So I also get this question about what neighborhood's going to give me the best return on my investment. Well if I had a crystal ball, that would be great, but obviously, I don't. But let's base it on some statistics. So if you’ve got just a few minutes to read or watch my video, I’ll break it down for you.

My name's Mark Buckner, I'm with the Mark Buckner Group and in 2021 alone we helped 65 people find their place in Chicago, and we'd love to help you. We specialize along the Blue Line, from the West Loop, cutting through West Town, Logan Square, Avondale, and Irving Park.

So, I'm like everybody else, I wanna have my cake and eat it too. And what I mean by that, is I'm like anybody else. I want to be able to walk out my door and within two to three blocks have some great amenities. So that means I want to be able to grab a great cup of coffee at like Dark Matter or Collectivo, I want to stop at a convenience store like Foxtrot right on my way home from work, and I want to be able to catch the L within two to three blocks.

That's great right, but it comes at a price point. So neighborhoods with those walkable amenities often have a less return over time than neighborhoods that have a lot more room for growth. Let's talk about some stats that show that.

Looking at 2018 to the end of 2021 if you bought a home in Irving Park, you’d have gotten a 50K return. In West Town, it would be been about 60K, Avondale 70K and Logan was the winner with an 80K return. But that’s just the dollar amount, what about the percentage? When you look at percentage return Logan and Avondale tied with a 20% return on investment since 2018.

Where things really get interesting is if you bought in 2011 and sold in 2021 in Avondale. The curve upward was pretty consistent of gain across all those neighborhoods, but in Avondale specifically, we went from selling around $180K to the median home price being $432K. That’s like $250K in returns in just 10 years in that neighborhood. A 140% return on investment!

West Town, on the other hand, had about a 75% return and Irving Park had a 60% return. Those are still great numbers, but Avondale blew it out of the water.

You want to know the difference that sets Avondale apart? The room for growth. The values of homes started lower, and they really had room to add amenities to the neighborhood compared to the other neighborhoods that already had them and didn’t have much to gain over time. West town and Logan Square already had the fall-out-your-door kind of amenities that we’ve seen pop up in Avondale over the last few years.

Now, that’s not me saying any of these neighborhoods are a bad choice. There’s not any right or wrong here. There are just statistics on a better return on investment and increasing your odds for return on investment. And increasing that ROI will come with some sacrifices like needing to use a car to get around, or maybe heading to another neighborhood to go to that shop you really love.

If you’re weighing the options, and you need some guidance, of your want more statistics for more neighborhoods, give me a call. I’m a geek about these numbers and I can’t wait to talk with you about them.