This report presents the findings of a study of the mix and affordability of home ownership opportunities in two developing counties within the western border of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. It is important to study owner-occupied housing opportunities because most American adults are, or aspire to become, homeowners. In 1999, an estimated 67 percent of all householders in the country owned their homes. Compared to renting, ownership makes possible a variety of benefits, such as deducting mortgage interest and real estate taxes for income tax purposes, profiting from any appreciation in the property’s resale value, and using the home and yard with more freedom than if a landlord owned it.