Starter Homes in Bolingbrook (Chicago, Naperville: equity, cheap house, for sale)

[puppymom06]

Hi all, My husband and I are looking at some starter homes in Bolingbrook specifically in the Colonial Village subdivision just south of Boughton and the new Promanade. We don't have kids so we're not worried about school districts. I'm wondering if this is a decent area. I've heard there are some rough spots in Bolingbrook to avoid.

[gwilson67]

Hello,

Here are some of the starter homes currently for sale in the Bolingbrook area. Just to give you an idea of whats currently on the market.

Greg

Sugarbrook Sub $158,000 5Rooms 3Bed 11 Bath 1 Story
Dr440 $179,000 6Rooms 3Bed 1.1 Bath 1 Story
Willow Grove $199,000 7Rooms 3Bed 1 Bath 1 Story
Dr $207,000 6Rooms 3Bed 1.1 Bath Split Level
Augusta Village $274,900 7Rooms 3Bed 2.1 Bath 2 Stories

[JerichoHW]

Originally Posted by puppymom06

Hi all, My husband and I are looking at some starter homes in Bolingbrook specifically in the Colonial Village subdivision just south of Boughton and the new Promanade. We don't have kids so we're not worried about school districts. I'm wondering if this is a decent area. I've heard there are some rough spots in Bolingbrook to avoid.

I've heard there are some rough spots to avoid too, but the town seems nice to me.

[chet everett]

When I think "starter home" I think "here is a place that could be affordable on a good salary that one could earn nearby" and while I suppose that is not totally out of the question I would have some serious reservations give the over reliance on retail in the eastern part of Bolingbrook...

I much prefer the towns that have a better employment base and/or better access to Metra. I think that if you find a place in the same price class and put in some sweat equity in a nicer town your odds of seeing bigger gains is much enhanced.

[punkerjim]

i grew up in bolingbrook. the "rough spots" to avoid are closer to I-55... the beaconridge area and that apartment complex... think it's called brentwood but am not sure. it's that area over by that medical building, the quadrangle. also there is an area north of boughton, east of 53 by the old jewel.

other than that, bolingbrook was a great place to live. I lived on the west side, more towards naperville though.

[chet everett]

The NW section also seems better situated in terms of access to jobs in Lisle and Naperville. The western reaches of Bolingbrook also has good access to the warehouse and logistics center on the Bolingbrook/Romeoville frontier.

I don't know how things are going to go down out there long term, as it seems to really need some better transit solutions, but I would be careful to make sure you don't buy a place that could become exactly the kind of place that people are worrying will suffer from its long distance to good paying jobs in the face of high gas prices...

[seraphshell]

I am currently selling my super cute townhouse in Romeoville. It's only 15 minutes from where you were looking...just off Weber Road very close to a brand new super Wal-Mart and Target.

It's currently listed at 149,500. Email me if you want a link to check it out.

[trailerguy]

Be VERY careful about cheap houses in Bolingbroke. Several years ago, HUD and the Chicago Housing Authority moved many public housing residents from Chicago into private Section 8 housing in Bolingbroke. Most are very nice people, but some brought the city's problems with them. There are a lot of nice houses and still some good neighborhoods. Just keep your eyes open, and look at more than the price.

[Incognito Mosquito]

When I think "starter home" I think "here is somewhere that could be an affordable place to start your life with someone-- not your dream home but still a place to call your own." I'm assuming the original poster and her husband already have jobs or they wouldn't be buying a house in the first place. Lots of retail nearby = easier to shop. How many people that live in Winnetka do you think work there Chet?

Anyway, I don't know a lot about the Colonial Village subdivision specifically but I believe it's one of the original parts of Bolingbrook dating from the 60's. In general the east side of route 53 is a bit shadier than the rest of the town but that's not to say there aren't some good neighborhoods tucked in there. I just bought my "starter home" on the far west side of town near Weber and Hassert/111th in September. If you don't mind going further south there are more affordable starter homes/townhomes in Romeoville where Seraph is hanging out. What's your price range puppymom?

[chet everett]

I am not aware of Metra serving any part of Bolingbrook, an attribute of many towns that makes very lucrative employment very easy to get to.
I do agree that it is nice to have some shopping nearby, but when the majority of employment nearby is retail it raises some concerns.

The value of ownership vs renting is questionable given current market conditions. I am sure there is a school of thought that says it is always better to own than rent, I don't subscribe to that. For me, if your "starter home" is going to be far from the kind of employment needed to "move up" I don't think that is a good investment. Suburbs all over the place were selling regular unleaded for well over $4 this weekend, if you're going to be burning through $75/week to get to a good paying job that is $4000 a year that you won't be able to spend on other things.

I suspect that Bolingbrook is not unaware of the over reliance on retail, and the shift toward warehouse/logistics bodes better for its employment base. The construction is generally a bit newer and nicer near Weber Rd. too.

For a big enough discount it might be worth considering an older section too, but generally when comparing housing in established towns like Bolingbrook where a lot of the older housing in from the 60s & 70s, there is better value in the stuff that is newer -- more energy efficiency and such can make a house that costs a bit more initially but cheaper to own in the long run.