Perhaps, during your visit to Aurora, Illinois, you found yourself wishing you never had to leave. Or maybe your employer is transferring you from your Aurora homes down to establish a new branch of the company in Ohio. Whatever your reason for relocation, you'll probably need some advice on what to expect from the real estate market in Aurora. While no website is a substitute for boots on the ground looking around for yourself, we can provide a quick overview that will get you started and help you develop an idea of what you might encounter when you get there.

First: affordability. How does Aurora, Illinois compare to my old hometown? Well, we can't compare Aurora to every city or town in the world, but we can tell you that the cost of living is Aurora is pretty much equal to the United States average. Translation: buying a home in Aurora and living in it is affordable for most Americans. Whether you think it's cheap or dear depends on where you're coming from. Buyers who last owned Erin real estate in Toronto will find it a little cheaper than what they're used to, for example, while small-town dwellers will find it more expensive.

Second: what types of housing can I get in Aurora? There are some cities, like Anaheim, California, where single family homes are next to impossible to procure unless you're a rock star. Aurora isn't like that. It's more like Waterloo, Ontario real estate. The population is balanced with the land area, so that there are ample single family homes, town houses, condos, and apartments for all who seek them. There are even some mobile home parks where you can buy or rent accommodation if you find other types of housing too expensive for your budget.

Third: what kinds of architecture are available in the city? Will you be able to find an interesting home? The answers: lots and yes, of course! Ajax homes, in their enormous pre-planned suburban neighborhoods, are great for growing families but sometimes you just want something different. Here in Aurora, you can buy private houses in architectural styles from older periods, like Victorian and Italianate to brand new modern styles like the colloquially named "McMansion." Prairie and Craftsman style architecture is also represented in Aurora houses, some of which were even designed by famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright.

Fourth: which neighborhood in Aurora is best for me? Are any of them dangerous? Naturally there are economically depressed areas in every major city. Even your Toronto realtor will advise you to avoid certain streets at night while looking for Toronto condo rentals. Aurora is doing very well these days, and the crime rate, even in these areas, has dropped significantly. There are such a wide variety of neighborhoods in Aurora, from the solidly middle-class Foxcroft to the traffic calmed oasis of Hometown to the affluent San Souci, your best bet for choosing between them is to sit down with an Aurora realtor and talk over what you want from your neighborhood.