Am I nuts? Moving from Barrington to Schaumburg (Arlington Heights, Hanover Park: real estate, 2013)

[Googley_eyes]

Please tell me if I'm crazy. I am a SAHM of a toddler and four year old. My husband works in the loop and makes about 75k. I will not be able to work profitably until my youngest is in kindergarten. Needless to say our money does not go far Barrington. We are here primarily because my parents are - but they too are moving on as they are about to become empty-nesters. We are currently renters and will be for a while because we just completed a deed-in-lieu on a tiny condo we bought in '06, value went down about 40% and couldn't sell. We are renting at 1400 a month with the intent of saving aggressively for a down payment. The place we are renting now is old and gross and we do not feel comfortable here - we chose it because it was the right size, right price, and close to Metra, and it's all there was in December when we had to move. I feel very self-conscious and awkward about the idea of having play dates for my son here, and I'm starting to feel that our family might be better off living somewhere with a little more socioeconomic diversity. We are considering a few different suburbs, but I'm thinking more and more about Schaumburg. It seems we are always driving that direction anyway for this and that, restaurants, etc. We are not really “Mall people” and avoid most of the Golf Road stuff, but beyond that it seems like a nice community that appeals to my Midwestern German-Irish self. We love the parks, and public services seem very solid. Also - because of the Japanese Dual Language program there. My husband is a native Japanese speaker, I also speak some Japanese from living there a few years, and our children learning Japanese could open huge doors for them, not to mention the possibility of being able to communicate with their grandparents in Japan who do not speak English. This would be huge for us. My son will begin kindergarten in fall 2013. Of course, there is no guarantee that he will get into the program, and even if he did, funding could dry up the program, etc. etc. And if we made the move to Schaumburg, and he did not get in, I must say that I would be really, really bummed out. We know that we are going to need to spend more on rent, but there is also the question of my husband's commute. It seems that the only neighborhood in district 54 that is close to Metra feeds into an elementary school not quite as desirable, so if my son didn't get into the dual language he would be stuck there for a while. This would create a lot of cognitive dissonance, since where we are right now he would be attending Barrington schools! Perhaps renting in another part of Schaumburg would be better? Is this doable with my husband's commute? Anyone know about this program at Dooley, how likely is it to be accepted? And if we are able to buy in a couple years or so, what is the deal with property taxes? I've looked at real estate listings, and it seems like even modest little houses have big taxes, like 7-8k?!! Also I can't seem to make spaces between paragraphs here, what am I doing wrong?

[cubssoxfan]

What about renting in Arlington Heights within walking distance of Metra?

[Googley_eyes]

I like Arlington Heights. Like it a lot. But then, we heard about the Japanese dual language program in Schaumburg - would be a great fit for our family and I don't know any other place that has such a program. I guess what I want to know is if hubby's commute can be dealt with to allow this to happen. Otherwise, Arlington Heights might be really good. Does anyone take the Metra from Schaumburg/Hanover Park?

[ccjarider]

Man- If I knew Japanese, I would move to Hawaii in a heartbeat. If you can speak that language, you can find employement within a few days of arriving.
Sorry to be off topic - but I couldn't help it.

[purplesky]

I know someone who has a child in the Dual Japanese program. I don't know how crowded it is to get into, but I would call the principal of that school and explain that you would like to move to Schaumburg for your child to attend that school, but you don't know how filled up it gets.

There are desirable elementary schools near the Metra--Nathan Hale and Campanelli.

Most people I know in Schaumburg don't frequent the mall--everyone is too busy working multiple jobs in this deflated economy.

Schaumburg Park District and Library also offer a lot of programs.

I have a modest 1550 sq foot ranch with a huge yard and my taxes are around 4600/yr (I appealed a tax increase last year and won).

[Googley_eyes]

Thank you Purplesky. Sounds like a plan. Good to know about the property taxes. I guess it's the world we live in. Too bad one needs a lawyer just to prevent these tax nightmares. I mean, we could just have property tax caps based on % of property value, or % of income, but then all those lawyers would have nothing to do...