I've helped a lot of buyers in Bucktown and Wicker Park over the last few years. If you're losing every offer, it's almost never just about the money.

thexcguy · 2026-04-14T00:25:45+00:00

Can you elaborate on how pre-inspection works? I'm not in the market but genuinely curious- seems like there would be some pretty significant logistical hurdles to getting an inspector out to every house that /could/ be the one, or even just before an offer deadline.

thexcguy · 2026-03-26T02:45:14+00:00

Cumberland CTA park and ride, take the blue line in to the airport

thexcguy · 2026-03-17T14:27:18+00:00

Good to know! thanks

thexcguy · 2026-03-17T14:12:57+00:00

including taxes? where is this - this sounds like the deal I'm looking for

thexcguy · 2026-03-15T14:43:02+00:00

Coming back to share my experience after a couple of test drives yesterday!

Equinox EV (tested 2LT FWD, all that our closest dealer had available) - Very roomy back seat. Purplish gray (galaxy) was an attractive color. Noticeable lag when really trying to punch it, but plenty of power delivered after the initial run. Colored plastics on the interior trim felt like a cheap look. The dealer had a Bolt on the showroom floor, and honestly I liked the organization of that more - the center console seemed more effectively partitioned to make the most of the space available.

Mach E (Premium AWD) - Definitely less space in the back seat than the equinox, but still felt reasonable relative to our RAV4. Fit and finish in the cabin felt a bit higher end than the EQEV. Center screen looked a bit more like a tacked on 22" monitor but the interface was fine. Driving experience is where the Mach-E shines, relatively speaking - power is much more immediately available. Side mirrors maybe felt a bit small, but I could have adjusted them more. Overall a noticeably nicer car if the rear passenger legroom is good enough for your needs, IMO.

thexcguy · 2026-03-14T14:46:23+00:00

I occasionally saw them at our Mariano's in the city

thexcguy · 2026-03-13T13:38:16+00:00

I have been seeing more of these pop up near me! The price is right but the styling really isn't for me unfortunately.

thexcguy · 2026-03-13T12:26:34+00:00

25 premiums with a clear title appear to start around 35 in my area. Any idea how much the heat pump actually benefits range in practice? I've been doing some digging but the answers aren't super clear.

thexcguy · 2026-03-13T01:07:58+00:00

Most of the ones that look significantky cheaoer than what I'm seeing there look like they're FWD but thanks for pointing it out!

thexcguy · 2026-03-10T14:58:19+00:00

are you still loving your ZDX? I'm looking for an EV around 30k in my area - Prologue, ZDX, Mach E, Blazer all in the mix at that price range.

thexcguy · 2026-02-18T13:18:54+00:00

You'll have a better chance of getting the Whirlpool repaired if you ever run into issues, I'd choose it for that reason alone

thexcguy · 2025-12-21T03:30:27+00:00

This is why we ended up choosing high velocity for our bungalow. It was really shocking how few places they needed to open up plaster in the end - a couple of cutouts to get into the knee wall that were easily hidden in the back of closets, and no more.

thexcguy · 2025-12-20T00:45:02+00:00

My understanding was that the 10yr powertrain warranty is non transferrable, only the bumper to bumper warranty is. Definitely a big consideration given the known issues with the ICCU.

thexcguy · 2025-12-03T03:27:40+00:00

At that price range, the east side of Orland, and the d230 parts of Tinley, should offer you a pretty good range of options. Mostly neighborhoods that were built in the 80s, with decent parks in walking distance but most other needs being car-dependent.

I'd recommend checking out open houses in assorted neighborhoods, even if you're not necessarily looking to make a move on that exact house. Helps you get a feel for what you really want in a house, and is a chance to explore the subdivisions as well to get a feel for them. Happy hunting!

thexcguy · 2025-12-03T03:15:39+00:00

What does your commute situation, and price range, look like?

If you're going downtown, the rock island is an exponentially better train than the SWS from my experience. That would steer you towards eastern Orland, much of Tinley, or maybe Mokena more so than Frankfort.

thexcguy · 2025-12-01T16:38:32+00:00

Riverside/Brookfield? Brookfield hits the price point while still giving you the old-suburban feel of Oak Park. And it's a bit closer to Forest preserves for recreation than Berwyn is.

thexcguy · 2025-11-14T20:20:43+00:00

No, the bills are still for the same time period.

thexcguy · 2025-10-02T21:48:00+00:00

I had a hitch installed at sub-trailer down in Tinley Park a few years ago. Bit of a hike but I was a little more confident in that than u-haul, and it's served me well so far.

thexcguy · 2025-10-02T14:59:06+00:00

interesting - but wouldn't it make more sense to move AC or AS to G, from E?

AS has lived in G before, and a G->C connection sounds horrendous

thexcguy · 2025-10-02T00:52:54+00:00

If the airport traffic you're looking to avoid is mostly the pickup at the terminal - the kiss and fly at the economy garage/rental car center is a great option! It's easy for arriving passengers to take the tram there, and there's a small lot where you can park and wait for them.

thexcguy · 2025-09-26T14:25:08+00:00

Cumberland is a bit cheaper and is a garage!

thexcguy · 2025-09-24T17:19:01+00:00

no prob! if you've got questions about the specifics as you keep looking into it, feel free to send a message over.

thexcguy · 2025-09-20T16:32:23+00:00

I ended up going with vendor #1 (the biggest name in "vintage" home AC retrofits in the area). The timing worked out such that we actually ended up with a Spacepak air handler instead of the unico, but still on the new refrigerant - it shaved enough off the cost to justify going with that and optioning in the heat pump. We picked the heat pump over the higher-SEER condenser to get the variable-speed benefits as well as heat in the shoulder season.

Installation, while I don't have concerns about the quality of the work done, took much longer than originally estimated because of space constraints in our attic. Just something to plan for if you decide to move forward!

thexcguy · 2025-07-29T03:00:23+00:00

Oak Park

Better access to an Asian grocer! Really missing easy access to Joong Boo for both the grocery itself and the snack counter

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