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I am considering to buy a $400k home in Hinsdale. I am a middle class person & spend as such. I am afraid when my kid goes to school, he would be out of place because we wouldn't be doing the same things as most of the families in Hinsdale would do in terms of spending.
I want my Kid to get the best possible education & Hinsdale schools would fit the bill but wouldn't want him to feel like a social outcast. anyone has any experience about the school atmosphere in Hinsdale?
First I think that as long you could live pretty much the same life spending your $400k in another town where that sum is closer to the median (like Arlington Heights ...) than you will almost certainly be better off from a purely financial sense in Hinsdale as it is likely your property tax will be lower.
And by 'pretty much the same life' I mean "normal family expenses" -- kids get an allowance, you take an occaisional family vacation, you buy a new car every once in a great while, you get tickets to a sporting event or live theatre for a night out on somekind of schedule (quarterly or biannually, not like the whole season)... I have no idea if that is "middle class" but it is pretty common in the western suburbs and that is a huge plus for convenience.
Honestly the average kid in Hinsdale dresses in pretty much the same "uniform" as kids in any other town -- jeans, random tee shirt, atheletic shoes, backpack for some sporting goods company...
The average family might have kids play AYSO soccer, which is dirt cheap and coached by volunteer moms & dads from kindergarten through middle school. Some kids may play travel soccer or play at high school, neither of which are budget busting. Tiny tiny number kids play something like golf, which ain't cheap anywhere, and frakly is so time consuming that unless grandparents retired early their aren't any family members to justfify club membership...
Are there folks living in houses that are 10x your budget? Yes. Are they common? ABSOLUTELY NOT. And even among those that do own pricey homes the great majority of them are living a pretty NORMAL life. Odds are their decision to buy a pricey home in a compact walkable town instead of a gated enclave was a conscious decision to have neighbors that come from all walks of life -- NOT be surrounded exclusively sport's stars, heads of industries or local celebrities... (though there are somee of those in Hinsdale too it ain't the reason to live there)
I would also caution that you better be darned sure the $400k house is everything you can handle too -- if it is being sold as "land value" and the seller won't even entertain an pre-sale inspection then you better be prepared to just about rebuild the place -- roof is probably shot, likely has structural issues, almost certainly needs all new plumbing / HVAC / electric... If the lot or home is exceptionally small please investigate if there are restrictions on what can be done to increase its size -- Hinsdale's P&Z board is not likely to roll over to requests for exceptions to its rules which are notoriously stringent and have sort of encouraged tear down over repair...
Finally my own kids went through the D181 schools and as a former teacher I know much of the staff is first rate. That said I can say the same thing of staff in many other districts where you almost certainly will get more house for the same money (note those towns might be even more expensive on taxes, and likely are not as convenient to jobs in the Loop nor do the towns have quite as much charm...) but please don't think there is some kind of special magic. I recommend folks buy the most affordable house in the nicest town for a whole variety of reasons but even I am not blind to fact that the biggest reason that D181 (and other affluent areas) score so consistently well on state mandated tests is because such a high percentage of children that are exceptionally well prepared for such success by thier high achieving parents...
I noticed your location says "Westmont" and I have many friends that live there and very happy with their decision. If you have a home that you love and it is worth $400k it is almost certainly much larger / newer than anything in Hinsdale or Clarendon Hill of a similar price. The biggest difference would be schools and I would have a hard time saying that it is a certainity that moving is the right way to addres this. I know teachers that work for the Westmont schools and they are doing a good job with most of the well prepared students at the elementary level. Things at the Middle school are improving rapidly and even the high school is looking up... Of course the time frame for improvement vs age of your children is a very personal decision but I would not 'suffer' cramming into an inadequate home...
Quote:
Originally Posted by bangaru
I am considering to buy a $400k home in Hinsdale. I am a middle class person & spend as such. I am afraid when my kid goes to school, he would be out of place because we wouldn't be doing the same things as most of the families in Hinsdale would do in terms of spending.
I want my Kid to get the best possible education & Hinsdale schools would fit the bill but wouldn't want him to feel like a social outcast. anyone has any experience about the school atmosphere in Hinsdale?
Am I over thinking this too much?
Last edited by chet everett; 01-23-2013 at 04:09 PM..
I would look at other burbs on your budget. Possibly Clarendon Hills might get you a small house, but Hinsdale it would most likely be a tear down. Hinsdale does not scream middle class. I guess my category would be upper middle class and I live out in Geneva. I live below my means and we have great schools out here.
My only advice is look at reality. There are those I know who live in Hinsdale who are jealous of those who can afford the North Shore and the schools there. The North Shore is nice for the midwest, but not on the level of the Hamptons, Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, etc. What I am trying to say is there will always be someone or something better in regards to everything.
For the state of IL, Hinsdale school district is probably Top 5 or so. There are 40-50 suburbs that offer amazing schools where your children can get everything they could get at a Hinsdale or North shore burb, but you would not be living in a box or stretching your budget.
And my own thoughts are the parents have just as big of an influence as teachers do. But again, just my own personal opinion. Good luck!
