Woodstock, IL

This stretch of South Woodstock earned its storybook nickname, "Fairytale Lane," from the steep-pitched saltbox and Cape Cod rooflines set with gas lanterns that still light the walkways at dusk, and mature trees a longtime resident grew from his own tree farm. This home came from home builder Tom Williams, who gave her a brick front, a bay window, and clean, elegant lines. We're calling her GRACE - because what's underneath is even more than what you see outside: the unassuming American girl next door, extraordinary the moment you're through the door. With speakers wired into nearly every room - living room, kitchen, basement, even outside - she's built for someone who knows how to move to music. Extras rarely found at this price point are everywhere inside: 9-foot and cathedral ceilings with solid wood beams, the same beam running from the family room into the kitchen, where an island, pendant lighting, tile backsplash, and stainless appliances make the space built for entertaining. A floor-to-ceiling river rock STONE gas fireplace centers the family room, flanked by built-in bookshelves and cabinetry, with large CROWN molding and dentil detail throughout. Interior TRANSOM windows - unusual for a house like this - run between several rooms, letting light pass through. Upstairs, all three bedroom closets are true walk-ins. HARDWOOD floors run throughout, and an arched leaded-glass front door with sidelights and a transom opens onto brick entry steps. Outside: a gas lamppost lights itself every evening, and - we'll just say it - arguably the best lawn in Woodstock. Maybe the state. The automatic SPRINKLER system behind it isn't messing around. Colorful annual flower beds line a curved paver walkway, with mature perennial plantings filling out the rest of the property, plus a side-yard vegetable bed for summer tomatoes. The backyard is fully secluded under mature trees, with a stamped concrete patio and a wood deck ready for a hot tub. Downstairs: over 1,000 square feet of BASEMENT, all functional - a finished section with a wet bar, refrigerator, and a MEDIA setup for movie night, plus plenty of storage. The HEATED garage is fully insulated, even wainscoted, with a floor drain and utility sink - 714 square feet of real function. The laundry room has its own utility sink and cabinets. Central vac runs throughout the house, and a security system covers the exterior. We call her Grace. Just minutes away, historic WOODSTOCK SQUARE - once named one of the most beautiful town squares in the U.S. - brings the rest of it home: a farmers market, band concerts on the lawn, an annual Folk and Food Truck Festival, locally owned boutiques and coffee shops, a Memorial Day parade, and a whole town that turns out every February for Groundhog Day, when the gazebo hosts the groundhog's big reveal, polka band and all - the real Square once stood in for Punxsutawney on film. The restored 1857 Old Courthouse anchors it all. This isn't just a house on a storybook street. It's a life. NO HOA