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Old 12-11-2009, 10:48 AM
 
15 posts, read 33,757 times
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Hi,

My husband and I are moving to Chicago in Jan. 2010 and we are looking to move to Elgin, Il. We wanted to get more information on the housing market, the communities and the schooling. We have noticed that there are many new develops coming up all around Elgin. Also, we wanted to know if their are "things to do" in Elgin, for instance, movie theaters, museums, fine restaurants, great shopping, etc.? I'm interested in a historical home and would like to know if it's a good location...address: 363 South PRAIRIE Street
ELGIN, IL 60120

We are also considering staying close to Downtown Chicago due to fact that my husband's new job will be there. Do you recommend any locations near Downtown that would get us a 4 bedroom, 2 bath home for $350K or less(probably impossible, but doesn't hurt to ask)?

P.S. We want a safe community for our family.

Thank You!
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Old 12-11-2009, 12:00 PM
 
Location: Chicago
2,884 posts, read 5,010,329 times
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Wow, that's an awful time to move if you're not acclimated to the cold! You should probably post in Chicago suburbs if you haven't already. I live in Elgin and love it, schools are mediocre, but I don't have kids. I would recommend the Northeast or the Northwest side for nice historic homes. Like this one: 310 Cooper Avenue, Elgin IL - Trulia The SE side is iffy. The commute to Chicago's Loop is easy from downtown Elgin. Elgin has 1 movie theatre with a lot of screens, it's on Randall Rd which is about a 10 minute drive from the lovely Gail Borden library Home - Gail Borden Public Library District . Here's the official city website: City of Elgin, Illinois - Official Website There is a small natural history museum that I loved as a kid. If you have kids, you might want to check out Geneva, there is train service there as well. St Charles is nice, but doesn't have a train. I'm not sure about housing prices in either or those towns.
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Old 12-11-2009, 12:01 PM
 
Location: The Miami Of Canada
1,043 posts, read 3,725,965 times
Reputation: 290
You can start your search right here:

https://www.city-data.com/city/Elgin-Illinois.html

Based on my research on the internet, that address part of Elgin you gave is a low crime area (meaning it's good). You are more likely to find the type of home you're looking for at $350K in Elgin, rather than close to Downtown Chicago, unless you feel you can deal with a higher crime area. Since you want a safe community for your family, you will probably want to stick with the Elgin area you're looking at.
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Old 12-11-2009, 02:16 PM
 
342 posts, read 1,236,229 times
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most people will probably say how bad elgin is and that you shouldn't move there. dont listen to them. it's not really that bad. 363 s. praire st. would probably be zoned to these schools.
Interactive Illinois Report Card
Interactive Illinois Report Card
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Old 12-11-2009, 03:17 PM
 
28,453 posts, read 85,661,295 times
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Default Dude...

Quote:
Originally Posted by bulldawg1594 View Post
most people will probably say how bad elgin is and that you shouldn't move there. dont listen to them. it's not really that bad. 363 s. praire st. would probably be zoned to these schools.
Interactive Illinois Report Card
Interactive Illinois Report Card

Did you see the charts for "achievement" that you posted?!?

Both schools "failed to make adequate yearly progress" which is a GREAT BIG RED FLAG given the low standards of the Illinois assessments.

In other threads I have posted you see what the profile over time of well performing schools looks like. In the case of the schools you have linked to it would be a stretch to call them just "bad" and not downright shameful. These poor kids started out doing pretty poorly and did not really move up over time so much as difference between "terrible" and "bad" got smaller, nothing to be proud of:
Interactive Illinois Report Card



As to the OP's questions about the "things to do" yes Elgin has things to do. They have a casino that has thrown off some redevelopment funds. One of the "Elgin boosters" has linked to their fairly nice looking library which I believe was built with those funds.

I doubt you could really make a case for there being any "fine dining" or "great shopping" in Elgin -- it is not even the nicest town along the Fox River let alone being able to hold a candle to other spots in the broader Chicago region. Not to say that it has NO shopping or restaurants, just that the town is still clearly a laggard in developing the kind of economic mix that other more desirable areas have achieved. The pressure of crime, poor schools, low income residents are not getting easier to combat in this period of economic difficulty.


