We have made one decision already: Let’s buy a house! We now have to figure out what exactly we are looking for. Sort of obvious, isn’t it? Not quite. It occurred to us after a number of discussions (and a bit of dreaming) that we need to set some priorities. We want the new house to become our new pilot project, so we decided that we need a good set of project rationales and principles that guide us on our path.
How do the rationales and principles translate into actual property features? We figured that we can split them into two groups:
- Community scale parameters
- Actual building characteristics
On the community scale, we decided that we’d like a home that is close to common services, amenity facilities (such as a library and work out facility) and public transportation… but not just any public transportation! We would prefer to be within walking distance of a CTA train line. Also, if possible, we would like to be within walking or biking distance to a Metra commuter train line. Good access to CTA bus routes is also important.
Access to retail ranks very high on the priority list. We would love to find a neighborhood with a farmers market and stores within walking or biking distance. Because of our remodeling plans, easy access to home improvement stores or salvage material vendors will be important.
Cathy works in the city, north of the Loop and would like to bike from our new home to work and back. We also would like to feel reasonably comfortable walking home on a week end night or have our parents come and visit. This last item is very subjective and may be interpreted very differently by different people. Not sure yet how we crack this nut.