acreage + good school district (Chicago, Aurora: relocating, real estate, budget)

[lam3036]

Hi-

We are relocating from Dallas -Ft. Worth area to Chicago within the yr and we need an area that still has acreage (approx 3+) reasonably priced (for my 3 horses) with an exceptional (elementary) school district.

We have heard good things about several of the suburbs (naperville, hinsdale, glenellyn, warrenville, etc.) but do not want to go over $450K. Am I being overly optimistic or is this doable?

Any help or direction is appreciated!

Thanks-

[GoingMobile]

Originally Posted by lam3036

Hi-

We are relocating from Dallas -Ft. Worth area to Chicago within the yr and we need an area that still has acreage (approx 3+) reasonably priced (for my 3 horses) with an exceptional (elementary) school district.

We have heard good things about several of the suburbs (naperville, hinsdale, glenellyn, warrenville, etc.) but do not want to go over $450K. Am I being overly optimistic or is this doable?

Any help or direction is appreciated!

Thanks-

IF you can find 3+ acres in those communities, its going to cost you an arm and a leg. The first three mentioned are notoriously high rent (especially Hinsdale and Glen Ellyn). Land in those towns starts at around $200K / acre. House is extra. Even Warrenville, arguably the most rural of the lot, is still part of the I88 western burbs, and still quite pricey. We live on the west side of Argonne (south of the above) and a 2500sq ft house on 1/3 acre still goes for the low 400s.

There are private boarding stables in the Willowbrook and Burr Ridge area. I'm not a horse person, but I do know there are several 5-20 acre boarding stables west of Kingery Rd that cater to the Hinsdale / Oakbrook clientele (million++ dollar houses). If you can find something in the Darien/Argonne/Lemont/Burr Ridge/Woodridge area that fits your expectations and you can live with boarding your horses, the Argonne/ Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve has miles of nice horse trails for the suburban rider.

If you are seriously looking for 3+ private acres, with horses, for $450K you are looking west of Aurora/Oswego. Maybe Yorkville, Sugar Grove, Oswego, Newark, Hinckley, DeKalb. Those first 3 areas are rapidly being devoured by developers, so good luck. Newark/Hickley area is still pretty rural, but now you're 50+ miles from downtown Chicago. DeKalb is 90 miles out and is still its own town.

Chicagoland isn't a "horse" area, so you're bound to make some sort of concession vs living in Texas. You will not find 3 acres east of I355 for under $700K. Good luck.

[lam3036]

Thanks for the info.

I was afraid of that. I checked out Realtor.com several times and nothing came up under million+. I was hoping I just wasn't looking in the right areas. I really don't want to be that far from the city. Maybe the Texas heat isn't that bad...

Thanks again.

[preppyboyofIL]

I'm sorry to chuckle at your idea of having horses in Hinsdale or anywhere in the western burbs for that matter. Maybe horse statues made of marble to fit in with the elegant fountains and gargoyals that gaurd the multi-million dollar homes that line the streets would work.

If you are looking for plentiful land at a resonable price then you may very well have to look at the areas that are much further out and be prepared for long commutes to Chicago's downtown. It's unfortunante, but Chicago, much like New York holds high price tags on it's land within about 40 miles of the city limits due to it's high demand, unless of course you are willing to sacrafice your own personal safety because in that case I'm sure you could find plenty of land dirt cheap in cities like Harvey or Robbins... DON'T DO THAT! LOL!

I can recommend certain areas for you to consider where my cousin lives who has a barn and horses on her property, yet she is still close to shopping, restaurants, great schools, so on and so forth. Consider the town of Manhattan or Green Garden Township in Will County. This area is still VERY rural where many residents enjoy things like horse back rides through the fields, dirt biking, snow mobiling in the winter, and things like that. Manhattan is the next burb south of Frankfort. Take La Grange Road south about another 6 miles south of Frankfort's intersection of Route 30 and La Grange Road and you are there. There won't be much to look at as it's mostly fields of corn, but if you scout it out, you can find parcels of land with for sale signs on them or houses on 5 acre lots for sale.

Here is a link for you to look at.... Welcome to the Village of Manhattan, Illinois OR Green Garden Township - HomePage

GOOD LUCK!!!

[housepro]

Horse property is not abundant in the Chicago suburbs, but it is available and some areas have pockets of "horse people". Most notably you may check out the Homer Glen/Homer Township area. It is an area of rolling hills and open spaces, and there is a vibrant horse comminity that actively fights to keep trails and spaces well maintained and free from dense development.

$450K may be a tight budget, but it is possible to find a lovely place. Additionally some areas in unincorporated Will, Grundy and Kendall counties would well suit the horse lifestyle. It is just a matter of how far from Chicago you are willing to be.

Good luck, there are some great areas here. . .I'm sure you and your horses will find a place you can love.

[nanannie]

I live in Barrington hills, an area with 5 acre minimum and considered Horse country,also excellent schools.Everyone seems to have horses.THe owner of Arlington Park race track lives here,as do many horse breeders.You will have no trouble finding acerage,,but it is expensive.You may have more luck outside of the Mchenry,Richmond area

[NCorBust]

Hi lam3036,

The northwest suburbs - particularily around all of the towns with "Barrington" in their name - is really beautiful horse property. Unfortunately, it's also very expensive.

We actually have a 2-acre horse property in unincorporated Barrington so the taxes are a bit lower. And the 2-acre property is NOT easy to find since most places in are a minimum of 5-acres. Even so, our 2-acre property is now valued at 600K.

I think you might be able to find something in the 450K price range further northwest in the Woodstock area but that may be a little further out than you would like to go.

There is also another alternative that may be interesting for you...it's a community in Grayslake, IL called Prarie Crossing (www.prairiecrossing.com). It has a community barn with trails.

[nanannie]

The ONLY place in Barrington with 5 acre min is Barrington Hills.There are boarding places all over the areas if that is an option.If you go further out,you should find more options with more land

[gardener34]

Try Wayne, IL. It is a very equestrian centric town with trails everywhere. Although you may have to board your horses. It is not cheap real estate, but you could live in Wayne or St. Charles and board them.

[NCorBust]

Just FYI...boarding costs in the area can range from around $400-$700/mo. per horse (give or take depending on the amenities of the facility).