Dilemma with location

[Raji Kaur]

Hey Guys - I'm sort of new to the Chicago area. I lived in Michigan for most of my life and was a realtor there for a few years and am very familiar with most of the neighborhoods in Metro Detroit. Now coming here, I'm just starting to get familiar. Last week, I checked out a few properties in Elgin and all were really old homes that all had either structural or foundation issues. For a newbie, I want to stay away from that. Next, Round Lake has some potentials in my budget. But I'm not familiar there either. Chicago itself has so many neighbhoods, but I hear some people who have success and some horror stories. I guess for my first rehab, I want to play it safe. But now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just look to invest in Michigan since I can renew my license there and have MLS access and know the areas. But with a rehab I want to be around while the project gets done. So I'm really confused - spend so much time trying to find a location here or go back to what I know and try it long distance in Michigan.

If anyone's been in a situation where they were new to an area and a newbie, how did you handle that? How do you find a neighborhood that works for you when you don't know the neighborhoods?