After six years in Chicago, I’m packing up and moving to Milwaukee. And I bought a condo. Yep, I might be a little bit crazy but I’ve been considering this move for a while now for a multitude of reasons which I’ll explain below if you’re interested.
I visited Milwaukee for the first time last fall. I didn’t know what to expect but I found myself loving this little city. It’s like a mini version of Chicago. The food is amazing. It’s clean and pretty. The weather is about the same. Milwaukee is just smaller, quieter, and a whole lot cheaper than Chicago.
The lower cost of living is one of the major reasons I was drawn to Milwaukee. Everything is cheaper (except for the damn property taxes). Going out to eat is half the price. Real estate is half the price. I have been wanting to buy a place for quite a while and now I consider myself pretty knowledgable about real estate, in both the Chicago and Milwaukee markets. I’ve read three books on real estate investing and I’ve been on Zillow looking at the available inventory almost everyday for a few years. The condo I bought in Milwaukee is about half of what an equivalent condo in Chicago costs. Crazy.
Achieving my financial goals is extremely important to me. The lower cost of living will allow me to get there so much faster. My mortgage and housing expenses will be less than my current rent in Chicago. Plus, I’m building equity instead of throwing away money each month.
Milwaukee is an up-and-coming, mid-size city and buying real estate there is a good investment (I hope). There is new construction happening all over the place. They just had some public transportation put in. Real estate prices (to buy) are significantly lower than Chicago but rents there are not that much lower and will continue to rise. Within the next few years, I plan on buying a house or duplex that’s a little ways outside of the city and renting it out.
Milwaukee is also super close to Chicago if I want to come back and visit. It’s just a 90 minute train ride with free wifi away. Plus, my new condo is a 10 minute walk from the train station.
People keep asking me if there are blogging opportunities in Milwaukee. There definitely won’t be as many as in Chicago but I’m ok with that. I’m ready for the next stage of my life. I’m 24 now and as much as I enjoy going to blog events every week, I’m ready to set down roots and explore my other interests i.e. real estate investing.
Did I get a new job? Nope! I work from home so I’m taking my job with me. I work at a wonderful digital marketing agency that’s based in Chicago so I can easily take a trip back whenever needed.
I love Chicago but its served its purpose for me. Honestly, I’m over the hustle and bustle that comes with a big city – surging Uber prices, $15 cocktails, 10.25% sales tax, and not being able to find a seat at bars on the weekends.
I’ll be living in the Historic Third Ward area, where it’s safe and walkable. That’s what else drew me to Milwaukee. It’s a smaller city but I won’t need a car. Not owning a car is a HUGE savings and will allow me to build wealth much faster. Most things are walkable but I can take an Uber if needed and it will never take 45 minutes to go two miles like it does in Chicago during rush hour. There’s no traffic there. Ever. Unless the president comes to town or something.
So I’m moving to a new city where I know a total of three people. It’s a risk but that’s how I roll. If you’ve never been to Milwaukee, I would love for you to visit me there. The cheese curds are out of this world and there’s a cat cafe that I will be frequenting. Please leave a comment and tell me I’m not totally crazy. Thanks for reading!
