Any suggestions for a centrally located suburb? (Chicago, Cicero: real estate, renters)

[Dusty8940]

I am considering a move to the Chicagoland area where I would be relocating my wood flooring business. I am looking for a central area to live where I could get a 2+ bedroom home with a 2+ car garage for under $350,000.. The areas I want to service are; areas north of interstate 290, the entire north side, and as far north as Lake Forest, and as far west as Shaumburg.. Being close to the El train or Metra would be a plus.. Areas I have been looking at are; Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Morton Grove, Skokie, Arlington Heights, & Glenview.. Can anyone comment on any of these areas and or tell me what would be a good central area for me.. Thanks in advance!

[linicx]

I think the house price point plus train service to Union Station may be the biggest hurdles to moving to Chicago.

[Dusty8940]

Thanks for your reply... It's very much appreciated.. The train isn't a complete necessity, but being fairly central to the areas I mentioned wil be pretty important for me to be able to get to any of the areas I will be servicing in a reasonable amount of time..

[AbbyJaneway]

With your price point I think Des Plaines is probably the best place to look.

[Dusty8940]

Originally Posted by AbbyJaneway

With your price point I think Des Plaines is probably the best place to look.

Thanks for your reply.. Des Plaines in the main area I have been looking and it seems like I can find something to fit my needs there. From looking at a map it also looks central to the areas I want to target for work.. Is it fairly easy to get to my targeted areas from Des Plaines? Also, does Des Plaines have a Metra station? Thanks again

[pvande55]

Des Plaines has easy access to those areas as it is close to both 294 and 90. It has two Metra stations as well as bus service to the Rosemont CTA station.

[insert witty user name]

Forest Park. Or a condo in Oak Park. If you're not a scared rabbit, of course...

[Demoanalytics]

Hey Dusty,

A couple things.

You mentioned you have a wood flooring business. It would be important to know if you are planning on operating your business out of your home, or if you have an office/warehouse in mind. Some municipalities frown on people running businesses out of their homes. And, some municipalities charge fees and require inspections if you have a home-based operation.

Now, what you didn't mention is something I think you should be very careful about. Choosing where you are going to live is critical. Location, location, location, right? Well, I'm sure you have personal preferences about the neighborhood composition (who lives there), property taxes, number of rental units, and so on. Everyone has personal requirements that the real estate agent cannot talk about due to federal laws. It would be in your best interest to do some real digging to make sure you find the house you want in the neighborhood you want.

Where to start? Bring up google maps and take note of every village/city in the area you are looking to move to. Then, go to the Census Bureau website and do some simple demographic research on each town. You can obtain all kinds of information about a town's racial and ethnic composition, household sizes, family types, incomes, education levels, number of renters and owners, transportation, home values, etc. etc.

From this information, you should be able to narrow down your search to a few places. Then it's into the actual house hunting, which requires yet another level of research to make sure you are moving to a neighborhood that suits your preferences.

Demoanalytics

[cubssoxfan]

Do you have any kids; would schools be an important consideration?

[Alacran]

Maywood. Cicero.