisis -- it is about as classic a death spiral as one is likely to encounter. Property values are depressed because of lack of employment options, that forces local taxes ever higher, which depresses property sales even more strongly. One way to end this cycle is to overhaul the funding for both state commitments like pensions AND local expenses like schools. If the entire faculty of UofC and every health related professional moved into Flossmoor that STILL would not change the trajectory of home values / taxes / school issues if there are not wider reforms...
The OP has not said that they really want / need a home that large. If that is their priority maybe Naperville makes sense for them. The schools in La Grange or Downers Grove are both better funded than those in Naperville, the commute to UofC is better than Naperville too... Relative scarcity of 5 br homes in La Grange drives prices higher and as fraction of selling price property taxes are much more tolerable.
If they want to rely on railroad I might suggest Chesteron IN -- property taxes are very reasonable in Indiana, home prices are generally extremely attractive too. If they have kids school quality is currently superior to Flossmoor...
In general, the folks in the South Suburbs should be those MOST UPSET about the trajectory of Illinois budget crisis -- it is about as classic a death spiral as one is likely to encounter. Property values are depressed because of lack of employment options, that forces local taxes ever higher, which depresses property sales even more strongly. One way to end this cycle is to overhaul the funding for both state commitments like pensions AND local expenses like schools. If the entire faculty of UofC and every health related professional moved into Flossmoor that STILL would not change the trajectory of home values / taxes / school issues if there are not wider reforms...
True, I have no idea what the OP is looking for. I'm offering an option to live in an affordable,aesthetically pleasing neighborhood with walkable, 25 minute public transportation to UofC. Objectively speaking, Flossmoor has a higher median income, education attainment and lower unemployment than LaGrange. House for house, taxes are about the same as LaGrange, but cost significantly less.
Your alternative is Chesterton, In. I'd contend that I've made a solid recommendation, and my offer stands to link up the OP to others in a similar situation who chose to live here.
There's no need to campaign against the south suburbs, real estate is an efficient market and has corrected (or over-corrected) for the (macroeconomic) challenges.
True, I have no idea what the OP is looking for. I'm offering an option to live in an affordable,aesthetically pleasing neighborhood with walkable, 25 minute public transportation to UofC. Objectively speaking, Flossmoor has a higher median income, education attainment and lower unemployment than LaGrange. House for house, taxes are about the same as LaGrange, but cost significantly less.
Your alternative is Chesterton, In. I'd contend that I've made a solid recommendation, and my offer stands to link up the OP to others in a similar situation who chose to live here.
There's no need to campaign against the south suburbs, real estate is an efficient market and has corrected (or over-corrected) for the (macroeconomic) challenges.
If you're needing Naperville-type square footage, I'd highly suggest looking into St. John, Indiana. This NW Indiana town is about as lovely as they come & the property taxes are MUCH MUCH lower than the nearby Southern suburbs of Illinois. Just under a 32 mile drive to Hyde Park. I'm not sure how bad the congestion is on a daily basis, but an alternative is to drive up to East Chicago, Indiana and park & ride at the South Shore train station. Exit at the Hyde Park stop which I believe is 59th St.
FYI, NW Indiana does have its own little section in City-Data. Just go to the state of Indiana & pick the NW Indiana region. I'd also consider Munster & Dyer in addition to St. John, IN despite these towns having a bit older housing stock. Proximity to Chicago will be even better.
As much as I like the housing stock in Flossmoor the trends are not something that anyone considering relocation can ignore.
LaGrange is a much larger town than Flossmoor. Though the median incomes for 2013 as reported by city data are nearly identical and percentage of college educated in quite close, the value of housing is quite different, and factoring the difference in town size La Grange is much more affluent. I already showed how that impacts the schools, with massive differences in Equalized Assessed Valuation per student the ability of the school to provide for student needs is rapidly deteriorating...
Population in 2013: 15,732
Bachelor's degree or higher: 61.0%
Estimated median household income in 2013: $99,273 (it was $80,342 in 2000)
Estimated median house or condo value in 2013: $396,906
Population in 2013: 9,526
Bachelor's degree or higher: 60.8%
Estimated median household income in 2013: $99,607 (it was $94,222 in 2000)
Estimated median house or condo value in 2013: $232,647
If you're needing Naperville-type square footage, I'd highly suggest looking into St. John, Indiana. This NW Indiana town is about as lovely as they come & the property taxes are MUCH MUCH lower than the nearby Southern suburbs of Illinois. Just under a 32 mile drive to Hyde Park. I'm not sure how bad the congestion is on a daily basis, but an alternative is to drive up to East Chicago, Indiana and park & ride at the South Shore train station. Exit at the Hyde Park stop which I believe is 59th St.
FYI, NW Indiana does have its own little section in City-Data. Just go to the state of Indiana & pick the NW Indiana region. I'd also consider Munster & Dyer in addition to St. John, IN despite these towns having a bit older housing stock. Proximity to Chicago will be even better.
I live in St. John and I know of at least 2 people just in our subdivision that commute to UC everyday so you definitely wouldn't be the only one if you chose to go that direction.
