Romeoville or Bolingbrook? (Chicago, Naperville, Joliet: condos, townhouse, neighborhood)

[SyNiKaL]

I'm looking for some advice on choosing to buy a starter home in Bolingbrook or Romeoville. I'm moving from a Condo in Orland Park to a starter home in one of these towns. Now I lived in Bolingbrook for a big portion of my life so I have a pretty good idea of the bad areas in the town but when it comes to Romeoville I am clueless. I'm basically looking for a friendly/quiet neighborhood near shopping centers, activity centers and things of that nature. No kids so I don't need to be super close to kid friendly places. I'm not too worried about amazing schools although I'm aware of the poor system of 365U. Any advice is appreciated and if you have any questions that would help you give me better information please ask away.

[chet everett]

For a long list of reasons I do not recommend anyone to think of "starterr homes" as some special category of residential construction.

The more important questions: where do you work and what is your budget?

If you don't need / want a "kid friendly" location you may still want to consider the quality of schools as there is a strong correlation between desirability of schools and the potential resale...

[SyNiKaL]

I work from home so commute isn't a problem. My budget is 100,000 but may change either way about 10,000 depending when my condo sells. I only mentioned schools because it's one of the common things I've seen on this forum and it's not something that applies to me. It will at some point and I'm not opposed to a home near great schools, it's just not at the top of my list so I figured I'd point it out. I do get your point and it's something I will take into account a little more going forward, thank you!

[ofcjim40]

$100,000 for a single family house? No matter where you go that will only buy you a shack or the area is going to be rough, certainly not in an appealing area. Why even bother selling and moving? Plus a house at that price point can have huge maintenance issues lurking below. I'd personal hold off on moving and save up some cash. A cheap "starter" home can become a money pit and your starter becomes a financial "ender" you can't get out of.

[skeach101]

Originally Posted by SyNiKaL

I work from home so commute isn't a problem. My budget is 100,000 but may change either way about 10,000 depending when my condo sells. I only mentioned schools because it's one of the common things I've seen on this forum and it's not something that applies to me. It will at some point and I'm not opposed to a home near great schools, it's just not at the top of my list so I figured I'd point it out. I do get your point and it's something I will take into account a little more going forward, thank you!

You would need to consider spending at least $150,000 before even thinking about a house in that area.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by SyNiKaL

I work from home so commute isn't a problem. My budget is 100,000 but may change either way about 10,000 depending when my condo sells. I only mentioned schools because it's one of the common things I've seen on this forum and it's not something that applies to me. It will at some point and I'm not opposed to a home near great schools, it's just not at the top of my list so I figured I'd point it out. I do get your point and it's something I will take into account a little more going forward, thank you!

Schools will always matter in home buying, no matter what the circumstances. They are one of the top, if not the top driver, of home values. That's why prices are lower in parts of Bolingbrook and Romeoville, and across much of the southwest. That's why a lot of the boomburbs are struggling to participate in the housing recovery. If any softening in the market occurs, it will be felt most in these towns.

If you are working from home, and only have $100k budget, why not buy a nice condo or townhome in a more established town with more "pluses" like schools that will help protect your investment? Like in the West or Northwest?

[mattywo85]

Both Romeoville and Bolingbrook have gotten bad reviews, as you probably know but a lot of those are blown out of proportion. Bolingbrook however has seen a lot of commercial and industrial growth, Romeoville has seen some to but not as high as Bolingbrook. Both areas will be similar in housing prices and what you can find. For $100k in either, a single family home will be in the older parts of town which can be a good thing depending on how you look at it. Both towns have seen a lot of maturity in the past ten years. Of course both towns have "bad areas" but what town doesn't. If you are looking for a condo/townhouse I would suggest Joliet, Crest Hill, Naperville, Shorewood, Lisle, or Darien. Condos and townhomes in BB/RV are pretty run down IMO. Joliet offers some nice starter single family homes for under $100k, as does BB/RV.

I can recommend a realtor in your search if you so choose, let me know.

[Thedimon]

I moved to Bolingbrook 2 months ago to the notoriously bad beaconridge neighborhood. In my opinion this area is safer than any neighborhood in Chicago proper. I walked around at night and the only thing you should be afraid of is stepping on a skunk, which are like everywhere. I think Bolingbrook gets bad reviews mostly because of history. Consider this - for 70,000 city Bolingbrook gets on average 1 homicide per year, which is better thank US average.

[Thedimon]

Oh, forgot to mention - bought a 4 bedroom townhouse there for under $80k.

[4122]

Have you considered moving to NWI? It's way more affordable and you can get a starter home for $100k in a good area.