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Outside of Glenview and Highland Park, you won't find many houses built after 2000 in the area. Most of the housing is older. There is no reason to think it won't be in good repair. We don't get termites.
Thank You. I do love the look of the houses. Exterior and Inside. Probably the need to survive the winter imparts that solid, home feeling. Termites aren’t a problem in newer construction (i built my house) with termite barriers and nasty chemicals in them. But, unlucky factor should not be discounted. Theoretically, when these buggers go for their annual flight they can get in....
Factor in the moving costs, transfer taxes, and brokerage fees (typically 5-6% in the northern suburbs) associated with moving house when looking at short term ownership.
I will rent it out until the kingdom comes i guess? Based on my research, there is no stamp duty hitting the buyer (on an investment property i bought two years ago i had to cash out about 50K to the state which was painful) with the seller covering most of the expenses. Buying in the US seems like a much more pleasant process compared to Oz. Relocation Deerfield to Deerfield shouldn’t be too much of a pain. It is inevitable anyway
Thank You. I do love the look of the houses. Exterior and Inside. Probably the need to survive the winter imparts that solid, home feeling. Termites aren’t a problem in newer construction (i built my house) with termite barriers and nasty chemicals in them. But, unlucky factor should not be discounted. Theoretically, when these buggers go for their annual flight they can get in....
Cold, freezing winters do have their advantage. Just remember to get an inspector and he/she should be able to spot any major issues.
It is only last month of spring Down Under and we already at high 90F...
I don't think you quite understand the length and suckitude of Chicago fall/winter/spring, the lack of sunlight the constant rain/snow/sleet is just sooo depressing. Summers are amazing though, the 4 months (June, July, August, September) of nice weather we get there is no better city in the world
I don't think you quite understand the length and suckitude of Chicago fall/winter/spring, the lack of sunlight the constant rain/snow/sleet is just sooo depressing. Summers are amazing though, the 4 months (June, July, August, September) of nice weather we get there is no better city in the world
I spent first 24 years of my life in Ukraine, living through weeks of minus 25C commuting to the uni inside non-heated trams with the icicles hanging down form the ceiling. Limited sunlight is what my daughter needs -- her skin does not tolerate too well the abundance of sun Sydney is graced with.. Not an easy choice indeed but needs to be made for her good...
Comparing proper four seasons vs a single one (I describe Sydney climate as summer varying from bad to extremely hot and humid) boils down to a personal choice. People born here or migrated from warmer places of the Earth don't truly grasp it, describing anything below 16C/60F as "freezing"
I spent first 24 years of my life in Ukraine, living through weeks of minus 25C commuting to the uni inside non-heated trams with the icicles hanging down form the ceiling. Limited sunlight is what my daughter needs -- her skin does not tolerate too well the abundance of sun Sydney is graced with.. Not an easy choice indeed but needs to be made for her good...
Comparing proper four seasons vs a single one (I describe Sydney climate as summer varying from bad to extremely hot and humid) boils down to a personal choice. People born here or migrated from warmer places of the Earth don't truly grasp it, describing anything below 16C/60F as "freezing"
1. Our N1 goes starts Kindie in Australia in Jan'20 (our school year, same as seasons are weird) and if she has to start an American school in Sep'20, we have two options -- do Kindie all over again (risking her to get bored that will impact grades, behaviour and school standing) or aim for the Grade 1 that can be more pressure on her. She almost reads, understands numbers (I mean counting to infinity, before she gets bored, which is usually after 100). We deviate towards the Year 1 option. Do I ask the school to share with us the requirements she has to meet so she's accepted to Y1? She will be six in Dec 2020.
2. Activities. Gymnastics, proper dancing, swimming? Glencoe and Lake Forest beaches are short spit away and I will take the lake over the ocean any time when the water is above 18'C (65F?) considering the absence of crushing waves, life threatening jelly fish, sharks and octopuses. My understanding we will get access to everything of that in the 10 mile radius?
