Where to live temporarily (Chicago, Naperville: extended stay, 2009, apartments)

[itis]

Hi everyone, I have posted here before asking about a good wage for the Naperville area, well, it looks like we will be relocating from Ireland to Chicago in February 2009 and our minds are boggled with all the info I am getting from here and other sites.
We are looking to rent say in corporate housing/extended stay hotel for 30 days initially until we find a house to rent. I have been looking at The Iroquois Club and Arbors of Brookdale in Naperville, does anyone know anything about these places that they wouldn't mind sharing with me. We are heading out in about 2 weeks time to have a look but if the places are dives then I'm not going to waste my time viewing them.
Can anyone help please?

edited to add: Hubby will be working in Lisle

[chet everett]

From Lisle Iroquois Club is a lot closer than Arbors of Brookdale -- you will run into a lot of shopping traffic out past Rt 59.

If you want something cheaper (and probably even closer) this is not as nice as Iroquis, but still very acceptable: Extended Stay America Efficiency Studios - Find a Chicago hotel room in Illinois with amenities for longer stays

[irish setter girl]

I think both the Iroquois Club and the Arbors are very nice. I didn't realize the Iroquois did 30 day rentals, good to know! The location of Iroquois Club will be a bit closer to Lisle than the Arbors but both are very nice. I agree with the above post of the Extended Stay suggestion. While it will feel more "hotel" like, it is a great option. There are several extended stay options in the Downers Grove, IL area and that would not be far from Lisle at all. Welcome!

[JustJulia]

Hi Itis. I saw from your earlier thread that you have three kids. Do you know where you are moving yet? If you have picked out an area based on schools and affordable housing, I'd try to rent near there if at all possible. Otherwise, your kids have to change schools after just a few weeks.

Now that I think about it, I wonder how a person enrolls kids in school without a permanent address. I'm sure you want your kids in school as soon as possible, but I'm just not sure how you'd go about it. If you're not sure, I bet someone here can help. I just moved to Naperville myself.

Ireland may have very different immunization requirements than Illinois does. If you do immunize your children, read up on what's required by what age. Your kids will need recent physicals too, and you only have 30 days after they start school to provide proof of all this. Finding a doctor and scheduling appointments can be tricky to do in only a month, especially if both parents work. I'd try to get as much done as possible before the move.

[studedude]

My son stayed here in between houses.
InTown Suites Room Details
He was quite happy with it. It's not fancy but clean and well managed.

[OakBrookMom]

Some very good advice from JustJulia regarding your school-aged child. The residency requirement will be tricky as the districts require leases. From my past foreign clients I know that in renting homes you deal with homeowners who sometimes are hesitant to rent to someone without a credit history verified in the usual American manner - report via social security which you obviously wouldn't have coming from Ireland. Since the properties I show are listed with other agents, I call them first and deal with that issue head-on before showing a property, then they explain the issue to their client. Most of the rental communities don't have a problem with it but every once in a while you will encounter it. I would definitely check the 30 day rental availability like Irish Setter mentioned - unless they have a furnished corporate housing section which will have a considerably higher rate. Naperville has a very nice selection of rental homes and townhomes at the present time (I'm wrapping up a rental client currently and we looked at nearly 30 properties in the Naperville area). I'd rent as soon as possible and stay in one of the extended stays mentioned here because this time of year rentals go fast as people are relocating in for 1/1 job starts and opting to go that route because they can't sell the home they currently own. Many will come in in the next few weeks, find a rental and then leave to spend their last holiday in their current home. What you look at in the beginning of the month typically is not around by the end of the month as my last client found 2 rentals in a matter of a week that were gone by the next time they looked - nice rentals at a good prices go fast (ie 3BR,2BA home @$1600). A townhome may also be something to look into because when you rent a home you have to shovel the snow and take care of the yard which may often mean buying a lawnmower or hiring someone out of your own funds where in a townhome community this is done for you as part of your rent.

[ahava]

If you end up staying in a hotel, you won't have to worry about the school district and residency requirements. Even though living in a hotel doesn't fall under the common definition of homeless, it falls under the state's definition, and the law grants those children the right to attend any public school they want.

[JustJulia]

Interesting. I didn't know hotels counted. But they do:

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless...ed_yth_rpt.pdf

It says, "All by the day or the week hotel/motel accommodations are included as homeless residences as they are not determined to be appropriate living conditions for families. This includes families whose only option for housing is living in a hotel/motel that rents by the month without cooking
facilities or safe surroundings for children."

If you live in a Residence Inn-type place that does have a kitchenette, I don't know whether that still counts. Call the school district wherever you think you might end up; they'll tell you. They can also tell you about immunizations and the school supplies your kids will need.

[itis]

Guys, you all have been great, thanks a million for your replies. That is a very interesting point about the hotels, will probably stay there for around 4 weeks and hopefully rent a house by then but if I could get the kids into school in the meantime it would be great. I have already started the immunization process with them, poor children are being poked and prodded
Have an appointment with the Iroquois Club to view the apartments and will also be dropping into the Extended Stay hotel in Lisle.
Thank you all so much, your advice is fab
Off out to Chicago week after next, should I wrap up warm??

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by itis

...Off out to Chicago week after next, should I wrap up warm??

Yep. Be prepared for temps anywhere from 40 F to 10 F.