Suggest a Suburb for Safety, Schools & Downtown Commute? (Chicago: low income, sales)

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by ConcreteRooster

OP here. On further analysis, budget is higher than originally stated. We can do right up to the $1mm mark. For example, we toured this house in DG, and found it to be essentially perfect: 1/2 mile to Belmont station (comfortable 10 minute walk), big yard, new construction, floor plan we love, in our price range, lovely neighborhood. Only problem is we didn't think we'd find the right location this soon, so weren't planning on moving until next summer. And even if I offered full asking price right now, closing typically takes 30-45 days, so then we're changing our kids' school after only a couple weeks, and we really don't want to do that.

Based on the comments above, I looked at the Wheaton Metra schedule, and it's just not as attractive (to me) as DG. That express from DG to Union Station is 27 minutes nonstop, and runs every 20 minutes in the morning from 7:00am to 8:00am. Add five minutes from the Belmont station. (And the extra five minutes from Belmont is a worthy trade due to the underground tunnels below the tracks. Coming from north of the tracks I have to cross them to catch in the inbound train. For the times when I'm running one minute late, crossing the tracks is out of the question---unless there's a tunnel!) Not saying we're writing Wheaton off, but on the surface, the commute makes it less appealing.

If you shop a little closer to the station in Wheaton, it starts to make sense.

The 7a-8a trains (4 total) from Belmont average 32 min. A home .50 mi from the station (like Woodward) adds 10 min of walking (assuming 20min/mi pace). That's 42 min inbound. The same math applied the other way at 5p-6p, gives 27 min train + 10 min walk = 37 min outbound.

The 7a-8a trains (4 total) from Wheaton average 43 min. A home .25 mi from the station (like this home) adds 5 min of walking (assuming 20min/mi pace). That's 48 min inbound. The same math applied the other way at 5p-6p, gives 40 min train + 5 min walk = 45 min outbound.

Inbound
Belmont (.50 mi from station): 42 min
Wheaton (.25 mi from station): 48 min
Difference? -6 min

Outbound
Belmont (.50 mi from station): 37 min
Wheaton (.25 mi from station): 45 min
Difference? -8 min

Lose 14 min/day, but gain walking-distance to 1.) vibrant downtown district 2.) nationally ranked library 3.) public pool 4.) nature preserve 5.) 69-acre Northside Park and playground and 6.) hub for all three Prairie Path stems. You've got to go out 1++ miles from Woodward to find comparable amenities. Even the elementary school is 1+ miles away! Add in the fact that the Wheaton elementary school scores as the 9th best in the suburbs (99 percentile) versus something like 150th for the Woodward home, and I think Wheaton clearly has the advantage in this example. Case and point, the Wheaton home was only on the market for 15 days, Woodward has been listed for 15 months...

The same math works for Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst, La Grange, Hinsdale, etc. which all have equally impressive schools. I wouldn't settle on any points with your budget. Well, except maybe the "new" requirement.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by My Kind Of Town

Out of my price range but if I had a $1MM budget in the western suburbs, I would take a hard look at the home below. It's a decent walk to downtown Hinsdale (15 minutes) but it's in a fantastic area and only a block from beautiful Robbins Park and Madison Elementary. Open house this Sunday according to Redfin.

https://www.redfin.com/IL/Hinsdale/8.../home/18020686

That's a great example. Travel times (with longer walk) probably even with Belmont... but the above home is also walking-distance (<.75 mi) to parks, elementary school, library, and on a nice evening, Hinsdale's lively downtown district. Same can't be said for Woodward.

[JJski]

Thats a nice one in hinsdale. I would feel safe with 1mm invested here. I would compromise my .5 magic number and go .75 for this one... Just maped it 15 minute walk to nabuki.

[damba]

Nice homes but the detached garage would turn me off at that price point!

Originally Posted by chet everett

- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Clarendon-.../home/17109007

Even in Hinsdale there are some exceptionally well priced newer homes that anyone looking in the $800k+ price category would do well to consider -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Hinsdale/3.../home/14161979

[RJA29]

Regarding Downers Grove and desirability -- the areas near Belmont, north of the tracks (and still in the Pierce Downer district) are just as desirable as anywhere else in the area, especially with the new construction. Bigger lots that most homes by Main Street are a plus.

[chet everett]

I don't deny that there is a whole lot of subjectivity involved in purchases where there are really multiple towns involved. The "decision matrix" that any shopper goes through is shaped by many individual factors -- some folks have biases against areas that have a superior reputation for their schools due to baseless fears against "all the neighbors giving their kids imported cars for their 16th birthday" or some similar nonsense.

Taxes are similarly one of those things despite how ever much data one amasses there are ALWAYS anomalies due to things like a particularly "good deal" that even the assessor is reluctant to bring back to market rates too quickly.

I similarly would suggest that unless folks currently live on a 'border street' the special chatter that parents have about the challenges of such locations are hard to explain. While this is nothing like the radical difference that exists when a town like Oak Park abuts Chicago most crime riddled section of Austin, even the most open minded home owner can't help but feel some twinges over which kids hang out together...

I might suggest that the OP try to invest some time actually riding out or in on a commuter train to see whether h'worth's "guesstimates" of combined train ride and walk hold up, though even then I know, being a daily commuter right now, that there can variations from the scheduled time by the 5-8 minutes that would leave a "margin of error" unanswered.

