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The taxes are a huge deterrent to me though. They're even worse than Northbrook, and I thought Northbrook was bad. The homes we can afford are also too small. The neighborhood looks nice though, but I think I'll go back to looking at Northbrook and Glenview (I actually found some nice contenders there). I can't find anything in LaGrange with the size we need and reasonable taxes. Northbrook and Glenview also have top rated schools.
I used to be in IT (for 20 years) and my husband is an electrical engineer/project manager, so it's nice that it has educated people.
The taxes are a huge deterrent to me though. They're even worse than Northbrook, and I thought Northbrook was bad. The homes we can afford are also too small. The neighborhood looks nice though, but I think I'll go back to looking at Northbrook and Glenview (I actually found some nice contenders there). I can't find anything in LaGrange with the size we need and reasonable taxes. Northbrook and Glenview also have top rated schools.
I used to be in IT (for 20 years) and my husband is an electrical engineer/project manager, so it's nice that it has educated people.
That's the problem with these 3 areas - in LG/WS taxes are krazy high (not as bad as Oak Park but still nuts) and then in Hinsdale the prices are just higher so it ends up costing you that way...
That's the problem with these 3 areas - in LG/WS taxes are krazy high (not as bad as Oak Park but still nuts) and then in Hinsdale the prices are just higher so it ends up costing you that way...
I much rather buy an expensive house with much lower taxes, then a cheaper house with higher taxes, if all else is equal. For example Barrington has really good taxes, as well as nice homes, and lots, but we can't live there, even though it's Cook County. It doesn't fall into my husband's job zoning areas. I would probably have Barrington as my first choice otherwise in Cook. I would probably have Wheaton as my first choice if I could live anywhere I wanted outside of Cook. My husband LOVES the Barrington area, as do I, but we can't move there. There are some Hoffman Estates homes in the Barrington area that use Barrington schools, so we're also looking at those. We saw four homes in that area already.
So far, I've got it down to
Hoffman Estates side of Barrington (Barrington schools)
Hinsdale (but unlikely since we can't afford what we like there)
Glenview
Northbrook
Arlington Heights
Maybe Western Springs, but LaGrange seems to have even higher taxes (???)
I've ruled out Palatine as well due to the taxes, but I think WG and LG has it beat! Ha!
I did see a nice home in Park Ridge that would be affordable and is really nice, but that's a rarity considering it's Park Ridge. There's got to be something "wrong" with it for the price though, or its a short sale. Park Ridge has high taxes too.
The taxes are a huge deterrent to me though. They're even worse than Northbrook, and I thought Northbrook was bad. The homes we can afford are also too small. The neighborhood looks nice though, but I think I'll go back to looking at Northbrook and Glenview (I actually found some nice contenders there). I can't find anything in LaGrange with the size we need and reasonable taxes. Northbrook and Glenview also have top rated schools.
I used to be in IT (for 20 years) and my husband is an electrical engineer/project manager, so it's nice that it has educated people.
Already given up on the western suburbs? I would at least take a drive out to LG, WS, and Hinsdale for an hour or two to check out the area. I think you will be very impressed and quickly realize the benefits to being so centrally located. I can't imagine the sub-$500k housing market in Northbrook or Glenview is that much better, particularly in the more desirable parts of NB and GV.
Between you and your husband you have a LOT of criteria and seem to be very set on those criteria. While $500k is a solid budget, it just isn't enough for your list of demands. Especially the big, newer house with great schools for under $500k" part. So although this advice is generally not given on this forum, maybe it would work for you:
Look at some towns in Cook that have decent but not great schools. You will get much more for your money (as you are experiencing with your current house). Then send your kids to a good private school nearby. Of course this is easier if you are comfortable sending your kids to a catholic school, that depends on you. Generally people on this forum don't like this advice because school quality drives property values and buying in a mediocre school district theoretically means less stability/growth. But as long as you aren't buying in a BAD school district it will be fine. Since you don't seem to like older houses the western suburbs probably won't work too well - which is too bad because it is one of the nicest places to live in your budget. Try looking at the suburbs surrounding AH that don't have as great schools, you will find nicer, cookie-cutter houses there for a more reasonable price.
Just a thought. Otherwise, you and your husband need to wrap your heads around the fact that you need to start making some SERIOUS compromises. What you're looking for ain't cheap!
