Lake in the Hills · McHenry County · IL
Homes for sale in
Lake in the Hills Estates.
- Active listings
- 1
- Median list
- $360K
- Avg time on market
- 3 days
- Sold · last year
- 20
Active listings
1 home on the market
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About the community
The historic core of Lake in the Hills, wrapped around Woods Creek Lake.
Lake in the Hills Estates is the original, established core of the Village of Lake in the Hills, on the east side of the village around Woods Creek Lake in southern McHenry County. The area traces back to the 1920s, when the lake was dammed and the first getaway homes went up, and it filled in as a year-round neighborhood from the 1940s onward. The result is a settled, individual streetscape, winding, non-grid roads with names like Indian Trail and Hiawatha, mature trees, and an eclectic housing mix rather than a single builder's product.
At a glance
Resident lake beaches
Two sand swimming beaches on Woods Creek Lake, Indian Trail and Butch Hagele, open to Village residents and their guests in summer.
Boating and fishing
Boat access at Nockels Park and Turtle Island on the Village lakes, with a Village lake-use or fishing permit.
Mature, established streets
Winding, tree-lined roads and an eclectic mix of original cottages, mid-century ranches, and larger rebuilt homes.
Attainable for the corridor
One of the more attainable pockets along Randall Road, with a wide spread reflecting the range of home sizes and conditions.
School district by address
Lake in the Hills is split among four districts. The lake core most likely feeds District 300, but assignment must be confirmed by address.
Randall Road and Algonquin Commons
Big-box retail, grocery, restaurants, and a theater are a short drive east along the Randall Road corridor.
I-90 to O'Hare
Randall Road connects south to I-90 in about eight miles for O'Hare and Chicago-bound trips.
What’s close
Lake in the Hills Estates sits on the east side of the village around Woods Creek Lake, minutes from the Randall Road corridor yet buffered from it by the lakes and older tree cover.
- Lakes and beaches
- Woods Creek Lake and the Village's other east-side lakes, with resident beaches, boating, and fishing by Village permit.
- Schools
- Most likely District 300, with Lake in the Hills Elementary in the neighborhood feeding Westfield and Jacobs High School. Four districts serve the village, so confirm by address.
- Shopping
- Algonquin Commons and the broader Randall Road retail corridor a short drive east.
- Hospital
- Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin and Northwestern Medicine Huntley are the nearest full-service options.
- Train
- No station in the neighborhood. The nearest Metra is the Union Pacific Northwest line at Crystal Lake or the Milwaukee District West line near Elgin, both a drive away.
- Highway
- Randall Road and Algonquin Road for local travel, with I-90 about eight miles south for O'Hare and the city.
What it’s actually like to live here
Lake in the Hills Estates offers something rare in the far northwest suburbs: an established lake neighborhood with real water access, at prices that are attainable relative to newer master-planned sections nearby. The draw is the village's east-side lake system, and above all Woods Creek Lake, where residents can swim at two sand beaches, launch a boat, fish year-round, and skate in winter. The streets are older and organically laid out, with mature trees and a mix of original cottages, mid-century ranches, and larger updated homes, so the neighborhood feels settled and individual rather than mass-produced.
Day-to-day errands are easy. The Randall Road corridor and Algonquin Commons are minutes away for groceries, dining, and shopping, and I-90 gives a straight shot toward O'Hare and the city. The lake and beach perks come with Village residency plus permits and are reserved for residents and their guests, so buying near the water is not the same as owning private lakefront rights. Confirm exactly what a given property conveys.
The honest tradeoffs are worth stating. This is older housing stock, so buyers should expect a wide range of condition, from beautifully updated homes to houses with mid-century systems or smaller footprints, which makes inspections important. There is no Metra station in the neighborhood, so rail commuters drive to Crystal Lake or an Elgin-area station. And Illinois and McHenry County property taxes are high, which affects monthly affordability even when the purchase price is moderate. School assignment is the single most address-dependent factor here, since four districts converge on this village.
The questions buyers actually ask
Lake in the Hills Estates FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Lake in the Hills Estates. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What are property taxes like?
- Roughly $7,000 – $11,000 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 60 days from accepted offer to keys. Cash deals can close in two weeks. Conventional financing is usually closer to 60.
- Do residents really get lake and beach access?
- Yes, through the Village. Woods Creek Lake has two resident beaches, Indian Trail and Butch Hagele, plus boat access at Nockels Park and Turtle Island. Beach use is limited to Village residents and their guests, and boating and fishing require a Village lake-use or fishing permit. Confirm current permit types and fees with the Village, and confirm what a specific property conveys.
- Is there an HOA, and what does it cost?
- There is no mandatory homeowners association indicated for the neighborhood. The lakes, beaches, and parks are Village-run and funded through the Village plus permits, not an HOA. Verify there is no small lake or homeowners group tied to a specific street.
- What schools will my kids attend?
- Most likely District 300, with Lake in the Hills Elementary in the neighborhood feeding Westfield Community School and Jacobs High School. But Lake in the Hills is split among four districts, so you must confirm by exact address using the district boundary locator or by calling the district office.
- How old are the homes here?
- This is the historic core of the village, with roots in the 1920s and most homes built from the late 1940s onward, plus scattered newer infill. Expect a wide range, from small original cottages to larger rebuilt houses.
- How do I commute to Chicago or O'Hare?
- By car, take Randall Road south to I-90, about eight miles, for O'Hare and the city. For Metra rail, the nearest stations are on the Union Pacific Northwest line at Crystal Lake or the Milwaukee District West line near Elgin, both a drive away.
- What do homes cost and how is the market?
- This is one of the more attainable pockets in the Randall Road corridor, but prices vary widely because the homes range from small original cottages to larger rebuilt houses. Rather than a fixed number, see the live Market snapshot on this page for current pricing and activity.
- Who is the real estate agent for Lake in the Hills Estates?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers Lake in the Hills Estates in Lake in the Hills, 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 Lake in the Hills Estates 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 Lake in the Hills Estates
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
- Lake in the Hills specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Market snapshot
Lake in the Hills Estates, 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
$360,000
Typical sale price · last 90 days
$326,000
Homes for sale right now
1
Avg time on market
3 days
Sold in the last year
20
This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period August 9, 2025 through August 9, 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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