Villages in chicago suburb...

[emmi605]

You also may find something in an unincorporated area. There may be trade-offs though such as septic and well water. Some of these lots can be an acre or more and many are wooded. Check with your realtors on that. These are areas on the fringes of most suburbs and you may be able to find something that fits your price and still be within 30-45 minutes from the city. Here is a list in Glen Ellyn that is a sample. The unincorporated addresses will have a letter in them like 11S729 or 14W424....

Homes.com - Real Estate and Homes For Sale.

[Hepmac]

You might want to check out Naperville. There are 110K people there, now, so it is more of a city. But the downtown has a lot going on and the schools are great. You can find a nice 4 bedroom, 3 bath home on the south side of town. Or you can find an older, smaller home on the north side, closer to the train. There are no bad neighborhoods in Naperville, but there are a lot of cookie cutter subdivisions in my opinion. Also check into Downer's Grove and Glen Ellyn (quainter). Finally, Westmont is coming up in the world. The downtown is improving every year. And housing is more affordable than in surrounding towns. It could be a good value buy for you.

[gardener34]

emmi605 - No one should not move into an unincorporated area unless they checked out the county codes and zoning codes first. You will be dealing directly with the county services if you ever have problems (sheriff, contracting for your own garbage pickup, no mosquito spraying, etc). Make sure you can handle what comes with living in an unincorporated area. There is more land, but more "problems" seem to move into these areas too as there are less regulations.

I am in one now, and would not move into one again. Maybe your experience is good though.

OP: I vote for naperville - good central location. I have friends that live in westmont and really like it. Nice diverse place to live and reasonable (for chicagoland!).

[eric0106]

I currently live in Beecher and commute to work downtown. The easiest commute by far is taking the Metra train from University Park, IL (15 minute drive, 55 minute train ride). So if you don't have a typical 9-5 job and work downtown, Beecher is probably not your best bet. Don't expect to find a job in Beecher unless you sell insurance or want to work at a bank.

As for living in Beecher, I'll be honest, while it's [slowly] becoming more diverse Beecher is 98% white. And if you aren't white you can expect to feel out of place. It's a VERY safe place to live.

Property is VERY CHEAP in Beecher, while taxes are VERY HIGH. If you plan on moving to Beecher, check out foreclosed homes as there are an abundance.

School system ranks amongst the top in the state, but no football team.

A few dining out options.

If you want shopping you'll have to drive 20-25 minutes in any direction.

[studedude]

Originally Posted by jimsa_amen

Thank you all for your response.

By easy commute, I mean about 30 to 45 mins into Chicago. We are looking to spend about $500,000.

Thanks for all the input.

I would buy a $50,000.00 double wide in Sandwich and spend the rest on a helicopter to commute.