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Old 09-03-2009, 09:36 AM
 
17 posts, read 53,819 times
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We will be moving to the Chicago area in the next few months and are looking for advice about western suburbs. Price range for house of $400,000-$550,000, husband travels so distance to O'Hare is somewhat of a factor but may become less so depending on what we find! We will have high school and older elementary age children, would like a newer subdivision with kids the same age, possibly with a pool. Not sure if we will do prarochial or public school route yet, but are interested in both.
I've browsed some at St Charles, Geneva, Naperville being closer in, and am curious about Sugar Grove. I've read some posts on here from last year and wonder if anything has changed there with the economy. His office will be in Elgin but he doesn't have to work out of it often.
Any insights would be appreciated! The area is so large it's a bit overwhelming! Thank you in advance.
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Old 09-03-2009, 10:00 AM
 
Location: Will County
179 posts, read 483,448 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kaps1121 View Post
We will be moving to the Chicago area in the next few months and are looking for advice about western suburbs. Price range for house of $400,000-$550,000, husband travels so distance to O'Hare is somewhat of a factor but may become less so depending on what we find! We will have high school and older elementary age children, would like a newer subdivision with kids the same age, possibly with a pool. Not sure if we will do prarochial or public school route yet, but are interested in both.
I've browsed some at St Charles, Geneva, Naperville being closer in, and am curious about Sugar Grove. I've read some posts on here from last year and wonder if anything has changed there with the economy. His office will be in Elgin but he doesn't have to work out of it often.
Any insights would be appreciated! The area is so large it's a bit overwhelming! Thank you in advance.
Welcome to the area and Illinois! Just a consideration ... but anything south along the I-355 corridor would be an extremely beneficial move as I-355 hooks-up to so many other major highways. Great communities are easily traveled to and offer great options for housing and schools for your family. You already mentioned Naperville, but further south you will find the communities of the Lincoln-Way High School district (New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Manhattan) .. all of which have great housing within your price point. This area is going to be served by a new hospital location off of this highway too, which is always a concern when you have family. Can't say enough about the school districts involved in this area. All very well run and rated highly. Grew up and lived in the area my entire life and would recommend it highly as a very beneficial place to raise kids. If I can answer any questions or assist in any way, please write. Best of luck to you in your move and your decision-making! Gene
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Old 09-03-2009, 10:40 AM
 
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Respectfully, to suggest to some one with an office in ELGIN and frequent need to get to O'Hare to be told that towns like Mokena and Frankfort even exist is a massive DISSERVICE. Of course there are some lovely homes there, much of it well built new construction, but the reason a third airport is still on the drawing boards for the region is that it is INCONVENIENT to O'Hare and the employment centers of the North / NW section of Chicagoland...

Sugar Grove is part of the semi-fring SW region that is currently suffering from a deadly combination of over building and high taxes in many sections -- this is the curse that comes along with the "snap back" of hyper fueled growth, now is not a good time to be selling or buying in the areas with much uncertainity as to the short term direction of prices or taxes.

Other towns that are more mature are a better option in these economic conditions, as the value in these towns are holding up much better and the needs for new schools and the other things that tend to hyper-escalate property taxes are much more modest.

For travel to O'Hare it is probably best to be located somewhat near the major expressway corridors, ideally 90/290 or 294, unfortunately newer subdivisions in that corridor are both rare and quite pricey, as many towns developed with traditional grid style layout, not the closed off developer style subdivision.

With a price range that tops out at $500K the luxury end of the the Chicago region is not going to be in reach, but there are still lots of nice areas to consider. Due to our climate and the dominance of Park Districts there is limited appeal for pools owned by HOA, though in any desirable area with good schools there is no lack of activities for children.

Parochialschools are an option in some towns, but the value proposition is tough in towns where high property taxes support very good public schools and the "boom" areas tend not to have developed with parochial schools unless there was also an original "core" farming community...

Basically the OP is going to have to compromise on several things in their price range --

entirely possible to go further out and get a new subdivision, odds are that property taxes would be higher and availability of quality school options will be more limitied

equally possible to find a more mature suburb that is closer in and has well established / high performing schools

will be hard to find anything with a HOA type pool, and costs will be quite high due to short season and liability costs

will be trade off to remain in a reasonable distance of Elgin and O'Hare and find something new
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Old 09-03-2009, 12:16 PM
 
Location: The Hall of Justice
25,901 posts, read 42,536,124 times
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Winding Creek is a very nice subdivision in Naperville, close to good schools, with homes in your price ranges.

204 BAILEY RD, NAPERVILLE IL 60565 | LISTING# 07224968

I wouldn't live on Bailey right now, though, due to increased traffic from nearby construction. The link above is just to show what the houses are like. They are larger homes, still with a good size lot, more than the Old Farm subdivision immediately south. I think Old Farm is newer. Both neighborhoods are quite nice.

There's quite a long waiting list to get a pool membership (several years, I'm told), but you might be able to find a seller who already has membership. I think they can sell it to you with the house.
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Old 09-03-2009, 12:37 PM
 
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Thanks for your responses. We will have to continue to research and this forum is so great for that. A pool isn't a necessity but thought it would be a good aspect for meeting new kids. Looks like Frankfort and such are a bit south of where we were thinknig and there are quite a few new homes for sale which concerns me. I am leaning towards Geneva and St Charles since there are a lot of families like us and the publci schools are good as well as catholic schools options.
If anyone is familiar with Sugar Grove, do many kids go to school in the district or some I think go to parochial in either Aurora or Elgin? There are some gorgeous homes out there. We are used to driving into the Eastside of Seattle to Bellevue area for large shopping, malls, etc.
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Old 09-03-2009, 01:52 PM
 
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If parochial schools (I grew up in Seattle and went to Holy Family in Kirkland many decades ago) are an option, then the entire Chicago area will feel like a candy store. There are tons of catholic schools everywhere (but no independent private schools whatsoever). I agree with everything Chet said.

