I have lived in the area most of my life and would say that I agree with what the others are saying. Fairview is an area on the decline and I prices seem ok but I think you will have a hard time reselling when the time comes. The West end of Belleville is also on the decline and why you can find such amazing homes for so cheap! I would say tp stick to 62221 & 62220 for belleville zips. that is no guarantee though as there are some pretty scary neighborhoods in those areas as well ( Lincolnshire, Glen Addie, Richland Prarie come to mind) Lebabnon, Shiloh & have some good offerings. Good Luck!

Belleville is a wierd city. There are patches of good and bad areas. I don't know your price range or where you are going to be working. Some other cities in the area that are great. Millstadt, Freeburg, Waterloo,Columbia. I personally do not like Fairview Hieghts, Shiloh, O''fallon. The only problem with Belleville is you could buy a $300,000 house and two blocks away there are apartments that go for $400.00 a month. (Oak Hill Area). I saw one post saying Signal Hill, I personal woul put this into that catergory you are with in 2 miles of East ST. Louis. Tough area to buy unless you know the area. If you can afford it Waterloo IL is the best. I was a pizza delivery guy and installed cable, so I know alot of the area. If you find something you like send me an email tell you what i think.

If you are still looking, come to the Signal Hill Area. We have a large house that is on the market now (June, 2009).

Hello Katrina, IMHO a good place to start would be here...http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Belleville-Illinois/commun… Trulia has provided a large numer of links to sites where you can get a feel for Belleville..

Try this..http://www.bhgrealestate.com/Views/Look/Default.aspx
This site will provide you with housing trends,average sale prices,how many homes sold, crime statistics, school info ect..all from public records. You can break the statistics down to neighborhoods or zip code

This..http://www.trulia.com/home_prices/Illinois/St._Clair_County-…
This is great for price comparisions

And lastly..http://www.bellevillepolice.org/
The police dept. web site. Contact them and see what the best way is to get the most current information on neighborhoods.

I hope this will help and good luck, Dunes

It depends on which area of Belleville that you are referring to. Belleville, like many cities, has its "run of the mill" areas and its more affluent areas. Outside of the traditionally expensive Signal Hill area, property values seem to increase the further East into Belleville you are.

Shiloh is an up and coming community, but Fairview Heights is actually West of Shiloh and the further West you go from Shiloh, the closer to Saint Louis you are. Actually, the more West you are to Shiloh the closer to East Saint Louis, IL you are and I wouldn't suggest East Saint Louis, IL for a variety of reasons including poor quality of school district and low property values. Fairview Heights is actually a business district, much like what Shiloh is quickly becoming, but I have stayed away from Fairview in my search simply because the homes in Fairview seem to be a bit over priced for my liking for what they are currently offering.

An experienced agent with at least remedial knowledge of the area would be able to advise you accordingly.

I was originally from Cleveland and moved to the Belleville, IL area. (I have since moved back to Cleveland.)Belleville itself is a little like Lakewood - the houses tend to be a little more run down, but are cheaper than some of the other areas. As with Lakewood, the closer to St. Louis you go, the less safe it gets. Personally, I lived in Shiloh and Lebanon, both of which were a little more rural (cornfields and such). Shiloh is the up and coming developing town in the Metro East (about 15 mins from downtown) but property values are higher than in most areas. Lebanon (about 20 minutes from downtown) is a smaller semi-rural college town and is much more affordable. O'Fallon (about 15 minutes from downtown), which is a fairly large suburb is a good mix of everything - the property values are affordable, plus the school system and public services are excellent. I would stay away from Fairview Heights or anything more east than Shiloh, as the closer towards St. Louis you go, the less safe it becomes.

I actually still own a very nice, affordable 3 year old loft condo with hardwood floors (2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with all appliances) in Lebanon that I'm planning on listing for sale in the very near future. If it interests you, and you want more information, please let me know!