Russ Page and his fiancee, Jessica Doane, have experienced the rigors of the market. Both now 28, they weren't in a hurry to buy earlier as they tried to get careers on solid footing. But as rents in the Chicago area climbed, they started asking themselves if they were wasting too much money on rent and they were tempted to move from Libertyville closer to downtown Chicago. They recently found a home they wanted in Bucktown — a sunny two-bedroom condo overlooking parkland. Yet they lost it as many buyers competed for the same unit. The winning buyer offered $10,000 over the asking price.