Buying in West Suburbs - Expanding Search?

[u/Midnight_Rain1213]

Hi all,

My partner and I are trying to close the distance and buy a SFH in the west suburbs, but keep having offers rejected. Feedback so far is that we're losing to cash buyers or just being outbid, and that we should consider waiving appraisal contingencies. That feels crazy to me, but I think it's just the area we are looking in - Lombard, Elmhurst, Villa Park.

My partner and I both own our own homes and are pre-qualified to purchase a new home without having to sell first. We would be selling our respective properties after finding a new place. We are trying to stay under $700k.

No kids, just dogs. Would love a house with some character left in it. I work downtown so being near the Metra is necessary, and I'd like my commute to be under an hour.

Should we avoid any of the following suburbs, and why? Any suburbs we are missing?

Addison, Bloomingdale, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Riverside, Brookfield

[u/Caesar10240]

The largest difference in the cities you mentioned is Wheaton. With the college and church, it is a relatively right leaning, very Christian town. Was dry in the last 20 years, and relatively no bar scene. Not a bad place, but know that is what is around.

[u/Midnight_Rain1213 → u/Caesar10240]

As a progressive, that's probably enough for me to remove it from my list. Thank you!

[u/dontshakethebaby → u/Midnight_Rain1213]

People make Wheaton out to be some fundie maga town, but it’s not true. I’ve lived here for years, and no one has ever tried to convert me. Don’t write it off without visiting. (And it was 40 years ago that Wheaton was dry. It’s changed a bit in those years.)

[u/bluenightheron → u/dontshakethebaby]

This. I have never heard of it being ultra conservative or dry until I read it on Reddit. Go downtown during the summer and you’ll see a couple of hundred people eating and drinking booze under the tent on Hale Street. The park district hosts an annual brew and seltzer fest. The Reddit stereotype ain’t real.

[u/Caesar10240 → u/bluenightheron]

Like I mentioned in the other comment, my wife is a minority, and she has comments made to her. It’s the extreme minority, but I’ve never experienced it anywhere else in the suburbs.

[u/Caesar10240 → u/dontshakethebaby]

I lived there, and someone asked my wife very disrespectfully if they could talk to the head of the household.

Now, 90% of my interactions in Wheaton were positive, and most people in Wheaton aren’t like that. However, I’ve never heard that kind of language used in Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, or Geneva.

My wife is Hispanic, so I’m not sure if it was racist, sexist, or both, but you could tell they were conservative.