Jen,

You should consider Wicker Park, Bucktown, East Village and Ukranian Village when conducting your search but these areas are still difficult to find a 1 Br for $200,000. North Lakeview, Uptown and Edgewater will open up more options but you're now well out of Lincoln Park. Having said that, the city is great for getting around and no neighborhood is too far away either via the El or Lake Shore Drive.

Good luck, Ken.

The honest truth is that it is nearly impossible to find a one bedroom around Lincoln Park for under $200,000. There are some high rises along the lake, but those carry high assessments so in the end you might as well be paying 300,000 with normal assessments ($250 or less). You will have to travel far from Lincoln Park to get a one bedroom in that range- the neighborhoods will not resemble LP if that is what you are used to. Sorry.

Jen,

I am a Mortgage Banker and I can assist you with your financing needs. There are several home buyer programs in the city that you may be eligible for:) If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Tino.Muratore@gmail.com. I know that you said you were going to be in the market in about a year, but it's not too soon to know your options.

Thanks,

Tino Muratore

You can get a nice 1 bedroom in Lakeview for under $200K and even farther north like Buena Park-
Contact me and I'll send you some great properties http://www.kalerealty.com