ChiKat

So we are back to thinking about moving. I've never sold a place before, so I have no idea what to expect, especially in this economic climate. I know there are some things in our condo that I want to put into storage to make the place look a little bigger. And I want to build a storage unit in the basement because I think that would be a nice selling feature. But other than that, we could really put our place on the market any day.

I think out best plan of action would be to actually go to these "fixer-uppers" in Oak Park and see if we can actually live in them and enjoy it. I already know I love the community, but can I live in a less than ideal home? We're not talking about a little cosmetic TLC – the places we are looking at need major work that will span several years.

I want to actually view the homes inside and out, get a sense for what we are getting ourselves into, and then decide if we are going to put our condo on the market. All of this will happen after Bolivia, but I think the summer is an OK time to sell. Not ideal, but not terrible. If our condo doesn't sell by the fall, we'll take our condo off the market in the winter and then try again the following spring.

Again, I have no idea what I'm doing – I don't know if that is a good idea or not. But I'm excited about the idea of seeing these homes.

I will miss the lake, I will miss all the park space, I will miss my neighbors. But I just can't get past the violence here. And I don't trust the Chicago Public Schools to keep my son safe when he is ready for kindergarten. I know that is years away, but with 22 deaths of Chicago Public School students this year, many dying on school grounds, it weighs on my mind a lot.

I don't require a top-notch education for my son, but I do expect him to be safe on school grounds. I just don't feel like he will get that in Chicago.