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Maywood biggest advantage is being closer to downtown. I live in Harvey and if your family decides to move here, its best to live on the far east side bodering South Holland and Homewood. You can also enroll in Thornwood(which is a little bit better than Thornton and Thornridge). This area is Mexican and Black primarily, some whites are still around.
But since you're not set in stone in moving to Maywood or Harvey, there are other cheap options for $100k or below. I would look more into Calumet City, Posen, and Midlothian maybe. There are more areas you can find houses under a hundrend grand in the south burbs than over west.
did you grow up in harvey? how was thornton when you were there (or thornwood, if you went there)? i'm not too familiar with schools in the south burbs although my brother rolls with a few people who went to richards and tf south.
midlothian and posen aren't towns we've really looked into before so i'll have to bring them up. both places seem pretty nice. we've thrown cal city around and its still on the table, it all just depends on what we find out there. i've only been there a couple times but from what i've seen it seems alright. i know some people think its a dump, and i don't really have enough experience with the city to say it isn't but i wouldn't mind living there.
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Originally Posted by kindrakindra
Why do you have to buy? Why not rent a place in a place with excellent schools or even good schools?
i think the reason we haven't really been considering renting is because we're looking for a more permanent place to stay. we've been moving around constantly for the last few years due to various circumstances and this is really the only time so far that we're actually able to settle down. plus, our previous experiences with renting were...pretty bad tbh. so we're just turned off on the whole idea of renting in general. granted, if it come down to it we'll rent no questions asked, but it isnt our first choice.
i'm talking about traditional renting though. chet brought up renting to own, i've never heard of it but it actually sounds worth looking into.
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Originally Posted by chet everett
I can't think of any sane reason to buy a place in any town with as many negatives as I know Harvey has, and frankly Maywood has very little to offer either. The last time I looked at buying an investment property in a rundown area the economics of it were awful, and with the fall in prices in such areas they really don't look much better. The tax rates in the run down towns are ASTRONOMICAL, and the majority of other residents don't have the means nor incentive to improve their own homes / neighborhoods. Combined with poor employment options, bad schools, outmoded planning some of these towns will just continue to get worse and worse.
Owning a home can be a nice way to build equity and get a return that at least matches if not exceeds that on other kinds of financial instruments, but it vital that the property is in a LOCATION that makes sense. The things that make a town like Oak Park somewhat desirable were put in place 40+ years ago and they are completely lacking in towns like Harvey or Maywood.
If somebody said "I can only afford a $500 car, what should I buy?" the obvious answer is the BEST car you can find for $500. If instead they say "I wanna buy a classic car but I only have $500 to spend." the choice then becomes finding the least rotted out wreck of a car that might be worth fixing up. Towns like Harvey or Maywood would be like buying a Vega with a base engine to "fix up" -- even in pristine condition it'll still be such a crummy car that no one would want it. Better off shopping for a "rough" Chevelle that could conceivably be made spiffy.
Some run down house in a better area is a much smarter idea. If it tunes out that at first you can only afford to rent maybe find a situation where you can "rent to own" from someone that wants to eventually move on...
good point. we dont have too much money to dump into repairs but i think that we could probably strike a balance somewhere and find a house that only needs some work in an area thats ok, as opposed to what we're doing now or finding a house that needs a lot of work in a nice area. its probably not the smartest route in the long run when we have to sell again, especially if the ok area deteriorates into a dump, but at this point we're looking to stay wherever we buy for a long while and i'd rather live comfortably if frugally and not get as great of a return years later than be constantly struggling to make ends meet just to be able to sell easier/for more money.
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Originally Posted by suburban_boy
I don't understand why those two cities are your only options? But it looks like you don't really wanna move to either city. If thats the case, I would also look at Hammond, Riverdale, Chicago Heights, Posen, Pheonix, Cal City, Dolton, Cal Park, Blue Island, Markham and maybe even Oaklawn.
yea i mean they're not our only options but they were where we had houses that we were seriously considering. nothing is static yet though, which is why i'm asking around
how is the heights? i heard its sort of like cal city but i dont know how reliable that info is. blue island is something we thought about but never really followed through with so i'll have to look more into there. haven't really checked out the others much, i'll have to now. thanks
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Originally Posted by tonythetuna
This is like choosing between getting beaten and robbed or getting beaten.
thats actually kinda comforting because i could be choosing between getting beaten and robbed or getting beaten and robbed
two brothers, one with car (bought it himself), both with jobs that dont pay enough to live on. i live with my mom. she has a car and puts in applications everywhere but no one calls her back.
Assuming all of you are going to continue living together (may as well, until one or more gets the money together to move out), you probably would be best off staying put or renting someplace relatively close until Mom (or someone) gets a better job. Don't want to close on a house in Harvey and get a call the next day she's offered a job in, say, Gurnee or someplace far away. The Maywood vs. Harvey decision can wait.
how is the heights? i heard its sort of like cal city but i dont know how reliable that info is.