3. I want to stick with a diesel, surprisingly, you guys favour petrol more. Say in Australia, you will struggle to find a petrol MB GLS, with the only option is V8 AMG that is not too practicable, considering its thirst and gas prices hitting $AUD2 per litre. I understand the gelling risks for which I believe the fuel stations already supply winter mix.
4. The best wired Internet service - Static IP and best possible uploads - for the Mrs business website. Xfinity or Comcast Business (1gbps at ~200 per month?)
5. Is it worth having a pool?
6. Any specific advice for what to look for when renting? Considering it is temporary, mostly month by month, my care factor is minimal. Wrong?
Thank you for reading this long post, hope that was manageable. Really appreciate your perspectives.
1. Will N1 turn 6 by Sep 01, 2020? If so, she will be eligible to join first grade. By the way, I have kids the same age. We thought long and hard about jumping grade. Turns out that contrary to popular opinion, it is also beneficial to your kid being along the older ones in class, as opposed to being the younger ones. Letting your kid stay back a year is also called "red shirting". You can also join the facebook groups of the localities you are looking at, specifically the school district facebook groups, and ask them these questions. Being among the older one in class makes you kid stronger, a bit more developed, opportunity to become more of a natural leader, perform better at sports, etc. This boosts the kid's self confidence and really helps in growing their personality and self-esteem. At any rate, in higher grades, it is common practice (even highly desired) for the kids to take college level "AP" courses of higher grades. That helps tremendously in college applications. So again, being the older one in the given cohort has its benefits.
Again, I am only presenting one POV. I am sure there are pros and cons of getting a head start too, and definitely your preference also has a lot of merit. Also comes down to the kid's personality as well.
2. Northshore has tons of options for all the activities you mention. Have you also considered the other Northshore communities that are closer to the lake and closer to downtown Chicago as well? Such as Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe etc? Wilmette for example provides very diverse options and depending on how close or how far you live from the lake, your requirements and price range is well within the ballpark. And the schools are all top notch. Romona, Harper, McKenzie are all superb elementary schools. I also honestly think you're splitting hairs in terms of school ratings. All the suburbs I mentioned have top-notch schools and then it really comes down to luck - in terms of teachers you get, cohorts etc. And these schools all feed into New Trier - which is a very pedigreed school and as good as any in Chicagoland.
Wilmette also has a top notch gymnastics center and a very good swimming program. Northshore in general has a very good track record in terms of swimming and many student-athletes have done really well at national and international level.
Last thing: Not meant as a comparison, but while Deerfield is still reasonable close to the lake, Wilmette, Winnetka, and Glencoe are really close to the lake. Even if you live on the "West" side, most people live East of I94 and are literally a mile away from the lake. You could bike it down if you wish.
You are also close to Evanston which is almost a mini-city in itself with lots of entertainment options. Plus, Evanston also has Northwestern University so being this close to the university, your kids will have easy access to many of their programs, coding/tech workshops, access to do research projects in school with the help of NU etc.
3. Most personal non-commercial vehicles in the Chicagoland area tend to be petrol aka gas aka gasoline vehicles. They also tend to be SUVs and all-wheel drive. Not sure how much of a car enthusiast you are, but there are tons of options. Among mid-segment 7-seater SUVs, the new BMW X7 is a true blue 7 seater. In the mid-priced mid-luxury segment, Acura MDX is also hugely popular, especially the SH-AWD transmission that does really well on icy roads. Subarus are also very popular in the Midwest, and the new 7-seater Ascent is really good. Gas is $3 a gallon, and a gallon is 4 liters And if you fuel up in Costco or Sam's, gas is about 40-50 cents cheaper.
4. I live in the Northshore as well and get Comcast XFinity gigabit internet at $80 a month. Internet is a bit of a crapshoot but being in Chicagoland and not in Podunk has some benefits. My personal suggestion would be to avoid all the bundle and avoid cable entirely. Instead get a super fast internet and get TV over the internet if you like live TV and live sports, like Google TV, or Hulu Live, or Playstation Vue (doesn't actually require a PS), or Sling. I find myself watching Netflix and Amazon Prime when I watch TV anyway. Sports is the only bugbear but even then, the options I mentioned provide live sports.