One factor that too few buyers take advantage of is doing a little 'pretend we live here' exercise. That might involve having a checklist of how many neighbors within X blocks have kids of similar age, which is frankly harder to determine during the summer when some of the most kid packed blocks have significant numbers of families out of town on vacation. What one can still do is not just map out the distance to town but actually time themselves walking / biking / driving to whatever park/ schools / stores / coffee spots / restaurants / spots for a beer that they'd likely utilize. Silly as it may seem I know that folks that have done that decide that the hassles of having to add a few blocks onto too many of those trips makes them re-evaluate trade-offs.

It may even come down to things like running the various options past trusted friends / family / co-workers -- I don't care how "independent minded" anyone considers themselves, if the majority of the feedback they get is not positive it is hard not to be swayed. Similarly, if folks say things like "wow, how are you able to swing THAT" it tends to help reinforce the sort of value argument that is crucial in sealing the deal...

Given that the OP has said that they were initially thinking of getting more serious in January and the start of school, especially in the suburbs, is fast approaching, I would be the last one to encourage any hasty decisions, but maybe it really does make more sense to start with the kids in school where their long term home is likely to be. Of course if the OP does not have current home listed / lease expiring that greatly complicates matters. Ultimately even places that seem like "good deals" are seldom quite as rare as 'emotion' may lead us to believe during the often hectic evaluations that folks find themselves in...

Whatever decision the OP makes is unlikely to be singularly ruinous or life changing. They should feel fortunate that all the towns they are considering have many positives.

[My Kind Of Town]

Originally Posted by JJski

Thats a nice one in hinsdale. I would feel safe with 1mm invested here. I would compromise my .5 magic number and go .75 for this one... Just maped it 15 minute walk to nabuki.

Nabuki, yes! My favorite sushi spot in the western burbs

[4122]

Originally Posted by ConcreteRooster

What makes the other parts of DG more desirable?

The closer in town you are, the more desirable it is. Directly north towards Oakbrook is also one of the most desirable parts

[ConcreteRooster]

Originally Posted by My Kind Of Town

Out of my price range but if I had a $1MM budget in the western suburbs, I would take a hard look at the home below. It's a decent walk to downtown Hinsdale (15 minutes) but it's in a fantastic area and only a block from beautiful Robbins Park and Madison Elementary. Open house this Sunday according to Redfin.

https://www.redfin.com/IL/Hinsdale/8.../home/18020686

I still don't understand why Hinsdale or Claredon Hills is "more desirable". holl1ngsworth gave a nice list of why one might find Wheaton more desirable. And a lot of those items appeal to me (still debating the commute time though).

Compare the Hinsdale house linked above to the DG house on Woodward I linked previously. Hinsdale house:

• Less square footage (2700 vs 3600)
• Smaller lot (66x125 vs 60x200)
• Older (built 2002 vs 2016)
• Fewer bedrooms (3 vs 5)
• Longer walk to the train
• Train ride itself we'll call a wash
• Supposedly better schools but earlier in this thread I thought it was agreed I was "splitting hairs" over Hinsdale vs other burbs
• Lower basement ceiling height (important for me)
• Probably higher taxes

So maybe it's closer to some of the amenities of the town? (Don't say sushi, my wife doesn't like it at all, and I'm lukewarm at best, so that's not selling me. )

It does look really nice in the pics though.

Perhaps the Hinsdale/CH does have more local amenities, such as holl1ngsworth's list for Wheaton. But keep in mind, we're coming from the city, and we take advantage of virtually none of the city's amenities currently. In fact we already drive out to the burbs for a lot of routine shopping. So I can't help but think even the "worst" of these suburbs we're talking about will still be better than what we have now.

[My Kind Of Town]

Originally Posted by ConcreteRooster

I still don't understand why Hinsdale or Claredon Hills is "more desirable". holl1ngsworth gave a nice list of why one might find Wheaton more desirable. And a lot of those items appeal to me (still debating the commute time though).

Compare the Hinsdale house linked above to the DG house on Woodward I linked previously. Hinsdale house:

• Less square footage (2700 vs 3600)
• Smaller lot (66x125 vs 60x200)
• Older (built 2002 vs 2016)
• Fewer bedrooms (3 vs 5)
• Longer walk to the train
• Train ride itself we'll call a wash
• Supposedly better schools but earlier in this thread I thought it was agreed I was "splitting hairs" over Hinsdale vs other burbs
• Lower basement ceiling height (important for me)
• Probably higher taxes

So maybe it's closer to some of the amenities of the town? (Don't say sushi, my wife doesn't like it at all, and I'm lukewarm at best, so that's not selling me. )

It does look really nice in the pics though.

Perhaps the Hinsdale/CH does have more local amenities, such as holl1ngsworth's list for Wheaton. But keep in mind, we're coming from the city, and we take advantage of virtually none of the city's amenities currently. In fact we already drive out to the burbs for a lot of routine shopping. So I can't help but think even the "worst" of these suburbs we're talking about will still be better than what we have now.

Have you spent any time exploring Hinsdale? I think your question regarding desirability will be answered quickly after you spend an hour or two strolling around Robbins Park and the surrounding residential neighborhood. I would suggest attending the open house if you are serious about home buying in the western suburbs at the near $1MM price point. Also, in general, I always suggest buying near the median price point for the area, which is the case for just under $1MM in Hinsdale but not so much for Downers. Never want to have the nicest/most expensive house on the block IMO.