Domestic Bliss — Naperville’s booming residential opportunities

By Mark Loehrke
September 2016 View more Featured

Summer may be over, but the heat doesn’t appear to be letting up in the Naperville real estate market. After the prolonged hangover of depressed prices and languishing listings following the crisis of 2008, a sense of frenzied normalcy seems to have returned, with almost every home buyer or seller quick to share a tale of a lightning-fast turnaround, a blink-and-you-miss-it opportunity or a good old-fashioned bidding war.

Amid this widespread resurgence, some Naperville properties truly stand apart from the rest. Take these five luxury listings currently on the market, which demonstrate that a city this large and diverse has a home to satisfy almost any taste or interest.   

A real estate

24W141 Hobson Road

7 beds, 9 baths, 7,386 square feet

$4,900,000

Big.

Despite not having the most space (though it’s hard to feel cramped amid more than 7,000 square feet) or the largest lot size (though it’s hard to feel hemmed-in on a sprawling 3+ acres) in town, big is the lasting impression of this gorgeous estate on the Hobson Road street of dreams. Inside, towering ceilings and dramatic entryways further convey the feeling of grandeur, with seriously high-end details and finishes rounding out the big picture.     

www.24w141hobson.com

Green Acres

8S070 Brenwood Drive

5 beds, 6 baths, Plus 2 half-baths,
9,049 square feet

$3,300,000

Sometimes you just need to spread out. But while there are plenty of large luxury homes available in Naperville, few of them can really offer the kind of land that hearkens back to the city’s agrarian past.

Lack of space won’t be a problem for the owner of this rare eight-acre lot, however, which comes complete with a private one-acre pond, an in-ground pool, an attached 2-car and detached 6-car garage and access to adjacent horse stables. Coldwell Banker agent Michele Leanderson says there’s plenty of room inside as well, with over 9,000 square feet of living space and a laundry list of high-end amenities and finishes.   

www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/il/naperville/8s070-brenwood-drive/pid_11872874/

The Deep End

1223 Oxford Lane

7 beds, 8 baths, Plus 2 half-baths, 10,000 square feet

$4,999,000

The only trouble with owning this huge estate – aside from the burden of the monthly mortgage on one of the city’s most expensive properties, of course – is finding a place to vacation that could ever top home sweet home.

The indoor pool alone would be the envy of many 5-star resorts, and few of them would be able to also offer an outdoor Sport Court and backyard soccer field (on 2.24 acres), a craft room, a hot tub, a custom bar, a whole-house audio and video system and some of the finest finishes available throughout.      

www.bairdwarner.com/property/52014800/1223-Oxford-Lane-NAPERVILLE-IL-60540

Downtown Bound

410 E. Porter Avenue

6 beds, 7 baths, 7,825 square feet

$2,309,230

With fantastic dining and shopping around every corner and bustling pedestrian traffic along the riverwalk, Naperville’s thriving downtown is without question one of the city’s most appealing areas. So it’s little surprise that many home buyers are on the lookout for properties that offer convenient downtown access, in addition to the space and features they might find in a luxury property elsewhere in the city.

Weichert agent Karen Marposon says this English-style estate near the North Central College campus fits the bill on both counts, boasting almost 8,000 square feet of living space on a double lot just blocks from the restaurants, shops and entertainment options of downtown Naperville. Inside, a huge master suite, wine cellar, home theater and high-end appointments and finishes throughout promise to keep everyone comfortable, provided they’re not spending most of their time almost exclusively outside, where a private courtyard, garden and fireplace beckon. Best of all, thanks to the ideal location, homeowners can leave their cars in the 5 plus car garage and simply walk to dinner or a show.            

www.weichert.com/64428558/

Hidden Treasure

635 N. Wright

5 beds, 5.2 baths,
6,394 square feet

$1,499,000

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, nor a house by its exterior alone.

The outside of this downtown charmer, for instance, might call to mind the cozy little place drawn aloft by thousands of colorful balloons in the movie “Up,” but at no point was old Mr. Frederickson draining jump shots on his subterranean Sport Court. That surprising discovery is just one of many creative uses of space that help give the owners of this cute-on-the-outside, huge-on-the-inside place almost 6,500 square feet of home to play with, and not just basketball.     

www.weichert.com/64911398/?tsf=expLink

Editor’s Note: Prices and availability of highlighted properties were current at the time of publication, but are subject to change.