Bolingbrook is a large suburb, near Naperville, Plainfield, Romeoville, etc. It is diverse. It has a wonderful park district. There are neighborhoods in a wide variety of price ranges. There is a big shopping area called The Promenade on the far east side of the town. The west side of Bolingbrook is part of the Plainfield school district and library district. What would you like to know?
@psychmomma, I just wanted to know general thoughts. Schools are not an issue, since my kids are in college. I like Naperville, but as far as renting a house, I can get so much more in Bolingbrook. I am not seeing much in Wheaton, Glen Elyn, and some of the other surrounding areas.
Giggling here, @teriwtt ! We consider Aurora a big city. I do know what you mean though about it being on the edge of the suburbs. @partyof5 - yeah, Naperville, very nice but very pricey. Where are you coming from? I don’t know how far out you want to be but have you looked at New Lenox?
S1 lives at the Grand Reserve in Naperville and loves everything about the location. Close to shopping, grocery, services, freeways and it is very safe. He loves being near to charming downtown Naperville with all the unique shops and restaurants. He also enjoys being able catch the metro train from downtown Naperville to downtown Chicago.
What a fun adventure for you and your H!
Chicago’s residential real estate taxes are much lower than most suburbs, based on true home value. Oak Park residential real estate tax rate is amongst highest in Chicago area. Be sure to research tax-rates before you settle on a specific area for home search.
Check morning and evening commute times too. Chicago and its suburbs have some of worst commute drive-times in US,
Have you considered looking at Woodridge? Just north and east of Bolingbrook, similar demographics and amenities. It sounds like you won’t be working in downtown Chicago so although proximity to the city would be nice, it’s not a must have. Agree that the commute times to the city from the western suburbs are horrible, but there are express busses from Bolingbrook to the city that are reliable and reasonable in cost. If you have specific questions PM me as I live close to Bolingbrook
"The job will be in Lombard. " “The property taxes alone make me shudder!”
In that case, you should check out Oak Brook. A good friend just moved there because the property taxes are very low, as there are lots of businesses and shopping centres in OB that keep taxes low.
FWIW, I think you would go nuts in Naperville due to the long commute on the expressway. For a more traditional town, check out Elmhurst or Oak Park.
I’ve lived in Naperville for 10 years. Bollingbrook borders the southern portion of Naperville. Homes are generally newer in Bollingbtook. I don’t think it has a downtown. If I were renting in the area, I would look at Wheaton or Downers Grove as suggested by others. They both have nice small downtown areas particularly Wheaton which also has some very nice, brand new luxury rental properties. Hinsdale is the wealthiest of the western suburbs again with s nice downtown
It really depends on what you are looking for in a house and what your budget is. If you can give a rough budget, suggesting towns/neighborhoods becomes a lot easier. Also, a rough idea of how much space you want in a house/lot. I would highly recommend renting for at least 6 months to a year close to Lombard before making any final decisions.
You should also figure out how much of a commute (time wise) you want. Anything over about 10 miles in the Chicagoland area can mean a 45 min commute (both directions). If you want to have a quick commute into Lombard, take the time commute heavily into account. Addison is just north of Lombard and has some nice diversity of housing stock. Elk Grove Village also has reasonable prices, and a good park district. If you are willing to drive from the north (290/355) - you can check out Schaumburg and Palatine.
I would highly suggest renting in the Wheaton/Glen Ellyn/Lombard area for at least 6 months and then making a final decision on where to buy. That would give you time to really check out the area without having made firm commitment. Feel free to PM if you would like more specific info regarding the area.
@beebee3 I currently own a 4 bedroom/2bath home in a very desirable area. We are willing to downsize, to a 3 bedroom or even a 2 if it has a finished basement. I have one kid graduating in May, and I have no idea if she will come back home at this point. I have another completing her freshman year in college, and I have no idea if she will summer in Chicago, or return to Ohio as Chicago will not feel like home to her. She can stay with my mom here in Ohio.
Unfortunately we have to make a decision to rent immediately as I have no intention of buying a home anytime soon in the area. If we wind up staying in the area I will make the decision to buy in a few years( I am hoping not!), as I dont envision myself retiring in the greater chicago area. Its just too darn expensive and cold. Of course thats easy for me to say, but I am not the primary breadwinner, so we shall go wherever hubby has a job!
Wheaton and Glen Ellyn have very old small homes, so I havent seen anything that is appealing in the budget which is no more than 2.3k. I have seen quite a few homes in Bolingbrook, and townhomes in Naperville. The issue with Naperville is that it is so big, and I would prefer to be in the northern part, and most of what I see is in the southern part.
I really havent looked North, but I will check out some of the areas. Would you say its easier to commute from north to south, or vice versa?
@Kajon I love the reserve, but I want a two car garage and it only has one car garages:(
My best advice is to figure out what you mean by “most desirable area”. That may be very clear in your city/town in Ohio but the Chicagoland area is so large, that designation doesn’t narrow choices down very much. If you are looking for the biggest size ‘new’ home (with all the advantages of new) for the biggest bang for the buck, looking around Bolingbrook area is probably a good bet. If you are looking for a “desirable” area in terms of commuting to both work in Lombard and being able to take advantage of being near Chicago (museums, sports, culture/bars) - then Bolingbrook is going to mean a fairly long drive to get to the city, and a suburb like Elmhurst or Glen Ellyn might be a better bet.
