Moving from Orange County, CA to Chicago, IL. Do you know any good suburbs to live in? (Naperville: homes, schools)

[ToriaT]

I agree some one working in the loop needs to be in a suburb on a train line. The western suburbs have a mix of modern homes and older homes that are updated. I think the north shore has more older homes although they are expensive especially if updated. Wait, they are expensive period. The western suburbs have some really nice areas with nice downtowns as well as good school districts. Places like Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Naperville in no particular order would top my list.

[drss01]

Originally Posted by kb78

I've been struggling to find places that I want to live in when my family and I move to Illinois. My job is going to be based in Chicago so I'd like for my commute to be less than 90 minutes if possible.

My budget is 700k-750k for a home if that helps to narrow down any suburbs at all.

Are there any suburbs North of Chicago that I can afford? All the ones i've looked out seem to be quite expensive... like million dollar homes expensive. lol.

I've also looked at the South Side and so far my favorite is Orland Park. Is there any information you could give me about OP that I can't find online? I'm also quite concerned about property taxes. I really do not want to be taxed out of my home.

Any information you can give me will be great!
Thank you so much~

p.s. schools are of no concern. i don't have any little kids. all of mine are in their 20's.

Really really take a look at Frankfort IL.

For 700-750k u will be able to find a very nice newer custom home, a quaint downtown, excellent park districts. It has a more premium feel then orland and less traffic. It is only 7-8 miles south of the major retail on Lagrange. There are lovely subdivisions with homes from 650-1million that I think would really fit what you are looking for. It is a quality town with quality people.

[drss01]

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Frankfort/1.../home/52834627

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Frankfort/2.../home/23203944

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Frankfort/1.../home/25499160

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Frankfort/8.../home/21766955

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Frankfort/1.../home/17553283

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Frankfort/2.../home/23372132

I would take a look at olde stone Mille subdivision, butternut creek, Abbey woods, lighthouse pointe. There is a lot of new construction going on in the 650-750 range, very nice houses. I'd say rt now the majority of new construction that is taking place is 700s and are custom homes around 4000-5000 sq ft. High end finishes and trim.

Metra
Is available in very nearby money hickory creek station. You will love the downtown area as well. There are homes available there as well.

Prop tax varies on prop, some decent some high, village is in process of reassessing everything, village will reasses UR taxes at village level when u submit UR HUD, don't need to go through county.

[Dormar75]

I am a recent relo from the Northeast. I am pleased with the amount of house I was able to get for my money and my taxes are within the range you are willing to pay. Since schools are NOT a factor then I would say Frankfort is worth a look. If schools were then NO. I do NOT want to debate ...as I know how it can get ‘hairy’ on here. If someone did have school concerns, I would be more then wiling to share my experiences thus far. We are out here in the burbs all right but it that is what you are looking for then its suitable. Any other questions I would be happy to answer.

[psbeck]

Elmhurst, Lombard,Villa Park r great suburbs and have public transportation(train that goes to Chicago.)

[Justabystander]

My family moved from north Orange County, and like you were attracted to Orland Park, because of the similar feel to California (newer subdivisions, nice homes) and the mall and nearby forest preserves. The Southwest train line is much improved, and you get more house for your money than on the north shore or some of the more popular western suburbs; 700k will buy you a nice house in a nice subdivision. Neighboring Palos Park is nice as well, and you should check that out too, also on the train line and a straight shot up LaGrange Road, a quasi highway at that point through the forest preserves to I-55. For your price point, Naperville is also a good choice, if you are looking for a California feel.

There is a bias on this forum against the southwest suburbs, I think more because of ignorance than anything else. When I visit my folks from my house in the western suburbs, I am always amazed how nice the area is down there. If your heart is set on the northern suburbs, I would try Glenview and Northbrook for that price point, newer feel as well, if you don't want to miss California too much, although some northern suburbs I find to be ultra ethnic if you are not into that, although that shouldn't be a problem coming from California.

