The Hunt
With No Time to Spare, They Traded a House in Austin for a Condo in Chicago
Migrating north with their two sons, a couple tested their $900,000 budget in three North Side neighborhoods.
Nathan Smith and Megan Jones-Smith enjoyed living in Austin, Texas, for 13 years, but it never really felt like a forever home.
“Especially with the last election, it can be very hard to live in Texas sometimes if you’re a progressive person,” said Mrs. Jones-Smith, 53, who works in the arts in client services.
Last year, they considered moving up to British Columbia — Mrs. Jones-Smith is from Canada — but “it would have been a whole lifestyle change,” said Mr. Smith, 50. They now had two school-age sons (Noah, 15, and Liam, 12) to think about, not to mention Mr. Smith’s job as an executive at an American agricultural company. The immigration process seemed daunting.
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So they turned instead to Chicago, where the couple first met two decades ago and still had a warm familiarity. It was also home to a branch of their sons’ school in Austin, which would allow them to continue the curriculum. The initial goal was a single-family home that could fit a family of four (plus a dog), and was within walking distance of the school.
The Smiths also wanted to plant firm roots for when the boys left the nest. “I had friends whose kids were older, and when they moved right after their kids graduated, the kids didn’t have a home to go home to,” said Mrs. Jones-Smith.
They reached out to Joe Zimmerman, operating principal at Keller Williams One Chicago, who had helped them buy their first condo in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood years ago.
Hunting online from Austin with a budget of around $900,000, the Smiths homed in on North Side neighborhoods including Bowmanville, Ravenswood and Lincoln Square. Mr. Zimmerman warned that in those areas, “single-family homes are limited and highly sought after,” often sparking bidding wars.
Indeed, the Smiths found that available single-family homes listed at around $800,000 or $900,000 would move fast and sell for well over $1 million.
“You can get a nice condo in Chicago that’s three or four bedrooms that has the same square footage as our house did in Austin,” said Mrs. Jones-Smith.
Time was of the essence: They had to wrap up a deal before the new school year started. Their only requisite, besides location, was a top-floor unit, so there’d be no risk of hearing neighbors above.
Among their options:
No. 1
Three-Bedroom on a Corner in Bowmanville
This three-bedroom, 2.5-bath condo had about 1,800 square feet, with an open floor plan, a stylish kitchen with a double oven and large island, and sunlight pouring in from multiple directions. The primary suite had a walk-in closet and a private deck, with a rear stairwell leading directly down to the street. A roof deck with skyline views topped the unit. The brick building, from 2018, stood on a corner lot about one mile down the street from the boys’ school. It had had only one previous owner, and “it felt like they hadn’t done anything special to make it their own,” Mrs. Jones-Smith said, adding that everything seemed contractor grade. The price was $725,000, with annual taxes of around $12,000 and a $198 monthly HOA fee.
No. 2
Four-Bedroom New Build in Bowmanville
This sleek four-bedroom, 2.5-bath condo with about 2,000 square feet was in a 2024 building. It had an open floor plan with high ceilings and sound-insulated picture windows, a kitchen with quartz countertops and a breakfast bar, and a balcony off the dining area. The large primary suite had a walk-in closet separating the bedroom and the bathroom with heated floors. The home also came with a private rooftop deck space. It was originally sold to someone overseas who ultimately couldn’t complete the purchase, so there were some details that hadn’t been finished. “The idea of living in new construction was throwing me a little bit,” Mr. Smith said. It was a mile from the boys’ school. The price was $895,000, with about $12,300 in taxes and a $302 monthly HOA fee.
No. 3
Three-Bedroom With Garden in Ravenswood
Situated on a tree-lined street, this three-bedroom, two-bath condo with about 1,800 square feet had been meticulously upgraded. The main attraction was its abundance of outdoor space, including a front balcony, a rooftop deck and a garden area. The sellers were leaving everything there, including the outdoor furniture and a moss-covered fountain. The open-plan unit had floor-to-ceiling windows, a gas fireplace, interior stairs that led to an upper-level office space near the garden, and a primary suite with frosted French doors. The couple loved the attention to detail, though it was a bit smaller than the other options. The walk to school would be under 15 minutes. The asking price was $900,000, with about $11,000 in taxes and a $313 monthly HOA fee.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
Three-Bedroom on a Corner in Bowmanville
Four-Bedroom New Build in Bowmanville
Three-Bedroom With Garden in Ravenswood
Which Did They Buy?
Three-Bedroom on a Corner in Bowmanville
Four-Bedroom New Build in Bowmanville
Three-Bedroom With Garden in Ravenswood