trying to choose an area (Chicago, Orland Park: real estate, homes, neighborhoods)

[Maria Matheny]

My husband and I are relocating to the Chicago area. We have two boys and are looking for a brick home with 4 bedrooms min and no vinyl siding. Most of the listings in our price range (350-400K) show vinly sided homes. We want to stay away from that. We are looking at the New Lenox/Mokena area, Lockport or Plainfield. Any suggestions are what area we should concentrate in. We are also looking for a Catholic grade school in or near the city we move in to

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Maria Matheny

My husband and I are relocating to the Chicago area. We have two boys and are looking for a brick home with 4 bedrooms min and no vinyl siding. Most of the listings in our price range (350-400K) show vinly sided homes. We want to stay away from that. We are looking at the New Lenox/Mokena area, Lockport or Plainfield. Any suggestions are what area we should concentrate in. We are also looking for a Catholic grade school in or near the city we move in to

Look in Tinley or Orland Park. Both towns prohibit builders to build homes out of siding and require brick to be used on the entire first floor of the structure. You should have no problem finding a home in your price range in either town and both have lower taxes than what you will find in Will County. Also in the case of Orland Park, it is a town much like Crestwood where the city refunds you 100% of your village paid property taxes so you get a check for whatever you paid to the village through your property taxes which is pretty nice. Also Orland Park kids have a nice choice for Catholic Schools, you can either send you kids to St. Michael School St. Michael Home Page (broken link) off 143rd and West Ave. or send them to St. George in Tinley Park. Both are known to be good choices for Catholic Schools.

Lastly Orland Park has a couple of neighborhoods you may want to consider. I would check out the neighborhood known as "Brentwood" which is located on the north end of the town bordered by 143rd on the south, 82nd on the east, Rte 45 on the west, and 135th on the north. That area is loaded to the hilt with brick two stories, ranches, three step ranches, and tri levels of which the homes in that area are going for about $350K! Another subdivision known to have many brick homes in your price range is on the east end of town bordered by Harlem on the east, 88th Ave on the west, 159th on the south, and 151st on the north end of which these neighborhoods are known as Catalina and Golfview.

Here is a little example just to get you started. These are homes that are in your price range as you listed and as you will notice many of them are brick! Real Estate at Homes.Com for ORLAND PARK, IL

Hope this all helps.