Crystal Lake · McHenry County · IL
Homes for sale in
The Villages.
- Active listings
- 0
- Median list
- $420K
- Avg time on market
- 21 days
- Sold · last year
- 17
Active listings
0 homes on the market
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About the community
An established northwest-side Crystal Lake community of homes and townhomes.
The Villages, also marketed as The Villages of Crystal Lake, is an established subdivision on the northwest side of Crystal Lake near the Randall Road and Miller Road corridor. Built out from the late 1980s into the 1990s, it mixes detached single-family homes with a townhome section, laid out along curving streets and cul-de-sacs with mature landscaping. Two Metra stations in Crystal Lake put a rail commute to Chicago within reach, and the Randall Road retail spine is minutes away. This is the Crystal Lake, Illinois community, not the retirement community of the same name in Florida.
At a glance
Homes and townhomes
Detached single-family homes plus a townhome section, built from the late 1980s into the 1990s.
Townhome pool and clubhouse
The townhome section has an association with a community pool and clubhouse.
District 47 and District 155
Served by Crystal Lake District 47 for K-8 and Community High School District 155.
Metra UP-NW line
Crystal Lake has downtown and Pingree Road stations on the Union Pacific Northwest line.
Randall Road corridor
The area's main retail spine is a short drive away, along with downtown Crystal Lake.
Mature, settled streets
Curving streets, cul-de-sacs, sidewalks, and grown-in landscaping.
Parks nearby
Indian Prairie, Woods Creek, and Fetzner parks are cited nearby, with Main Beach and the lake a short drive.
Wide floor-plan menu
A large builder program with many models across detached and attached homes.
What’s close
The Villages sits on the northwest side of Crystal Lake near Randall Road and Miller Road, with US-14 and IL-31 the main through-routes.
- Schools
- Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District 47 for elementary and middle, and Community High School District 155 for high school.
- Train
- Metra Union Pacific Northwest line with two Crystal Lake stations, downtown and Pingree Road, running toward Ogilvie Transportation Center.
- Shopping
- The Randall Road retail corridor plus downtown Crystal Lake, both a short drive away.
- Hospital
- Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital and Advocate Good Shepherd in Barrington are the nearest full-service hospitals.
- Recreation
- Crystal Lake Main Beach and the 238-acre lake managed by the Crystal Lake Park District, plus nearby golf.
- Highways
- US-14, IL-31, and IL-176 are the principal Crystal Lake through-routes.
What it’s actually like to live here
The Villages fits the profile of a settled, family-oriented Crystal Lake neighborhood. It was built as a large program in the late 1980s and 1990s, which means mature landscaping, established streets, and a wide menu of floor plans rather than the uniformity of a single-model development. Buyers get both detached homes for larger households and townhomes for those who want a lower-maintenance, pool-and-clubhouse lifestyle. Day-to-day convenience is a real strength, with the Randall Road corridor, downtown Crystal Lake, Main Beach, and multiple parks all short drives.
The commuter proposition is strong. Crystal Lake has two Metra stations on the Union Pacific Northwest line, so a rail commute to Chicago is genuinely practical, and US-14 plus the Randall Road and IL-31 corridors handle everyday driving. That combination of transit access and retail convenience is a big part of why buyers target this part of Crystal Lake.
The tradeoffs are the honest ones for housing of this era. Homes are now roughly 30 to 35 years old, so condition varies house to house and many will have original or first-replacement mechanicals, roofs, and kitchens, which makes a careful inspection and a renovation budget matter more here than in new construction. The split HOA structure is worth clarifying early, because the townhome section carries meaningful monthly dues and services while detached homes generally do not. And McHenry County's effective property tax rate is high by national standards, which belongs in any realistic budgeting conversation.
Market trends
Why this market moves the way it does
The Villages trades as an established Crystal Lake community with two distinct products, detached homes and townhomes, so the buyer pool and the pricing logic differ by section. Condition, square footage, and whether a home carries full-service dues all shape value. For where prices and the pace of sales sit right now, read the live Market snapshot on this page.
What holds value
The fundamentals matter more than the cosmetics here. Buyers want floor plan, lot, and basement, in that order. Cosmetics are the tiebreaker.
- Detached vs townhome
- Townhomes offer a lower-maintenance, pool-and-clubhouse lifestyle with monthly dues, while detached homes generally carry little or no HOA obligation.
