Construction started on almost 5,000 new homes in the Chicago area in the 12 months that ended in March, but two of the top five communities weren't even in Illinois.
They were a short drive away in St. John and Crown Point, Ind.
Indiana is calling — and Chicago-area residents and homebuilders are answering.
Casting aside long commutes, higher home prices and often mind-boggling property taxes, some Illinois residents are branding themselves as Hoosiers, and more Chicago-area builders are thinking of expanding into Lake County, Ind., to capture that business. Their arrival will change a housing market dominated by local companies for generations and prompt municipalities to act to make sure the growth comes on their own terms.
Read more on the Indy Star's website.
