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Old 12-06-2006, 01:07 PM
 
332 posts, read 632,196 times
Reputation: 514

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Hello. My wife is contemplating a job in Lake Forest (unfortunately we won't be able to afford to live there), so we're looking at living somewhere in Lake County. Our list of favorite homes that we can afford (the majority costing between $300K-$330K) are located in the towns/cities of...

Grayslake/Hainseville
Antioch
Round Lake
Island Lake
Winthrop Harbor
Lake Villa/Lindenhurst
Beach Park
Park City/Waukegan

I have no idea where I'll work, but I'd hope to stay out of downtown Chicago and work in Lake County as well.

Right now we live in Fishers, Indiana, which is a nice (yet fast growing) suburb of Indy with great schools and a great place to raise a family (probably similar to Naperville as we've been ranked in the top 35 on the Money list the last two years)...so we're looking for something similar.

So...what can you tell me??? Are we crazy to give up the relatively peaceful and serene/boring lives us Hoosiers lead (though I'm originally from Michigan) to move up to the Chicago/Lake County area and join the real rat race?

Thanks!
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Old 12-06-2006, 02:12 PM
 
Location: Phoenix metro
20,004 posts, read 77,359,841 times
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Its entirely up to you of course, but I say go for it! I think youll enjoy the area and what it has to offer (think Indy X 5). It can be very congested and the weather can be cruel at times, but I love the area and wouldnt dream of being anywhere else.

Im not too familiar with the towns you listed other than Round Lake. Round Lake is also growing pretty quickly and there are some very nice areas, and some older areas as well. The area my cousin lives in is quite nice and comprised of beautiful townhomes. There is a sizeable Hispanic population there (so he says) if that bothers/attracts you. There should be plenty of jobs in Lake County Id imagine, as that area has experienced decent growth in recent years. In fact, Id LOVE to live in Lake Forest if I could only afford it. Best of luck with your decision and I hope someone comes along who can shed more light on the area than I can. Have you thought of DuPage County? The area is lovely and jobs are quite high-paying, but then again the taxes and home prices are outrageous. For around 300K you should have no problem finding a home that suits you. Id suggest St. Charles, Wheaton, Geneva, Warrenville, Naperville, Winfield, Glen Ellyn if you decide. Come out and take a look around and see what you think. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
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Old 12-06-2006, 02:16 PM
 
332 posts, read 632,196 times
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Thanks Steve-O. Are you aware of any more highly traveled message boards...perhaps tied to a Chicago area paper? I know our Indystar.com is a great resource and has a lot of traffic and great info.
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Old 12-06-2006, 02:53 PM
 
Location: Phoenix metro
20,004 posts, read 77,359,841 times
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No problem! Unfortunately Im not aware of any other forums, etc. that pertain to this sort of stuff. Im not saying there isnt any, but Im just not aware of them. Sorry!
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Old 12-06-2006, 07:10 PM
 
Location: Bloomington IN
8,590 posts, read 12,336,894 times
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Default familiar with both areas

"So...what can you tell me??? Are we crazy to give up the relatively peaceful and serene/boring lives us Hoosiers lead (though I'm originally from Michigan) to move up to the Chicago/Lake County area and join the real rat race?"

I had to laugh at that---we did the opposite and gave up the Chicago rat race to return to our home state, IN, so yes I think you're crazy We really went for a change of lifestyle and moved to Bloomington, but I'm pretty familiar with Fishers (family there). My parents lived in Lake Villa for about 15 years so I'm most familiar with that area of Lake County, but know a bit about the others. There was much I loved about living in the area, but it really can be a rat race at times. (FYI-Naperville is like Fishers on steroids.)

Based on the fact you want something similiar to Fishers I would definitely say no to Waukegan and no to Round Lake, Beach Park, Winthrop Harbor. (Gang issues in Waukegan, etc.)

I don't remember much about Island Lake except it's pretty small--

Grayslake---maybe

Antioch, cute little town and growing--also a train station!
Lake Villa/Lindenhurst--probably the most "Fishers" like of the towns you mentioned.

Big problem your wife will have from any of these 3 places is the drive to Lake Forest--Grand Ave is a bear during rush hours. Imagine the Castleton area at Christmas and you'll have a very rough idea of what it's like daily.

Another possibility is Gurnee--mega shopping--which is what I think of most with Fishers (sorry).

You might also look also in some of the towns farther south--ie Mundelein is nice.

One warning from a former and long time Chicago suburbanite--be prepared for crazy high taxes---3 years ago my parents paid about $8000-9000/year on a home that sold for $400,000. (They were in an unincorporated area so their taxes were lower than the neighborhood behind them.)

I don't think the Chicago Tribune has a forum, but it's a great source for all kinds of real estate info about the area.

Good Luck with your move.
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Old 12-07-2006, 12:34 PM
 
332 posts, read 632,196 times
Reputation: 514
Default Thanks

Thanks for the info again Steve-O and rrah. I've only heard good things about Antioch and Grayslake, and I'll still consider Lake Villa and Island Lake. I've heard multiple bad things about Round Lake and Waukegan now, so those may have to be removed from my list of favorites. And I had a couple Mundelein homes on my list, but they were at the top of my price range so I removed them. But I may have to reconsider.
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Old 12-08-2006, 12:37 AM
 
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Out of curiosity...what kind of combined income do you make?
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Old 12-08-2006, 06:53 AM
 
332 posts, read 632,196 times
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I'm pm'd you, but probably about $140-$150K...which should be good enough for a decent sized house in a decent area for $330-$350K (per my real estate research).
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Old 12-09-2006, 03:02 PM
 
Location: Chicagoland, IL USA, Earth
42 posts, read 145,300 times
Reputation: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartanacus View Post
Thanks for the info again Steve-O and rrah. I've only heard good things about Antioch and Grayslake, and I'll still consider Lake Villa and Island Lake. I've heard multiple bad things about Round Lake and Waukegan now, so those may have to be removed from my list of favorites. And I had a couple Mundelein homes on my list, but they were at the top of my price range so I removed them. But I may have to reconsider.
I'd agree with that. Plus Round Lake is a heck of a drive from Lake Forest, as is Island Lake. Mundelein or Vernon Hills would probably be better. Buffalo Grove is probably too expensive (they have the esteemed Stevenson High School there, which adds a premium). Grayslake also has a train station. For a rule of thumb, under good conditions you can average 30mph when traveling in the NW suburbs. I have a flex-time, so I leave for work about 8:45, and it takes me 15-20 minutes to drive 8 miles, avoiding the congested routes. If you must take congested roads, and must drive sometime between 7 and 8:30 am, then double that time estimate.
Are you looking for a single-family home or condo/townhouse? Older or newer? Good school? Should be plenty of options in most towns for that price range, if you're a little flexible. Quite a few medical and insurance companies in the north suburbs, but lots of everything in general. Might be a rat race in traffic, but most residential areas are pretty quiet and relaxed.
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Old 12-10-2006, 01:02 PM
 
20 posts, read 84,222 times
Reputation: 14
First post here. Just going to give some information on the north suburbs of Chicago. In my opinion, the best places to live in response to the starter of the thread would be Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, Lake Zurich, Gurnee, and possibly Libertyville (in no particular order). These towns are all close to Lake Forest and offer some affordable houses. However, the house prices could be over your expected price, but it is well worth it. Theres a lot of places to shop, good parks and recreation, and good school districts. If you have kids that are young then a move to suburbs a little more north (Grayslake, Lake Villa, Antioch) would be ok for now but i definitely suggest moving them to the towns i listed first when your children begin to start middle school or high school(schools are drastically better).
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