[chet everett]

I know quite a few folks in the greater S/SW suburbs. I have relatives in Oak Lawn and Joliet, friends in Mokena, Lemont, Homer Glen, Flossmoor, co-workers in Romeoville, Plainfield, Bolingbrook and elsewhere. Each and everyone of them regrets the relative price declines / stagnation they've experienced on their home value. The reasons vary. For some towns there are changing demographics. For others there is just a lack of employment / poor access to transit. For some there has been an exaggerated boom/bust pullback, made worse by the depth of the 2007-8 recession. In many towns the lack of commerce and need for revenue has resulted in truly outsized property tax bills. This is already an utterly unsustainable situation for some towns where very modest homes are facing five figure annual propety taxes to support unremarkable government services.

There is little disagreement that for folks with jobs in the SW suburbs it makes sense to explore options with a short commute. There are some good employers out there, a handful of hospitals, a few well known HQ type situations, some regional office centers, lots of retail. For folks that like the "bang for the buck" of living near the extensive Forest Preserves the area is also worth exploring, but the fiscal crisis of Cook County puts maintenance of the FP District in jeopardy and things might change for the worse. The safety of many SW suburbs is excellent. There are probably more of the chain type and fast food options than in more traditonal areas. Things are more car centric except for the tiny areas near the core of older towns.

Folks should weigh all the pluses and trade-offs. This forum can help dispell any lack of knowledge.

[4122]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If work is in the Loop it makes A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE to give priority to towns with good train service. The line with the largest number of truly efficient express trains is almost certainly the BNSF. As others have said express trains to Downers Grove or Naperville along the BNSF are very efficient and frequent enough to give lots of options. Those towns also have some nicer options for homes with large yards. While many homes will have trditional exterior apperances there are PLENTY of modern updated interiors that should be in your price range.

Second in terms of good rail options is the UP-W line, that serves towns as close as Oak Park and as far as Geneva. Each town should have some modern homes as options in your budget. Express trains from towns like Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, West Chicago and Geneva might work well for the commute.

Prices are generally higher in the North Shore towns, driven by perceived access to Lake Michigan and perceived school quality.

Towns along the UP-NW might also fit your needs, especially towns like Palatine and Barrington that might have good selection of homes with large yards in your price range.


Rail service along the southern / southwest rail lines is not as fast / frequent as other region, the conflicts with freight lines is often cited. That said your money will go farther in those towns. In addition to Orland Park you should probably explore areas like Tinley Park and Frankfort where home prices have been more affordable since the bursting of the real estate bubble in 2008.

Most west suburban towns actually aren't more expensive than the North Shore towns. Elmhurst and La Grange are more expensive than the least expensive North Shore towns like Highland Park. However, Hinsdale is more expensive than Lake Forest and almost as expensive as Glencoe.

[chet everett]

I believe the above poster is mistaken.

Firstly it is impossible to do true "apple to apples" comparisons because the North Shore has the unique metric of "proximity to the Lake front" as a iron clad value yardstick. In contrast the explosion of demand for ever larger homes in Hinsdale means that many builders have resorted to combining smaller lots in the more affordable parts of town to compete with the more estate sized properties that were traditionally located in the town's SE portion. That has resulted in some rather livable homes being torn down to make a giant lot. Of course that said those livable homes do sometimes pop up for sale too --

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Hinsdale/20.../home/18032692

Curiously one can find some bargains in they shop hard enough even in the priciest north shore towns --

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Glencoe/389.../home/13791692

In some towns these do have a different feel --

http://www.redfin.com/IL/Lake-Forest.../home/17664307


Homes like this are still easier to find in Hinsdale, this is confirmed by median prices and number of homes sold.

Hinsdale --
Median List Price $1,089,200 #Sold Homes 49

Lake Forest --
Median List Price $1,119,000 #Sold Homes 47

Glencoe --
Median List Price $1,295,000 #Sold Homes 21

[4122]

I go by price per sq ft.
Lake Forest Home Prices and Home Values - Zillow
Glencoe Home Prices and Home Values - Zillow
Hinsdale Home Prices and Home Values - Zillow

Median list price per sq ft:
Glencoe $382/sq ft
Hinsdale $342/sq ft
Lake Forest $298/sq ft