Best subdivision in Schererville for kids ($250-300,000) range (Indianapolis, Munster: condo, crime) - Northwest Indiana - (IN) - City-Data Forum

tvmartin42 · 08-28-2012, 09:52 PM

Hey there,

My husband and I are currently in a small 1940's Cape Cod in Munster. Very charming, but.....we're having another baby and we're tired of all the charming fun that comes with owning a cramped, poorly-laid-out, old, old house. And there are almost NO little children her age around, and they just don't seem to be coming anytime soon.

We love Munster, but we'd like a newer home than I think we can afford here. We're not locked into new construction, because I like a neighborhood that's a bit more established. We've looked around a bit, and it seems like Foxwood Estates is gorgeous. Anyone have experience there? Is is it a good area? Lots of little kids? We want someplace with kids for her to play with, with the nicest 4-bedroom we can afford ($280 or so is about the tops for us to finance).

Anyone know how things are going in Foxwood? Are the houses still in good shape? Resale problems? Any other thoughts about a good subdivision in Schererville for little kids?

svillechris · 08-28-2012, 10:31 PM

Woah, if this post wasn't lined up for me to answer I don't know what would be. I have firsthand knowledge of Foxwood Estates if you know what I'm saying. To answer your question, I truly think you'd be happy in either of the Foxwoods (north or south). As far as I know, most houses were built in the early 90s, so it's still newer type construction but it's not cookie cutter homes built in the middle of a cornfield either, it's got some character. The bike path also goes right through Foxwoods and that's always busy on the nice weather days and a lot of people take detours and run in the subdivision, presumably for the nice scenery.

There are multiple parks in both North and South and I see kids playing on the playground and people playing tennis almost every time I drive by. It seems like there are kids galore to be honest. It may be an exception, but I can say of the 8 houses on my street, 5 families have young kids and two others are married couples in their 20s and will have kids soon.

There's never been any worry of crime here and often times you'd see a 5 year old girl riding her bike around, it's still that kind of neighborhood. I'd say 95% of homes are upkept well, with the inevitable occasional house that you'd just love to go mow the lawn or pull weeds at, but you'll have that anywhere.

Another subdivision you may also want to look into is Autumn Creek, which is just west across Burr on 75th. That's a very nice subdivision as well in my opinion with most houses in the $300-350k range but you could probably still get a good deal on a home for under 300k there.

If you have any other questions I'd be happy to help.

rrah · 08-30-2012, 08:12 AM

Two of my family members live(d) in Autumn Creek. One moved in when the neighborhood was brand new. The other currently live there. It's always struck me as a typical suburban type neighborhood with lots of kids, etc.

SoHoVe · 09-17-2012, 11:57 AM

Yes, Foxwood is very nice and the homes are well maintained...probably one of the nicest subdivisions in the area imho.

Mads912 · 11-06-2012, 03:02 PM

Hi - Sorry to hijack this thread but was wondering if either of the responders had any additional suggestions for neighborhoods closer to the IL border? My husband and I are in the process of selling our condo and moving to Schererville/St.John area. I grew up in Schererville but have lived in Chicago for over 10 years. I'm a little out of the loop as to where younger families have settled. Any ideas? I know you mentioned Foxwood but my husband works out by Midway and would like to be closer to 355 and Foxwood might be a little further than he would like. I appreciate any feedback!

Northwest Indiana · 11-06-2012, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mads912

Hi - Sorry to hijack this thread but was wondering if either of the responders had any additional suggestions for neighborhoods closer to the IL border? My husband and I are in the process of selling our condo and moving to Schererville/St.John area. I grew up in Schererville but have lived in Chicago for over 10 years. I'm a little out of the loop as to where younger families have settled. Any ideas? I know you mentioned Foxwood but my husband works out by Midway and would like to be closer to 355 and Foxwood might be a little further than he would like. I appreciate any feedback!

