Blue-collar town attracts new generation of buyers
Villa Park, one of the most affordable and diverse communities in DuPage County, is home to many third- and fourth-generation residents who want to live near their families.
"I know a lot of people who have lived in Villa Park for many years, and now their kids are buying homes here," said Tom Fosnot, Realtor with JW Reedy Realty. "That's a common thread in Villa Park - that generations often stay here."
In 1939, Fosnot's grandfather came to Villa Park to work as a chemist at the Ovaltine factory. His uncle now owns that first family home, and several family members live in the community.
"When I am working with customers and they want to look at houses in other towns, I always show them one house in Villa Park, and they often end up buying here," Fosnot said.
"I'm a lifelong resident. I know the product, and I have confidence in the product I'm selling. Villa Park is a good hardworking town."
By the mid-1800s, the 15 families that lived in the present-day Villa Park area were mostly German settlers who had come looking for good farmland. Some of the old farmhouses built before the Civil War still stand.
Today, you'll see older homes around the Illinois Prairie Path and scattered throughout town. Villa Park offers a good variety of older and newer homes, including ranches, Cape Cods and a lot of nice brick bungalows - all with very good pricing, said Randy Stob, broker and co-owner of RE/MAX Achievers.
"Some make great starter homes at $150,000, which might be a short sale or foreclosure. I just sold a nice brick ranch for $235,000," said Stob, who also grew up in Villa Park. "It's a great residential community."
Fosnot points out that in his neighborhood you can find a 3,000-square-foot house and next door a nice little bungalow for $200,000. It's this diversity that gives Villa Park character, he said.
Villa Park homes are more affordable than in surrounding towns, and people keep them up really nice, Fosnot said.
"A few years ago, housing ranged from $250,000 to $600,000; now it's from $150,000 to about $400,000."
Stob believes Villa Park's excellent schools, convenient location with easy access to expressways, regional shopping at both Yorktown Center in Lombard and Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, are all attractions to homebuyers and big selling points for the community.
"From my house to downtown Chicago, there is no stoplight," Stob said. "I just get on Villa Avenue, turn left, and I'm on my way to the city."
Fosnot agrees the community offers good schools. "Willowbrook High School just did an $80 million renovation to the building, so it's a strong high school," he said.
The Illinois Prairie Path is a great meeting place and popular attraction for biking, hiking and jogging. And the Dasani Blue Bikes initiative gives people the free use of 20 brand-new Trek Cruiser Classic bicycles to explore the 61-mile Prairie Path and Great Western Trail.
The community's parks and recreation department maintains 19 parks, 100 acres of green space, two swimming pools and a senior center. It provides programs and activities for all ages and hosts special events and trips.
Villa Park and the Elmhurst Park District own and operate the Sugar Creek Golf Course, which is open to the public. Amenities include a full-service clubhouse, pro shop, driving range and putting green.
In the north part of the village, the Odeum Sports and Expo Center is a multipurpose facility used for sporting events, trade shows, concerts, banquets and corporate meetings.