Chicago Heights is an old industrial town. Always try to stay west of Halsted. Chicago Heights has a population of around 40,000 people and it's diverse with a good mix of whites, blacks and Hispanics (mostly Mexican). It's mostly lower middle class to poor but there are parts of town with more wealth. For a Cook County suburb south of I-80, it has a very "urban" feel. I've gone to Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. I eat, shop and hang out with friends in The Heights all the time. I suppose it's comparable to Cal City. If you have any more specific questions about Chicago Heights or other nearby towns, let me know.
Crime in Chicago Heights can get pretty bad, sometimes. There was a shooting in the parking lot of one of my favorite restaurants last week. I wouldn't trust the police either. Don't get out of your car when you're east of Halsted, keep your eyes peeled and always have common sense. Chicago Heights isn't nearly as bad as clueless people who aren't even from the south suburbs try to make it out to be. And it's certainly a nicer place than Harvey.
how is the heights? i heard its sort of like cal city but i dont know how reliable that info is. blue island is something we thought about but never really followed through with so i'll have to look more into there. haven't really checked out the others much, i'll have to now. thanks
This might be a long one....
Chicago Heights similar to Cal City, but different. Da Heights have a lot more blighted spots than Cal City. The best parts of the Da Heights are north of Lincoln Hwy. The most blighted parts are East of Chicago Road and around Hickory st. I would avoid the beacan hill area. Everywhere else is shaky at best. Bloom Township HS isn't a good school; its on the same level as Thornton. Actually, when my brother went there back in 1995/96, they had a very good honors program. I don't know if thats the case now, you might wanna look into it.
With that said, I think Cal City would be your best option. Its not the safest suburb, but it is nowhere near the worst suburb either. The rougher parts are along Dolton Road and along 154th closer to State Line Rd. However, I've stayed in both areas for a year each and will gaurentee you that its nowhere near as violent or crime ridden as Harvey, Robbins or Maywood. However, to be on the safe side, I would get an alarm system, a dog and maybe a gun.
If you all move East of Torrence then you will be in Thornton Fractional School District (TF North HS) and you won't have to go to TR.
Also, Hammond might not be a bad place to look at either. I don't know that much about Hammond, so you might have to go on the NWI forums to more info. I do know that the homes are cheaper on the Indiana side of the border. South Hammond is safer than North Hammond and you're parents can take the South Shore to Downtown. I don't know much about the schools though.
Last thing. I you have no choice but to choose b/w Harvey and Maywood, then I would Choose Maywood. Its closer to Downtown, Ohare area and the Western Suburbs where all the jobs are. Your parents will have access to jobs Downtown, however, living in Harvey and the South Suburbs in general might limit their accessibility to Jobs in other parts of the area. Maywood is in the perfect location for job accessibility. I can't understand for the life of me why people aren't taking that into consideration. That benifit alone should bring forth gentrification in the area.
Assuming all of you are going to continue living together (may as well, until one or more gets the money together to move out), you probably would be best off staying put or renting someplace relatively close until Mom (or someone) gets a better job. Don't want to close on a house in Harvey and get a call the next day she's offered a job in, say, Gurnee or someplace far away. The Maywood vs. Harvey decision can wait.
yeah i hear you on that. most of the jobs she's been applying for are just for some extra income so we can save more of the money we have stored, but i'll tell her to keep all these applications in mind in case someone calls her back, especially if we get serious about a home in the south burbs.
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Originally Posted by urza216
Chicago Heights is an old industrial town. Always try to stay west of Halsted. Chicago Heights has a population of around 40,000 people and it's diverse with a good mix of whites, blacks and Hispanics (mostly Mexican). It's mostly lower middle class to poor but there are parts of town with more wealth. For a Cook County suburb south of I-80, it has a very "urban" feel. I've gone to Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. I eat, shop and hang out with friends in The Heights all the time. I suppose it's comparable to Cal City. If you have any more specific questions about Chicago Heights or other nearby towns, let me know.
Crime in Chicago Heights can get pretty bad, sometimes. There was a shooting in the parking lot of one of my favorite restaurants last week. I wouldn't trust the police either. Don't get out of your car when you're east of Halsted, keep your eyes peeled and always have common sense. Chicago Heights isn't nearly as bad as clueless people who aren't even from the south suburbs try to make it out to be. And it's certainly a nicer place than Harvey.
are the police there crooked or do they just stop you for no reason? i get stopped a lot whenever i'm chilling with people who live over in maywood or bellwood or even hillside (in hillside it depends more on the neighborhood you're in though). i guess they figure i'm buying drugs or something. i dunno, it gets tiring after a while.
its nice to know that chicago heights isnt a town where there's nothing to do and where you have to travel two towns over just to get some groceries. thanks for the heads up on east of halsted. do things just get more rundown as you get closer to ford heights, or is it just patches of the east side that i need to be weary of?
one last question. hows university park?
