Relocating to Chicago from Nashville? (Naperville, Wheaton: sales, real estate, lease)

[chet everett]

I like some aspects of Westmont -- easy commute to Loop via BNSF, wide range of housing, great variety of restaurants, well programmed parks, mostly very good elementary schools. The short coming of Westmont is in its organization as a Unit District -- the overall level of success that their middle school and high school have relative to other districts in the region is disappointing.

If your income is solid and you have sufficient reserves for a downpayment you ought to have no trouble getting a nice home in Elhmurst or Downers Grove. They would have very similar commuter profiles too.

If you can do a little bargain shopping in LaGrange, Western Springs, Hinsdale of Clarendon Hills you may not have as big a house as in Westmont but the long term value ought to be better.

[carient]

I love Chet's response above. Take heart to it. Keep in mind also the western suburbs are all so very different and very divided. Each city seems to have its own identity. And one city located next to another -- the two could be night and day.

Before you start your home search online or hire a realtor, go visit some of these communities, and ring doorbells. Talk to residents and let them know you are thinking of buying out there. What would they change about their communities? If you simply ask whether they like living there or not, 99 out of 100 will just say yes.

Take a look at the landscaping and upkeep, check out the types of cars, see what you think of the general area -- in person. You can find fabulous homes online, then find out it's nothing at all what you want.

If you buy now, plan on living there 5+ years while the economy recovers. If you are starting a young family, you need to be extra careful about where you pick. No sense in your feeling you can't enjoy the local parks.

Everybody is really different, so what you might think is great may not be what I do. First, determine how far your husband is willing to commute. Then, check out proximity to things you like and want. If you have a demographic you prefer, check that out as well. These are all easy things to do online. Then scope out school district ratings and programs. Take a look at tax structures, recent changes, and if any of the cities require any additional taxes/fees on the move in or out. if you are willing to go out further west, the "family" environments can often be nicer.... But Bartlett and Elgin both have hidden fees people don't think about. Take a look at some of the really small local newspapers for a flavor of the community and what kind of issues/crime there are.

It is a great time to buy. Good luck and just do your homework. : )

[ColbyKaynard]

Hi! So I got offered a job in Chicago (58,000 annual income, so pretty good) and should start in January. My fiancee (she will be my wife by then) will be joining me in Chicago, I've only ever been to Chicago once. So I know nothing about it. I will be working in the Chicago loop if that helps and I'll also post this in the suburbs forum just in case.

My fiancee wants
Primarily white neighborhood
An actual house (instead of a condo or apartment)
Good Schools (we want to start our family as soon as possible)
Modest home in a good safe neighborhood

I want
A good distance from my work
Good Schools (for the same reason as her)
Someplace social

Any Ideas that come to mind?

[long101]

Originally Posted by ColbyKaynard

Hi! So I got offered a job in Chicago (58,000 annual income, so pretty good) and should start in January. My fiancee (she will be my wife by then) will be joining me in Chicago, I've only ever been to Chicago once. So I know nothing about it. I will be working in the Chicago loop if that helps and I'll also post this in the suburbs forum just in case.

My fiancee wants
Primarily white neighborhood
An actual house (instead of a condo or apartment)
Good Schools (we want to start our family as soon as possible)
Modest home in a good safe neighborhood

I want
A good distance from my work
Good Schools (for the same reason as her)
Someplace social

Any Ideas that come to mind?

You will definetly need to look in the burbs, frankly there wont be any houses you can afford in the city. Its mainly going to come down to how long of a commute you are willing to suffer through. Also will your wife be working?

[dewthedru]

i hope by "a good distance from my work" you mean a long way because buying a house in a primarily white and nice neighborhood is going to be expensive and far away. plus, it's going to be a huge pain getting to the loop from anywhere like that. unless maybe you look in oak park for something cheap. 220-280k might get you something.

a couple of things...

non-white doesn't mean dangerous. there are plenty of diverse neighborhoods that could give you the safety and standard of living you want.

lots of people raise their kids in the city. don't make a purchase decision based on the fear of raising kids in the big city before you've actually lived here.

think about getting a short-term rental before you buy. it's a big place and if you're coming from outside chicago like i did a couple years ago, you might end up liking areas that you wouldn't have considered if you made your purchase decision solely on what you've learned online.

if you're working in the loop, TRY to find a place near the metra or a CTA line. parking in the loop could eat up a ton of your $!

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by ColbyKaynard

Hi! So I got offered a job in Chicago (58,000 annual income, so pretty good) and should start in January. My fiancee (she will be my wife by then) will be joining me in Chicago, I've only ever been to Chicago once. So I know nothing about it. I will be working in the Chicago loop if that helps.

My fiancee wants
Primarily white neighborhood
An actual house (instead of a condo or apartment)
Good Schools (we want to start our family as soon as possible)
Modest home in a good safe neighborhood

I want
A good distance from my work
Good Schools (for the same reason as her)
Someplace social

Any Ideas that come to mind?

How much money are you willing to pay for a house?
How far (in minutes) are you willing to commute?
Where will your wife be working?
What do you mean "someplace social"? Walking distance to bars and restaurants? 10 minute drive to the mall? Something else?

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by ColbyKaynard

Hi! So I got offered a job in Chicago (58,000 annual income, so pretty good) and should start in January. My fiancee (she will be my wife by then) will be joining me in Chicago, I've only ever been to Chicago once. So I know nothing about it. I will be working in the Chicago loop if that helps.

My fiancee wants
Primarily white neighborhood
An actual house (instead of a condo or apartment)
Good Schools (we want to start our family as soon as possible)
Modest home in a good safe neighborhood

I want
A good distance from my work
Good Schools (for the same reason as her)
Someplace social

Any Ideas that come to mind?

What is your budget and for what kind of house? (age, size, # of rooms, updates, etc.)

[Aleking]

primarily white will be hard on that income and within 30 mins of the city.

[oakparkdude]

Does anyone who doesn't walk to work have a 30 minute (or less) commute into the Loop? I mean, in addition to transit time on the train, you've got to factor in the time it takes to get to the train station, waiting for the train, and exiting the station and walking to the office. Driving from the burbs is probably worse (longer).

[soulful]

Colby. I think you will be better off in the suburbs. The Northwest corner of the city of Chicago would work also (because it is very burb like). However, housing prices may be out of range in that area.

You might like a burb called Wheaton. It is a pretty conservative place in the Western suburbs and you can take the Metra train to the Loop. There are many many surrounding burbs where your wife might find a job in either public or private schools.

Your posting in the burbs forum sounds like the best thing.