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Old 05-07-2021, 02:30 PM
 
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I'm looking for a good place to settle for my family , a place where we can make the dollar stretch the most (mainly regarding a single family home purchase) but also end up with good schools and sufficient amenities. Lower taxes are important too. I would probably choose Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Cary etc. (maybe Gilberts) instead but the prices are higher which would put us in a smaller home. It seems like Kingston would be the next tier down due to very few amenities and lower school ratings. Will be working in Elgin near Bartlett. Thanks for any help.
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Old 05-07-2021, 04:20 PM
 
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What's your budget?
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Old 05-07-2021, 04:42 PM
 
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It's a little flexible but ideally around 260-280. 3000 or so square feet for $100 or less per square feet would be great.
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Old 05-07-2021, 05:37 PM
 
Location: Tri-Cities
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South Elgin, St. Charles?
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Old 05-08-2021, 07:10 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aga412 View Post
South Elgin, St. Charles?
Those 2 are high priced, especially St. Charles. Any thoughts on Marengo?
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Old 05-09-2021, 06:13 AM
 
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As you have, I too would look at Cary, LITH, Huntley and parts of Algonquin for schools, parks, activities along with ease of access to shopping, restaurants, entertainment, etc... Of course these locations can be on the higher end of the budget.

Marengo has few amenities, so you'll likely have to make frequent trips to the above communities. Might as well move to one of them. It may be cheaper in the long run.
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Old 05-09-2021, 10:02 AM
 
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I looked thoroughly in those areas but failed to make a purchase. The market has been too tough and I can't wait on the market to significantly improve (not sure when that would happen anyway). So I'm trying to imagine a place like Marengo working for my family and I. I work in Elgin and have kids from a previous marriage there, so multiple mandatory trips could easily include shopping, restaurants (Marengo seems to have a smallish but good selection) entertainment (Cherryvale Mall, Rockford children's museum and Hurricane Harbor water park would be closer) and parks. Schools could be an issue but Marengo schools look pretty good on schooldigger.com. CL and LITH schools have very high rankings on the sites but the better of the 2 high schools for Algonquin kids has the same rating as Merango High School, if I remember correctly. Any advice or insight on the school comparisons is welcome. I guess I could consider uprooting my family before high school if MHS is totally insufficient.
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Old 05-09-2021, 10:07 AM
 
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Of the 3 cheaper cities in the area; Marengo, McHenry and Woodstock, Marengo seems to be the closest to my job by 5 minutes. 5 mins matters when Marengo is already 35 mins away with no traffic or bad weather.
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Old 05-09-2021, 10:34 AM
 
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From Marengo:

Six Flags- 1:10
Montrose Beach- 1:10
Lake Geneva- :45
Wi Dells- 2:00
Rockford children's museum- :40
Cherryvale Mall- :25
Rock Cut State Park- :35
Rockford zoo, Elgin zoo- :25, :30
Shedd aquarium- 1:15

Know of anything else I could add to the list for entertainment?
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Old 05-16-2021, 03:37 PM
 
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Take a look at Algonquin, Carpentersville, and West Dundee, but you have to be sure you look west of the river for Carpentersville or West Dundee. You want to be part of Jacobs High school as that also gets you the better elementary schools. All school ratings seem to be down from their norms, maybe because of virtual school? I know Jacobs is a good school. My brother bought a really nice 3bd 3ba home for $230k in late 2019, the home was built in 1990. 1660 sq ft. We are looking in Algonquin right now, a bit bigger home with 3 car garage, and it's a very tough market. If you see something run right to it. We didn't even get to look at 2 homes that sold before showings even began. There are also a couple 4bd homes that just sold for around $300-$320k that were really nice, updated. Here are a couple, not bad to keep an eye on incase the deals fall through:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2.../4609654_zpid/

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6.../4616968_zpid/

The area is very nice, close to I-90 which makes commuting easier.

Edit...well after typing this I just saw your last post so you're aware of pretty much what I typed up. It's a tough market right now.
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