[LouisVanDerWright]

Guys the entire origins of poverty debate is horribly off topic. The facts don't lie: Chicago has a plethora of affordable housing within a 10 minute walk of the L. That is a fact. If you can show me that even half the land in the city within that transit radius rents for $1.50 or more per square foot a month then I will actually eat my shorts and post a video here.

In terms of "exaggerating the attractiveness of and area", whatever that means... Lagunitas employs 250 people, Cinespace employs over 2,000. There's two hospitals on the park which each employ several hundred more. There is even a freaking Metra Stop. There is a one Michelin star restaurant a few blocks North on Western and Working Bikes a few blocks South on Western. Riotfest showcases the neighborhood to 70k hipsters per day for three days every year so you can't claim it's some sort of secret area. There are even grocery stores here which Logan Square doesnt even have.

So what's the point? Most neighborhoods that have developed and increased in price don't or didn't have these kinds of employment centers, attractions, and amenities. Some still don't. Yet prices are still incredibly affordable in this area. This isn't a matter of whether this area will develop which obviously I think it will. It's a matter of the fact that affordable areas this close to transit and downtown exist all over the city. There is a virtually endless supply of areas like this so much that buildings like the ones I own exist in areas as attractive as where they do.


Also as a side note, I started with $5000 I saved and a $38,000/yr job. Used an FHA loan for the first property and renovated myself rolling my investment over and over again. The only help got from family aside from a good upbringing and education was a week here and there of free labor from my Dad who was unemployed for like 4-5 years during the recession.