Briarwood Lakes, Oak Brook — True Cost of Ownership

DuPage County | 199 homes | Attached condos | Units $250K–$420K | HOA ~$700/mo

Briarwood Lakes carries the highest HOA fee of any 55+ community in the Chicago market at approximately $700/month. That number stops most buyers cold — and it should not, without context. A full-service condo HOA at this level typically bundles heat, air conditioning, water, sewer, trash, cable/internet, building insurance, exterior maintenance, grounds care, and common area utilities. When you total all of those items for a single-family homeowner, $700/month is not unusual — it is just itemized differently on their monthly statements.

What $700/mo Likely Covers at Briarwood Lakes

Item	Typically Included	Market Value if Paid Separately
Building/master insurance	Yes	~$130–$200/mo for SF equivalent
Heat (gas)	Likely	~$100–$180/mo (IL winter avg)
Air conditioning	Likely	~$50–$80/mo (summer)
Water and sewer	Yes	~$50–$75/mo
Trash removal	Yes	~$25–$40/mo
Cable/internet	Often	~$80–$130/mo
Grounds, pool, amenities	Yes	~$150–$200/mo
Total if unbundled		~$585–$905/mo

The real comparison is purchase-price-plus-all-in monthly, not HOA alone. A $300K condo at Briarwood Lakes with $700/mo all-inclusive HOA may have lower total monthly non-mortgage costs than a $250K single-family community at $175/mo HOA once you add back heat, insurance, lawn, cable, and water. Pull the exact fee inclusions from the HOA governing documents before comparing this community to anything else by HOA alone. The Oak Brook address — DuPage County, ~2.0% tax rate — also helps.

Monthly Cost Breakdown — All-In Condo

Cost Item	Est. Monthly (Low)	Est. Monthly (High)	Notes
HOA fee (bundled — see above)	$680	$720	Verify exact inclusions at time of purchase
Property tax	$417	$700	DuPage ~2.0%; on $250K–$420K units
Interior insurance (HO-6)	$40	$70	Interior/contents only; structure under master policy
Electric (if not in HOA)	$50	$90	Verify; may be fully or partially covered
Total monthly (excl. mortgage)	~$1,187	~$1,580

DuPage County Tax by Unit Value

Purchase Price	Annual Tax Est.	Monthly
$250,000	$5,000	$417
$310,000	$6,200	$517
$365,000	$7,300	$608
$420,000	$8,400	$700

Questions on Briarwood Lakes?

Connect with a DuPage County buyer agent who can pull the exact HOA fee schedule and governing documents showing what the $700/mo includes.

Talk to an Agent