Joining the Illinois Exodus

[Zim]

Well it's official. After living in Illinois for the last 12 years, I am moving back to Indiana. Our new IN house lasted a grand total of 52 hours on the market. Listed at 8 AM 1/28, viewed noon 1/29, made offer 8 AM 1/30, accepted at noon. Rural location outside of LaPorte. Great location for my job travels: 1/3rd on road, 2/3rds from home. Cash deal, no mortgage. So sort of our semi-retirement home. Closing March 8th. It would actually have been better for my job to stay here in the western suburbs, as my work area includes the entire states of Wisconsin & Illinois. But it was time for us to buy a home, and no way in hell I was going to "invest" in either of these two corrupt politician run, state employee pension bloated states, when my company allowed me the option to relocate. There were actually two factors in this move: Home prices ~30 to 40% lower............& taxes. It was a huge difference. Property taxes on my 3 BR/2 BA 1,560 SF home will be $567/year (not per month or week, like IL). My state income tax will drop from 4.95 to 3.23 = 1.72% Sales tax rate is even. Between these taxes alone my savings will be ~$7,500 every year.

Can't depart a day too soon. I will leave it to Michael Madigan & JB Pritzger to sort out the campaign paybacks and junk bond status sinking ship that is Illinois. Soon the only residents left will be state employees, their union reps, welfare recipients & politicians. But MY money won't be financing ANY of them. There's one good thing I can say about MM & JB. I don't like making decisions, and they took all the work out of mine! Brain dead easy!

New home is just minutes North of Kingsbury WMA, so I expect I'll spend a lot of time scouting there this spring. Bringing an Illinois LL along, so I'll be eligible to apply & hunt statewide in both states at resident prices permanently. Too bad the crossguns are cutting down the already regressing deer quality that once was Illinois public. Politicians taking coin from special interest groups took over the deer management there with the same results as the state budget.

Just hoping we close before MM & JB invent some new exit tax to get us on the way out.

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/failure-on-the-anniversary-of-illinois-2017-tax-hike/

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-madigan-pledge-progressive-income-tax-hike-by-may/

 

[TLowell02]

Good luck on your move. My in-laws live not far away in Crystal Lake and I have no idea why they stay. I will rejoice when they move someday and I never have to spend another minute visiting that rat race.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Congrats on the exodus!

 

[Estimator86]

Congrats from a former Illinoisan!

 

[SFC B]

Congrats and welcome to Hoosier land. I'm from indy and the wife is from Warsaw (east on 30 from where you will be). On top of all the money you'll save the difference in the people you will be living around will be huge. I miss my Hoosier roots....no better people in the world..but I just could never do summers in the Midwest or be without mountains again.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

That's a great move! .....no more $ for The Peoples Republic of Illinois!!! Welcome back!

 

[Zim]

That's a great move! .....no more $ for The Peoples Republic of Illinois!!! Welcome back!

You know what? My wife is actually chinese, and I stayed home from visiting there this spring festival just in case the right home came on the market! And guess what? It did. So I was all over this home when it was listed, and bought without her viewing. But let me tell you. The United States is far more socialist than China. It's just a fact any more. They don't have all these liberal money redistribution programs like the US. You make money there, you keep it. You are lazy? Sorry there's no welfare, disability or unemployment programs for you to abuse. You are on your own. Anyway, I missed my Chinese relatives this year, but it was worth the sacrifice. And the wife will return March 6th to see our new home.

 

[Gut Shot]

Congratulations on getting out of this corrupt cesspool. I'm stuck here until 2020. It's sickening to see what has happened to such an industrious and beautiful state.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

You know what? My wife is actually chinese, and I stayed home from visiting there this spring festival just in case the right home came on the market! And guess what? It did. So I was all over this home when it was listed, and bought without her viewing. But let me tell you. The United States is far more socialist than China. It's just a fact any more. They don't have all these liberal money redistribution programs like the US. You make money there, you keep it. You are lazy? Sorry there's no welfare or unemployment programs for you. You are on your own. Anyway, I missed my chinese relatives this year, bit it was worth the sacrifice. And the wife will return March 6th to see our new home.

no disrespect intended at all ( sorry if it was taken that way). I'm just not a big Illinois fan at all....I like the idea of the lazy not receiving anything that's for sure!!!

 

[BrentD]

I don't care for IL, but you are moving from a state that pays more than its share of the freight to a state that takes more than its share. Illinois is one of a handful of states that provides more money to the Federal government than it receives. Indiana is, in effect, on Federal welfare, receiving more than it gives into the system.

 

[noharleyyet]

I don't care for IL, but you are moving from a state that pays more than its share of the freight to a state that takes more than its share. Illinois is one of a handful of states that provides more money to the Federal government than it receives. Indiana is, in effect, on Federal welfare, receiving more than it gives into the system.

The impending fed taxpayer bailout will reconcile....

 

[SFC B]

I don't care for IL, but you are moving from a state that pays more than its share of the freight to a state that takes more than its share. Illinois is one of a handful of states that provides more money to the Federal government than it receives. Indiana is, in effect, on Federal welfare, receiving more than it gives into the system.

As are all but 14 states......BTW, IN had a 100 MILLION budget surplus last year and has 1.8 BILLION in reserve. IL has 8 BILLION in unpaid bills and 130 BILLION in unfunded pension liabilities. IL does not, in ANYWAY, pay it's own bills. Let's not even go into the 4 IL governors in recent history who have ended up in federal prison. IN is perfect but IL is a sewer comparatively and a great example of corruption. You went and got my Hoosier up!!

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local...cle_2760e18a-669c-588c-89d3-05d02567ccd8.html

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/state-of-illinois-confirms-new-budget-is-out-of-balance-by-1-2b/

 

[Don K]

Let's not even go into the 4 IL governors in recent history who have ended up in federal prison.

Illinois, the place where our former governors build our license plates.................

 

[oldillini]

Welcome back to IN!

 

[1100RemingtonMan]

Congratulations on your Retirement and move. Bad new even some of Illinois stellar citizens are moving out and they make the papers quite frequently here in Dubuque IA from Murder to drug dealing to beating up there Girlfriends.
It’s getting Crazy. When it’s time for me to retire I will be moving farther from Illinois.

 

[Nick87]

Ehh 8 more years, that's the plan anyway.

 

[schmalts]

Good move, Ill is a mess with no end in sight.

 

[Zim]

Ehh 8 more years, that's the plan anyway.

I hope you are not a state employee, because let me tell you, Trump is not going to bail out Illinois' pension fiasco. Illinois is a sliver from junk bond credit status so the pension system is going to default. There is absolutely no way current employees are ever going to see their full pensions. There is no mathematical scenario which can show how these criminal politician promises can come to fruition. When this happens you are going to see mass riots and buildings burned, but no good outcome. I plan to be at a safe distance when this happens. Like about 50 miles.

 

[Nick87]

Far from a state employee.

 

[Zim]

no disrespect intended at all ( sorry if it was taken that way). I'm just not a big Illinois fan at all....I like the idea of the lazy not receiving anything that's for sure!!!

No no, was not taken that way. Just wanted to share my personal observation after 7 visits. The "people's republic" slogan used to be relevant for sure. And China is for sure not a democracy........yet. But it will be within 20 years, maybe less. But it certainly should no longer be considered "socialist". That's for sure.