Between you and your husband you have a LOT of criteria and seem to be very set on those criteria. While $500k is a solid budget, it just isn't enough for your list of demands. Especially the big, newer house with great schools for under $500k" part. So although this advice is generally not given on this forum, maybe it would work for you:
Look at some towns in Cook that have decent but not great schools. You will get much more for your money (as you are experiencing with your current house). Then send your kids to a good private school nearby. Of course this is easier if you are comfortable sending your kids to a catholic school, that depends on you. Generally people on this forum don't like this advice because school quality drives property values and buying in a mediocre school district theoretically means less stability/growth. But as long as you aren't buying in a BAD school district it will be fine. Since you don't seem to like older houses the western suburbs probably won't work too well - which is too bad because it is one of the nicest places to live in your budget. Try looking at the suburbs surrounding AH that don't have as great schools, you will find nicer, cookie-cutter houses there for a more reasonable price.
Just a thought. Otherwise, you and your husband need to wrap your heads around the fact that you need to start making some SERIOUS compromises. What you're looking for ain't cheap!
I can't send my kids to private schools as two of them are special needs, and the private schools in the area where I live don't have those services.
I don't mind older houses in the Western burbs, it's the taxes on smaller homes that are nuts. However, my husband does like new cookie cutter style homes. He hates anything that is earlier than 1985 in style. I think the Western burbs are charming, but he would hate the smaller lots and the high taxes, old homes. I just know him. Lemont has the criteria you're mentioning and was a big contender, but I worry about resale, as I would on any home with a middle of the road school district. There is a new cookie cutter subdivision in Lemont he was about to plunk a down payment on, but I talked him out of it. I really don't know enough about Lemont and the schools to jump on something like that, but they are selling like hot cakes. It's a nice area of Lemont.
I actually did find some better contenders in NB and Glenview, in some nice areas, for better prices/sizes/taxes than the Western burbs. I think the Western burbs are small, expensive and have high taxes for our budget I just can't see myself living there, but I will drive there and check it out. I don't want to rule it out completely yet. He is being super picky because we're in a temporary living situation and we can afford to wait for the right one to pop up. I'm not as picky. I don't mind an older home, even a fixer upper, if it's in a top school district, but I have to make him happy as well. Maybe he'll come to realize our situation. Now if he would consider a 30 year mortgage, we could do a larger more expensive house, but he only likes 10 to 15 year mortgages, and even makes extra payments on the mortgage.
He keeps telling me he wants that "wow" factor. I just want a nice location with great schools. A house can always be fixed up later.
Honestly, posters on this forum tend to be professionals working downtown (and thus take metra to the loop each day), and obviously their opinions on suburbs are colored by this. They tend to prefer western suburbs because of the excellent transportation options in addition to the charm, excellent schools, etc. The suburbs that tend to fall under the radar here are those that are not on a train line, are further south than the western suburbs, or that have good but not great schools. Point is - Lemont is a perfectly nice town to live in. There are plenty of people who own $500k houses. The town is not going to crash and burn. Schools are good, just not GREAT. Because you need to worry about special needs, that is something that I would do some research on for each school district. But in general, unless you are moving to Hinsdale/North Shore, I'm not sure your kids are going to get THAT much less of an impactful education in Lemont.
But yes, you should consider having an "intervention" with your husband about "fixer-upper" houses. And it doesn't need to be a junky place that needs a gut. But you can always fix up a bathroom for a few thousand dollars a year or two down the line. Laminate countertops in the kitchen can be replaced with granite for a few thousand. Paint will do wonders.
Or look at other random suburbs that are lower priced for other reasons like lack of good transportation downtown. In cook county, Great elementary school, feeds into Lyons Township, and would be an easy ride to Stickney: https://www.redfin.com/IL/Willow-Spr.../home/14044209
Honestly, posters on this forum tend to be professionals working downtown (and thus take metra to the loop each day), and obviously their opinions on suburbs are colored by this. They tend to prefer western suburbs because of the excellent transportation options in addition to the charm, excellent schools, etc. The suburbs that tend to fall under the radar here are those that are not on a train line, are further south than the western suburbs, or that have good but not great schools. Point is - Lemont is a perfectly nice town to live in. There are plenty of people who own $500k houses. The town is not going to crash and burn. Schools are good, just not GREAT. Because you need to worry about special needs, that is something that I would do some research on for each school district. But in general, unless you are moving to Hinsdale/North Shore, I'm not sure your kids are going to get THAT much less of an impactful education in Lemont.
