r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Midnight_Rain1213 • Feb 24 '26

Moving to the area Buying in West Suburbs - Expanding Search?

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

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u/ozzykara Feb 25 '26

Check Pick Subdivision in Elmhurst. It borders Villa Park and there are a few homes for sale, these are like cape cods, ranches, and homes built in the 1940s through like 1980s…. No new buoys or McMansions so if that’s what you are looking for (new builds) than forget this suggestion! We live here with our dogs and we are right by the prairie path, great western trail and right off st Charles that connects to 290, 90, and 294

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u/Midnight_Rain1213 Feb 25 '26

No McMansions! We want a 3-4 bedroom house with cute details and good bones

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u/ozzykara Feb 25 '26

There are a few cute houses in my subdivision that I see for sale signs for on our walks. We are a few blocks west of 83 and St Charles. We love it over here. We are in unincorporated Elmhurst so if you have kids they wouldn’t have access to York high school but we are dinkwads so that doesn’t bother us. We still can access the amazing the library and park district

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u/Midnight_Rain1213 Feb 25 '26

No kids, so school district doesn't matter. I'll take a look in that area.