One of my earliest posts here was about buying property without much money. There is a site I visit often that has historic homes of all price ranges. Some of them are listed for free, or very little money, because they have to be moved or need serious restoration. Some cost more, because they are well-kept historic homes. In my region, there are 4 houses listed for Aurora, Illinois. These are some of the mid-range ones, but they are gorgeous.

Aurora is known as "the city of lights" because it was the first city in the US to use electric street lights. It sounds like the perfect city to live in, because it is not too large, but you do have access to Chicago only 45 miles away. From what I understand, it's not too far from Joliet. They have a free park, good schools, and a wide range of property types to suit many different people.

Check the link if you are searching for Joliet real estate.