Northern Chicago Suburbs Suggestions for House (Waukegan, Evanston: condo, mortgage, school district)

[amd555]

Hi folks,

So I've lived in West Rogers Park in Chicago for 20 years (I'm 30) and my wife is expecting our first child in July.

We are Ok to live here for another 3-4 years but the goal is to go to the northern burbs by then. I need to be close to West Rogers Park as my mom is getting older is alone.

I need to be near the Metra as I work downtown Chicago. My wife works at Abbott, by Libertyville.

I'm looking at places like Glenview, Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park due to it being somewhere in the middle in terms of commute to downtown.

Further places like Buffalo Grove, Libertyville, etc but I do not want to spend 1hr+ each way on the train. My wife's drive now is 45 min and it seems to be about the same or a bit better .

What do you guys think? Any other places I can add to the mix? Ideally, we want a 3br house, with backyard and a 2 car garage for under 400k.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by amd555

Hi folks,

So I've lived in West Rogers Park in Chicago for 20 years (I'm 30) and my wife is expecting our first child in July.

We are Ok to live here for another 3-4 years but the goal is to go to the northern burbs by then. I need to be close to West Rogers Park as my mom is getting older is alone.

I need to be near the Metra as I work downtown Chicago. My wife works at Abbott, by Libertyville.

I'm looking at places like Glenview, Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park due to it being somewhere in the middle in terms of commute to downtown.

Further places like Buffalo Grove, Libertyville, etc but I do not want to spend 1hr+ each way on the train. My wife's drive now is 45 min and it seems to be about the same or a bit better .

What do you guys think? Any other places I can add to the mix? Ideally, we want a 3br house, with backyard and a 2 car garage for under 400k.

If $400k is a hard ceiling you will likely need to include some more affordable towns -- I am thinking Niles ' Morton Grove / DesPlaines / Mount Prospect are going to have quite a bit more options in your price range, of course if you are specifically shopping for more "fixer-upper" type properties and have the ability to do something like a 203K to get the place up to current standards you can probably find some options in the more costly areas...

[amd555]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If $400k is a hard ceiling you will likely need to include some more affordable towns -- I am thinking Niles ' Morton Grove / DesPlaines / Mount Prospect are going to have quite a bit more options in your price range, of course if you are specifically shopping for more "fixer-upper" type properties and have the ability to do something like a 203K to get the place up to current standards you can probably find some options in the more costly areas...

I've seen some listings that fit our needs on paper, under 400k. 400k is not a hard stop, but I don't want a $3000 mortgage (including property taxes).

I've rules out Des Plaines, Morton Grove, SKokie, Niles due to the school systems being sub par.

Something like this house would work, if it's available in 3 years. I own my condo free and clear now so its not a rush, just as the kid gets ready for school, it would be ideal.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by amd555

I've seen some listings that fit our needs on paper, under 400k. 400k is not a hard stop, but I don't want a $3000 mortgage (including property taxes).

I've rules out Des Plaines, Morton Grove, SKokie, Niles due to the school systems being sub par.

Something like this house would work, if it's available in 3 years. I own my condo free and clear now so its not a rush, just as the kid gets ready for school, it would be ideal.

Des Plaines, Morton Grove, and Skokie don't have sub par schools. They have slightly lower test scores than neighboring towns like Glenview, Northbrook, Wilmette, Park Ridge, etc., but that's mostly attributed to higher levels of English language learners and a more diverse student population as a whole.

As Chet mentioned, you'll be hard pressed to find something for under 400k in any of your top choice towns. You could probably manage to sneak into Glenview south of Glenview Road and west of Waukegan, but don't expect to find a ton of properties listed for under 400k.

Edit: If you do look south in Glenview, be careful you don't accidentally end up in unincoroprated Cook County. The realtor will tell you it's Glenview, but it is not. Those properties are also served by Maine Township High Schools (Maine East). If you're worried about what you'll find at Niles North, Niles West, or Evanston, you'll definitely want to avoid Maine East.

[mr roboto]

There are a lot of under 400k 3+ bedrooms in Glenview, Northbrook and Deerfield based on a very quick Redfin perusal. But I didn't control for school district or 2 car garage.

[amd555]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

There are a lot of under 400k 3+ bedrooms in Glenview, Northbrook and Deerfield based on a very quick Redfin perusal. But I didn't control for school district or 2 car garage.

I've done the redfin reviews. There are a few choices there and I love most of these area. Just wanted to get more ideas. I used to work in Skokie and I know its a good suburb, but I also heard some horror stories about High Schools and gangs moving in from Evanston.

[amd555]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Des Plaines, Morton Grove, and Skokie don't have sub par schools. They have slightly lower test scores than neighboring towns like Glenview, Northbrook, Wilmette, Park Ridge, etc., but that's mostly attributed to higher levels of English language learners and a more diverse student population as a whole.

As Chet mentioned, you'll be hard pressed to find something for under 400k in any of your top choice towns. You could probably manage to sneak into Glenview south of Glenview Road and west of Waukegan, but don't expect to find a ton of properties listed for under 400k.

Thank you for the insight. I love Skokie but I can't live there, the taxes are just as bad as Morton Grove and some of the areas are just too sketchy. I've heard a few horror stories about gangs coming into the area and its just not a big enough upgrade in terms of long term for us.

According to greatschools.org the skokie schools are not bad, just not on par with the Glenview, Highland Park, Deerfield or other suburbs.

In terms of Des Plaines, too hit or miss plus you have the flood zones. Morton Grove, Skokie Schools less gangs but higher property taxes.

[RJA29]

Originally Posted by amd555

According to greatschools.org the skokie schools are not bad, just not on par with the Glenview, Highland Park, Deerfield or other suburbs.

Try to avoid greatschools, when possible, the info isn't as comprehensive as some other sources, like: Illinois Report Card

[amd555]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Des Plaines, Morton Grove, and Skokie don't have sub par schools. They have slightly lower test scores than neighboring towns like Glenview, Northbrook, Wilmette, Park Ridge, etc., but that's mostly attributed to higher levels of English language learners and a more diverse student population as a whole.

As Chet mentioned, you'll be hard pressed to find something for under 400k in any of your top choice towns. You could probably manage to sneak into Glenview south of Glenview Road and west of Waukegan, but don't expect to find a ton of properties listed for under 400k.

Edit: If you do look south in Glenview, be careful you don't accidentally end up in unincoroprated Cook County. The realtor will tell you it's Glenview, but it is not. Those properties are also served by Maine Township High Schools (Maine East). If you're worried about what you'll find at Niles North, Niles West, or Evanston, you'll definitely want to avoid Maine East.

Good point about Maine East. I've been using Redfin to watch for that

[amd555]

Originally Posted by RJA29

Try to avoid greatschools, when possible, the info isn't as comprehensive as some other sources, like: Illinois Report Card

Great insight, Thank you