Pines of Lakemoor nestled in between recreational expanses

The Pines of Lakemoor offers a family-oriented neighborhood with parks and playgrounds, surrounding open areas and a convenient location.

Residents Tomm and Lori Smithe love the neighborhood where their three young children have plenty of playmates and lots to do, including participating in planned activities.

“A great event was the nighttime Easter egg hunt that was a huge success,” Tomm Smithe said. “It was an awesome idea and really cute to watch the little kids out looking for eggs with their flashlights.”

Located south of Route 120 and east of Darrell Road in Lakemoor, The Pines of Lakemoor features 128 two-story and ranch single-family homes typically with four-bedrooms, 2½ baths and two- or three-car garage. Many homes have large front porches, which adds to the charm of the neighborhood.

“These are very smart, open floor plans with big windows, fabulous views and a lot of high-end kitchens open to the family rooms,” said Diane Miller, broker associate with Prudential Rubloff. “A lot of yards back to ponds and open space, and that’s a big draw.”

That is one of the things the Smithes love about their home.

“We like the parks and ponds in the neighborhood. The best thing about our house is that we live on a pond. It’s really nice and relaxing,” Smithe said. “This is an aesthetically pleasing place to live.”

Four state parks and six county conservation areas are nearby, including the Volo Bog, Moraine Hills State Park and all the lakes in the Chain O’ Lakes.

Also, the Fox River flows through the area, providing summer and winter water sports.

“This is a great area for those who enjoy nature and recreation as the neighborhood is surrounded by open space and forest preserves with a lot of beautiful nature walks. The whole family can enjoy nature without even leaving their neighborhood,” Miller said.

While the surroundings are nice, neighbors also make The Pines of Lakemoor a great place to live, Smithe said.

“This is a close-knit neighborhood that is full of very nice people who look out for each other. Most people here are at the same stage of life as we are — working for a living with young children,” he said. “A lot of people here enjoy being outside walking around with their dogs, riding bikes. With little traffic through the neighborhood, kids ride their bikes in the street and do what kids do. They like to go to Thornton’s on the corner for ice cream and Slurpees.”

This is also an affordable area, and statistics show you get a lot of house for your money here, said Debbie Dunn, also a broker associate with Prudential Rubloff. “It’s a great opportunity for people to get into a nice home and neighborhood for less than $300,000.”

The Pines of Lakemoor also offers 142 condominiums.

The Dunn/Miller team is marketing a beautiful house in the neighborhood upgraded to the hilt that offers a first-floor den, open floor plan and expansive windows with a bump out like a four seasons room. It also backs to a pond and has a three-car garage and a deck in back.

Residents shop in many surrounding areas including Wauconda, McHenry, Fox Lake and Libertyville. Miller said many residents of The Ponds are employed in Lake County, some in Libertyville and at such places as Motorola and Hollister. Some are teachers and others professionals who own their own business.

“People like it because smaller, quiet subdivision where people care about each other,” Miller said.

A great plus for the neighborhood is its location with easy access to expressways, east to Libertyville, north to Wisconsin and west to McHenry.

Listing sheet

Price range: $150,000 to $300,000

Age of homes: 8 to 10 years

Schools: Robert Crown Elementary, Matthews Middle and Wauconda High schools in Wauconda Community Unit School District 118

Parks: Lakemoor Parks and Recreation Department