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Old 09-01-2015, 11:38 AM
 
5 posts, read 6,773 times
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I got a job in Lake Forest (currently live down state) and am looking for a place to live. My husband hasn't found a job yet, but is looking in the Lake Forest/Deerfield area. We are looking to spend $300,000 max, and would like a house with a yard (as we are rural people).

Currently looking at Mundelein, Wauconda, Grayslake and Gurnee, what are your thoughts?

Gurnee is the cheapest, but how are the schools and the community?
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Old 09-01-2015, 01:53 PM
 
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I am surprised that Mundelein is not cheaper than Gurnee as it probably has the least desirable schools. Illinois has a very heavy reliance on property taxes to fund schools, thus towns with the least valuable real estate tend to have the least well funded schools.
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Old 09-01-2015, 01:56 PM
 
Location: Chicagoland
37 posts, read 85,615 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunmoonstars121 View Post
I got a job in Lake Forest (currently live down state) and am looking for a place to live. My husband hasn't found a job yet, but is looking in the Lake Forest/Deerfield area. We are looking to spend $300,000 max, and would like a house with a yard (as we are rural people).

Currently looking at Mundelein, Wauconda, Grayslake and Gurnee, what are your thoughts?

Gurnee is the cheapest, but how are the schools and the community?
Are overall cost and yard size the only factors for you? How about home size, itself, or number of bedrooms?

Without knowing other information my personal preference would be Grayslake. Great schools, and the shortest commute to LF of the four towns above. It can be expensive, however, depending on your requirements.
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Old 09-01-2015, 08:57 PM
 
1,231 posts, read 2,086,523 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
I am surprised that Mundelein is not cheaper than Gurnee as it probably has the least desirable schools. Illinois has a very heavy reliance on property taxes to fund schools, thus towns with the least valuable real estate tend to have the least well funded schools.
Mundelein is more affordable than Gurnee, but the parts in the Fremont School District, which is a great district and it's the best in Mundelein, are about as expensive as Gurnee. Overall, it's not that much of a difference price wise.

Gurnee has the best schools out of all the towns you mentioned, and is the best commute wise, but it isn't very rural imo. It's not urban, but it's definitely suburban to me. Look at Wadsworth in the Gurnee school district. Wadsworth is a very rural town north of Gurnee that has the big lots you are looking for. If being in a rural are isn't really a priority and it's just a big a yard you're looking for, then Gurnee is definitley worth considering. Even though, Gurnee is suburban, I found that the majority of the yard are in between 0.3-0.5 acres and there a many homes with a bigger yard than that.

Grayslake schools rank very close to Gurnee schools and it has what you're looking for. Wauconda would be a really tough commute to Lake Forest and I think it's too far out.
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Old 09-02-2015, 11:19 AM
 
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thank you everyone. I had no idea Gurnee had the best schools in the area. I would love to find a newer home (built in 2000 or newer), with 3 bedrooms. I don't have kids but am planning on it once I move up.

Can you tell me more about Gurnee/Grayslake/Mundelein? I would like to know more about the demographics. I looked on wikipedia but would like to get an opinion from people actually in that area

thank you!!!!!!!!!!
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Old 09-02-2015, 12:57 PM
 
28,453 posts, read 85,421,872 times
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It has the best schools of the TOWNS LISTED, and mostly the towns you listed DO NOT HAVE PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE SCHOOLS!!!

Frankly, if school quality was a priority you could probably find an older home in HIGHLAND PARK where the school quality will be significantly better than any of the towns listed...

Tremendous potential -- http://www.redfin.com/IL/Highland-Pa.../home/17623173

Sputnik era charmer -- http://www.redfin.com/IL/Highland-Pa.../home/17623826

Updated and ready to move in -- http://www.redfin.com/IL/Highland-Pa.../home/14172117
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:02 PM
 
Location: the Great Lakes states
801 posts, read 2,567,525 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
It has the best schools of the TOWNS LISTED, and mostly the towns you listed DO NOT HAVE PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE SCHOOLS!!!

Frankly, if school quality was a priority you could probably find an older home in HIGHLAND PARK where the school quality will be significantly better than any of the towns listed...

Tremendous potential -- http://www.redfin.com/IL/Highland-Pa.../home/17623173

Sputnik era charmer -- http://www.redfin.com/IL/Highland-Pa.../home/17623826

Updated and ready to move in -- http://www.redfin.com/IL/Highland-Pa.../home/14172117
$9600/year in taxes on that last one... wow.
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Old 09-02-2015, 09:21 PM
 
1,231 posts, read 2,086,523 times
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Gurnee doesn't have the best schools in the area. Just in between the towns the OP is looking at. None of them are bad, they're just ok. I know a few families in Gurnee and Wadsworth and they're all satisfied with the schools and there kids turned out fine.

I like the HP house on Arbor, but the other two need a lot of updating which is a lot of extra money, which will add a lot especially considering one home is at the top end of their budget and one is over their budget. I don't know how many kids the OP has, but if they have at least 2 or 3 living in a typical $300k house in Highland Park will probably be too small.
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Old 09-04-2015, 08:38 AM
 
4,011 posts, read 4,258,586 times
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Anyone from a rural area is going to have sticker shock when they get their tax bill in most of the north shore, even in smaller homes

Quote:
Originally Posted by 4122 View Post
Gurnee doesn't have the best schools in the area. Just in between the towns the OP is looking at. None of them are bad, they're just ok. I know a few families in Gurnee and Wadsworth and they're all satisfied with the schools and there kids turned out fine.

I like the HP house on Arbor, but the other two need a lot of updating which is a lot of extra money, which will add a lot especially considering one home is at the top end of their budget and one is over their budget. I don't know how many kids the OP has, but if they have at least 2 or 3 living in a typical $300k house in Highland Park will probably be too small.
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Old 09-04-2015, 07:57 PM
 
1,231 posts, read 2,086,523 times
Reputation: 387
Quote:
Originally Posted by damba View Post
Anyone from a rural area is going to have sticker shock when they get their tax bill in most of the north shore, even in smaller homes
True, but even with the higher taxes, the more affordable home prices are still much cheaper than buying a house for the same price in the North Shore and having to possibly spend more money fixing it up.
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