Gurnee vs. Grayslake

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by jmax

Could posters suggest other towns in the area that are family friendly, resonable taxes, good schools, safe, etc... My wife has a job opportunity in Grayslake, and I would like to look at RE listings to get a sense of the market. I've looked in Gurnee, libertyville, and Grayslake at houses in the 300 - 350 range.

If you don't mind a 35-50 minute commute, look in Arlington Heights, Mt. Prospect. Also Buffalo Grove or Vernon Hills which would be about 20-40 minute commute.

[jmax]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I think you are going to have pretty slim pickins' in your price range in Libertyville, even the other towns are not exactly bargains.

If the job is in Grayslake it is not unreasonable to commute from points further west or north -- granted if you truly want good schools that will be the toughest thing to find w/o having a really long commute at that price point.

My personal recommendation would be to concentrate on the very best town in terms of school quality and shop like mad for the house with the most 'potential' -- fixer upppers are far and away the fastest way to build equity. You may be surprised how enjoyable to get a bargain and improve it over time...

Good Luck!

Thanks. Yes, the listings from Libertyville were few and not that great. I was impressed with the houses in Grayslake and Gurnee - at least compared to where we live now (Long Island). It makes me worry that I am missing something...

Is there a website that will rank or supply information on the best schools in the area?

[chet everett]

You have hit the nail on the head -- your housing dollar in Illinois will not go farther than Long Island if you desire school as least as good as those you'll be leaving behind.

The surest correlation for academic success comes with parental income and the spending curve in this region is very similarly warped by the ability of successful parents to spend more on housing than those with less resources.

I have been a teacher and real estate professional so I appreciate both sides of the equation. The rankings of the US News are very useful for high schools and generally the feeder elementary schools correlate very closely in performance. The relatively weak tests that Illinois uses to meet NCLB standards makes it a chore to shift through the rankings of the elementary schools and the distortions caused by the heavy emphasis on selective enrollment by the Chicago Public Schools to try and give brighter childern better alternatives makes the general Illinois Interactive Report Card site a bit of necesity in verifying information for elementary districts.

Interactive Illinois Report Card

Best High Schools Search - US News and World Report

Good Luck!