5. Can't answer that, but I would imagine, "No". As a counterpoint, most houses that have a pool struggle to sell or the pool decreases the house resale price instead of increasing it. From my limited experience (i am not a broker)
6. Rental - like you said, lease terms and conditions are the most important one. Month to month lease would be the best for you, i guess. But most landlords prefer a yearly lease and in most cases, you cannot break the lease unless you specifically put in a clause like "2 months notice" or "2 month rent lieu".
Thanks for your detailed response! Greatly appreciate it!
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Originally Posted by asliarun
1. Will N1 turn 6 by Sep 01, 2020?
Nope. December baby. By the time she will be enrolling in the Grade 1, she will have 9 months of kindie and my deliberation against doing kindie for yet another year is that she will get bored likely compensating the boredom with not the most stellar behaviour.
It feels I will need to engage with the school confirming the entry criteria for Y1 to ensure she is ready.
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Being among the older one in class makes you kid stronger, a bit more developed, opportunity to become more of a natural leader, perform better at sports, etc. This boosts the kid's self confidence and really helps in growing their personality and self-esteem.
Couldn't agree more! That's pretty much my own experience being born at the end of the year
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2. Northshore has tons of options for all the activities you mention. Have you also considered the other Northshore communities that are closer to the lake and closer to downtown Chicago as well? Such as Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe etc? Wilmette for example provides very diverse options and depending on how close or how far you live from the lake, your requirements and price range is well within the ballpark. And the schools are all top notch. Romona, Harper, McKenzie are all superb elementary schools. I also honestly think you're splitting hairs in terms of school ratings. All the suburbs I mentioned have top-notch schools and then it really comes down to luck - in terms of teachers you get, cohorts etc. And these schools all feed into New Trier - which is a very pedigreed school and as good as any in Chicagoland.
Thank You! I agree on the hair splitting Once we get there we will definitely re-assess everything taking into consideration own, subjective and very biased impressions with regards to where we wanted to be. It definitely feels that focusing on that area has been a good decision
New Trier looks definitely fantastic! Thanks again!
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Wilmette also has a top notch gymnastics center and a very good swimming program. Northshore in general has a very good track record in terms of swimming and many student-athletes have done really well at national and international level.
That's an important information. Proper gymnastics is something we are definitely looking for!!!
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Last thing: Not meant as a comparison, but while Deerfield is still reasonable close to the lake, Wilmette, Winnetka, and Glencoe are really close to the lake. Even if you live on the "West" side, most people live East of I94 and are literally a mile away from the lake. You could bike it down if you wish.
The 4.4 miles running trail around the Skokie Lagoons looks very enticing!
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You are also close to Evanston which is almost a mini-city in itself with lots of entertainment options. Plus, Evanston also has Northwestern University so being this close to the university, your kids will have easy access to many of their programs, coding/tech workshops, access to do research projects in school with the help of NU etc.
Noted!
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3. Most personal non-commercial vehicles in the Chicagoland area tend to be petrol aka gas aka gasoline vehicles. They also tend to be SUVs and all-wheel drive. Not sure how much of a car enthusiast you are, but there are tons of options. Among mid-segment 7-seater SUVs, the new BMW X7 is a true blue 7 seater. In the mid-priced mid-luxury segment, Acura MDX is also hugely popular, especially the SH-AWD transmission that does really well on icy roads. Subarus are also very popular in the Midwest, and the new 7-seater Ascent is really good. Gas is $3 a gallon, and a gallon is 4 liters And if you fuel up in Costco or Sam's, gas is about 40-50 cents cheaper.
