candlewick lake.... (Chicago, Crystal Lake, Belvidere: foreclosures, homeowners insurance, crime)

[brandilin]

Hi Everyone, I'm thinking about buying in Candlewick Lake, now i know there is a wide range of opinions about this community, but i'd like to hear form some of the people who live there on the amount/frequency and $$ of special assessments. and could anyone tell me what their average water bill is. also are the hoa's due monthly or once a year? are there any other extra costs i need to take into consideration? Any feedback would be helpful! thank you

[brandilin]

Could anyone tell me how often and why tickets for violations are handed out? are they fair? are the rules hard to hold up to?

[ahava]

There is already a huge thread about Candlewick Lake in the Illinois forum: Candlewick Lake - Poplar Grove. Poplar Grove is not really considered a Chicago suburb, fyi.

[tammygr29]

I wouldnt suggest moving here, the fees are vey expensive, around $1,300.00 per year. Also the average water bill is $120.00 per month. I have lived here for one and half years & was blown away at the costs of living in this community where theres nothing around you. You have to travel at leat fifteen mins to get anywhere & in Belvidere there isnt alot of the stores you need. Also the biggest concern in Candlewick right now is the gang activity, we had a gang shooting here a month ago, these gang members live in here & are big gangs from Chicago such as Latin Kings & Cirq 13 & 14. They have put graffiti all over houses & Candlewick refuses to clean it off! I would think twice about moving here if I were you.

[Foxfirekitten]

I moved to Candlewick in 2003 because it was a gated community. I have lived in many places where I wish the local police would do something about people who do not have respect for others by speeding, not taking care of their properties, leaving junk cars around, being overly loud or just being idiots in general. I have a double lot and pay 1 1/2 the dues of a single lot. My lots are legally merged into one big lot with the county so the additional "Water Availability" fee for the extra lot is gone...I just have the house water & sewer bill that averages just under $100 per month...the sewer charge is about 3/4 of that expense. Yes, I believe this is high, but I consider it part of the price of admission for living in a place like this. Candlewick has nothing to do with it...we have Aqua Illinois...they are horribly expensive no matter what community they are in. We do have our own private security, but a small part of our association dues also pays for the Boone county Sherrif's office to patrol and help enforce the law.

I've heard many stories about people who have moved out here and didn't know about the gates, fence rules or policies about anything here. Did they buy their homes on E-bay??? The full list of rules and regulations is available online or you can stop by the office and pick up a copy...that's what I did. Without rules, there is chaos. If you are excessively speeding, you will get a ticket. We do not have sidewalks here so our children walk on the streets...hopefully off to the side. You can't leave garbage and junk cars strewn about your property or you will get a warning and eventually a ticket if it hasn't been taken care of. I don't want your garbage or weeds blowing into my yard. You can't just randomly cut down trees without prior board approval and they require proof of homeowners insurance when you do. This is to protect us when some idiot decides to cut down the tree that might fall on my house and damage my family in some way. Someone cut most of a tree that actually happened to be on my property...I was out of town and came home to a horribly mangled tree...they did NOT get authorization to do this and were fined...I didn't see any of the money although I think I should have, but I did put a stop to any more cutting. You can't just let your animals run free where they can injure other people or get injured themselves when they run out into the street. Basically, it's all just common sense...don't be an idiot and don't let your friends and family be idiots either--you are responsible for the people you let in...as it should be.

Before I bought my house I read the Association rules and regulations from cover to cover. I would like a fence, but we wouldn't be able to see the lake from the street if we had fences....it's a sacrifice I'm willing to live with. I don't have a problem with the "Rules" and anybody who does would be better off somewhere else...MOVE! We don't have any more of a problem with crime than anywhere else...mostly vandalism...some small theft mostly from cars that have been left unlocked...Hello...people...lock your doors... I don't know what "Murder" someone was talking about unless they were recalling the woman in Poplar Grove, NOT Candlewick, who left a new baby out in the cold on someone's doorstep several years ago...that's all I've heard about. The only problem I've had is some kids knocked my mailbox off the post on Halloween night several years ago. It wasn't damaged and was reinstalled in about two minutes. I blame the parents...why were your kids running the roads causing mischief that late at night? Why weren't you doing your jobs as parents and bringing your children up to be respectful, responsible citizens?

