Moving to Chicago this summer fm San Diego, need advise (Glenview: real estate, crime)

[rajatb]

Hello everyone. Planning a move to chicago later in the summer this year. Job move and all. Need suggestions on which suburb to pick. I have 2 kids age 9 & 5, so good schools is a prime consideration. Not too crazy about living in the city so suburbs are suited to us. Proximity to the airport (O Hare) is another key factor I have been looking at Northbrook, Glenview & Deerfield areas. I love them and are well suited. I can buy a 4 BR house ~ 2300 sq ft and 0.25-0.5 Acre lot for between $ 420-450k. It will need to be updated, but we are willing to do that in the house we buy. The question is- Are there any other areas I am missing where this money can get me a bigger house, but is not alarmingly far (more than 35-40 minutes fm ORD). Of course, schools are still the consideration.

I had thought that moving fm San Diego, property prices will be lower in Chicago suburbs, but they are not very different (especially if you don't live in a Million dollar home in SD ;-)

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

Rajat

[chet everett]

Great plan! Seriously, if you are comfortable buying a house that is in need of updating in a desirable area you basically put yourself in a MUCH better position than some one that is locked in on new / nearly new construction.

The towns you mention have some very good schools, nice ammenities, great distance to O'Hare, pleasant train commute to Chicago and a nice mix of homes that could work well for your plan.

Of course I would caution that re-modelers are far less stringently regulated in our region than in California (my SIL is a real estate agent in San Diego, so we trade stories) and it is very likely that the costs to do some kinds of renovations are higher here due to our more extreme climate, though you folks have the earthquake and wildfire codes to worry about...

I would recommend that you begin to try to make contact with skilled contracting firms so that you can factor the expected costs into the bid you make on any property. The timeline for certain kinds of renovations can be highly time / weather dependent too, as one would need to have all inspections passed so that you could be living inside when school starts...

[AuDiBelle]

I love the towns you suggested, they are all very nice and have great schools. I'll just add LaGrange and Western Springs to your list of towns to consider though. They are both very nice towns with excellent schools and along the Burlington Northern which gives a short train ride commute to downtown. Also, they are about 20 minutes south of O'Hare. I don't think you'll be able to get the desired lot size you want though as the lots just are not that big in this area. Check out the school ratings here. Good luck house hunting!

[chet everett]

The value of the link above is highly questionable -- subjective "parent input" adds little to the w lumping that organization amasses from the weak Illinois mandated assements, if you want the data from the official site at least you get raw info: Interactive Illinois Report Card

[AuDiBelle]

Chet, I'll agree that your link gives a lot of detailed information, but for someone just ballparking possible areas to look at, greatschools is a quick way to do so by ruling in/out different suburbs. Even looking at just the raw data, the Western Springs school district would still rank a 10 out of 10 irregardless of parent input.

[Steve-o]

I agree with the Western Springs suggestion.

[rajatb]

Thanks guys...I will check out Western Springs, LaGrange, although the reason i did not look at Southern suburbs was i had heard that South side was prone to more crime and problems (that must be some part of the city, as i realize now).

But generally, it does look like the same price range all across. I mean $450k will get 4 BR everywhere. I cant seem to find a acre lot/ 3500 sq ft/ 5+ BR for that amount (yup, as they say dreams die first). Unless of course, as someone suggested, i look to go in WI (I don't like cheese that much!)

[mh7]

La Grange & Western Springs are great if you will be flying a lot as they both provide access to ohare & midway in < 25 minutes. Crime and problems are definetely not a concern in either area.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by rajatb

Thanks guys...I will check out Western Springs, LaGrange, although the reason i did not look at Southern suburbs was i had heard that South side was prone to more crime and problems (that must be some part of the city, as i realize now).

But generally, it does look like the same price range all across. I mean $450k will get 4 BR everywhere. I cant seem to find a acre lot/ 3500 sq ft/ 5+ BR for that amount (yup, as they say dreams die first). Unless of course, as someone suggested, i look to go in WI (I don't like cheese that much!)

Dude! I don't think ANYONE in this thread (or any other) said ANYTHING about "prices being the same" or that it would be easy to find a 3500 sq ft 4br on an acre in ANY desirable town in the whole region for anywhere near $450K.

Basically if $450K is your target to acquire a run down property that might be competing with BUILDERS FOR A TEARDOWN I do think you MIGHT be able to find something with a great deal of effort. It almost certainly will be an older home, probably under 2000 sq ft, but it may be suitable to expand / renovate and end up with something close to 3500 sq ft. It is also likely that the lot will be much more "compact" but you might have good proximately to parks, playgrounds, schools and forest preserves as well as an easy walk / drive to a commuter train station. These are the standard trade-offs that those who choose to live in the desirable suburbs of Chicago make with ease.

btw I would assume you understand the expansion of a 2000 sq ft home into something close to 3500 sq ft can only be accomplished by budgeting something on the order of hundreds of dollars per sq ft added and with that in mind I would be prepared to make a total cash outlay of something that would be much closer six hundred grand...

I also will point out that the towns along the BNSF are generally classified as WESTERN SUBURBS where the there is NO WORRY OF CRIME WHATSOEVER in comparison to the more economically challenged portions of Chicago's "west side". Further the negative connotation that some folks seem to have about portions of Chicago and its suburbs that are rightfully classified as "south side" or "southern suburbs" is largely overblown as there are several sections of Chicago's greater 'south side' that are quite desirable, including the Hyde Park/ Kenwood neighborhoods where the current President's family home remains.

[AuDiBelle]

Oh, no no no. You won't find any 3500 sq. foot home on an acre of property for anywhere near $450K within commuting distance of Chicago. Maybe if you widen your radius to an hour if not more from Chicago, but if you want to be within commuting distance to the city and have easy access to Midway and O'Hare, you will not find what you're looking for in any area that has decent schools. People pay a premium to live in the 'desirable' close-in suburbs with good schools, but the trade-off is smaller lot sizes, and higher $/sq.foot. I think the average cost per sq. foot in Western Springs is $278, but I *think* that's assuming an already remodeled finished house. The figure is lower for homes that need work, but still over $200/sq. foot. The lots in Western Springs vary from .16 acres to maybe .25-.33 acres if you're really really lucky. I'd guess the average to be around .2 acres.

Chet is correct, Western Springs and LaGrange are considered WESTERN suburbs, and there is virtually no concern about crime in either town.

Another thing to consider if you plan to add square footage onto a home, is that the building codes in Western Springs (and I'd assume all of the towns listed in this thread as well, but I only have experience in WS) are VERY stringent, which can add significantly to any addition costs. For example, drywall has to have double the thickness (I forget the exact " figure, but I remember that from when my parents were building their house here). The types of materials you can use, the depth of sub-base rock required for driveways, the thickness of basement/foundation walls, the amount of insulation required, etc... are going to require more cash per square foot of addition space than you might be able to do in a town with less stringent building codes. You might be better off buying a home that just needs a remodel as opposed to an expansion. Just some thoughts to ponder.