But yes, you should consider having an "intervention" with your husband about "fixer-upper" houses. And it doesn't need to be a junky place that needs a gut. But you can always fix up a bathroom for a few thousand dollars a year or two down the line. Laminate countertops in the kitchen can be replaced with granite for a few thousand. Paint will do wonders.
Or look at other random suburbs that are lower priced for other reasons like lack of good transportation downtown. In cook county, Great elementary school, feeds into Lyons Township, and would be an easy ride to Stickney: https://www.redfin.com/IL/Willow-Spr.../home/14044209
Thank you for your input. I hear so much conflicting information about Lemont, and the people he knows that live there (many work with him), LOVE it. They rave about every aspect of it, even the schools. I just worry about resale. I think the bottom has fallen out for Lemont already, and I don't think housing prices are going to go that much lower, although it hasn't recovered fully.
There's even one thread floating in this forum with two people fighting about Lemont. One hates it, and the other adores it. It was pretty funny. I think it is one of those places people either hate or love though.
I am looking at Mt. Prospect too, as you can find a decent sized home with top notch schools for a great price, taxes, but the prestige factor isn't there, so again, I worry about resale. Arlington Heights is a better option I think. We drive everywhere, never ever take the train, so getting downtown isn't a huge thing for us. In fact, we tend to avoid downtown as we don't like how congested it is. LOL! I'm such a suburbanite!
I saw a house in Arlington Heights last weekend for $400K, and I would just change the kitchen, floors and paint it. I think the upgrades would be around $50K, but it would be worth it, as it was way in our budget, nice size rooms, and it was in walking distance of one of the best high schools in the state, and the taxes were reasonable. All the schools were top rated, but he hated it because. . . gasp, it was a split level. Ugh!
Honestly, posters on this forum tend to be professionals working downtown (and thus take metra to the loop each day), and obviously their opinions on suburbs are colored by this. They tend to prefer western suburbs because of the excellent transportation options in addition to the charm, excellent schools, etc. The suburbs that tend to fall under the radar here are those that are not on a train line, are further south than the western suburbs, or that have good but not great schools. Point is - Lemont is a perfectly nice town to live in. There are plenty of people who own $500k houses. The town is not going to crash and burn. Schools are good, just not GREAT. Because you need to worry about special needs, that is something that I would do some research on for each school district. But in general, unless you are moving to Hinsdale/North Shore, I'm not sure your kids are going to get THAT much less of an impactful education in Lemont.
But yes, you should consider having an "intervention" with your husband about "fixer-upper" houses. And it doesn't need to be a junky place that needs a gut. But you can always fix up a bathroom for a few thousand dollars a year or two down the line. Laminate countertops in the kitchen can be replaced with granite for a few thousand. Paint will do wonders.
Or look at other random suburbs that are lower priced for other reasons like lack of good transportation downtown. In cook county, Great elementary school, feeds into Lyons Township, and would be an easy ride to Stickney: https://www.redfin.com/IL/Willow-Spr.../home/14044209
The OP had originally voiced concerns about buying into a "soft demand" area, where properties tend to languish on the market for long periods of time. In this regard, Lemont is one of the worst offenders in all of Chicagoland. The latest numbers I have for Lemont, from spring of last year, show an average days-on-market time of 193, for a SFH. That put Lemont 10th worst out of ~200 suburbs at the time. I'm sure there are more current figures floating around, but from what I'm seeing on Zillow and Redfin, it doesn't appear there has been any improvement. On top of that, the ZHVI for a 4-bed Lemont home is still down 20% from the '07 highs. For comparison, that same figure is 15.5% in Northbrook, 9.5% in La Grange and 7.5% in Wheaton.
Lemont is soft. And likely so for a lot of the reasons already discussed. I wouldn't buy there.
I would buy in La Grange Park though. Downtown La Grange sort of straddles the La Grange/La Grange Park border, and I think homes on the south side of La Grange Park (near DT La Grange and the Metra) represent a tremendous value.
Last edited by holl1ngsworth; 07-28-2015 at 11:35 AM..
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