Buying a house soon and I'm on a tight budget. Was looking at homes in hammond and maybe highland. What can you guys tell me about those areas? Only place I've been to is cabelas and thats it. I would like to stay close to the border so I can commute in the beginning. Before you guys tell me its the hood and what not. I already live in a diverse area and can deal with anything as long as there isn't shootouts in the street. Reason being for looking at those areas is that I can't afford much. Would like a place around 110k.

Are you stuck with Lake Co. ? I would push East to LaPorte Co. Cheaper COL than Lake or Porter counties and less crime. Jasper/Newton Co. would be an option as well.

I'll look into it but was hoping for closer to the border to cut down down on commute time. To give you an idea depending on traffic, I can be at cabelas in 35 minutes or so.

If those are your two choices - Highland over Hammond by a WIDE margin.  Definitely if you have school age kids.

I've lived in the Region my entire life.  I would definitely avoid Hammond, East Chicago, Gary, or even Merrillville now.

General rule - the farther you stay from those cities the better.

Just my 2 cents.

I'm a Purdue Northwest student. We are constantly getting emails about robberies near to or suspects on the lamb near the Calumet (Hammond) Campus.

I consider most of Lake county to be Chicago lite.

I'm from LaPorte county. Takes about an hour to get to Cabelas.

There is also no urban sprawl in this county. With Lake County you cannot tell where one city ends and the other begins.

It's not uncommon for people to commute to Chicago (if that is where yo are commuting) on the South Shore line. I know people who live in South Bend who commute on the train.

Look into Portage, Porter and Chesterton. Anything along 94 makes for a decent commute. 

Forget Hammond.  I live on the north end of Highland and I'm very happy with the neighborhood.  Worlds better than Hammond.  I was just looking into the possibility of my mom moving up here... $110k in the north end of Highland is tight but possible for a little bit of a fixer-upper.  You may get a little more for your money in Griffith, and still be in a decent neighborhood.

Recently moved from IL into NWI (Cedar Lake). Although it's still in Lake County finding taxes, utilities and general cost of living pretty cheap compared to IL. Close access to RT 41 which takes you right by Cabelas in approx 20-25min. Wife works in IL and can usually make it in about 30min on main roads and less if she takes back roads.

Griffith is close enough to Gary that it would give me pause. It's crazy how you can tell when you enter Griffith when you're going down Ridge Road leaving Gary.  Like driving off of the Walking Dead set and on to the set of Parks and Recreation.