Illinois......are you staying or leaving? (Chicago, Rockford: real estate market, 2014, foreclosures)

[ToriaT]

I would not think of leaving. where would I go? I'd only be attracted to live near another big city such as New York and the cost of living is horrible there. I don't want to live in any southern state, and I hate hot weather. I have no plans to go to the west coast either. Living in a Midwestern state would seem like po dunk to me after living in the Chicago area. Yes there is bad budget stuff going on here and high taxes but the taxes are high in any urban area similar to Chicago. Don't want to live near mud slides, wildfires, flooding earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. I think we actually have it good here. Would not think of leaving.

[NealIRC]

Now who wants to hear my response...

I'm essentially a homeless guy, who lives/sleep in a large abandoned building, in an office room with carpet floor and can lock the door. But I don't hang in the day, I just sleep here at night.

And I only have a part-time job making 12k/year, has a 401k.

I initially had dreams of buying property some day, but that could never happen if I never get a full-time job.

My only expenses are the CTA 30-day pass ($100) and food (restaurant + grocery).

The property owner of my building is a real estate company looking to demolish the building, and build a shopping mall. Until that happens, I'm living rent free. (They pay $80,000/year in property taxes.).

Food is relatively expensive when you eat out, which is why I eat out at Hispanic neighborhoods than White neighborhoods.

I put desperate stuff on my resume like "non-smoker non-drinker" but it's the truth, I kinda am desperate. Apply to temp agencies... never hear from them.

Otherwise, I got no plans to leave Illinois.

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Everyone hates Michael Madigan except those in his district. Unfortunately, that's all he needs to care about.

If he's reappointed as Speaker, I'm done with the Illinois Democratic party. PLEASE CALL YOUR REP AND DEMAND HE IS NOT VOTED BACK IN AS SPEAKER. I truthfully already had enough this go around and voted Republican almost exclusively, and there are PLENTY of issues with them as well.

I hate Mike Madigan as well but he is one man one vote. I hate the entire Democratic Party for going along with him and worse. As far as I am concerned they are all damned.

[thunderstruck666]

Except they all vote the way he tells them to or he deep sixes their requests and concerns. I keep hoping to wake up and find out he had a massive coronary overnight and he's gone. Until such time as the evil leprechaun is out of government there will be no progress and no change. Too bad we don't have a height requirement like the rides at the fair, i.e. you must be at least 5 feet tall to be speaker of the House.

[chubs]

I'm staying and no plans of moving in the near future,

[KRAMERCAT]

Interesting... a homeless guy who posts to Citidata, and appears to be more intelligent than most of the posters. I'm born and raised on the south side of Chicago, and have this attitude of like I don't take sheet from anyone... which has hurt me a bit on the professional side, but anyway I'm in Scottsdale now, and I remember coming here and thinking - if I was homeless I'd rather be here than Chicago, because I remember them under Wacker Dr, or under the underpasses at Wilson & the Outer Drive, and when I came to AZ I saw like orange and grapefruit trees everywhere and thought to myself, you can live off of those, just have to deal with the hot summers. Here you can have your own home - some mobile homes are around 30k, and you seem intelligent enough to get one. Good luck.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JooI-S42-c

Originally Posted by NealIRC

Now who wants to hear my response...

I'm essentially a homeless guy, who lives/sleep in a large abandoned building, in an office room with carpet floor and can lock the door. But I don't hang in the day, I just sleep here at night.

And I only have a part-time job making 12k/year, has a 401k.

I initially had dreams of buying property some day, but that could never happen if I never get a full-time job.

My only expenses are the CTA 30-day pass ($100) and food (restaurant + grocery).

The property owner of my building is a real estate company looking to demolish the building, and build a shopping mall. Until that happens, I'm living rent free. (They pay $80,000/year in property taxes.).

Food is relatively expensive when you eat out, which is why I eat out at Hispanic neighborhoods than White neighborhoods.

I put desperate stuff on my resume like "non-smoker non-drinker" but it's the truth, I kinda am desperate. Apply to temp agencies... never hear from them.

Otherwise, I got no plans to leave Illinois.

[LeotheOrangeCat]

If I leave, I think it will be just over the Indiana border. Public transportation seems to such though.

[flamadiddle]

Staying, I don't believe all the doom and gloom. If people are leaving Illinois, I wonder from where? Here in the Western burbs, I'm seeing new homes going up so if everyone is leaving, who are they building them for?

[Shooting Stars]

What an interesting question.

I have a couple of relatives who work for the same company. They were transferred to the Chicago office a few years ago from Florida. They live in Yorkville.

They have already put in a transfer request to another city their company is thinking of opening an office in.

It's not the snow. It's not their surroundings. In fact, they've improved and decorated their house to death. It's the taxes alone that make them want to leave.

[garyjohnyang]

Staying. The general cost of living, all taxes included, is still much cheaper than where I moved from (California) and I'm glad to live near a big city. Weather is a disappointment but as long as you wear appropriate clothing, you're fine.