Potential move to Chicago: all advice needed and welcome!

[shaktar]

My husband has been offered a 3 year secondment to the states, all v exciting and the children are 6 and 7 so would be ok, hopefully.

My issue is that I'm finding it impossible to work out if it's financially viable - I've spent hours looking at areas and can work out rent but I have no idea on taxes, living costs etc. If anyone has any idea of resources I can use or lives in Illinois and can advise me I would hugely appreciate it. Also taxes on renting out a UK house when living in the states etc

When you’re move is imminent feel free to PM and I’ll send a list of all my favourite salvage/junk furniture places. The mid-century one I mentioned is called Circa Modern and on N Ashland. Got a bargain on a Knoll dining table and they threw in a free Alessi stove top kettle (stove top is the way to go here as electric takes an ice age to boil). Which is no doubt way more detail than you need for your move so I’ll be quiet now!

Be warned that due to shit voltage (110 versus 220) hairdryers are generally crap here, even the professional style ones! Also, electrics can be not great in older properties - In one of my old apartments I used to blow the fuses regularly by having straighteners and a lamp on at the same time

I brought voltage adaptors for stuff like pc speakers, but left everything else behind in the UK and bought in the US - bed bath and beyond and target are decent for electronics

Ask HR (another thing!) about short term furnished rentals and shipping as part of your package . Most big firms contract with short term lets in the big cities. Here in NYC they're also commonly used by ppl who work here on contracts / during the week etc.

Mine came fully furnished complete with bedding and towels etc. The kitchenware wasn't top notch but it was serviceable until I found a permanent place.

I also managed to get the shipping of my stuff from the UK held until the lease on a permanent place started. Ikea (in NY anyway) does same day delivery on lots of stuff (you go in the store on the day and get them to put it on a truck to your zipcode) and you can buy online for about 1/2 of their catalogue and get it delivered

All great stuff, thank you.

It's good to know I've got my priorities straight and am thinking about interiors when I haven't got a clue where my children will go to school 😬

Curious to know - are you all over there for the long-term or temporarily? We have committed to 2, realistically 3, years and I'm wondering how knowing that we will ultimately come back again relatively soon will effect our mindset/behaviour. I fully appreciate that I should be mindful and live in the moment etc but am a control freak. Much easier to think about mid century furniture and whether my hairdryer will work 😳

Hi all, my husband has accepted a role in Chicago only 6 weeks ago ! And he is starting his new job in sep! So i have not got much time to sort things out before 1st of September. (Off to Chicago tomorrow morning, i like the sound of Naperville, so we are looking to rent first)

I desperately seek for info re-our house. We owe a house in the Uk, i have been told if i sell the house when we will have to pay cgt on the gain? Initially I was going to let it out , due to tax complications i decided to sell it!

Has anyone got similar experience?

Also i have been told the new smart tv's might work? Anyone has any info about this?

Many thanks.

Enjoy the current good weather iz. We have friends in Naperville, it is very nice with good local schools. The drive to Chicago particularly in rush hour isn't great but for a long term home it is very popular.
We were told we would be liable for cgt tax if we sold our house, in fact I believe there are even more complicated tax rules in the USA regarding mortgage interest if you sell a U.K. house. We were advised not to sell our UK house without getting specialized tax advice.

We weren't originally planning to stay forever. I was able to sponsor DH for a green card as I'm a dual citizen but we thought we'd move back at some point, but it hasn't worked out that way. Now we don't know--kids with SN and what with Brexit and all that, now isn't the time (six of one and half a dozen of the other with politics I'm afraid!)

The thing about being temporary is that it can affect your outlookonce I learnt to enjoy what I was doing now and not be focused on the future it made it much easier here. The other thing about the USA isn't so much that healthcare is bad and no one gets holidays and the bread is rubbish (all right the supermarket sliced white is!) it's that it's very unequal and unfair. My health insurance is excellent and when my DC were going through all sorts of evaluations we had a really good experience, but I also know plenty of people who can't say that and have had a terrible time. That can make it difficult because you don't know what to expect, and also means you're going to hear absolutely contradictory things.