A few random thoughts: The western burbs of Chicago are very different from the "eastside" of Seattle (Bellevue, etc.) I recommend paying very close attention to the property taxes of every house individually as you search - they vary substantially throughout the Chicago suburbs. If you live in Bellevue you live near one or two of the top rated high schools in the nation and Geneva and St. Charles are not in that league. Naperville Central (public), Hinsdale Central (public), and Benet Academy (Roman Catholic) are the top ranked high schools (academically) in the western suburbs. There are some even better (arguably) ones but not in the area(s) you've asked about. If a commute to Elgin and O'Hare is involved, then pay extra close attention to what Chet said!!!
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Old 09-03-2009, 04:29 PM
 
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There are some independent schools -- in the western suburbs Avery Coonley is right in the heart of Downers Grove and attracts families from throughout the area.

The Fox River Valley has at least two non-religous private schools:

Elgin Academy | Home
Fox River Country Day School | Chicago Junior School (http://www.frcds.org/default.asp - broken link)

To the east there are few independent schools too:

Quest Academy
Science & Arts Academy, gifted PS-8 education for Chicago, Chicago suburbs, Chicagoland


Lake Forest, Evanston and Chicago have about a dozen or more independant schools...
ISACS (http://www.isacs.org/resources/schools/default.asp?action=search&from=resource - broken link)
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Old 09-03-2009, 10:06 PM
 
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A newer subdivision with a cap of 550K won't happen in Hinsdale Central - the part of town zoned for HC in our town doesn't even have a teardown home in that price range. So while it is a very high achieving, top ranked school, the reality is that you won't find a new subdivision in your price point and you might see one or two bargain resales in one of the newer subdivision in Westmont off 59th zoned for Hinsdale Central. Benet is about 10K a year and is cheap compared to other catholic high schools given their track record - last year over 1/3 of the class scored over a 30 on their ACT hence their average blows away every non-magnet public school in the state. But many of the areas in the boundaries of this school are also not super new in your price range. The section of Naperville where you will find newer executive type homes with the pool communities is further south off 59 and 95th, not right off of I-88. The commute to O'Hare will not be pretty.
I think you have probably targeted the right area with Geneva and St. Charles for both your commute and the type of home you want. While these schools never rank as high as Hinsdale Central or Naperville Central/North, they are some of the very best schools your money can buy given the commute to O'Hare/Elgin and your desire for a newer home. Just make sure you visit the schools first. Given your wish for a newer home in a newer subdivision and your price range most of the northwest suburbs close to O'Hare are out of the price range too in case someone suggest you go closer in so if you won't be happy in a 70's or 80's home you should stick to your initial research and concentrate on the newer sections of Geneva and St. Charles. You will find quite a large selection off Randall. It is my experience that you get a more custom home in St. Charles but both communities offer many homes that fit your criteria in your price range. I especially like a couple of the bargains right now in one of the newer pool communities west of Randall and North Ave. St. Charles is a bit further north and the way traffic can back of on Randall that might be factor. Good Luck, there's lots of great homes out there in that area.
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Old 09-04-2009, 09:49 AM
 
17 posts, read 53,819 times
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Thank you all for your help. This helps so much with a "gut check". We are very spoiled now with a newer home, great community, elementary school in the neighborhood, and not bad commute to Seatac. Parochial schools are where we went as children in the midwest so that's why we're exploring that option. Compared to Seattle they are more affordable in Chicago area but from what I've researched about the public schools in the areas I mentioned, it looks like they're good. I worry about sheer size coming in as a new sophomore.
I'm not totally against a vintage home closer in. In 3 years we will only have one child at home and now that we're closer to family geographically, we won't have extended company coming. To open a new can of worms, which suburbs closer in would fit that description~ Elmhurst, wheaton, etc? Of course we would ideally want a n older home wit hnot much remodeling necessary! I know, go for the moon!
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Old 09-04-2009, 02:31 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 84,914,994 times
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The older homes that are nice and "ready to go" remain somewhat pricey and a bit scarce in pretty much any desirable town along the Metra.

You are going to have a tough time comparing apples to apples as those kind of houses are less and less common too -- I would say that IN GENERAL Wheaton and Elmhusrt and very close in price for a SIMILAR kind of house, though both towns are MUCH bigger than just their older core -- the farther you get from the core of Wheaton the closer you are to Naperville or Glen Ellyn, which trend a bit higher in their core area. The exception would be moving to the northern reach of Wheaton, where you get closer to Glendale Hghts / Carol Stream, which are lower priced.

In Elmhurst as you get farther from the core you are moving toward a variety of towns that, except for Oak Brook, trend lower. Bensenville, VillaPark, Addision, Berkley, Northlake, Hillside are all a big step down from Elmhurst.

The net effect is that there are some definate drops in Elmhurts by section, while Wheaton's values are not as stratified.

Staying within your budget will be a challenge even in an older neighborhood too, as the folks selling homes that are "fixed up" can demand quite a premium -- the places that need the most updating are the best deals -- not sure if that is really feasible with a relocation situation...
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