Gene's Chicagoland Mortgage Blog: Looking for a New Home in Chicagoland that allows you to Cut Down on Driving Time? Check out walkscore.com ...

Looking for a New Home in Chicagoland

that allows you to Cut Down on Driving Time?

Check out walkscore.com ...

According to GasBuddy.com's statistics today, the average Chicagoland gas price is $4.028 per gallon. I say ... "ouch"!

     Because of that fact and others, the "walkability score" (a number measurement between 0 and 100) of the area in which you are considering for your new Chicagoland home purchase (or rental) may be of real concern to you.

     This may be especially true within the City of Chicago ... where gas prices are even higher than the average shown above, travel can be difficult or complicated, and travel times are longer.

   For potential Chicagoland Home Buyers that are concerned about the environment, about health benefits, or just hoping to keep budget expenditures down ... an assessment of "walkability" is important. Knowing the "walkability" of an area while in the home buying process could help you save time and narrow down a new home search.

   (For those currently considering a new home purchase within the City of Chicago, the following areas were rated the top 3 walkable neighborhoods: 1. Printers Row 2. Near North and 3. Sheridan Park.)

But how do they score a neighborhood or location? The "walkability score" is, simply put ... based on how easily someone can conduct a "car-lite" life in any locale. The rating system is as below and can be used for 3,000 neighborhoods in almost 200 cities all over the U.S.

I did a quick assessment for some of the towns in Will County, IL. Their "walkability scores" were:

Walk Score Joliet, IL - 38 Walk Score Plainfield - 30

Walk Score Bolingbrook - 44 Walk Score Shorewood - 58

Walk Score Lockport - 29 Walk Score New Lenox - 34

Walk Score Manhattan - 60 Walk Score Mokena - 34

Walk Score Frankfort - 31 Walk Score Peotone - 55

Walk Score Wilmington - 83 Walk Score Braidwood - 55

With such a wide range of scores being reported for Will County communities, you can see why "walkability scores" could be a very viable tool for new Will County Home Buyers to be aware of and then utilize.

Walk Score (www.walkscore.com), which offers this tool, provides a wide range of other info on its website as well. Info regarding restaurants, retail shops, public transportation/transit scores, crime data/reports, bike routes/bike scores, local citizens' feedback and more is available there. There's even a convenient and easily downloadable app to Walk Score available on iTunes.

Looking for a New Home in Chicagoland that allows you to Cut Down on Driving Time? Check out walkscore.com ... you'll find your perfect new home. One that allows you to spend fewer minutes in your car and spend less at the gas pump too ...

* Hoping to discover and Buy a Home in Will County, DuPage County, or elsewhere in Chicagoland? Contact me today! I'll put my 36+ years of mortgage experience and mortgage expertise hard to work on your behalf.

I can be easily found at the following:

Direct: 815.524.2280

Cell/Text: 708.921.6331