Despite all the problems there are still a lot of good things about the US and if you're only here for a few years, enjoy it.

If you are worried--the lower voltage does make a difference for hair dryers and kettles, but for kitchen appliances it's just fine. The major appliances are wired to use 220V outlets, and my food mixer works as well as my UK one did though brands here are different. (Getting used to American kitchens and cooking is another topic!)

We moved to the US permanently, but as both of us spent our childhoods moving from country to country, nothing ever feels quite permanent to us. But we've been here 12 years, no plans to leave.

I have lived here temporarily in the past, and I think it does affect your mindset. I still had a fantastic time, and it was very hard to leave, but OTOH I rented flat and furniture, bought a rusty old banger, and never quite thought of anything as long term.

To answer a few more questions. CGT on houses sold abroad - look into this. We sold our house 6 months after we arrived and paid no CGT.

I have friends in Naperville (with teens) who love it. They don't commute into Chicago though. I know very little about Chicago area school systems, but DH works with a lot of people in Chicago and they say that where you live defines the standard of education your children will get.

I absolutely love the city. DH is there a lot for work, and he adores it too. The politics really are astonishing - DH has to work closely with various aldermen and community organisers, and it's a whole other world.

DD is starting college there in September which I'm delighted about, as it gives me a reason to visit.

Oh and this year for the first time in a long time we've hired an accountant to help with taxes and personal finances, and I really do recommend it. If you have money/insurance/property abroad then your taxes can get quite complicated, and it's easy to make mistakes that could get you into trouble. Be aware of FBAR, where you have to declare any foreign accounts containing (in total) $10k or more on your tax return every year or face fines/prison. Our UK bank account had £9000 in it for just a few days this year, so we will have to declare that on our 2019 tax return.

Seconding sausage's point about getting an accountant (the tax return thing is an industry in itself here!) DH and I basically take all our documents in an envelope and the accountant sorts it out and files all the relevant documentation with the IRS and for our foreign accounts, worth every penny of the fee he charges us.

izmirli in reards to your question on cgt, if you have a property in the UK and sell it when you live overseas / don't reside it in any more, you will be liable, but how much you pay will be tiered depending on when you bought it and how long you lived it in as your primary residence. I was pleasantly surprised (well, not really, but it wasn't as awful as I expected...) to find out if I sold my UK place, I'd pay a lot less tax than I thought Id have to. If you pay CGT to the UK inland revenue and are not a US citizen then you should not have to pay tax to the US too (my understanding based on how it was explained to me- could well be wrong!)

TBH, renting out my uk property is actually really easy for tax pruposes- just needs a once a year UK self assessment tax return and by the time any repairs and maintenance is taken into account the amount of tax I pay is negligible / zero

knit has a good point about American kitchens and cooking - beware the gas oven with a grill (broiler) that will take your eyebrows off when you open the door

I get all misty eyed thinking about a convection fan oven that would give me evenly baked cakes...

I obviously need to read up on FBAR as had no idea on this: tax accountant next stop. We would rent out the house while there so no capital gains but obviously would have rental income to sort out.

I had a middle of the night blind panic about it all last night (I'm blaming a Sunday night curry and wine) which ricocheted from gun crime to whether the kids' education would suffer to will we be able to get takeaway curry - utterly insane and suddenly much more copable with in the light of day.

Currently trying to nail down HR to commit to a relocation agent (everything taking much longer as most people who are seconded don't have children) and then coming over mid August

We can get excellent curry, everything is available in takeaway, although I think there is less choice in the suburbs.
Gun crime is very area specific and even though I volunteer in the higher risk areas I have yet to see gun unless carried by a cop.
Education is different but I believe good, we stuck with the British system because our DC are older.
The company provides a tax accountant who managed out US and UK tax returns, it is a pain but not difficult with some support.

