Candlewick Lake - Poplar Grove (Chicago, Rockford: flat fee, renting, lawyer)

[CWLPoplarGroveRes]

I just wanted to respond to MyMotorcycle. Great post! I just wanted to add that compared to the cities just a bit closer to the city... like Huntley, Marengo, Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Palatine...

we are less expensive even with the water bill and car gas prices. The exception would be if you want to live in an apt. I guess.

Also... while WalMart is the "big" shopping place in Belvidere there is still alot of shopping in Belv. and there's a ton of shopping in Rockford. I can drive from my Candlewick home through our quiet streets and through the upscale homes we live near to the East side of Rockford and I will find all the shopping I can handle. So it's a nice combo .... I get to see cows in the field, live near expensive homes and shop til I drop if I feel like it.

Our mortgage is around $900 a mo. so the water bill and dues aren't that big of an issue when you consider what kind of mortgage I'd have to pay elsewhere. There are cheaper places to live in Rockford, but I prefer the ambiance here by the lake and in this safer neighborhood. The clubhouse, golf course, pool and other amenities are nice too. I really enjoy the Bible Study I go to in CWL.

We hunted and hunted before buying here. All we could afford East of here was horrid little places. I'm really happy with our home.

A piece of advice to potential buyers.... consider a "no outlet" dead-end street. Particularly if you have children, a no outlet street is great because your traffic is practically nil. There are gobs of no outlet streets here. The other streets are quiet too but I like my no outlet road.

Have a good one!

[ExCandlewickResident]

Okay, I will try to be as objective as possible here. First, there are a FEW positives...The crime rate is very low, the lake is beautiful (usually), there are a lot of great people living here that I will miss (sort of). Now those things having been said, the crime rate in Poplar Grove, and Boone County for that matter is low, and as people have said, Rock Cut is only a few minutes away, so is Pearl Lake Beach. I moved to Candlewick in 2004. I will list the negatives as calmly as possible. First, as for the lake; it is okay if you have a boat, that fits the restrictions, that you want to trailer to your house every time, or go into a lottery for an overpriced rental slip in the "marina", but other than that, the beach is nasty, and the fishing has gone downhill every year, partly because the fishing docks behind the rec center are a whole section shorter than they used to be. The lake is constantly being "treated", yet there is too much vegetation all the time. Moving on, there are no sidewalks, and your kids won't be able to ride any sort of electric car or bike or scooter in the street. You know, a 5 year old in a barbie jeep is a safety hazard, but the 3 teenagers on skateboards are okay.?>?>? The gate guards are hilarious, they let in contractors who may or may not be legit, but hassle any homeowner that has to go through the manned entrances (I frequently have rental cars for my job). They have no "real" power, but they like to act like it. In the end if you drove around the gate, would they call the cops to get you for trespassing??? to your own house??? LOL Anyway, I am sure I am leaving out a few things, but I am all too happy that I am currently moving OUT of Candlewick into a very nice house in another area of Poplar Grove. My recommendation is this; if you LOVE a house in Candlewick, and you can get it for $45 sq/ft, and you have a boat with under 40hp, and you like to fish but not catch anything, and you never have a rental vehicle, and you don't mind a very political HOA, then by all means, go for it. Otherwise, leave Candlewick to the rental home market. If you want more of my four years of Candlewick headaches, feel free to email me: cwhelpinghands@yahoo.com

[CWLPoplarGroveRes]

I hear you. But there is still so much good about Candlewick. We don't boat or fish so that doesn't bother us. For some it's an important issue. The sidewalks would be nice.... but I wouldn't want to trade the quiet streets and safety factor for sidewalks. Even though crime is overall low in this county compared to some.... CWL is just unlike living somewhere else in Poplar Grove or any other ungated place.... I don't have "the whole world" driving by. Not only because we live on one of Candlewick's many NO OUTLET streets but because alot of people just can't get in. And the gate people do keep track of who's driving in and out. You will not be having that level of safety where you are moving to.

Best wishes to you. I think there are pros and cons any where you live. But I still see many pros in CWL. It's a great community for families and individuals. goodplans4you@yahoo.com

[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

[Drover]

There's an existing thread covering Candlewick Lake pretty extensively: http://www.city-data.com/forum/illin...lar-grove.html

[ZENAGIRL1]

Well, i dont mean to sound ignorant or mean but my brother lives in candlewick lake and trust me it is not a pplace you want to live in. Water is high .. Dues are high. Too many rules.. And it as well is getting type of crowd in there that you would not want to be around.. Security ther isnt as good as it used to be either. Thanks

[dmac50]

Anybody know anything about Lake Summerset, over in Winnebago county. I'm looking at homes there and they seem kind of expensive.

[KELMAN]

I agree with Jack Smith. My husband and I live in Fox Lake and we have been trying to sell our house for the past year and we have been looking in Candlewick Lake and we have researched it for 2 years talk to people face to face any committee will have it's problems. We will be moving there in a couple of months and I am excited. My kids will have things to do and that is what got me to want to live here.

[TucsonMom3]

I lived in Candlewick 10 yrs ago, I moved after living there for 7 yrs. 1991-1998. Yes all Homeowner's Associations have there quirks. However, Candlewick is a GATED Private community. This gives the association more control than typical. I was and still am a Real Estate Appraiser and the given a choice after our experience would advise others to RENT first. Check it all out. Use every facility. Go there at night, to an event. 10 years ago the stigma of being a resident was relentless. We loved using the lake, fishing, boating, swimming. Then it went green.....(hopefully it is improved), the sewer was a big issue and the roads. Remember PRIVATE roads. In my opinion school districts that are performing well always retain the best home values. This may be the most important decision when raising kids. If you don't live in Candlewick....Boone County is beautiful also..the river has great fishing, Rock River....Rock Cut is great and night fishing in Wisconsin at Lake Koshkonong....Good luck and go into the field to do your research, attend the meetings......Be informed.

[CWLPoplarGroveRes]

TucsonMom3 mentioned the sewer issue. It's been taken care of. We do have expensive water here though. But it's a problem that has been handled and we don't have to worry about it. We've lived here almost 12 years now.
The lake is just so gorgeous! And it's so huge. So many great activities are happening. Fishing, golf, bingo, seniors, kids etc.. But the roads still remain quiet and unclogged. For families... all of these little no outlets are so great. There are so many beautiful wooded nooks and crannys.
For someone wanting to learn more about Candlewick I would suggest checking out their website Candlewick Lake Community Association - Home Page and also call the office and see if you can get ahold of the Candlewick paper. It's a great not-so-little community.

Blessings!