I would look somewhere else. The schools are good in Hinsdale quite simply because kids of extremely wealthy and typically bright parents attend that school. Also, if your child will be going on to college, they will be competing against not only some of the brightest kids in the state, but also whose parents can afford private tutors in every subject, including SAT tutors. Not sure if they still do class rankings, but that could be problematic.
There are other very good schools in places more within your budget (i.e. Naperville, St. Charles, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove--North) to name a few.
I understand that there are some things that might come with the territory of living in a place like Hinsdale as some people mention above (e.g., use/overuse? of tutors), and don't get me wrong -- these things concern me, too. But aside from the affordability factor, the OP wants the best schools for his children, and he really wants to know what the atmosphere and social/learning climate is going to be like. I'm not sure that there really are "40 or 50 suburbs that offer 'amazing' schools" as was posted upthread. There are other Hinsdale posts I've read on city-data, and the OP is certainly not alone in seeking out Hinsdale specifically for its schools. Other than Chet, I'm not sure that any of the prior posters even live in Hinsdale or have first-hand familiarity with its schools.
For the OP's sake -- and for the benefit of others on this forum-- I think it makes sense to hear from actual insiders -- Hinsdale parents with kids who are currently in or who went through any part of the school system and why it seemed so strong -- or not -- as the case may be-- and what the social atmosphere/dynamics were like. Thanks.
As a Hinsdale resident and parent of 2 children, I can safely say that you're overthinking this. Your children will not be seen as social lepers because mommy and daddy don't spend the weekends yachting or vacationing in New Buffalo.
I cannot believe that people here are actually dissuading you from moving to Hinsdale and being able to put your kids in some of the best schools in the state (particularly when you can afford doing so) based on nothing but misplaced perceptions. I'm telling you first hand, you can take their advice with a grain of salt.
I have family that live in both Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills for 20 years. And yes I do believe that if you are in the Top 30-40 schools in the entire state, that that is a very very good school! How many schools are in the state of IL? Do the math. Still in theTop 1% in your school is ranked 20th or so.
Hinsdale is not middle class for the Chicago area and probably the wealthiest area in the western burbs. 400K in todays market right now can get you a great home and a great school district in another burb.
In Hinsdale probably an outdated old "as is" home, more than likely a tear down property.
I live in Hinsdale, and have yet to meet anyone who is "jealous" of the north shore, since both are comparable. Why are you trying to talk this person out of Hinsdale? The top 40 or 50 school districts are not comparable, in my opinion; Hinsdale schools delivers consistently on a great education in a safe enviornment. Drive around Hinsdale, and it is actually in many areas understated, no yachts parked in driveways, modest size lots, etc. People move here for two things; location and schools. Geneva completely lacks location, and has OK schools, which might be fine for you, but maybe not for others; in my opinion, Geneva does not "scream" middle class, and is visibly not too different than Hinsdale as far as homes or feel. Throwing in Beverly Hills or the Hamptons in your post sounds outright snobbish, BTW.
Quote:
Originally Posted by westburbsil
I would look at other burbs on your budget. Possibly Clarendon Hills might get you a small house, but Hinsdale it would most likely be a tear down. Hinsdale does not scream middle class. I guess my category would be upper middle class and I live out in Geneva. I live below my means and we have great schools out here.
My only advice is look at reality. There are those I know who live in Hinsdale who are jealous of those who can afford the North Shore and the schools there. The North Shore is nice for the midwest, but not on the level of the Hamptons, Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, etc. What I am trying to say is there will always be someone or something better in regards to everything.
For the state of IL, Hinsdale school district is probably Top 5 or so. There are 40-50 suburbs that offer amazing schools where your children can get everything they could get at a Hinsdale or North shore burb, but you would not be living in a box or stretching your budget.
And my own thoughts are the parents have just as big of an influence as teachers do. But again, just my own personal opinion. Good luck!
Thanks for all the feedback. Helps out a lot. I am currently renting in Westmont. When buying a home, Schools are a #1 concern for me. My 3 year old son is a second generation American (U.S.born child of foreign-born parents) - I want to help make sure he assimilates well and balances the values taught at home in the process. I think the Schools & social fabric at school plays a huge part in this. I don't know for sure though, since I never went to school here. Ideally I will want him to explore Music & Arts not just Math & Science (I can dream, right) so a good balanced school system is very important to us.
Based on feedback from my Realtor, co-workers & friends and also visiting the schools - I came to the conclusion that Hinsdale would be the best possible SD where I can afford a decent home. I would be happy to live in Westmont, Darien, Clarendon Hills or Downers grove, if the schools were equal. I like all those suburbs.
I am not looking for a run-down place just for the sake of schools either. I am considering only TH or SFH that are built after 1990 and are at least 2000 sq.ft large with 3 beds & a basement. I think that is more than enough for the 3 of us for the next 10-15 years. If I have to upgrade to a larger home in say 5-7 years, then thats something I will have to consider at that time.
Again thanks for sharing your thoughts. Keep them coming.
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You are likely overthinking this...
