Investment Property in Milwaukee's South, Southwest and Western Neighborhoods

Milwaukee

What investment property looks like in Milwaukee

The south, southwest and western neighborhoods: bungalows, ranches and duplexes built from the 1920s to the 1970s.

I work Milwaukee's south, southwest and western neighborhoods, where most homes were built between the 1920s and the 1970s.

The homes

Mostly built between the 1920s and 1970s. The older south-side neighborhoods have bungalows, Cape Cods, duplexes and two-story homes with hardwood floors, natural woodwork, full basements and detached garages. Toward the southwest and the western city limits near Greenfield there are more ranches and split-levels from the 1950s through the 1970s, often brick, on manageable yards. Some homes are fully remodeled and others still have original kitchens, baths and mechanicals. Condition matters more than age.

Why people choose it

Bungalows and Cape Cods suit two or three bedrooms, a full basement, a garage and a manageable yard. Ranches give single-level living and a full basement. Duplexes let one unit be occupied while the other is rented, subject to financing and rental requirements. Larger two-stories offer more separation between bedrooms and living areas, sometimes extra baths, a family room and a bigger kitchen. The trade-off versus newer suburban construction: usually no open-concept layout, large closets, attached three-car garage or modern primary suite.

Schools people ask about

Questions usually come up about Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School (an International Baccalaureate program), Milwaukee High School of the Arts, and Pius XI Catholic High School (private, on the west side), plus Milwaukee Public Schools neighborhood assignments, Montessori programs, charter schools and Wisconsin's school choice options. A home address never guarantees enrollment at a specific school; verify placement, admission requirements and programs directly.

Getting around

Convenient access to shopping, restaurants and the major highways from the south, southwest and western neighborhoods. Traffic, street parking and nearness to commercial or industrial areas matter, depending on the block.

Nearby

Neighborhood parks, shopping and restaurants, and the adjoining communities of Greenfield, West Allis and Wauwatosa.

The trade-off

Compared with Greenfield, a less consistently suburban setting in some neighborhoods and a different mix of school districts. Compared with West Allis, no separate small-city downtown and identity. Compared with Franklin, fewer newer subdivisions, large lots and modern floor plans. Compared with New Berlin, less spacious or semi-rural property. Compared with Wauwatosa, fewer village-style commercial districts. Milwaukee can also mean different property taxes, municipal services and parking rules than a suburb. Home condition and prices vary a lot from one neighborhood to the next, so compare homes in similar neighborhoods, and do not buy on the Milwaukee mailing address alone.

The method

How we do it in Milwaukee

1. 01Get ready
2. 02Know the home
3. 03Find the right one
4. 04Close it

Read the whole process, step by step