Marengo · McHenry County · IL
Homes for sale in
Brookside Meadows.
- Active listings
- 1
- Median list
- $550K
- Avg time on market
- 46 days
- Sold · last year
- 21
Active listings
1 home on the market
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About the community
A newer, no-frills single-family neighborhood on the south edge of Marengo.
Brookside Meadows sits on the south side of Marengo in McHenry County, roughly 60 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, just off US-20 (E. Grant Highway) and east of IL-23. It was originally platted in the mid-2000s for a large plan of homes, stalled during the recession, and was revived when M/I Homes acquired land in 2022 to 2023 to complete about 95 single-family homes using its value-focused Smart Series. The result is a mixed-vintage community: earlier 2000s and 2010s homes alongside fresh construction. The pitch is oversized lots, sidewalk-lined streets, and newer homes at an attainable McHenry County price, with M/I marketing no HOA and no SSA on its new homes.
At a glance
New M/I Homes construction
M/I Homes is completing the plan with Smart Series homes, so new construction sells alongside resales.
Single-family, oversized lots
Two-story and ranch plans roughly 1,460 to 3,200 sqft, with 2 to 4 bedrooms.
No HOA on the new homes
M/I markets its new single-family homes with no HOA dues and no SSA assessment.
Marengo-area schools
Served by an elementary/K-8 district and Marengo Community High School District 154. Confirm the K-8 assignment by address.
US-20 and I-90 access
Minutes to US-20, with the IL-23 interchange to I-90 (opened 2019) improving the commute.
Small-town, farmland edge
Quiet setting with conservation areas and downtown Marengo close by.
Drive-to-train commute
No Metra station in Marengo. The nearest UP-NW Line stations are in Woodstock and Harvard.
What’s close
Brookside Meadows is on the south side of Marengo, just off US-20 and east of IL-23, with the I-90 tollway reachable via the IL-23 interchange.
- Highway
- US-20 (E. Grant Highway) minutes away, plus I-90 (Jane Addams Tollway) via the IL-23 interchange that opened in 2019.
- Shopping
- Everyday needs in downtown Marengo and along US-20, with larger retail in Huntley, Crystal Lake, and Woodstock.
- Hospital
- Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital are each a reasonable drive.
- Schools
- Marengo Community High School District 154 for high school, with the K-8 district assignment to confirm by address.
- Train
- No Metra station in Marengo. Rail commuters drive to the UP-NW Line at Woodstock or Harvard.
- Outdoors
- Marengo Ridge and Coral Woods Conservation Area and the wider McHenry County conservation trail network.
What it’s actually like to live here
Brookside Meadows suits buyers who want newer or newer-feeling single-family space and a bigger lot for the money without the pricing of the closer-in northwest suburbs. The draw is quiet, small-town McHenry County living: oversized yards, sidewalks good for an evening walk, and open farmland and conservation areas close at hand. The no-HOA, no-SSA positioning on the new M/I homes appeals to buyers who would rather avoid monthly association costs and rules.
Because the subdivision has built out in phases over nearly twenty years, home vintages and streetscapes vary by section, and some stretches still show active or recent construction. That mix is part of the value: a fresh Smart Series home can sit a block from an established 2000s house with grown landscaping. Buyers should tour the specific street and home rather than assume the community is uniform.
The honest tradeoffs are distance and convenience. Marengo is at the far northwest edge of the metro, so this is a car-dependent lifestyle. There is no Metra station in town, and a rail commute means driving to Woodstock or Harvard on the UP-NW Line. McHenry County property taxes are a real line item, so pull the actual tax history for the specific home, and confirm the K-8 school assignment in writing, because the district is genuinely ambiguous from public sources.
The questions buyers actually ask
Brookside Meadows FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Brookside Meadows. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What does the HOA actually cover?
- Per M/I Homes, the new single-family homes at Brookside Meadows carry no HOA dues and no Special Service Area (SSA) assessment. Some earlier or attached sections shown on listing sites may carry a dues figure, so confirm HOA status for the specific home before you rely on it.
- What are property taxes like?
- Roughly $8,000 – $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.
- When was Brookside Meadows built?
- M/I Homes (Smart Series), completing an earlier mid-2000s plan built the community between 2004 and 2025.
- 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.
- Who builds the newer homes in Brookside Meadows?
- M/I Homes is completing the neighborhood with its value-focused Smart Series, which pairs floor plans with pre-selected finish packages. The wider subdivision also includes earlier homes from the 2000s and 2010s and some attached product from prior phases.
- Is there an HOA?
- Per M/I Homes, the new single-family homes carry no HOA dues and no Special Service Area (SSA) assessment. Some individual properties on listing sites show a monthly figure that may relate to specific earlier or attached sections, so confirm HOA status for the exact home you are considering.
- What do homes cost and how is the market right now?
- Pricing and market conditions change, so rather than quote a number here, check the live Market snapshot on this page for current list prices, recent sales, and activity in Brookside Meadows.
- What schools would my kids attend?
- High school is Marengo Community High School District 154. The K-8 assignment depends on the exact parcel: much of Marengo is in Marengo-Union District 165, while builder materials have cited Riley CCSD 18 for this area. Verify the assigned elementary and middle school directly with the districts and McHenry County before relying on it.
- How is the commute to Chicago and the suburbs?
- Marengo is about 60 miles from downtown Chicago and is car-oriented. You are minutes from US-20 and reach the I-90 tollway via the IL-23 interchange that opened in 2019. There is no Metra station in Marengo, so a train commute means driving to the UP-NW Line stations in Woodstock or Harvard.
- What is the tradeoff of living here?
- Distance and amenities. This is the far northwest edge of the metro, so shopping, hospitals, and job centers are a drive away, and the neighborhood itself is low-amenity, with recreation off-site in and around Marengo. In exchange you get newer single-family homes, bigger lots, and, on the new M/I homes, no HOA.
- Who is the real estate agent for Brookside Meadows?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers Brookside Meadows in Marengo, 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 Brookside Meadows 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 Brookside Meadows
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
- Marengo specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Market snapshot
Brookside Meadows, 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
$549,900
Typical sale price · last 90 days
$407,500
Homes for sale right now
1
Avg time on market
46 days
Sold in the last year
21
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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