As to the OP's questions regarding convenience to Chicago for commute it would be less than fair to say that Elgin is anything other than a stretch. Yes, it does have Metra service, but it is NOT the speediest line by far. Neither does the area draw a huge portion of commuters the way that other towns do. Milwaukee District / West (MD-W) Schedule

The specifics on the property the OP linked to suggest that is a multi-unit that has been foreclosed. You would need to have deep pockets and be a reckless risk taker to consider that: 363 S PRAIRIE St, ELGIN, IL 60120 | MLS# 07375573

There are may places where $350K would be better spent for someone working in Downtown Chicago wanting a town with good schools, great shopping, fine dining et cetera...
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Old 12-11-2009, 03:43 PM
 
Location: The Miami Of Canada
1,043 posts, read 3,725,965 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
The specifics on the property the OP linked to suggest that is a multi-unit that has been foreclosed. You would need to have deep pockets and be a reckless risk taker to consider that: 363 S PRAIRIE St, ELGIN, IL 60120 | MLS# 07375573
Are you sure you looked carefully at that specific property? How does it suggest that it's in Forclosure?

363 S PRAIRIE St, ELGIN, IL 60120 | MLS# 07375573

I don't think that would be a big risk for anyone to take if you have the funds available and you need a large property.
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Old 12-11-2009, 04:03 PM
 
28,453 posts, read 85,661,295 times
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The previous sale was $413K.

The give aways in the listing "boilerplate" are obvious to anyone that has experience with REOs: "PROPERTY SELLING "AS IS" NO SELLER'S DISCLOSURE, TERMITE INSPECTION OR SURVEY PROVIDED. SPECIAL ADDENDUMS REQUIRED AFTER OFFER IS ACCEPTED. PRE-APPROVAL REQUIRED W/ ALL OFFERS, CASH OFFERS MUST BE SUBMITTED W/ VERIFICATION OF FUNDS"

That is not the most desirable section of Elgin ...
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Old 12-11-2009, 05:09 PM
 
Location: The Miami Of Canada
1,043 posts, read 3,725,965 times
Reputation: 290
Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
The previous sale was $413K.

The give aways in the listing "boilerplate" are obvious to anyone that has experience with REOs: "PROPERTY SELLING "AS IS" NO SELLER'S DISCLOSURE, TERMITE INSPECTION OR SURVEY PROVIDED. SPECIAL ADDENDUMS REQUIRED AFTER OFFER IS ACCEPTED. PRE-APPROVAL REQUIRED W/ ALL OFFERS, CASH OFFERS MUST BE SUBMITTED W/ VERIFICATION OF FUNDS"

That is not the most desirable section of Elgin ...
It sounds more like the property is a "Handyman's Special" and since property values have gone down considerably within the last year or so, I think that the current owner just overpaid and is willing to settle for less to be able to sell. If it is in Foreclosure, it's usually stated somewhere in the listing. A lot of properties on the market that are in Foreclosure or "Short Sale" can be a great find if someone has the funds readily available and is willing to do some clean up and renovation.
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Old 12-11-2009, 05:10 PM
 
15 posts, read 33,757 times
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I've noticed people who do not live in Elgin, dislike it and people who live Elgin think it's a good city. I keep hearing about the many Hispanics, how diverse it is, etc. and how that's a bad thing...I mean I come from South Florida and diverse is what makes Miami. Me being Cuban and my husband a Mexican/PR, we don't mind diversity.

We are looking at other cities as well, for example, Crystal Lake, Huntley, West Dundee and Woodstock...any thoughts on those cities? Are they safe?

Thanks again!!!

Here's another house in Elgin we like...453 DOUGLAS AVENUE, Elgin, IL 60120
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Old 12-11-2009, 09:31 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,473,762 times
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I wouldn't move to Elgin if 1) I had to commute to Chicago for work, and 2) I had school-aged kids. Elgin school district isn't the best. But if you just have to live out in that area, want a good school district, want a nearby train station for the commute to downtown, and want an historic home, look into Geneva.
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