Tons of younger families in Dyer and Saint John. However, in Saint John, it appears that most of the younger families reside east of US 41 due to the larger inventory of newer housing in the $250,000-300,000 range, which seems like a sweet spot for that area (although I am not an expert). The west side of town is closer to the IL border, but most of the homes that are newer are much more expensive and more dispersed throughout that area than on the east side where newer home neighborhoods are more concentrated.
With Dyer, many many young families have settled in the newer neighborhoods north of Rt. 30 (e.g., Village Circle, Hearthstone, Rockwell) and also in Schererville in places such as Estates of Auburn Meadows (adjacent to Hearthstone). More upscale offerings in Dyer can be found south of 30 and will be newer. There are also more upscale options that can be found in Briar Ridge for actually a very good price if older. The newer options in Dyer in Briar Ridge will be pretty expensive and less younger families. What is your price point (if you don't mind sharing)? We are glad to help!

Mads912 · 11-06-2012, 10:19 PM

Hi,

Thanks for your help! Sorry I meant 394 too not 355! We're looking in the range of $250-$300. That seems to be a pretty common budget! I'll have to check out some of these neighborhoods you listed above. I can't believe how much growth the whole area has experienced in the last 10 years. Any further suggestions would be most appreciated!

Northwest Indiana · 11-06-2012, 11:27 PM

You are welcome! Also, check out the Tara subdivision in Schererville. It is a new subdivision on the southwest corner of 77th Ave and Patterson St or Saratoga which is on the opposite side of Patterson St. Both have homes well within your range and while they may appear tucked away, they are very convenient to Rt. 30 and 394!

svillechris · 11-07-2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mads912

Hi - Sorry to hijack this thread but was wondering if either of the responders had any additional suggestions for neighborhoods closer to the IL border? My husband and I are in the process of selling our condo and moving to Schererville/St.John area. I grew up in Schererville but have lived in Chicago for over 10 years. I'm a little out of the loop as to where younger families have settled. Any ideas? I know you mentioned Foxwood but my husband works out by Midway and would like to be closer to 355 and Foxwood might be a little further than he would like. I appreciate any feedback!

Honestly, I think any place you see newer construction you will also see a lot of younger families. It would be hard for me to pinpoint a few geographical parts of the tri-town area as more filled with younger families because I don't have any data to support that. But, I do think there's a correlation between younger families and newer construction subdivisions (built within the last 15 years or so). I walked door-to-door all around the tri-town area for months supporting the Lake Central referendum and so I got a good vibe talking with people and seeing what kinds of families live where. For example, the Bramblewood subdivision of St. John was VERY supportive of the school referendum and almost everyone I talked to in that subdivision had younger children. That subdivision is just south of 93rd, and it's the 2nd subdivision east of Calumet Avenue. I'm not sure that you'd be able to find many housing options there under $300,0000, but that's a great subdivision. Same goes for Schilton Hills and Renaissance subdivisions in St. John. Out of the three towns of Dyer, Schererville, and St. John, the only area that I would venture to say there are significantly fewer younger families than the rest is north Dyer with the exceptions of the Dyer subdivisions 'Northwest Indiana' pointed out. These are generally older homes in the $175k-200k range. Dyer south of Rt. 30 has a lot of newer construction and a lot of younger families. Of course, there are exceptions to all of these but these have been my broad views of the area.

tvmartin42 · 11-07-2012, 08:35 AM

I'm interested in all of this, too! My husband - bless his poor heart - works at Lincoln Park Zoo so we were hoping to be close to 355, too. And we drove around Dyer south of 30 to look at all those new construction. They're LOVELY, but one thing to know is that much past 73rd it gets really rural, really fast. A few of those developments had the feel of houses that played hide and seek and got stuck in a cornfield. Some people love that, so if that's what you're looking for, you're all set! It's not to our particular taste, though. Retail seems pretty far away: easy access to the 30/Indianapolis shopping corridors is impt to us.

Anyone have any thoughts on how Dyer south of 30 might develop? Do you think the rural vibe will decrease, more retail will come in? Or is that section of Dyer committed to maintaining that rural feel?