Western suburb recommendation for stay at home dad (Palatine, Wheaton: 2015, to rent)

[RJA29]

Hi everyone,

My wife is due to have twins next year, and with the impending addition to our family, staying in the city is no longer an option. She works near Ogilvie, so Metra access is a must -- a 45 minute door to door commute is the max we'd consider.

Although we would be willing to rent, the market for buying seems so much better right now. We can likely come up with a down payment, and our budget is 350K MAX (with 300K being a much more realistic target). For reference, we pay nearly 2K in rent now, so a mortgage of this size with taxes won't be much different than things are now.

The important things are schools (primarily elementary, as lots can change in 10-11 years time), commute time, and a family oriented progressive-leaning neighborhood.

We have visited and enjoy Oak Park, but I think that anything there would absolutely have to be a condo. Houses are just too expensive.

We have friends with kids in Lombard, and the neighborhoods are nice, plus commuting would be alright.

To add to the questions here, a concern of mine is that I'll be the parent raising the children (I'm in grad school now, and unless a great job comes up will be raising the kids myself). Finding a community where fathers play a big role in the lives of the children is important.

So, any suggestions on what burbs have good schools in this price range and commuting time?

Thanks!

[4122]

Lombard would be a good option for you. Unfortunately other west suburbs nearby on the UP-W line are very expensive and you won't be able to get much for $350k. Have you considered looking in the NW suburbs too?

[RJA29]

Originally Posted by 4122

Lombard would be a good option for you. Unfortunately other west suburbs nearby on the UP-W line are very expensive and you won't be able to get much for $350k. Have you considered looking in the NW suburbs too?

Which NW 'burbs are you referring to?

Anything relatively close on the BNSF into Union Station might be acceptable, too, but everything just seems very expensive.

Are there decent options under 400K with good schools that are less than 40 mins out of the city, or is that simply a pipe-dream?

[JTW2013]

Originally Posted by RJA29

To add to the questions here, a concern of mine is that I'll be the parent raising the children (I'm in grad school now, and unless a great job comes up will be raising the kids myself). Finding a community where fathers play a big role in the lives of the children is important.

Sorry for the nitpick but I'm cringing at your assertion that you will be raising these children by yourself. A SAH parent is not a single parent. I was a stay a home mother for a time and never once did I claim to be raising our children by myself.

Downers Grove is a possibility. There are houses in your price range and the schools are good and there is good Metra service.

[mudsow]

Villa Park is a nice neighborhood, I've lived here for 18 years. We moved here because the schools were decent, My daughter was in high school at the time. Taxes are lower than Lombard, and the train goes into Ogilvy.

[4122]

Originally Posted by RJA29

Which NW 'burbs are you referring to?

Anything relatively close on the BNSF into Union Station might be acceptable, too, but everything just seems very expensive.

Are there decent options under 400K with good schools that are less than 40 mins out of the city, or is that simply a pipe-dream?

Mt Prospect, Rolling Meadows, and Palatine have homes in your price range. Being open to looking at areas on the BNSF line does create more options for you like Lisle, Brookfield, and possibly Downers Grove.

[RJA29]

Originally Posted by JTW2013

Sorry for the nitpick but I'm cringing at your assertion that you will be raising these children by yourself. A SAH parent is not a single parent. I was a stay a home mother for a time and never once did I claim to be raising our children by myself.

Downers Grove is a possibility. There are houses in your price range and the schools are good and there is good Metra service.

You are absolutely correct -- I phrased that poorly. I'll be the lead parent, with significant support from my wife (financially and otherwise). Thanks for pointing that out - I did not mean to diminish her role in any way.

I'll check out DG.

Glen Ellyn also seems to have a few possibilities. The idea is to get into a neighborhood in a smaller/ cheaper house, and if we can afford it to "buy up" later on. So I don't want to pick a place where there isn't room for growth. Do DG/ Brookfield allow these possibilities? Going into Union Station would be fine.

Thanks all for your recs!

[holl1ngsworth]

I would exhaust possibilities in more desirable suburbs before looking at Lombard and Villa Park. Both are great places to live, but they're rather mundane and school performance generally lags. At $350k, I think Wheaton (and Warrenville, which shares Wheaton's school district) would be a great place to start. If you find a home close to one of the two local Metra stations, a 45 minutes to a workplace at Ogilvie is certainly possible. Express trains run 34-42 minutes.

Wheaton has a vibrant walkable downtown district, award winning library, free zoo, equestrian center, museums, formal gardens, live theater, improv theater, renowned municipal band, living history farm, four golf courses, top-ranked liberal arts college, top-ranked local hospital, two waterparks, 800 acres of green space, seasonal parades, numerous festivals, the hub for the Illinois Prairie Path, and much more.

DOWNTOWN WHEATON MAP
Wheaton Park District Program Guide
Cosley Zoo
Cantigny Park
Westside Improv
Wheaton Drama
Danada Equestrian Center
Rice Pool and Waterpark
Wheaton Public Library
Illinois Prairie Path
Kline Creek Farm
St. James Farm
DuPage Art League
Wheaton Municipal Band
Wheaton College #57 | US News 2015 Best Colleges
Central DuPage Hospital #6 | US News 2015 Best Hospitals

Wheaton often gets a bad rap for leaning conservative, but that's not something my family has experienced since we moved to Wheaton from 606** back in '13. Voting records actually show most neighborhoods split evenly along party lines. Nobody would bat an eyelid at your SAHD situation (here or any suburb really, SAHDs are not uncommon today). And certainly, more than any other place out there, Wheaton is 'family oriented.'

Other suburbs to check out @ $350k:
Brookfield
La Grange Park
Mt. Prospect
Glen Ellyn (unincorporated parts)

[RJA29]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

Wheaton often gets a bad rap for leaning conservative, but that's not something my family has experienced since we moved to Wheaton from 606** back in '13. Voting records actually show most neighborhoods split evenly along party lines. Nobody would bat an eyelid at your SAHD situation (here or any suburb really, SAHDs are not uncommon today). And certainly, more than any other place out there, Wheaton is 'family oriented.'

Other suburbs to check out @ $350k:
Brookfield
La Grange Park
Mt. Prospect
Glen Ellyn (unincorporated parts)

Thanks holl1ngsworth, I appreciate the feedback.

Perhaps the question of a stay at home parent is simply moot, and then it becomes the not-too-uncommon issue of finding a decent house with good schools that is hopefully walkable from the Metra for ~350K.

I can put some work into a house; I'd prefer it not to be the worst on the block, but the chances that I have an income to augment things 3-4 years down the road are good, and we'd be looking to move within whatever school district we are in, so good schools are an absolute must.

Is there a map of unincorporated Glen Ellyn? How does that work with the issues of trash pick up, sewer, schools?

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by RJA29

Thanks holl1ngsworth, I appreciate the feedback.

Perhaps the question of a stay at home parent is simply moot, and then it becomes the not-too-uncommon issue of finding a decent house with good schools that is hopefully walkable from the Metra for ~350K.

I can put some work into a house; I'd prefer it not to be the worst on the block, but the chances that I have an income to augment things 3-4 years down the road are good, and we'd be looking to move within whatever school district we are in, so good schools are an absolute must.

Here's an under-budget, walk-to-everything home, close to both Metra stations:
402 Crescent Street WHEATON, IL 60187 | Redfin
Shudders, more attractive door and landscaping, and a simple clean up inside would go far. Real potential there.

There's no block I wouldn't want to live on in Wheaton. And there's plenty of room to move up too. The high end approaches $2mil. This is the highest price I've seen this year:
321 East Prairie Avenue WHEATON, IL 60187 | Redfin