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I would like: SFH about 1500 - 1900 sq ft, 1950's, 1960's split level all brick. "Reasonable" property taxes sub 2k. Can be a close in suburb or well planned out (grid system) city, an area with sidewalks that lead somewhere like a library or even a coffee shop, an area where people keep their property up and care about the community. Moderate density. Oh, and I want to pay no more than 200k.
Preferably not too much winter.
Laugh if you must . I am on a serious mission to find this place. I know it exists. For reference I now live in suburban Atlanta. Have lived in: NE Mesa - loved the stucco and tile house, but too hot and too sprawly.
Suburban Chicago - Flossmoor - absolutely loved Flossmoor, but property taxes were/are outrageous and Illinois is having a bunch of financial problems. And of course Chicago proper (I am a Chicagoan) - Northsider - but really didn't like the high rise lifestyle.
Middletown, PA 17057 has walkable density, Penn State branch campus edge of town, "international" airport (MDT, with a flight to YYZ) on edge of town, short drive or maybe bike ride to Penn State medical campus in Hershey, frequent Amtrak service to Philadelphia and NYC, within 2-3 hour drive of all of DC, Baltimore, Phila, NYC. Considered middle ring mid-range suburb of Harrisburg metro. Generally milder winters (warmer, less wind than upper Midwest) but can get big snow dumps from coastal storms. One pecularity of the town is that some of it is on land rented from a trust, so there is relatively nominal land rent but some mortgagees will walk. Could be an opportunity for a cash buyer to acquire comp house for less.
Davenport, IA (Iowa is more weighted to income tax than Illinois, and Davenport will be more affordable than Bettendorf) has sidewalk density development of the appropriate vintage, and as a Mississippi River bluff city does have some elevation change to support split levels. I do not know if the Quad Cities bi-state metro including the 3rd largest city of Iowa meets your definition of "biggish," but it is only 3 hr drive to Chicago.
Thanks much guys. I will check them out. Oddly enough, I just returned from a road trip that had us breezing through Ohio. Didn't see too much just the views off the interstate.
If you don't mind a smaller city, can live without brick and take a little snow and cold a place like Corning, NY could be a sleeper. Lot of nice homes under $150,000 in well maintained neighborhoods where you could be a 10 minute walk to the main street area (market street and gaffer district) and 15 to the wegmans grocery store. At that price point the taxes would fall below $2k as well
200K on a PA house will cost or almost cost (depending on county) double the 2k in property taxes. Be careful when looking at older properties. We don't have a statewide mandatory assessment so when or if one happens is decided by county. A property may show ridiculously low taxes only because the house hasn't been reassessed in 30 years.
The best thing to do is check the current school, local, and county millage rates.
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. I am on a serious mission to find this place. I know it exists. For reference I now live in suburban Atlanta. Have lived in: NE Mesa - loved the stucco and tile house, but too hot and too sprawly. 
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