I had a middle of the night blind panic about it all last night (I'm blaming a Sunday night curry and wine) which ricocheted from gun crime to whether the kids' education would suffer to will we be able to get takeaway curry - utterly insane and suddenly much more copable with in the light of day.

Yup - these are totally normal middle-of-the-night worries! I found that the things I worried about beforehand didn't tend to end up being a problem, whereas things that had never occured to me were often more of a challenge - but that's life, isn't it?

One thing I did learn is that you can only control so much when you're moving to a new country, and the most important thing is to keep looking at the long term, cope in the short term, embrace the differences and look for the great new stuff on offer. You will lose things that you miss, and you will gain things you never knew you wanted.

Thank you - eminently sensible. I'm historically useless at anticipation and just want everything to start moving!

A decent accountant will sort your FBAR for you as you can appoint them to file for you, once you provide the info (I give ours a bullet point list of account numbers and how much is in it and costs and that's it!), you'll also need to complete a form 8938 depending on how much you have in assets in the UK. Both forms are similar but slightly different - again you need not worry as an accountant will do both for you. The biggest pain with taxes is the tax years for UK and US run differently (US is Jan - Dec), which always trips me up when allocation house costs

Middle of the night blind panic is totally normal (ime) what you might lose in curry, you may well make up for in other ways. I love the fact I can get proper ripe tropical fruit and avocados here, plus have access to fantastic Peruvian and Colombian restaurants and food

Guns are very much about area and also race and poverty. The middle class suburbs are very safe.

Curry--that will not be a problem! you will definitely find takeaways in the suburbs and if you go to Devon Ave in Chicago (West Rogers Park so not far from Evanston) the entire street is lined with South Asian shops and restaurants. What you will miss are better quality ready meals from the supermarket. I love the variety of food here and Chicago has so many good places to go, but there are days I'd kill for an M&S.

For schools--the kids' education will not suffer. "Good schools" can be a bit tricky as sometimes it's not that the schools are doing anything better in terms of teaching but that they have a "better" (wealthier and whiter) intake. Or it can just mean more resources as school funding is partly reliant on property tax.

It will be a bit different though as kids start a bit later and comparing with friends, the early primary grades here are a bit more relaxed--things start ramping up towards the end of elementary school. But the extra resources in the suburbs typically mean smaller classes. Where I live the K-2 classes are capped at 22 kids and my youngest had 19 in first grade.

In the bit of Chicago I live in all parcels are left on the doorstep if you aren't in. It is a quiet and safe area, I believe the suburbs are even safer and quieter.
Segregation based on race and poverty have led to a very divided and unequal city but not a universally unsafe one.

I'm just jealous! An old friend of mine lives there and it looks a brilliant place to live, I'd love to visit. He's from a different part of the US but wouldn't live anywhere else and the hospitals there were excellent when his wife was very poorly. Sorry that's not as much practical help!

Me again! And thanks again for all the help here, it's been invaluable.

So, next week we are heading to Chicago to get a feel for it, look at some areas and cram the children with sugar and excitement so that they acquiesce when we tell them we might move 😱.

We will, fingers crossed, have a relocation agent to show us around the north shore but if anyone has any hints or tips as to places to go to get a feel for e.g. highland park, Glencoe, wilmette or Evanston then please please let me know..

When you are in Chicago with the relocation agent (who will most likely be a realtor) continue checking on realtor.com and zillow.com to see what kind of houses are in each area they show you.

The weather looks good for next week - highs in the high 20s. It should be lovely.

Buy your kids some Garretts popcorn

Have you rented a car for the trip? You'll need one to get around the suburbs.

Weather looks perfect for next week so you’ve timed it well! Where are you staying and are you looking for ideas of things to do in between house hunting?

