Is Joliet In Any Way Desirable? (Chicago, Peoria: insurance, house, find a job)

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

1S759 Park Boulevard GLEN ELLYN, IL 60137 | Redfin

?

I think this one hits it outta the Park. You could raise your llamas and grow your veggies out back. And there's a Whole Foods just down the street.

Unincorporated, well water, septic tank... May be fine if you are okay with that stuff.

Needs a lot of work. Looks swampy, or are those man-made water features?

School district is good (D87).

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Unincorporated, well water, septic tank... May be fine if you are okay with that stuff.

Needs a lot of work.

School district is good (D87).

That's called original condition. That's what the MCMers love.

Yea, I'm surprised so much of unincorporated GE is W/S. I remember noticing that when we were house-hunting. Not really a deal breaker in my book... but for others, yes.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

Yea, I'm surprised so much of unincorporated GE is W/S. I remember noticing that when we were house-hunting. Not really a deal breaker in my book... but for others, yes.

We're slowly annexing some areas south of Roosevelt. You'll notice on this map that very little of the housing south of Roosevelt is actually within the Village of Glen Ellyn, since the village does include the College of DuPage and the Village Links golf course. The vast majority of the houses within the Village of Glen Ellyn are north of Roosevelt.

http://www.glenellyn.org/Planning/Do...eement_Map.pdf

[Bardot]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

1S759 Park Boulevard GLEN ELLYN, IL 60137 | Redfin

?

I think this one hits it outta the Park. You could raise your llamas and grow your veggies out back. And there's a Whole Foods just down the street.

Haha! I actually book marked this one a week ago! Thank you There isn't a lot of MCM housing stock, too, which of course is part of my problem.

[Bardot]

Originally Posted by destination-unknown

Exactly, who cares that property taxes are 15% lower when the home price is 50% higher? These are hypothetical numbers of course but you get the point. There is so much complaining about this issue on this board that I can't imagine the amount of complaining on boards serving metros in LA, NYC, SF, Boston, etc

I don't care what LA, NYC, SF or Boston cost; I don't live there for the very reason that they're too expensive, that's a given. I understand NYC being the most expensive place to live in the US, what I don't understand is why Chicago SUBURBS are so expensive. The highlight of most of them is that they have a Whole Foods. Their schools aren't phenomenal. They still have crime. Most of them are still an hour commute from the city. A place like Ann Arbor Michigan which is way cooler than any Chicago suburb is exponentially cheaper to live (compared to Glen Ellyn for example). I wish all the good jobs in this country weren't so concentrated in major cities, but there you have it.

[Bardot]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

If I see one, I'll send you a PM. I love looking for stuff like this--even though I currently live in a more traditional 1920's house.

Check out this site:

Modern Homes for Sale

Most of the houses are *katching* $$$$$, but it's still fun to look.

I wish I could afford those! Haha. Actually 1920s houses (especially with Art Deco touches) are my second favorite.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Bardot

I don't care what LA, NYC, SF or Boston cost; I don't live there for the very reason that they're too expensive, that's a given. I understand NYC being the most expensive place to live in the US, what I don't understand is why Chicago SUBURBS are so expensive. The highlight of most of them is that they have a Whole Foods. Their schools aren't phenomenal. They still have crime. Most of them are still an hour commute from the city. A place like Ann Arbor Michigan which is way cooler than any Chicago suburb is exponentially cheaper to live (compared to Glen Ellyn for example). I wish all the good jobs in this country weren't so concentrated in major cities, but there you have it.

Expensive city = expensive suburbs.

But you found the secret. If you can find long-term employment prospects in Ann Arbor, Madison, Ashville North Carolina... Then you have broken the code. But particularly if you can stand a Michigan or Wisconsin winter... that's the real payoff. I'd even live in Milwaukee or Cleveland, but we are permanently tied to the Chicago area due to a small business situation.

[Bardot]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Expensive city = expensive suburbs.

But you found the secret. If you can find long-term employment prospects in Ann Arbor, Madison, Ashville North Carolina... Then you have broken the code. But particularly if you can stand a Michigan or Wisconsin winter... that's the real payoff. I'd even live in Milwaukee or Cleveland, but we are permanently tied to the Chicago area due to a small business situation.

Exactly. The question is, is it worth the risk of a lower income and potentially less job stability? In Chicago I'm pouring money down the drain by renting, so I honestly don't know.

[OccidentExpress]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

California only has lower taxes because of a state law that capped taxes, but choked the public schools.

Inflated teacher salaries and unfettered immigration from Mexico are the root causes of California's public school woes. Proposition 13 just sheds light on the fact that the American public school system can't be sustained without continual property tax hikes, which is the route that Illinois has taken to stave off the inevitable for a little while. The end result is that you have to buy into a big-dollar suburb with a heavy property tax burden if you want your child to have a decent education.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by OccidentExpress

Inflated teacher salaries...

Don't forget benefits, like our wonderful state pension system!