Mundelein commute, best suburbs north of there. (Chicago, Waukegan: for sale, real estate)

[Eauguy]

Considering a job in Mundelein, house would be 300k max, would not mind commuting from Wi. Grays Lake looks nice but taxes are extremely high. 3 bed 2 bath would be preferred. Best commute and best house for the money, would also consider volo, but not sure about the commute.

[mattywo85]

Originally Posted by Eauguy

Considering a job in Mundelein, house would be 300k max, would not mind commuting from Wi. Grays Lake looks nice but taxes are extremely high. 3 bed 2 bath would be preferred. Best commute and best house for the money, would also consider volo, but not sure about the commute.

I can agree taxes in Lake county are high but there are some nice areas there too. I would suggest looking into Libertyville, Grayslake, Gurnee, Antioch, and Zion. Stay away from Waukegan and North Chicago. Volo to Mundelein, if that is your commute, would be about twenty minutes. Do you know if you want to be in more of a rural wooded area or more suburban? If you want to be on the WI side look at Pleasant Prairie.

If you need help finding a house I work for a real estate firm and can help you find a place or even refer you to the services you need so don't hesitate to message me.

[chet everett]

Depending on what you find appealing about Volo or Grays Lake you might consider parts of Libertyville, though it is generally a pricier area becuae it has a more desirable mix of amenities / higher performing schools.

Zion is generally not a very desirable town these days. Not sure I would be eager to commute to Mundelien from Antoich. Gurnee is generally quite congested too...

[MPowering1]

Eauguy, if you found the property taxes in Grayslake to be extremely high, you'll probably find them extremely high in most of the places mentioned above. You can try finding a home in one of them where the property taxes are more reasonable, but check the property taxes of similar homes in the area to make sure you really like what you see in that area, and aren't buying a home that's been undervalued and will eventually catch up with higher taxes.

You might have no choice but to head just across the border in WI, but I would take a look at Wheeling first. It's near Mundelein, in Cook County, and property taxes are lower than in Lake County.

You don't mention kids or ask about schools. Any concerns on that front?

[Eauguy]

Yes, I have a 14 year old heading to high school this fall, and a 10 year old . So schools are important, I live in Eau Claire, Wi with a 2 mile commute but used to drive 60 miles to work. Just looking for the best blend of schools, housing, commute etc, I assume just like everybody else.

[pvande55]

Mundelein itself has some nice areas. Wauconda is about as far west as you want to go, not sure about the schools. Lake Villa was overlooked, about 15 miles and half hour drive or 20 minute train ride north.

[MPowering1]

Eauguy, I know you said you wanted to be north of Mundelein, but the taxes there are higher than you want to pay. Since you are looking for good schools, I would pass on Wheeling and check out the Buffalo Grove homes that are for sale in Cook County. Skip the homes in B.G. that are in Lake County - you'll have the same problem with high property taxes

I know it's not the easiest drive since Route 53 only goes up to Lake Cook Road, but if you're having trouble finding something, check out the homes in the part of Rolling Meadows where the kids attend Fremd H.S. Someone here might be able to better define which part of Rolling Meadows that is.

[MSchemist80]

McHenry is a nice area and only 13 miles away. I understand taxes are lower in McHenry than in Lake County.

[Foques]

300K houses in Mundelein will be mansions; I just moved from there last year. Great neighborhood, decent schools.
If you have a chance to look at Wauconda, however, I'd do that. Much newer neighborhoods, more upscale folk from my experience; My clients (I'm a photographer) who are/were based out of Wauconda have always wanted a more upscale/classy representation.

[brian571]

Check out Lindenhurst too. It would be a straight shot down 45 to Mundelein. Traffic isn't too bad going south on 45 in the mornings (a lot of traffic is heading east). Going north during the evening rush on 45 can be a pain, especially north of Washington St.. Still, Lindenhurst is affordable, has decent schools, and a mix of older and newer homes. Taxes are high in all of Lake County, but extremely high in Grayslake. Nice town, but not worth the high taxes IMO. Lake Zurich and Wauconda are other good choices. $300K would go pretty far in Wauconda. LZ is a little more expensive than Wauconda, but has better schools and is a little nicer overall. From what I've seen, it has relatively low taxes for Lake County as well. Libertyville and Vernon Hills are great and have excellent schools, but your budget will limit you in either. If good schools are a priority though, they should be on your list. If you want to stay in WI, Pleasant Prairie is the place to be. Schools are merely average though. I personally wouldn't choose Volo. It seems like a community that was built up on pure speculation during the heights of the real estate boom, kind of off on its own with not much around there. I'd be worried about resale values and the ability to sell down the road. Better options exist.

Good luck!