Is it a good idea to buy/rent in Munster, IN and commute daily to Chicago downtown for work? (Hammond: rental, condos) - Northwest Indiana - Indiana - City-Data Forum

anne_vk · 07-05-2017, 09:57 AM

Hi,
We are a couple moving from Atlanta to Chicago.
We have a 1 year old. My husband got a job right in downtown Chicago. We have rented so far and we are looking to buy a home now. Together we make around 150k (I telework). IL property taxes were shocking. We looked at options in Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Western Springs. Living in Munster is a very attractive deal to us, thanks to the low taxes. We are renting short term in Chicago downtown and to be honest I don't like it at all. I enjoy quiet, peaceful, green, family-friendly neighborhoods.
Is it a good idea to buy a home there? What about renting (I see very few renting options)? How is the re-sale value?
How is the train commute daily to downtown Chicago? How is the train commute to Midwest and O'hare?

If you are already commuting from there/living in Munster, please share your thoughts.
I know this topic has been discussed but we would like to make an informed decision and would need latest info... I would really appreciate your help.. Thank you

rrah · 07-05-2017, 10:34 AM

Yes, resale value is typically good in Munster, and there do tend to be few options for renting. It's mainly a place with single family homes.

I'd never take the train to Midway or O'Hare from Munster. There are other options: driving would be faster, private cars are available and I think there are a few shuttles from NWI to the airports for a reasonable cost. The problem is that taking a train would require taking several trains and transfers.

The SouthShore is the train line that serves NWI. Depending on your location in Munster you would use the East Chicago or the Hammond station (or maybe Hegewisch) to Millennium Station. Train ride will be about 40 minutes plus driving time to the station and any time from Millennium Station to the office location. Certainly no worse than the commute from many Illinois suburbs. In the future there will be a new train line, but that doesn't help you for 5 years at least.

CGab · 07-05-2017, 03:53 PM

Munster is one of the most sought after towns in NW Indiana due to low crime and A+ rated schools! Not to mention close to the expressway for easy access to Chicago. Illinois is in a fiscal mess and has the highest property taxes in the U.S. Moving to Munster would be a wise move. Homes tend to be more expensive due to the schools and there are very limited rental options, but with your income you should be able to find a home depending on what your debt looks like. Because the taxes are low here, you can typically afford more house. Munster also has a very good park district!

svillechris · 07-05-2017, 04:07 PM

Hi anne_vk,

I received your PM about replying to this question about Munster and commute to downtown. Frankly, I don't have much more to add on top of rrah and CGab's replies. They've covered it. Munster would be a great choice.

anne_vk · 07-05-2017, 04:24 PM

Thank you !

anne_vk · 07-05-2017, 04:25 PM

Thank you so much, Appreciate this!

svillechris · 07-05-2017, 04:30 PM

I suppose the only thing I could add is regarding property taxes, since it seems like that is an important issue for you based on your original post. Munster has some of the highest property taxes in NWI. Compared to the better Chicago suburbs in Illinois, Munster's property taxes are pretty low. Compared to most of the comparable towns in NWI, Munster's property taxes are pretty high.
Food for thought, and further proof that Illinois's property taxes are outrageous.

Now, many consider those higher property taxes in Munster to still be good bang for your buck as the town has great schools, services, etc. Also, some feel it's worth the higher taxes in exchange for the closer proximity to downtown. All understandable. Some other quality towns have lower property taxes while also having very good schools, etc. However, I'm not attempting to steer you away from Munster.

CGab · 07-05-2017, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svillechris

I suppose the only thing I could add is regarding property taxes, since it seems like that is an important issue for you based on your original post. Munster has some of the highest property taxes in NWI. Compared to the better Chicago suburbs in Illinois, Munster's property taxes are pretty low. Compared to most of the comparable towns in NWI, Munster's property taxes are pretty high.
Food for thought, and further proof that Illinois's property taxes are outrageous.

Now, many consider those higher property taxes in Munster to still be good bang for your buck as the town has great schools, services, etc. Also, some feel it's worth the higher taxes in exchange for the closer proximity to downtown. All understandable. Some other quality towns have lower property taxes while also having very good schools, etc. However, I'm not attempting to steer you away from Munster.

Good point svillechris! Munster does have higher taxes then the surrounding NW Indiana towns such as Dyer or Schererville which feed into Lake Central schools (also very highly rated). You might also find more affordable homes as well in these towns; however, the commute will be slightly longer to Chicago.

anne_vk · 07-06-2017, 06:10 AM

Thank you!

hellob · 07-06-2017, 11:07 PM

There's usually condos for rent along Camellia Ave. I would probably just buy a house. Depending on your pp, my best advice is to be south of ridge rd. Not much happens in Munster but most seems to happen on the north side and there was a terrible flood about 10 years ago. It didn't come past ridge rd.
The newer builds are south of the tracks on 45th.
As far as the airport, just take the coach bus from the highland location. It runs every hour 4a until about 11p.