Des Plaines vs Villa Park IL (Chicago, Schaumburg: section 8, sales, crime rate)

[confusedchicago]

Hi All,
Firstly I would like to thank all of you as this site has been very helpful when we first moved to chicago about 4-5 months ago..
Currently, my husband and I are planning to buy a townhome in Chicago suburbs. We short listed 2 of them one being in Des plaines and the other being in Villa Park IL. We were looking for something closer to Schaumburg and downtown as I work in downtown and my husband works in Schaumburg.
We dont have kids right now; but may be in the next 5-7 years we would like to sell this place and move to another suburb with good school district. I have been reading another forum where everyone has been discussing about the floods of Des Plaines. But I would really appreciate if someone can point out to me the pros and cons of each place? Also which place do you think would see a higher appreciation?

Thanks All

[chet everett]

Both have some good points and some down sides.

I will say, in general, that when considering a townhome you REALLY need to be extra careful about the recent sales history and likely future trends. Some towns have some solid history of folks wanting to buy townhomes while in others the only way to make money is building 'em and finding renters...

I know that as far as single family homes both Villa Park and Des Plaines are in a similar "tier of desirability" -- and the things that hold them both back from advancing to a more desirable level tend to be that nearby towns have better schools. It is very hard to over come that...

The big plus that DesPlaines has right now is the recently upgraded downtown, there is nothing similar happening in Villa Park. No saying what effect that might have over the long haul, but that is certainly something to weigh in your decision.

In the next 18 months or so DesPlaines will have its casino up and running adjacent to Rosemont, that might be a nice tax generator, and as it'll be between the tollway and the Forest Preserve it should have no negative impact on residential areas.

Villa Park probably has a marginally better commute to Schaumburg area, and Willowbrook High might be a smidge better at the upper end than Maine West, as well as having slightly more balance in its demographic trends. Really close call:

Interactive Illinois Report Card

Interactive Illinois Report Card

[pvande55]

You will probably get a little more for your money in Des Plaines. The flooding danger isn't too bad if you stay at least a mile from the river. But the airplane noise is worse and the railroad tracks between Wolf and Mt Prospect Rd is busy with freights that will block your way often.

[AuDiBelle]

Both towns are fairly similar in many ways. I do know that there are some pockets of hispanics in Villa Park. I'm not sure if it is designated section 8 or not, but you may want to ask your realtor about it. If I remember correctly (my sister lived in VP about 10 years ago), some of the grade schools there were significantly better than others. If you do buy in VP, I would try to buy in one of the better grade school districts for better resale value.

I like both towns, they both have quiet residential areas but are close to good shopping and other amenities. Des Plaines might have a better 'downtown' area (does VP even have a downtown?), but VP is right next to Elmhurst, which has its own downtown. I would pick whichever house you happen to like more. VP also has 2 very nice pools residents can join and take your pick from, but Des Plaines has one really great one. It's a toss-up imo.

[confusedchicago]

Thanks a lot for all your suggestions.
Any idea about the crime rate in that area?

[AuDiBelle]

I'd say the crime rate would be fairly similar as well. Both towns, for the most part, are extremely safe. You can look at the crime data posted for each town here:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Villa-Park-Illinois.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Des-Plaines-Illinois.html