As much as I like the housing stock in Flossmoor the trends are not something that anyone considering relocation can ignore.
LaGrange is a much larger town than Flossmoor. Though the median incomes for 2013 as reported by city data are nearly identical and percentage of college educated in quite close, the value of housing is quite different, and factoring the difference in town size La Grange is much more affluent. I already showed how that impacts the schools, with massive differences in Equalized Assessed Valuation per student the ability of the school to provide for student needs is rapidly deteriorating...
Population in 2013: 15,732
Bachelor's degree or higher: 61.0%
Estimated median household income in 2013: $99,273 (it was $80,342 in 2000)
Estimated median house or condo value in 2013: $396,906
Population in 2013: 9,526
Bachelor's degree or higher: 60.8%
Estimated median household income in 2013: $99,607 (it was $94,222 in 2000)
Estimated median house or condo value in 2013: $232,647
The shift away from industrial uses has not been replaced with office uses, or for that matter even warehouse. There is just a horrendous dearth of any kind of commercial property demand in the area,even retail is woefully absent.
Though areas like Barrington and probably even Oak Brook have seen some declines in certain sectors of commercial space the hardest hit part of the region is absolutely South Suburbs with older eastern parts essentially being supplanted with newer development in areas closer to I-80 both in Illinois and increasingly even Indiana.
I really do feel bad for the folks that live there, the housing stock is really first rate. I have seen lots of homes that are super appealing on an aesthetic level but the forces that are hurting the most are really outside the control of local officials -- the Cook Co tax situation is a huge part of the problem, so to is Illinois notorious insider focused mindset, and even the trends that have seen an explosion of health care related firms along the TriState in Lake Co show how the regional pits one town against another. Back in the 70s or 80s the old Miles Labs sold off Alka-Seltzer and largely got out of the area, to Evansville IN. If state and local officials had more foresight they would have used that to anchor a southern stretch of the important pharmaceutical business..
The shift away from industrial uses has not been replaced with office uses, or for that matter even warehouse. There is just a horrendous dearth of any kind of commercial property demand in the area,even retail is woefully absent.
Though areas like Barrington and probably even Oak Brook have seen some declines in certain sectors of commercial space the hardest hit part of the region is absolutely South Suburbs with older eastern parts essentially being supplanted with newer development in areas closer to I-80 both in Illinois and increasingly even Indiana.
I really do feel bad for the folks that live there, the housing stock is really first rate. I have seen lots of homes that are super appealing on an aesthetic level but the forces that are hurting the most are really outside the control of local officials -- the Cook Co tax situation is a huge part of the problem, so to is Illinois notorious insider focused mindset, and even the trends that have seen an explosion of health care related firms along the TriState in Lake Co show how the regional pits one town against another. Back in the 70s or 80s the old Miles Labs sold off Alka-Seltzer and largely got out of the area, to Evansville IN. If state and local officials had more foresight they would have used that to anchor a southern stretch of the important pharmaceutical business..
The new housing developments west of here or east of the border have not supplanted rail-centric towns with quick Metra service and historic housing stock. And that's the niche. Given Millenial buyer preferences, these corn field subdivisions may not fare well and tend to date themselves quickly. I wouldn't live in one.
You're giving thoughtful/insightful responses here, I'll have to assume you don't mean to be condescending with your pity statement. Frankly, I don't feel "trapped" financially or otherwise and have just as much experience in the west suburbs as I do out here to make comparisons. I stand by my original contention, there is value to be found in an safe, affordable, rail centered town with relatively low (total) housing cost.
Not meant as "pity" and but there are more than a few folks...
Quote:
Originally Posted by scotty40
The new housing developments west of here or east of the border have not supplanted rail-centric towns with quick Metra service and historic housing stock. And that's the niche. Given Millenial buyer preferences, these corn field subdivisions may not fare well and tend to date themselves quickly. I wouldn't live in one.
You're giving thoughtful/insightful responses here, I'll have to assume you don't mean to be condescending with your pity statement. Frankly, I don't feel "trapped" financially or otherwise and have just as much experience in the west suburbs as I do out here to make comparisons. I stand by my original contention, there is value to be found in an safe, affordable, rail centered town with relatively low (total) housing cost.
...that if not technically "trapped" certain must see the lack of sales activity as very negative. When those folks analyze the "alternative scenarios" that might have involved living even in Hyde Park they certainly cannot be happy about the trajectory of home values.
The other things about Flossmoor that are very unusual include the rarity of so much of one's current income going not to the mortgage but to the taxes. One could argue that those homeowners are getting "maximum leverage" from a tax code that makes property tax deductible. That is usually an argument that advocates for progressive taxation make against folks that have generational wealth and live in North Shore mansions -- they then cite how that tax deduction deprives low income kids attending inner city schools of the various State Aid dollars funded by income tax. It is a weird twist for a community with the demographics of Homewood-Flossmoor HS -- HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR HIGH SCHOOL: Race/Ethnicity
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Probably need more info about priorities...
