Unincorporated Clarendon Hills/Hinsdale (Chicago, Downers Grove: real estate, HOA, homes)

[sbking]

Can anyone provide me with a list of Pros/Cons and things we should be aware of when purchasing a home in unincorporated Clarendon Hills/Hinsdale? I have read some reviews about these areas being neglected, etc. when it comes to town affairs. My wife and I really like the overall locale in relation to the city and have seen some homes on a half acre + for a very reasonable price which would suit us as space is important. That said we are not as interested if there is a lot of turmoil surrounding these areas (threats of redistricting, limited resources available to these areas, etc.). We also prefer Dupage over Cook county and our budget is only 300K for a home.

[chet everett]

You already mentioned price and the discount one gets by being outside the limits of local goverenment means that there is one less taxing body on your property tax bill, so the annual cost is lower too. Of course that discount is not huge and it also means you likely will have to rely on DuPage Co sherif's police for law enforcement matters (which is still pretty good), one of the combined fire protection districts (which are just as good, maybe better than any one town), shared library disrrict(a wash) and maybe go without a park district (which if you have big lot / are close to forest preserve / don't mind a little longer drive to Little Leaque is a fair trade off).

The biggest negative is that in the majority of the unincorporated situations you are trading down from a really really desirable top rated school district at the elementary level and one of the premier high school attendance areas (Hinsdale Central) for schools that are not as highly rated. Obviously if you don't have kids this no loss at all in terms of service BUT it does reflect the overal desirability / value. In reality the neighboring districts are more than acceptable for most folks, especially in comparison to CPS, but their are real differences in performance and the total mix of students...

Other trade-offs are worse access to commuter trains, worse response time for snow plows, potential issues with water service (lots of private wells, but some town do sell water to the unincorporated areas), and generally a less developed feel (sidewalks, no town center, maybe rely on impromptu HOA instead Village for things like festivals and block parties...)

If you shop carefully and understand the trade-offs the unincorporated areas still put in a really decent position relative to Chicago and the regional employment centers.

[sbking]

Thanks for the feedback Chet. It appears some of the homes south of 55th are actually in incorporated CH (not sure about Hinsdale) based on a boundary map and in Hinsdale Central district. Have you heard of anyone from these areas sending their children to the 181 schools? Looks like district 60 for elementary and middle schools. Seems like if you are paying the incorporated CH taxes, etc. then all services should be available especially if the services are used for schools (police, etc.). Not sure who funds the building of new schools either but if you are paying taxes to fund new schools seems like you should have the option of attending the school.

[chet everett]

While parts of D86 definitely do cover the portions of Claredon Hills south of 55th St there is no portion of D181 in Clarendon Hills south of D181. The kids in that area may attend Hinsdale Central but they'd attend the Maerecker District. It is certainly a solid option but not as desirable as D181. The reasons that one schools district is more desirable than another are not just about performance -- the uniformity of performance is a factor, as are the the sorts of things like being able to walk to the neighborhood based elementary schools vs relying on buses, the relative size and even things like the mix of homes around the schools. What is better for you may not be better for everyone. Illinois Interactive Report Card

[sbking]

Well - we bought in Clarendon Hills so we will be moving. One question I have is when they say 'inside the village limits' is this everything North of 55th street? Not sure what is meant by this statement but I am hoping in this particular case that I am not in the village.

Thanks for the input Chet.

[chet everett]

The legal property description and copies of the real estate tax bills should be available to any potential purchaser. The information is readily available via search at the online Downers Grove Township Assessor's site as well as the DuPage Co. offices for the Recorder.

CONGRATULATIONS!