Quote:
Originally Posted by suburban_boy
This might be a long one....
Chicago Heights similar to Cal City, but different. Da Heights have a lot more blighted spots than Cal City. The best parts of the Da Heights are north of Lincoln Hwy. The most blighted parts are East of Chicago Road and around Hickory st. I would avoid the beacan hill area. Everywhere else is shaky at best. Bloom Township HS isn't a good school; its on the same level as Thornton. Actually, when my brother went there back in 1995/96, they had a very good honors program. I don't know if thats the case now, you might wanna look into it.
With that said, I think Cal City would be your best option. Its not the safest suburb, but it is nowhere near the worst suburb either. The rougher parts are along Dolton Road and along 154th closer to State Line Rd. However, I've stayed in both areas for a year each and will gaurentee you that its nowhere near as violent or crime ridden as Harvey, Robbins or Maywood. However, to be on the safe side, I would get an alarm system, a dog and maybe a gun.
If you all move East of Torrence then you will be in Thornton Fractional School District (TF North HS) and you won't have to go to TR.
Also, Hammond might not be a bad place to look at either. I don't know that much about Hammond, so you might have to go on the NWI forums to more info. I do know that the homes are cheaper on the Indiana side of the border. South Hammond is safer than North Hammond and you're parents can take the South Shore to Downtown. I don't know much about the schools though.
Last thing. I you have no choice but to choose b/w Harvey and Maywood, then I would Choose Maywood. Its closer to Downtown, Ohare area and the Western Suburbs where all the jobs are. Your parents will have access to jobs Downtown, however, living in Harvey and the South Suburbs in general might limit their accessibility to Jobs in other parts of the area. Maywood is in the perfect location for job accessibility. I can't understand for the life of me why people aren't taking that into consideration. That benifit alone should bring forth gentrification in the area.
is beacon hill really rundown or is it just a neighborhood with a lot of crime? good looking out. i'll have to look more into the district, but is there any big differences between bloom high and bloom trail?
we'll definitely keep cal city on the table. any certain areas that stand out as being pretty good compared to the rest?
i dont know a lot about nw indiana aside from the fact that its cheaper there then it is over on the illinois side of the border. hammond seems like it could be worth checking out, i dont really know anything about the town but it can't hurt to look.
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Originally Posted by mas23
Have you looked in to Hillside or melrose park?
i hang out in hillside sometimes but we never really looked into buying property there. its a small town but its alright, if we find the right place we'll definitely consider it. same with melrose park, although its not nearly as little as hillside is. i'm pretty sure melrose park kids go to proviso east too. i'll have to check it out more.
yeah i hear you on that. most of the jobs she's been applying for are just for some extra income so we can save more of the money we have stored, but i'll tell her to keep all these applications in mind in case someone calls her back, especially if we get serious about a home in the south burbs.
are the police there crooked or do they just stop you for no reason? i get stopped a lot whenever i'm chilling with people who live over in maywood or bellwood or even hillside (in hillside it depends more on the neighborhood you're in though). i guess they figure i'm buying drugs or something. i dunno, it gets tiring after a while.
its nice to know that chicago heights isnt a town where there's nothing to do and where you have to travel two towns over just to get some groceries. thanks for the heads up on east of halsted. do things just get more rundown as you get closer to ford heights, or is it just patches of the east side that i need to be weary of?
one last question. hows university park?
is beacon hill really rundown or is it just a neighborhood with a lot of crime? good looking out. i'll have to look more into the district, but is there any big differences between bloom high and bloom trail?
we'll definitely keep cal city on the table. any certain areas that stand out as being pretty good compared to the rest?
i dont know a lot about nw indiana aside from the fact that its cheaper there then it is over on the illinois side of the border. hammond seems like it could be worth checking out, i dont really know anything about the town but it can't hurt to look.
i hang out in hillside sometimes but we never really looked into buying property there. its a small town but its alright, if we find the right place we'll definitely consider it. same with melrose park, although its not nearly as little as hillside is. i'm pretty sure melrose park kids go to proviso east too. i'll have to check it out more.
Not at all. The Ultra Foods in Chicago Heights is always crowded unless you go late at night. They're apparently building a Food 4 Less next to the Ultra Foods. Just down the street on Lincoln Highway, there's a Jewel in Olympia Fields. Chicago Heights is where the movie theater is located as well as the community college.
