Gated community in Inverness provides privacy, low maintenance
Lori and Greg Sherwood moved from San Diego to Creekside at Inverness Ridge about eight years ago. They were very impressed with the homes and the neighborhood's scenic views, abundance of green space and area forest preserves.
“It's really nice here because there's a lot of greenery, and we back up to the creek, so we have very full trees behind us,” Lori Sherwood said. “We had a private home in San Diego, and having some privacy here was important to us.”
With a love of the outdoors, the couple likes living close to the Crabtree Nature Center, which is a nice place to walk, and they've hiked in the Deer Grove Forest Preserve at Dundee and Quentin roads.
Creekside sits in a prime location east of Barrington and south of Palatine roads in a rolling, picturesque corner of Inverness.
Aside from its natural beauty, other draws to the community are its location close to I-90, Barrington's excellent schools and all the nearby amenities including shopping, dining and entertainment.
Developed in the mid-2000s by KB Homes, Deerfield-based Meritus Homes began sales in Creekside at Inverness Ridge in 2010. It is now a gated residential community of 81 single-family ranch and two-story homes with brick and stone exteriors and attractive landscaping, said Wendy Cox, broker associate with Keller Williams Team Realty.
“The maintenance-free lifestyle appeals to busy professional people because they don't need to be concerned with lawn maintenance or snow removal. Some people have downsized from larger homes where they had a lot of upkeep and high taxes and energy costs.”
The community's larger homes with 2,610 to 4,243 square feet and the convenience of smaller lots along with newer construction that includes all the latest amenities are also good selling points, Cox said.
The Sherwoods like their four-bedroom home as well as they like the environment. “We have a really big front porch that I really like, an open kitchen and family room, two-story dining room with windows on two walls and a basement that could be finished,” Sherwood said.
“One bedroom is outfitted as an office and the other two are always set up as guest bedrooms. It was important to us to have space for our family to stay when they come to visit.”
Because the Sherwoods didn't expect to be in the area as long as they've been, they were also thinking resale value when they bought their home.
“We thought this would be a desirable area for people with children and that they would want a four-bedroom home and the Barrington schools.”
Area amenities include the quaint town of Barrington with unique boutiques, coffee shops and the Catlow Theater where you can grab a bite from Baloney's and eat before or during the movie, Cox said.
The Arboretum of South Barrington is an outdoor mall with iPic theaters, restaurants and shopping. The Barrington 30 theaters are nice while Deer Park offers a movie theater, shopping and dining.
For people who enjoy the outdoors, the Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington Hills offers hands-on activities and educational adventures. An exhibit building opens to several miles of self-guided trails inviting visitors to explore natural habitats that are home to wildlife and native plants.
The subdivision sits 2½ miles north of I-90 with easy access to Chicago, Schaumburg and O'Hare International Airport.
Listing sheet
Price range: $650,000 to $850,000
Age of homes: Six years old
Schools: Grove Avenue Elementary, Barrington Middle Station Campus and Barrington High schools in Community Unit District 220