Candlewick is fine...I like it a lot. This is not a "Compound" as I've heard it referred to. I've seen where these people live...they are obviosly jealous! I love the lake. I wouldn't drink the water out of it, but I wouldn't drink the water out of any lake...ours is no different. I've caught some awesome fish out of here and it just keeps getting better as time goes on. Part of our association dues helps to maintain and stock the lake with fish...look it up...our lake is great. I feel safe here both when I am at home and when I am not. New this year, our fees for boats and swimming...included in our dues. I believe you can even golf for free although I do not use the golfcourse....I think they are a waste of land, but we put it to a vote and I was outnumbered...oh well.

We have a rule we can all agree with...NO SOLICITING...YEAH!!! No more magazines or candy bars...no more vans driving out from Chicago full of kids trying to sell you stuff...they are blocked at the gate... Some of our security staff are retired police officers...not mall security. Our dues pay for a lot and I do not feel we are being ripped off as some people have said. You get what you pay for...you can't expect this level of service without some expense. Many communities are charging association dues and you get absolutely nothing in return except maybe a small park or soccer field...big deal...we have lots of those and a beautiful lake and a pool and a golfcourse...etc.

My house has almost doubled in value in the past seven years even in our current economic situation. We must be doing something right out here. I don't work for the association...I just live here on the North-East side and am a responsible member of society. I have a job like many of you and I am trying to run my own business too. I am a mother and I do not let my child run the streets unsupervised...I'm happy.....

When you talk to someone who says they hate it here...ask them what they were doing wrong...I would bet they had a problem with the gates...they didn't see them when they came in I guess. Possibly having to call in their guests was interfering in their drug business...their clients do not want to show an ID to enter our community... Driving through a residential area at 50 mph might be ok in their minds... Maybe they want to throw wild parties and have cars parked all over their neighbors lawns...there has to be a reason. Whatever it is, do you really want this person living next to you...?

[Foxfirekitten]

Originally Posted by brandilin

Could anyone tell me how often and why tickets for violations are handed out? are they fair? are the rules hard to hold up to?

Read my response...Foxfirekitten. This will clear up any questions that you have.

[mineowner]

To file a water complaint.
ICC
800.524.0795
Then
Consumer fraud div.
https://www.consumer.ago.mo.gov/

If enough people complain something might be done.
Were asking for lower rates and a bulk payment for years of being ripped off!

[peg1015]

Just a couple of things: Every year the association fees go up. I don't know how they can justify it when nothing ever really changes. I don't feel the golf course was something everyone wanted but they put it in anyway. So, now I'm paying for something I didn't want and don't use. I enjoy using the pool and the clubhouse/exercise facilities and was sad to see the restaurant struggle. A couple of years ago my house was vandalized - spray paint all over the side facing the lake and the front/overhead garage door. I was shocked that nobody saw what happened as my house sits right on a corner lot across the street from the lake - the main thoroughfare! It's my opinion that security is lacking unless the are giving out tickets. The water bills are very high. It's not that you are paying for water, you are paying for sewer which, for me, is $75/mth without using any water. I am currently trying to sell my house and when perspective buyers have the property appraised, I'm getting lowballed because they include foreclosures in their appraisal, bringing down what my house is worth. What they appraise wouldn't even cover the costs of the building materials if they were to build a new house.
There is one issue I would like to know if anyone else is experiencing. The past couple of months I have had a problem with elder bugs. Not just a couple but hundreds. I don't have an elder bug tree on my lot and the research I've done states they can travel up to two miles. The association says they haven't had complaints from anyone else. I don't know if people are not complaining and handling the problem on their own and I find it hard to believe that I'm the only one with this problem. The tree has to be somewhere in Candlewick and needs to be cut down! Last year Crystal Lake had a huge outbreak of elder bugs and cut down a lot of trees. Is anyone else having this problem? What are you doing about it? And can you call the association and complain so they will look into it and eradicate the problem?