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2:51 p.m. - 2005-02-13 AURORA...THE CITY OF LIGHTS
Yesterdays excursion was to Illinois 2nd largest city of Aurora Illinois...The City Of Lights. Actually the only thing about the city that has anything to do with lights is it's name. I guess because it is named Aurora (and who knows why)...they feel the need to call it "The City Of Lights". Like Elgin, Aurora is a city and all cities have their problems. They also have their charms and Aurora was not missing charm. Again...one just has to be aware of what neighborhood they are buying in. While there are beautiful old victorian and early 1900's era homes all over the city, most of them are in neighborhoods that are being developed or crack houses. Again...being developed means rehabber/preserver in one home...next door...a crack house. This is not the neighborhood for me. I investigated the entire city yesterday and narrowed the acceptable area down to one large area...Anything West of the Fox River. Below are photographs of my findings of homes between 150,000.00 and 200,000.00. The first home here is 209,000.00 and is almost a mansion. It even has a 3rd story walk up attic that can be made into rooms and yes....those are Gargoyles on the edge of the porch roof. It is a beautiful home however there are three things that make it unacceptable. Bad Neighborhood....The upkeep would be cost prohibibitve and it is 9000.00 over my limit. Can you imagine what this place would cost to heat and how much it would cost to replace a roof on this beauty????..Still, because I fell in love with it...I have included it in my photos. Just look at that stained glass window in the 2nd photo. Blow me away.
The next few photos are homes that fall within my price range and which all, until seen and excluded by some other criteria, meet my requirements. The first one is nice looking on the outside but the interior pics show the place covered with dark wood paneling, ala 1950's. One feature it has is that there is a full blown 3 room cabin in the back yard. What I would do with that..?????
The next two are exterior and interior of the same neat little house.
Another nice group of homes.
The house below looks really neat...but all the rooms are extrmemely tiny. The photo shows this house to be much bigger than it is. I have to remember I am looking for a bigger house...not an older house. Still, I have included it because it is nice.
I call this next one the so so house because it is not the most attractive home but the description of what it contained inside was awsome. New everthing...4 bedrooms...new roof...home warranty...everything you could want in a house and all in nice shape. Might be worth looking at.
The next 3 pics are a victorian that I just love...but it is on an extremely busy street. I hate busy streets, however, the house is wonderful and has a walk up 3rd story that could be refinished.
OK Diaryland...let me know your thoughts. P. I. Yarnsmith
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Now...even though I want an older home, I have to be practical. I don't have the time to be a rehabber, the money to pour into a possible money pit or a husband who is handy and willing to make home improvements. In my search...I need to be practical. In Aurora, I found something I have not found in any other city/town. Newer homes...large and pretty...near the tollway for under $200,000.00. Yes they are nice....no they are not my dream...yes they would be 1000 times better than what I live in now...yes they would not have the maintenance issues of an older home. I have included them because I need to think practically and sensibly.