I know you say that you aren’t really seeing Chicago as a long term place to stay (I get it - high taxes, cold weather and getting around can be a pain in terms of time and money) so I would actually recommend not looking for a house to buy. Take the flexibility of renting - even look into it long term. If you can possibly raise your monthly rent amount to $2.5K - a lot more will open up in terms of size and location.
Here is a listing in Glen Ellyn which might work for you if you don’t mind a slightly dated kitchen/bath set up. It is a good location, close to Lombard, very close to a Trader Joe’s and other shopping, nice size backyard for your dog. It is also bigger than the stated area, as lower level square footage isn’t counted in the size listed with Illinois real estate. It looks like a full size finished basement which effectively doubles the size of the house.
http://www.bairdwarner.com/property/52964314/164-Sunset-Avenue-GLEN-ELLYN-IL-60137
The nice thing about Glen Ellyn is that you can take the train into the city in under 45 mins and the schedule is fairly flexible. It is also very walkable and has an extremely cute downtown with some decent “grown up” restaurants.
Here’s a listing in Elmhurst, again pretty good location and good commute time.
http://www.bairdwarner.com/property/58077053/166-East-Lake-Street-D-ELMHURST-IL-60126
Good luck!
@beebee3 thanks! The house doesnt check the boxes, its too dated, yard is too big, and I need a walk-in closet, however, the Elmhurst property peaks my interest. I need to see more pics though.
@beebee3 gives good advice in terms of house vs location - staying under $2300 for a SFH or townhome rental really limits you. As does having a dog - the Elmhurst house says no pets. Keep in mind that those outlying suburbs with the bigger homes and yards are very family intensive and much of the social life revolves around school age kids. It sounds like you won’t have a job yourself. You might find it lonely, especially if your husband is commuting a half hour each way, and especially in winter. Do you want to be able to meet him for an occasional lunch? Do you want to take yourself in and out of Chicago for the day? Are you looking for volunteer opportunities? Also if there’s a corporate social culture, it will be more difficult to participate from Bolingbrook than from Glen Ellyn or Wheaton or Elmhurst.
Just some things to consider beyond the size and look of the temporary house.
@Marilyn thank you for those words of wisdom. I do contract work, and as of now I have no idea when my contract will end. They keep extending it, so I can work from any place as long as I have a secure internet connection. So most days I am in the house all day, heck sometimes I dont leave the house for several days.
I would rather be farther out with more amenities in the house. Unless, I find something to die for I really dont want to go higher with the budget, as I have two in college right now, and a wedding this year for my son. We are full pay for my youngest, as we turned down scholarships to other schools, for the school she is attending as it was a better fit.
For example, with some of the older homes, there is just not enough closet space. I have to have a walk in closet in the master. We have about another 30 days to pull the trigger on something, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I also HATE those sliding glass doors attached to tubs, which seem to be very common in the area.
@partyof5 - been there (I was a virtual employee for a major corporation for almost 10 years). Once DS went off to college I spent a lot of time for days on end alone in the house while DH had long commutes. So I certainly understand wanting a spacious enjoyable environment. I’ve only been to Bolingbrook for shopping and dinner, but it’s a decent and safe area to live. So you should be fine in a nice large house there, especially since you probably won’t be living there for decades!
@partyof5, I hope you keep this thread going – we want to hear all about your house hunt, what you’re looking for, what you’re seeing, and what you’re deciding on. There’s a reason House Hunters is so mega popular: we’re all real estate hounds at heart 
Will your husband need to go into the office every day? Please check Google Maps for possible commute times. I just looked at Lombard to Bolingbrook for around 5pm and the commute time looks like 20 to 50 minutes. Is he willing to spend that much time in the car?
@partyof5 Knowing that house amenities trumps location (by a whole lot!) - yes you will probably find what you are looking for in south Naperville, or Bolingbrook, but your husband’s commute can be as long as 45-60 min. Chicago is expensive, and it sounds like the kind of townhouse or single family you are looking for is going to be priced closer to $4K a month in more desirable areas (shorter commute/more convenient to Chicago proper). When we lived in the Wheaton/Glen Ellyn area - what you are describing was selling for close to 400k (low end of the range) or renting for close to 3k (again, low end of range). A modern build in that area will average easily around 500K - 700K and will still be pretty small.
I did see this one property for sale in Lombard that looked intriguing and might fit your parameters but the taxes are high(ish):
http://www.bairdwarner.com/property/54446355/555-South-Rosebud-Drive-LOMBARD-IL-60148
@Marilyn is also very correct when she states that most of these suburbs are very family oriented. I would add much of the social scene in the west suburbs is young child oriented and/or politically oriented. Without getting into politics too much, be aware that Dupage County is heavily Republican, fairly conservative. If that works for you, wonderful - but I know many people who see Illinois as a “blue” state are surprised by how “red” Dupage county is.
Du Page might be generally red in state politics but went blue for President and senator last year. Almost an even split 4 years ago. So I think things have been changing over the years to some extent.
Much of Naperville is standard-issue cookie-cutter residential subdivision development. Not a fan, though old downtown Naperville itself is nice. I’d look at LaGrange and Western Springs suburbs, near Lombard, which are older suburbs with nice variety of single-family homes of Elmhurst ilk, and Lagrange has small downtown area with train service to downtown, like Elmhurst. If you need a high school, then do more in-depth research.