We don't get Acura's here. Mercedes is the best car I ever had and I want to keep it that way. I wouldn't describe myself as a car enthusiast of any sorts. Comparing the diesel engine I have in GL350 vs a pertol in Infiniti Q50 sedan (which is a 2.0t Merc engine manufactured by Nissan in Smyrna, Tennessee) diesel feels more solid. But I understand NOW the implications of winter, gelling and additives killing the engine, so gas will do
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4. I live in the Northshore as well and get Comcast XFinity gigabit internet at $80 a month.
That sounds awesome. Any idea if they provide Static IP and allow hosting? Youtube Kids, Netflix and Curiosity Stream are the kids favourites
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5. Can't answer that, but I would imagine, "No". As a counterpoint, most houses that have a pool struggle to sell or the pool decreases the house resale price instead of increasing it. From my limited experience (i am not a broker)
I understand why, considering the freezing winters. It is indeed so much easier to go to the beach when it is the season!
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6. Rental - like you said, lease terms and conditions are the most important one. Month to month lease would be the best for you, i guess. But most landlords prefer a yearly lease and in most cases, you cannot break the lease unless you specifically put in a clause like "2 months notice" or "2 month rent lieu".
Thank you, good to know!!!
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7. Question: Where would your office likely be?
Michigan Ave, next to the river. The plan was train to the Metra hub in the city and then, depending on the weather, hopping on a local loop or walking 1.6 miles or so. There seems to be a lot more mobility and work from home with my employer in the US so I expect I will be able to continue flexible arrangements coming to the office 2-3 times a week, or as client meetings demand.
I'm not against driving either but rather spend some time reading versus contributing to the traffic.
Downtown Chicago --
OP- Not a very helpful response, but one point I'd like to clarify.
Understand that, quite often if not the majority of the time, school ranking systems focus on comparing schools and districts within a given area or state, not against other areas or states. Disparity in IL makes some districts shine vs. the rest of the state, however, does not make it definitively superior to other parts of this country. This much I can all but confirm, though the schools in the north shore (based on any metric) are top notch no doubt. The output- college placement, test scores, etc. of the best schools in IL are the same as those in NY which are the same as those in NJ. If this is a leading factor in your decision to move to IL, I think it's an important footnote to consider. B. college readiness and minority improvements are taken into consideration very highly in rankings. Both good things, but not necessarily indicative of how you may want to choose a school for an upper class/non-minority family. Maybe you do value this, who knows.
Like many families, you may want a school with high test scores, nice facilities, and that pulls from a well educated (affluent) gene pool. Your deductive reasoning is sound, and I think Deerfield is a fine choice. I would not, however, limit your search to Deerfield unless there's something I didn't pick up. The school system in Deerfield is no better than the one in Northbrook, which is no different than the one in Wilmette, which mirrors the one in Glenview, which is similar to the one in Hinsdale. The common theme? Affluent towns.
Here in IL, my understanding has always been that state kickback and funding often correlates directly with testing. So, alas, North Shore schools get incredible amounts of funding. And, facilities are often better, and teachers are paid higher. A moot point, really, but just an FYI.
Here is a good graphic to understand the best schools in the country as far as testing goes, and how that relates to wealth. As an aside, it also shows the gaps in racial/economic brackets. In any event, you'll see that Deerfield tests +2.2 grades higher than the national average in Sixth Grade. Northbrook/Glenview +2.9. Winnetka +2.5. Mendham Tship, NJ at +3.4. Lexington, MA +3.8. The common thread is money.
This is a very long way of saying: Choosing IL because of schools doesn't make a ton of sense. Choosing Deerfield amongst it's North Shore peers doesn't make more sense than that. Choose the area of the country that you think you'll like the most, and take into consideration COL, weather, variety of homes, commute, topography, as well as schools.
I do think Chicago is a great choice, as is the North Shore. Great quality of life, beautiful suburbs. But, I like to be a contrarian, and do want to make sure to put some of your reasoning into American/local context.
Last edited by mwj119; 11-08-2019 at 01:26 PM..
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And if you fuel up in Costco or Sam's, gas is about 40-50 cents cheaper.