The Chicago Heights police has been busted selling drugs and letting gangbangers go about their business untouched. Supposedly, they've cleaned up their act in recent years. Cops will not pull your white ass over for no reason unless you are in fact in a neighborhood that's virtually all black. And actually, I'm talking about the Park Forest police when pulling out of Beacon Hill. Chicago Heights police don't even give a s**t. That's their problem.
University Park has some beautiful natural areas like Pine Lake. There's some cheap apartments on University Parkway but it's Will County and a little removed from everything else. Crime is low for the town as a whole but the apartments can be another story. There are some expensive new houses in University Park, a few in close proximity to GSU.
One of my best friends since high school lives in the Beacon Hill subdivision in Chicago Heights. There's some houses that aren't well taken care of. Guys hanging out on the street selling drugs in plain sight and the cops don't care. Pot holes on a lot of roads and the city does nothing about it. It's illegal for a citizen to fix a pothole themselves. It snows? The plow comes right down Western Avenue and skips Beacon Hill. Yeah, I'd describe it as "run down".
Although both high schools are located in Chicago Heights, it's Bloom that's the Chicago Heights school. Bloom Trail is Sauk Village, Steger and Ford Heights. It also includes a small part of South Chicago Heights (that's another town) and a small part of the east side of Chicago Heights. Both schools have had their fair share of problems. But again.. It's still not Thorton.
Rusty impala vs fairmont with a busted transmission...
Towns north of Maywood (like Berkely, Franklin Park, Northlake) all are sorta like a rust belt of formerly industrial areas. Some of them actually have some decent re-investment in warehouses and data centers, but having the rumble of O'Hare take offs and landings don't really make 'em garden spots. Stiill, I would rather own a house there than in a town where cops assume you are only there to score. That kind of town is so broken down it would be nuts to pour money into it, just like fixing a transmission in a car that was junk when it was showroom new...
There are only LLC's and cash buyers closing on properties in harvey at the moment. There have been almost no conventional mortage funded puchases in harvey recently. Most properties in harvey have sold in the 10k-30k range as of late. And, in general it is hard to obtain a mortgage to purchase a dirt cheap single family home under say 60k. The property has to be in move in condition, most non reo single family homes in that price range are not, REO listed single family homes in move in condition in that price range are hard to close on if you are funding the purchase with a mortgage. It's even difficult to schedule showings if you do not know a realtor personally for dirt cheap properties, it's almost as if realtors get insulted about showing dirt cheap properties. Most brokers that list them want a cash buyer or LLC with funding on hand. Very few under 60k single family homes are purchased by regular buyers using a conventional mortgage. A realistic budget for a cheap property purchased using a mortgage is atleast 70k-130k. In that price range you can find nice cheap homes that are being closed using a mortgage in alot of areas. Even your target area oak park has a couple of homes that you could probably close on with the high end of that price range that are in move in condition.
Last edited by allen2323; 12-27-2010 at 10:12 PM..
did you grow up in harvey? how was thornton when you were there (or thornwood, if you went there)? i'm not too familiar with schools in the south burbs although my brother rolls with a few people who went to richards and tf south.
I grew up in Harvey and a Thornton graduate . My first two years going to Thornton was pretty bad. Like any school in and around Chicago that had questionable safety, there were the gangs(GDs, Stones, BDs, Latin Kings and 4ch). They did nothing, but start mess with each other and students they didn't know. My first two years, there were fights every week. There weren't no metal detactors, so drugs(primarily weed) were brought inside the the main building. It got safer around my junior and senior year when they hired a new principal. Other than the bad, Thornton had a great basketball team during most of my time there. We made it to downstate championship 2-3 times out of 4 years of my H.S. journey. Thornton also has a swimming pool, library, football field, and a tech building. I'm only 21, so I graduated less than 3 years ago. As far as academics, the school is doing poorly making AYP and test scores are low. In fact all three high schools in the district are doing bad. Thornwood was thought of as the better of the three because the student body is not as poor and its located in a middle income community.
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midlothian and posen aren't towns we've really looked into before so i'll have to bring them up. both places seem pretty nice. we've thrown cal city around and its still on the table, it all just depends on what we find out there. i've only been there a couple times but from what i've seen it seems alright. i know some people think its a dump, and i don't really have enough experience with the city to say it isn't but i wouldn't mind living there.
You and your family should look into Midlothian and Posen. There both close to Harvey, just on the other side of I-57.
Last edited by Chicagoland60426; 12-27-2010 at 11:14 PM..
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This is a tough one
, then I would Choose Maywood
. Its closer to Downtown, Ohare area and the Western Suburbs where all the jobs are. Your parents will have access to jobs Downtown, however, living in Harvey and the South Suburbs in general might limit their accessibility to Jobs in other parts of the area. Maywood is in the perfect location for job accessibility. I can't understand for the life of me why people aren't taking that into consideration. That benifit alone should bring forth gentrification in the area. 
