Is there a suburb with the look & feel of the NS but without the price? (Chicago: houses, to buy)

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by chitown85

BG is very NW burb, despite what many who live there would like to think. It looks and feels like a NW burb. Shopping centers galore, large subdivisions, and wide streets.

I agree with you. Its just fine for what it is, but its nothing like the NS. When I drive by it I just see subdivisions and strip malls.

[Flatlander]

What about Wauconda. I can't comment on the housing stock in terms of age, style or price. There is a cute'ish old style downtown and a weekday farmer's market. Also some cute little bars and restaurants on Bang's Lake. I like the little town. There's even a Waldorf Inspired school there. Check it out.

[chet everett]

I disagree with the folks suggesting places like Vernon Hills or Buffalo Grove. The problem with someplace like Libertyville is that the small number of desirable older homes are far outnumbered by the newer less charming homes, thus driving prices for the charmers through the roof...

If the OP is going to work in Grayslake it may make sense to look to places like Antioch or Woodstock, though the big trade-off is going be for schools, and distance to Chicago. Other things that some folks have found in the "far off" burbs is that the focus on certain recreational activities is more rural, which is neither good nor bad, but certainly different...

If one really wants to live in New Trier, there are opportunities to buy less improved homes and do the work one's self. Unfortunately the "floor" for entry is pretty close to your "ceiling" and that would leave virtually nothing for upgrades...

In my neck of the woods (Eastern DuPage Co.) there are a handful of very very attractive values in the few starter homes that would be in the price range. These are homes that would generally have been tear-downs a few years ago becuase they may only have 3 bdrms & 1 bath or similar lack of modern configuration. The charm and vitality of down town Elmhurst or Hinsdale / Clarendon Hills is a real plus -- kids can walk to school, ride bikes to Little League, have a pick-up game of soccer or just hang-out with no need to be loaded into the minivan. Some these same qualities can be found Western Springs, Brookfield or LaGrange, in eastern Cook Co., as well as some central DuPage towns like Glen Ellyn or Wheaton, though the commute to Grayslake is probably too much to consider...

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Mamama Mia

I don't want to discourage you but it will be difficult to find a home in most suburbs at your price point. You may want to consider a condo or a townhome.

I think this is good advice (wish I would have done this B4 I bought my first "cookie-cutter" home in a so-so suburb). I think you could find a condo/townhome for $400K in the NS (you NS'ers can correct me if I'm wrong). Since the NS towns tend to have better schools, transportation options, charm, etc., a NS condo investment will probably appreciate more than a farther out "cookie-cutter" home. And you may find that you enjoy the lifestyle more.

Since you are buying in a depreciated market w/low interest rates, you could possibly live in the condo/townhome for several years and then sell and use the equity to move up to a house when the kids are older (and you will better know which school district you wish to be in). Condos/townhomes in the NS may also be easier to resell than cookie-cutter homes in the farther out burbs.

[Anthera]

What about Riverside? The homes are darling and its a very walkable and charming town.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Anthera

What about Riverside? The homes are darling and its a very walkable and charming town.

... to Grayslake would be misery. And Riverside is not known for it affordability. In fact, the real charmers in Riverside are much more expensive than Brookfield, and probably more in line with Oak Park prices.

[cdc3217]

Woodstock might be a nice option. It would be a commute from McHenry County to Grayslake, maybe 45 minutes? (I've imagining Hwy 120 and similar drives I've done. But its got a historic downtown, and the price range would fit.

[SloopyJ]

For goodness sake, do yourself a favor and RENT a home in Grayslake or Libertyville for a year! Use the extra time in the evenings that your husband will save commuting and visit some other towns - even Buffalo Grove! - to get a sense of distance and desirability. I, too, think Libertyville is likely to be a good spot for you, but only you will know your tolerance for commute time and desired home and neighborhood characteristics.

Not to pick on you, but why on earth anyone would try to buy a home in a new city rather than rent for a year is beyond me. Especially since I don't think any of the communities you're interested in are in danger of seeing huge price appreciations in the coming year.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by nanannie

I am 100% with Anthera. I find "Buffalo Grove has absolutely no relationship to the North Shore suburbs in its offerings". I agree its more affordable-for a reason. It is Strip Mall/cookie cutter/heavy traffic town= Anywhere USA. But yes,affordable. Charm and Buffalo Grove are oxymorons.

nanannie, i don't disagree with you one bit here. and you would be right to suggest that when it comes to charm , it cannot teach the North Shore. I will also admit that I didn't address the question very well.

the only reason I suggested Buffalo Grove is that I know that many people who l would rather live in Highland Park or even Deerfield chose Buffalo Grove because it was more reasonable.

As noted, I didn't answer the question well, but I hardly meant to attribute qualities to Buffalo Grove that is does not have.

Then again, I would have to say there are parts of the North Shore that are as unnorthshore like as BG. Many parts of west Wilmette and Highland Park west of 41 are hardly North Shore in nature. And there are numerous areas with a true North Shore feel that are not walkable as far as reaching destinations.

I was wrong if I in any way that BG had those NS qualities, and probably shouldn't have made the ost based on the notion that people interested in HP may choose BG as an alternative.

Is stand corrected.

Then again, as someone who has lived in various parts of the North Shore for much of my life and loves it, when it comes to "charm", there is a serious warning:

true, BG has strip malls and other attributes that are very much a part of a totally uncharming suburban lifestyle so sadly built on cars. The reasons has nothing to do with value, but age: BG came of age in the go-go years of the automobile prior to the more humanly scaled years of North Shore growth.

So BG well may be relatively berift of charm, but, in a way, that might beat the North Shore in the sense that the NS, a charm belt, seems hell bent on losing its charm. The amount of teardowns replaced my McMansions and often McCastles has seriously altered the true charm of the NS and the faux retro architecture of developments like Renaissance Place n HP are more about a sanitized version of Disney's spin on suburban charm.

The values of Buffalo Grove and the North Shore do not differ; both are equally subject to the forces in society that believe that charm can be mass produced, retrofitted, and come with out of sight prices and size that are anything but charming.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by SloopyJ

For goodness sake, do yourself a favor and RENT a home in Grayslake or Libertyville for a year! Use the extra time in the evenings that your husband will save commuting and visit some other towns - even Buffalo Grove! - to get a sense of distance and desirability. I, too, think Libertyville is likely to be a good spot for you, but only you will know your tolerance for commute time and desired home and neighborhood characteristics.

Not to pick on you, but why on earth anyone would try to buy a home in a new city rather than rent for a year is beyond me. Especially since I don't think any of the communities you're interested in are in danger of seeing huge price appreciations in the coming year.

VERY GOOD ADVICE. Especially since we don't know if the housing market has hit bottom. Nothing worse than buying and then having to sell in a few years and being "upside down".
Buffalo Grove is nice, but NO real downtown area, no truly older housing stock (1920's-40's). I'm still amazed at how many 20+ year old homes in Lake Co. part of Buffalo Grove still don't have trees planted in their back yards.
Woodstock is nice, but isn't the commute rather long to & from Grayslake?
I would suggest looking into Barrington, Palatine and Arlington Heights.
All have downtowns with things to do and a mix of old and new construction within walking distance of downtown.
Beware property taxes. They are fairly high in our area- in both counties.