Riverdale · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Ivanhoe.
- Active listings
- 2
- Median list
- $119K
- Avg time on market
- 68 days
- Sold · last year
- 3
Active listings
2 homes on the market
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About the community
A historic commuter-rail neighborhood 18 miles south of the Loop.
Ivanhoe is one of two historically recognized neighborhood names inside the Village of Riverdale, about 16 miles south of the Loop in south suburban Cook County. It was platted by Branigar Brothers, a Chicago subdividing firm that took on two Riverdale subdivisions comprising some 3,000 lots beginning in 1925, financing and building the water main extensions itself under contract with the village. The timing was not accidental: the Illinois Central electrified its suburban line in 1926, and the subdivision and the modern electric commuter station arrived together. The neighborhood centers on the Metra Electric station at 144th and Tracy and extends east of the tracks across a grid of Chicago-named streets, with the village hall, the public library, and a park all clustered within a few blocks.
At a glance
Its own Metra station
Ivanhoe station on the Metra Electric District, 18.2 miles from Millennium Station, with a 24-hour waiting room, ADA access, and 466 parking spaces across five lots.
Platted by Branigar Brothers
A documented 1925 and 1926 development of roughly 3,000 lots, sold with sanitary sewers, water mains, cement walks, and paved streets included in the price.
Two waves of building
1920s bungalows, cottages, and small brick homes, then a post-war wave of Cape Cods, ranches, and Georgians filling in through about 1960.
No HOA, no dues
A recorded subdivision of individually owned lots rather than a covenanted development, so there is no association and no assessment.
Kickapoo Woods nearby
A 245-acre Forest Preserves of Cook County site on the Little Calumet River with a paved loop trail, picnic shelter, and a carry-in canoe landing.
Parks and a library
Ivanhoe Park near 143rd and Ivanhoe Drive, C. Kelly Franson Park across from the station, and the Riverdale Public Library on 144th Street.
Dolton District 148
District 148's administrative office is one block from the station, with Park Elementary on Wentworth inside the Ivanhoe grid. Confirm assignment, since Riverdale is split among three elementary districts.
What’s close
Ivanhoe centers on the Metra Electric station at 144th and Tracy, with I-57 to the west and I-94 to the east.
- Train
- Ivanhoe station on the Metra Electric District main line, Fare Zone 2, with a ride to Millennium Station of roughly 35 to 45 minutes depending on the train. Riverdale's second station is at 137th and Illinois.
- Schools
- Riverdale is split among three elementary districts. The Ivanhoe area is generally served by Dolton School District 148, with Park Elementary at 14200 South Wentworth, then a Thornton Township High School District 205 school. Confirm assignment by address with both districts.
- Open space
- Kickapoo Woods Forest Preserve on South Halsted, plus Ivanhoe Park and C. Kelly Franson Park within the neighborhood.
- Shopping
- Retail inside the village is limited. Sibley Boulevard through Dolton and Harvey carries most everyday grocery and pharmacy needs, and River Oaks Center in Calumet City is roughly four to five miles east.
- Hospital
- UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, roughly three miles south, is the closest full-service hospital. The Blue Island hospital closed in 2019.
- Highway
- I-57 is roughly two to two and a half miles west and I-94, the Bishop Ford, is roughly two and a half to three miles east.
What it’s actually like to live here
Ivanhoe is a train neighborhood, and that is the honest organizing idea. Branigar Brothers laid the subdivision out in 1925 and 1926, in the same two years the Illinois Central was electrifying its suburban line, and the result is a place where the platform, the village hall, the library, and a park all sit within a few blocks of one another on 144th Street. Ivanhoe station has a heated 24-hour waiting room, ticket machines, ADA access, and 466 parking spaces, and the ride to Millennium Station runs roughly 35 to 45 minutes depending on the train. For a household with one or two downtown or Hyde Park commuters, that combination of a detached house on a real lot and a walkable station is genuinely uncommon at this price level anywhere in the region.
The housing tells the neighborhood's two-act story. The first act is 1920s: bungalows, cottages, and small brick homes on narrow platted lots, with alleys, detached garages, sidewalks, and parkway trees. The Depression stopped construction cold, and WPA crews spent the 1930s putting in sewers, curbs, and paved streets rather than houses. The second act is post-war, when families leaving the city filled in the remaining lots through about 1960. Buyers should plan on evaluating each house individually rather than by block, since condition varies enormously from carefully maintained long-term-owner homes to properties needing full systems work.
