San Francisco to Chicago . are we nuts? (Schaumburg, Evanston: to rent, condo)

[Stylo]

Why not look at a city like Denver, or Portland? Something less expensive than SF but still similar vibe. Or even just go to the NYC area.

[buccsmf1]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Why not look at a city like Denver, or Portland? Something less expensive than SF but still similar vibe. Or even just go to the NYC area.

lol what? OP says they're leaving SF due to cost of living and you recommend NYC? The only place in the country with similar cost of living...

[Stylo]

No doubt, although it's a little more livable once you get an hour+ out of the city. And there's tons of job opportunities.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Stylo

No doubt, although it's a little more livable once you get an hour+ out of the city. And there's tons of job opportunities.

I have friends who live in northern NJ who still pay more than a normal 1 bedroom apartment in a good neighborhood of Chicago.

[rzzz]

Originally Posted by marothisu

lol, not really. The housing prices are high in LA and they have been for a long time. My Aunt and Uncle's 1800 sq ft home is estimated at something like $800K in LA and my grandma's old house in Pasadena at 1600 sq ft is estimated at almost the same price currently. Both are in good neighborhoods with good schools. You can find an equivalent in Chicago for a lot less, and to boot neither of the houses I'm referencing are renovated. My grandma's house was just old and one of the smallest kitchens I've ever seen. I have fond memories of the house though.


The rental prices in LA are not cheap either, though they are more in line with Chicago prices than SF is.
Top 10 priciest U.S. cities to rent an apartment - Page 7 - CBS News
http://www.laweekly.com/informer/201...or-living-well

You're right if you are in the market for buying. Rentals seem kind of the same, though. My main client is in Hollywood and they always want me to come on full time. I've priced it out and i've found a bunch of apartments within 1 or 2 blocks of their office, right by the Runyon Canyon gate. They were about $1900/m and seemed about the same as what I'd get in Wicker Park for that price. I suggested LA to the OP because housing is much cheaper than SF (and easier to find) and it seems like union labor type guys get paid about the best in California. It also sounded like they aren't really moving to Chicago, they want to move to Schaumburg (?). My cousin has been trying to get transferred out of Schaumburg for the past eight years. I'd pick LA over Schaumburg any day but what do I know.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by rzzz

You're right if you are in the market for buying. Rentals seem kind of the same, though. My main client is in Hollywood and they always want me to come on full time. I've priced it out and i've found a bunch of apartments within 1 or 2 blocks of their office, right by the Runyon Canyon gate. They were about $1900/m and seemed about the same as what I'd get in Wicker Park for that price. I suggested LA to the OP because housing is much cheaper than SF (and easier to find) and it seems like union labor type guys get paid about the best in California. It also sounded like they aren't really moving to Chicago, they want to move to Schaumburg (?). My cousin has been trying to get transferred out of Schaumburg for the past eight years. I'd pick LA over Schaumburg any day but what do I know.

I figured you would mention Wicker Park, but if you think that's normal then you need a little more education about Chicago. Wicker Park is in NO way regular price for 1 bedrooms in Chicago or even close. There isn't a lot of stock for 1 bedrooms there and the ones that are there are nice. You can easily find a 1 bedroom in even Lakeview for under $1100 or $1200 per month and my high rise 1 bedroom in the Gold Coast is $1400/month. Other areas it's even cheaper. Hell, even the 2 bedroom places in Wicker Park aren't $1900 per person.


If you want more of a reality check for Chicago right now, check out this map. LA is more expensive for rentals on average. And even these prices are high on the map for each neighborhood:
A Look At Median 1 & 2 Bedroom Rent Prices In Chicago - Cool Map Thing - Curbed Chicago


Look online using domu.com, zillow.com, rent.com, etc. You will find that your Wicker Park prices are nowhere near average in Chicago for a 1 bedroom even in a nice neighborhood.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Why not look at a city like Denver, or Portland? Something less expensive than SF but still similar vibe. Or even just go to the NYC area.

I tend to go more with states than cities, though of course the urban areas are often where the highest paying jobs are located. The trick is finding some place where the balance of COL and wages is best.

I like these lists:

No. 1 Best State To Make A Living:The Best And Worst States To Make A Living - Forbes

10 States With Biggest Rate of Job Growth in 2013-Kiplinger

[rzzz]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I tend to go more with states than cities, though of course the urban areas are often where the highest paying jobs are located. The trick is finding some place where the balance of COL and wages is best.

I like these lists:

No. 1 Best State To Make A Living:The Best And Worst States To Make A Living - Forbes

10 States With Biggest Rate of Job Growth in 2013-Kiplinger

I think it's all about urban areas vs. states. Minnesota is sixth on that list but pretty much all jobs are in the Twin Cities metro area and if you live somewhere else and aren't a doctor you are likely going to be poor. In Washington it seems like pretty much all job growth is in the Seattle metro area. Texas seems like an outlier in this regard as there are quite a few areas that are growing, but they are all technically metro areas.

The inclusion of Oklahoma at #10 renders the entire list suspect, though.

[rzzz]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I figured you would mention Wicker Park, but if you think that's normal then you need a little more education about Chicago. Wicker Park is in NO way regular price for 1 bedrooms in Chicago or even close. There isn't a lot of stock for 1 bedrooms there and the ones that are there are nice. You can easily find a 1 bedroom in even Lakeview for under $1100 or $1200 per month and my high rise 1 bedroom in the Gold Coast is $1400/month. Other areas it's even cheaper. Hell, even the 2 bedroom places in Wicker Park aren't $1900 per person.


If you want more of a reality check for Chicago right now, check out this map. LA is more expensive for rentals on average. And even these prices are high on the map for each neighborhood:
A Look At Median 1 & 2 Bedroom Rent Prices In Chicago - Cool Map Thing - Curbed Chicago


Look online using domu.com, zillow.com, rent.com, etc. You will find that your Wicker Park prices are nowhere near average in Chicago for a 1 bedroom even in a nice neighborhood.

Well, I am looking at Hollywood or Wicker Park personally, that is the only reason I mentioned those two areas. Another place I could consider in Chicagoland is right up in the Evanston area as that is where my sister is moving. I wonder how that would compare to a part of LA like Pasadena. However, I don't know if any of it matters if the OP wants to move to Schaumburg.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

This one goes in the chet Hall of Fame. Chicago is more expensive than the Bay Area because Lollapalooza.

That "hall of fame" is going to be adding a new wing pretty soon...