- Condition and updates
- With homes 30-plus years old, updated kitchens, baths, and mechanicals separate the strong sales from the laggards.
- Commuter access
- Two Metra stations on the UP-NW line support demand from buyers who value a rail commute.
- Randall Road convenience
- Proximity to the region's main retail corridor is a durable, everyday draw.
- Floor-plan variety
- A broad menu of models means price per square foot and layout matter as much as headline price.
Real talk
Who shouldn’t buy here
Here is the honest version before you tour.
The dual HOA structure trips buyers up. The townhome section has an association with a pool, clubhouse, lawn care, and snow removal, while detached homes generally do not, so confirm exactly what applies to the specific home in writing during attorney review.
McHenry County's effective property tax rate is among the higher tiers in the Chicago metro, which raises the true monthly cost of ownership even when a home's price looks approachable. Pull the actual tax history for the specific parcel before you commit.
One piece of advice
“The Villages is a practical, well-located Crystal Lake community with something for both move-up families and lower-maintenance buyers. Figure out early whether you are buying a detached home or a townhome, because the HOA and the monthly cost are different animals. Confirm the McHenry County taxes and the school assignment for the specific address, and buy the house on its own condition given the age of the stock.”
The questions buyers actually ask
The Villages FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping The Villages. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What are property taxes like?
- Roughly $7,500 – $13,000 per year, depending on home size and value. McHenry County assessor records are the source of truth. Happy to pull a specific bill on any home you're considering.
- What's the typical closing timeline?
- 30 to 45 days from accepted offer to keys. Cash deals can close in two weeks. Conventional financing is usually closer to 45.
- Is this The Villages retirement community in Florida?
- No. This is a conventional all-ages subdivision in Crystal Lake, Illinois. It is unrelated to The Villages age-restricted community in Florida.
- What kinds of homes does The Villages have?
- A mix of detached single-family homes and townhomes, built from the late 1980s into the 1990s, with a wide variety of floor plans across both products.
- Is there an HOA and what does it cover?
- It is split. The townhome section has an association that reportedly covers a community pool, clubhouse, lawn care, and snow removal, while detached homes generally have little or no HOA. Confirm the exact current dues for the specific home in writing, since amounts differ by section.
- Which schools serve The Villages?
- Crystal Lake District 47 for elementary and middle school and Community High School District 155 for high school. Lundahl Middle School and Crystal Lake South High School are commonly cited, and the elementary assignment should be verified for the exact address using the District 47 boundary locator.
- How is the commute and location?
- Close to Randall Road shopping and US-14, with two Metra Union Pacific Northwest stations in Crystal Lake, downtown and Pingree Road, for rail service toward Chicago. Downtown Crystal Lake and Main Beach are short drives.
- What do homes cost and how is the market right now?
- Pricing and market pace move over time, so rather than quote a number that goes stale, check the live Market snapshot on this page for current list prices and recent activity. Keep McHenry County's effective property tax rate in mind when budgeting.
- Who is the real estate agent for The Villages?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers The Villages in Crystal Lake, IL through Subdiview, a neighborhood-first home search for the Chicago suburbs and collar counties. Joe prices and negotiates from the live MRED sold comps for The Villages specifically, not national averages, and can help you buy or sell here. Reach Joe at 224-385-8779 or joe@joekeeganhomes.com.
Your local agent
Joe knows The Villages
Most agents will list anything. I focus on the places I actually know, and the things that move value here don't show up in the MLS write-up: which streets and buildings hold demand, what the HOA or assessments really cover, how the comps read once you account for condition and location, and where buyers consistently want to be.
When you're ready to tour or list, you want someone who has read the last 50 closed comps in this specific market, not a national average, and can tell you what they actually mean for your price. That's how I work. Text or call any time, and I'll give you a real take, not a brochure.
- Licensed Illinois broker
- Comp-driven pricing
- Crystal Lake specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Market snapshot
The Villages, by the numbers
Live MRED data, refreshed daily. The numbers below tell you what this market is doing today, not what Zillow's algorithm thinks it might be doing six weeks from now.
Typical list price
$420,000
Typical sale price · last 90 days
$400,000
Avg time on market
21 days
Sold in the last year
17
This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period August 2, 2025 through August 2, 2026. Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC does not guarantee nor is it in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Midwest Real Estate Data LLC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
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