The tradeoffs are real and should be stated without euphemism. Riverdale's property tax rate is among the highest in Cook County, which changes the affordability math even at a low purchase price, so model the tax line carefully rather than assuming a low price means a low bill. The village is split among three elementary school districts, so school assignment must be confirmed address by address and families should read each school's Illinois Report Card themselves. Everyday retail is thin inside the village. On the other side of the ledger, this is a neighborhood with two Metra stations in the village, freeway access on both sides, a 245-acre forest preserve with a canoe landing a mile west, an active park district that even sells Metra passes, and a housing stock with craftsmanship and a street-tree canopy that newer subdivisions cannot buy.
The questions buyers actually ask
Ivanhoe FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Ivanhoe. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What does the HOA actually cover?
- There is no homeowners association in Ivanhoe. This is a 1920s recorded subdivision of individually owned platted lots, not a covenanted planned development, so there are no dues, no architectural review board, and no association-owned common areas. Owners deal directly with the Village of Riverdale for water, sewer, refuse, and vehicle stickers, and the Riverdale Park District and Riverdale Public Library District appear as separate line items on the property tax bill. Scattered multi-unit buildings in the area may carry their own condo or investor association, so confirm on a building-by-building basis.
- What are property taxes like?
- Roughly $5,000 – $11,000 per year, depending on home size and value. Cook 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.
- Is the Ivanhoe Metra station still open, and how long is the ride downtown?
- Yes. Ivanhoe is an active stop on Metra's Electric District main line at West 144th Street and Tracy Avenue, 18.2 miles from Millennium Station and in Fare Zone 2. The station has a 24-hour waiting room, ticket vending machines, ADA accessibility, bike racks, and 466 parking spaces across five lots. Ride time to Millennium Station runs roughly 35 to 45 minutes depending on whether you catch an all-stop or a peak train. Riverdale's second Metra station is at 137th and Illinois.
- Is Ivanhoe an HOA community?
- No. Ivanhoe is a historic recorded subdivision platted by Branigar Brothers in 1925 and 1926, not a covenanted planned development, so there is no homeowners association and no dues. Owners deal directly with the Village of Riverdale for water, sewer, refuse, and vehicle stickers, and the Riverdale Park District and Riverdale Public Library District appear as separate line items on the property tax bill. Individual multi-unit buildings in the area may have their own association, so confirm building by building.
- What schools serve Ivanhoe?
- Riverdale is unusual in that three separate elementary districts levy inside village limits: District 148 in Dolton, District 133, and District 132 in Calumet Park. The Ivanhoe area is generally served by Dolton School District 148, whose administrative office is at 114 West 144th Street and whose nearest elementary school is Park Elementary at 14200 South Wentworth Avenue. High school students attend a Thornton Township High School District 205 school. Because boundaries within Riverdale are genuinely split, confirm the assignment for any specific address directly with both districts before you rely on it.
- Why are property taxes in Riverdale so high?
- Riverdale had the third highest average composite tax rate in Cook County for tax year 2023, at 25.403 percent of equalized assessed value, per the Cook County Clerk. The driver is a small, low-value tax base supporting a full slate of local governments: the village, an elementary district, a township high school district, a community college district, a park district, a library district, the township, the county, the forest preserve, and the water reclamation district. In effective terms that works out to roughly 5 to 8 percent of market value depending on the year and on whether the homeowner and senior exemptions are applied. The rate did fall more than 22 percent between 2022 and 2023 following reassessment. Always pull the actual bill for the specific PIN and verify exemptions are on file.
- What do homes cost in Ivanhoe, and how is the market right now?
- Ivanhoe is one of the more affordable places in Cook County to buy a detached single-family home, but pricing here depends heavily on condition, and the spread between a move-in-ready home and one needing full systems work is wide. Rather than quote a number that goes stale, check the Market snapshot on this page, which pulls current active listings, recent sales, and days on market straight from the MLS.
- What should I watch for in a home built between the 1920s and the 1960s?
- Have your inspector look hard at the electrical service and any knob-and-tube or ungrounded wiring, galvanized or lead supply lines, the sewer lateral (a camera scope is worth it on homes this age), the roof, the windows, the furnace and water heater, and the foundation and basement drainage. Lead paint and asbestos are possible in the oldest stock, so budget accordingly. Garages are usually detached and off the alley. Many of these homes are structurally sound and well built, and renovation loan products such as FHA 203(k) can be a good fit for one that needs work.
- Who is the real estate agent for Ivanhoe?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers Ivanhoe in Riverdale, 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 Ivanhoe 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 Ivanhoe
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
- Riverdale specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Market snapshot
Ivanhoe, 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
$118,500
Homes for sale right now
2
Avg time on market
68 days
Sold in the last year
3
This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period August 15, 2025 through August 15, 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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