Looking to move to Plainfield...but work in Chicago. (Aurora: hardwood floors, short sales)

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by macteago

I can say from personal experience... DO NOT DO THIS! Plainfield right now is very unstable, there is a humoungous amount of backlogged foreclosures. I really feel that exurbs are on shaking ground as energy costs are sure to rise. Plainfield is ok for schools but there are far better choices.

I currently live in Plainfield and work downtown right across the street from Union Station. My commute is 90 - 105 minutes each way/every day.

Back in 2005 my wife and I were lured out here by the nice new homes. We have just recently sold and have will soon be freed from this commuting nightmare as we are moving to the inner burbs. We built the brand new big house and a lot of hidden costs come with that type of purchase so be prepared, do your research, you probably don't need near the amount of space you think you do.

Which train do you plan on taking? Route 59 is a traffic nightmare, the drive there in the morning for me is 30 minutes but can range from 50-60 on the way home and is only getting worse as more people are taking the train. The Rock Island out of Joliet is a 1:10 minute train ride.

I even drive to Downers Grove sometimes but that really adds up as you are paying gas, 355 tolls each way, and $3 to park there. Plus the drive can range anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on traffic in the morning as both 55 and 355 can be backed up.

Watch what house infatuation will do to how you are rationalizing the commute and other red flags, it happens to all of us. I can guarantee you already it it not going to be 20+ minutes, it's going to be 40+ minutes --> plus more in Gas and Metra Fare.

I also think this is very solid advice. It is so easy to be swooned into buying a house just because it is new and seems perfect, but ultimately, location matters much much much more than anything else. My husband and I also got sucked into the beauty of a new home and I wish we hadn't. In our case we really wanted to live in Evanston, but the houses were so old and seemed so over priced. Against our better judgement we moved to the city instead (nothing wrong with the city, we are just definitely not cut out for living here; we both belong in the suburbs). If we could sell, we would compromise on space and newness to get into a location that really works for us.

I've done a long commute to the city before, too, and it really sucks. I did it when I started my first job and I was living with my parents. Between the 15 minute drive to the Geneva metra, the train ride, and then the walking on both ends, it took almost 2 hours each way door to door. It really wore me out. And, when I did that I lived with parents who did all the house maintenance, yard work, and most of the cooking and shopping. I can't imagine doing that commute PLUS having to handle all that comes with living in a house.

If you can't afford to buy anything you like right now, I think the best thing you can do is to keep saving. If nothing else, rent something in Plainfield short term and test the commute out before you put all your money into a house there. Coming home to a house you love, but a location you don't will not make you happy in the long run.

[ChacoGirl]

My husband will be commuting from the Rt 59 Metra station, which he currently uses. He is able to adjust his work schedule most of the time to avoid the peaks in the rush hour traffic, so that might be something to look into. He gets on the train by 6:30am and gets on in the evening by 4:30pm. After those times the express trains to Naperville are very crowded and in the summer they are also hot and smelly.

For our family, living near our family in the Naperville/Plainfield area is worth the commute. We would all be miserable in the inner suburbs. I tried to be more urban in my youth and it was unpleasant.

[linicx]

It is not unusual to find well water or septic tanks outside of any city limits and sometimes inside city limits. The good news is you are not paying any city for water and sewer services you do not use. Drink and cook with bottled water.

[PorkandBeans]

Does anyone have any opinions on Oswego? It has easy access to the metra and the homes available seem to be right up our alley. Taxes seem a little higher though.

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by PorkandBeans

Does anyone have any opinions on Oswego? It has easy access to the metra and the homes available seem to be right up our alley. Taxes seem a little higher though.

IMO, Oswego has pretty much the same drawbacks as Plainfield; it's an exurb with an uncertain future and the commute will be quite long.

Given the housing bubble, many people no longer consider real estate to be much of an investment and if you don't care whether you will be able to sell a house in the future, then you should buy wherever you feel comfortable. If, however, resale matters to you, I don't think the exurbs are a good choice. There's a lot of uncertainty about their future.

At the end of the day you would probably be best off to buy a house that needs work in an established suburb with good schools over gambling on a far out suburb. That would be my preference, at least.

[chet everett]

Too much of the development west of Downers Grove or so was driven by assumptions about the workforce that seemed to be getting established on the west edge of DuPage Co. To some it looked like the suburban office boom around DC -- lots of telecom firms and such. Reality is that the collapse of Lucent left a GIANT hole in the office space out that way. Together with the popping of the real estate bubble towns like Oswego were VERY severely effected.

I have my doubts if there will ever be enough good jobs to support the developments out that way.

In contrast LOTS of people of all ages like to work in Chicago's Loop and towns with good real access remain quite desirable.

If I were a younger buyer I would make a concerted effort to find the most affordable home in the nicest town I could afford. Place along the BNSF or UP-W line that once were hot with teardown builders have seen a lot more activity in the 'starter home' category. Generally the taxes on such homes in nicer areas are considerably less than homes of similar value in the "boom towns" so you end up having more money available to make improvements that suit your needs.

Originally Posted by nikitakolata

IMO, Oswego has pretty much the same drawbacks as Plainfield; it's an exurb with an uncertain future and the commute will be quite long.

Given the housing bubble, many people no longer consider real estate to be much of an investment and if you don't care whether you will be able to sell a house in the future, then you should buy wherever you feel comfortable. If, however, resale matters to you, I don't think the exurbs are a good choice. There's a lot of uncertainty about their future.

At the end of the day you would probably be best off to buy a house that needs work in an established suburb with good schools over gambling on a far out suburb. That would be my preference, at least.

[westburbsil]

Thought I would chime in. If your work is 20-30 minutes away from your home, that is an ideal commute. Chicago is much much further. I think this thread needs to be redirected at not knocking Planfield for I have many friends who absolutly love it, love the proximity to downtown Naperville, the house they can get for their money, and when they do want a night on the town, they head downtown.
But for someone working everyday, it would become tiresome. As for future of exburbs. I remember back when I was a child living in Chicago and visited a cousin out in Downers Grove. It was all farms and I would never have believed what it has turned to or the areas around it.
Naperville back then was a farming community.

[ToriaT]

I would rather have a smaller older home closer in than live in the likes of Bolingbrook or Plainfield. I would rather go to somewhere like Berwyn rather than be stuck in an out of way place surrounded by cornfields and acres of bland subdivisions and have a commute from hell. I do not mind subdivisions if they are upscale or luxury homes. JMHO.

[PorkandBeans]

Well I'm not a fan of any of the older homes available in these more grounded communities and the areas I do like are too far away from my job. Destined to be miserable?

[linicx]

Before you throw in the towel, you might take a look at some of the older quality built homes. You might be surprised at what you find inside.

For instance I looked at a small 1/1 plain jane old house from the outside . Meh. I was surprised at the large rooms, number of closets (5) and overall storage, plus a bathroom the size of a bedroom. The large sunroom, basement, outside storage and acre lot sealed the deal. Except someone bought it before I could.

If you love your house the neighborhood will grow on you.