Where to move in Oswego, IL (Chicago, O'Fallon: where to stay, sales, houses)

[mamalee01]

Want to know your thoughts on where to live around the Chicagoland area. Surfing the web, I like Oswego. We're looking for 4 bd 2.5 bath newer homes very close to good schools and (newer) shopping such as WalMart and Target as well as Kohls and JcPenny etc... $285,000 would be at the very top of the budget. Something maybe like Church Hill or Hunt Club. Of course the neighbors and neighborhood need to fun and friendly too. Currently we live in a masterplanned neighborhood called Lantana in Arygle, TX. Its active and homes range from $180,000 to $1,000,000. The population is 3700 and we have 5 pools, 2 gyms, trails, and parks. All this is nice and all but it is hard to make friends when the place is so big, it becomes clickish. Anywho, we have other states of interest as well such as O'Fallon, MO and Cegar Rapids, IA. If you have any input as to a neighborhood suggestion or where to stay away from that would be appreciated. We would like to move this summer before my 5 yr old starts kindergarten. Also my husband needs to find a great sales job in the POP display and fixtures field .

Thanks, Mama Lee

[sgresident]

You should be able to find a home in your price range in oswego, montgomery, sugar grove or yorkville. oswego has seen a huge growth in the commercial/retail development. Yorkville also has some of the shopping you mentioned. sugar grove doesn't have the shopping right in town, but close enough. you should also look into the school situation if your kids are of that age!

[ngrome]

If you don't mind a community which may have a homeowner's association, go look up Ogden Falls which is right off Rt. 34 (Ogden Rd.). There are a few lower-priced single family homes there and nearby all the shopping areas you mentioned, at almost half the price you mentioned. My wife and I almost bought there, but it was just a tad too far west for us. As someone mentioned earlier, if you want something more upscale, Yorkville is a growing community with some new subdivisions going up as you pass Lockport (on Airport Rd.). Good luck.

[Chummy Waters]

Just get in your car and Oswego.

[aiwei]

Depends on the age of your child(ren) you should do some research on schools. In Oswego, IL, you have some schools buildings that are 25-30 yrs old with eqipments that are almost as old and you have some that are new to less than 5 yrs old. The jr. highs and high schools in Dist 308 are vastly different also. Subdivisions-wise, some are nicer than the others. But a lot of parents buy their houses actually based on which schools their kids will go to from K to 12! One thing worth noting, at least in IL, local park districts provide tons of activities for kids K-8th grade, esp. in the summer. You sort of don't want to live too far away from that.