Hi - new to the thread but not to the Chicago area (have been here since late 80s).

Avoid Downers Grove. It's featureless and built for cars, miles from the lake.

While the North Shore (Evanston, Highland Park, Wilmette, all along the lakeshore northwards) are all lovely, the most affordable is Evanston and it's also the closest to Chicago, with access to the city by the El making it very convenient. There are lots of rentals in Evanston, and lots of Northwestern University related activities available. Great facilities for kids, shops, schools all great.

Highland Park, Wilmette, Glencoe, etc are not really rental-land.

Public schools in the North Shore are all good.

In Chicago proper, Lakeview is nice but rents can be high for a small living space, and parking is a hassle. In general, the closer you get to the lake, the more you pay per square foot.

West Ridge, Sauganash and Forest Glen are Chicago neighbourhoods that are nice, to the NW of downtown. All diverse, MC.
In general, all the neighbourhoods on the northern edge of the city proper are nice.

Hyde Park is lovely on the south side, but a bit of an island in a sea of high crime neighbourhoods. Nice little bubble all the same, with the University of Chicago located at the heart of the community, the Museum of Science and Industry right on your doorstep, all the other museums north on Lake Shore Drive toward the south loop, and HP has a beach.

West of the City, Oak Park and River Forest are both well worth a look.
Oak Park in particular has a wide range of housing available, lots of amenities for children and teens, access by I-290 (the Eisenhower expressway) and El and Metra to the city (two El lines, one Metra), restaurants, shopping, libraries, pools, year round rink, local orchestra, chorus, and great schools. River Forest is smaller, to the west of Oak Park. There is some rental accommodation there. Great schools, esp in River Forest, and served by an El stop and two Metra stops.
Parking for renters is a hassle in Oak Park.
OP and RF are in many ways the best of both worlds, city and suburban.

No matter where you go, you will find lots for your children to get involved in, from T-ball/baseball/softball to tennis, soccer (any neighbourhood or suburb with AYSO soccer for kids is going to be family friendly and MC) art, music, maybe even a School of Rock, folk music, classes for kids at the Art Institute, swimming, skating - hockey and figure.
Your problem will be cutting down the activity list to make it manageable.

Electricity:
You can buy electric kettles in Walmart for under $20. Mine has been going strong for about five years now.
Walmart is quite a slice of life as experiences go, but they sell reputable brands of all small appliances, good range of hoovers, etc. They also do 'order online/pickup in store' that involves no shipping charges.

I would honestly buy small appliances new in the US.

Supermarkets:
The Chicago area has Aldis - I believe Chicago is Aldi Nord (or whatever the opposite of UK and Ireland Aldis, so you may note some differences but the concept is the same). Also local chains (Jewel) and several more ethnic chains (Tony's Finer Foods, for instance, Carniceria Jimenez, Pete's Fresh Market)... plus small independent local or ethnic supermarkets. Also Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joes, Targets.. and of course, Sam's Club and Costco.

I second all the reassurance about crime. Chicago is truly a tale of two or even three cities all unto itself. My suburban home is less than 15 mins on foot from a super high crime neighbourhood of the city and I often forget to lock my door, packages get left on the stoop, no graffiti, Halloween is fun, local fireworks display on the Fourth of July..

I get by in winter with a Lands End down filled coat. Even in the Polar Vortex it was fine with a few layers underneath - if it gets that cold again you won't really be out. They warn people to stay indoors. Canada Goose is probably overkill for most winter days - North Face or similar quality will see you through a winter, with scarf, hat, gloves, snowboots, insulated boots. Most of the time you will be fine without the hat, scarf, gloves, and insulated boots.

YY to Garrets popcorn - get the cheese and caramel mix.

Yes $250000 would be a nice (not amazing) standard of living, but it does depend on what else you are getting.. how many flights home, health, etc.

I've just realised that when DH got back from Chicago last night he did not have Garrett's popcorn with him. LTB?