Looking For a SFH With a Coach House? 2334 N. Medill in Bucktown

This 4-bedroom single family home at 2334 N. Medill in Bucktown has a surprise in the backyard- a 2 bedroom coach house.

2334-n-medill-approved.jpg

2334-n-medill-coach-house-approved.jpg

The main house was built in 1916 on a 25×125 lot.

The listing says it was gutted in 2008.

The kitchen has a contemporary look with stainless steel appliances and European style cabinets.

The listing says the open staircase in the main living space was imported from Italy.

Of the 4 bedrooms, the master takes up the entire top floor, two other bedrooms are on the second floor and the fourth bedroom is in the lower level.

The main house has central air.

But given the 2-bedroom coach house located on the rear of the property, there is no garage or parking.

Does this kind of property work well for an in-law arrangement?

2334-n-medill-dining-room-approved.jpg

2334-n-medill-kitchen-approved.jpg

2334-n-medill-staircase-approved.jpg

2334-n-medill-bathroom-approved.jpg

2334-n-medill-coach-house-kitchen-approved.jpg

Mitch Gordon at Baird and Warner has the listing. See more pictures here.

See the listing here.

Or you can see it in person this Sunday, Feb 27, at the Open House from 12-2 pm.

2334 N. Medill: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 3123 square feet plus a 2/2 coach house

  • Sold in May 1995 for $179,000
  • Currently listed for $986,000
  • Taxes of $13,098
  • Central Air
  • Bedroom #1: 12×21 (third floor)
  • Bedroom #2: 12×12 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #3: 13×10 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #4: 10×8 (lower level)

63 Responses to “Looking For a SFH With a Coach House? 2334 N. Medill in Bucktown”

  1. Interesting choice to spend the money on a modern exterior rehab of the coach house. Can not imagine this going for close to a mil, backing right up to parking lots on Fullerton and Western. Pretty damn nice kitchen and master br, though.

    Was this mortgage fraud or just pure idiocy?

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2439-N-Campbell-Ave-60647/home/13449456

    0
    0
  2. Wow this place is crazy. Looking through the pictures makes me feel bi-polar. I’m having wild mood swings between really liking and absolutely hating this place.

    0
    0
  3. “I’m having wild mood swings between really liking and absolutely hating this place.”

    Yea this place lacks a unified vision, just random crap thrown together. Some individual parts are very nice, but as a whole it’s pretty disgusting, and the lack of parking is a deal breaker for me anyways.

    0
    0
  4. I was recently looking at SFH sold data in this area and surprised to find the amount of $700k+ rehabs sold in the last year. I think it is a great area and all but I can’t figure out why it still commands high prices. Most of the lots are 25×100 (not this one) and below grade. Am I missing something?

    The separate coach house is a great way to have a true inlaw arrangement. Street parking is no problem here. I say $875k for this one.

    0
    0
  5. LOVE it! Wow. a crib chatter property I could actually see myself in. Geez, would I kill for that coach house for inlaw visits or as a nanny quarters. I’d happily give up parking to gain that. I have a friend that lives in this neighborhood and it is full of families, summer block parties etc. (I’ve crashed a few of their Bucktown Arts Fest parties)

    Adore that kitchen and like that the master has its own floor. Some paint color changes and I’d dig it even more.

    ChiBuilder….I think it retains value pretty well because it is very convenient to downtown as well as for expressway access for commuters. As well as being close (but not too close) to everything in btown and wicker park.

    Listing says Coach House is rented out, so that’s always an option too, although I’d probably keep it clear for visitors.

    0
    0
  6. one word

    awesome

    0
    0
  7. “Geez, would I kill for that coach house for inlaw visits or as a nanny quarters. ”

    Trudi – I have a 2800sq ft coach house separated from a 6000sq ft main house by a pool and 9 hole putting green in Oak Brook – I’ll sell it to you and even finance the entire amount!!!!

    0
    0
  8. This is exactly something that I am searching for in West Town/Uk Village. Seeking a rehab project for a single fam, and a coach house in rear. There are very few properties like this. But at over $900k, ouch.

    0
    0
  9. Clio—can you put up my inlaws and house my nanny? 🙂 It’s a city life for me, so this place is massively appealing.

    On the price side, I’d say this might fetch about 925

    0
    0
  10. Too trendy to be an in-law arrangement. More like a Kato Kaelin arrangement.

    0
    0
  11. “Was this [2439 Campbell] mortgage fraud or just pure idiocy”

    The seller borrowed $626k, so, not fraud. Was the ’08 price that out of whack?

    0
    0
  12. Okay, here are my predictions (to be revisited in 2012 cribchatter):

    I bet this house will sell more than 1 year prior to, and for a higher price than, 2329 OR 2339 Lyndale (currently listed for 1.4 and 1.3 million, respectively).

    I also bet that 2319 Medill closes for less than 50% of its original listing price (even without knowing what its OLP was)

    0
    0
  13. Okay, I’m having fun looking at listings around here:

    Here is a house that needs nothing less than THE buyer who likes the expressway as much as HD, and is as bullish on RE as HD is bearish!

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2520-N-Artesian-Ave-60647/home/12554837

    I’m sure he’s out there somewhere…

    0
    0
  14. Really? 1 million dollars practically?…maybe like 850

    As much as I like Bucktown, I think for a Mil you can get better imo

    0
    0
  15. “I also bet that 2319 Medill closes for less than 50% of its original listing price”

    What’s the problem with 2319? Besides the paint/wallpaper, which they *really* should neutralize if they want to sell.

    0
    0
  16. They should do a few things in order to sell, but I’d bet they won’t. Anyway, the wager hinges about what the OLP was (in April 07, mind you). I’m guessing something truly absurd.

    0
    0
  17. The coach house seems much more attractive as a rental (and I think that since it’s all one property that income is essentially tax-free and you still get the homeowner’s exemption. I don’t see any reference to it being rented in the listings, though.

    0
    0
  18. A-Fed…I think the opportunity here is that it has a coach home and you can’t build those (at least legally). So for someone who values that there is not really anything like this in Bucktown.

    I am going to hop over to the open house on sunday and give it a look.

    0
    0
  19. Also, I know this area pretty well and I expect that this property is pretty out of character for the neighborhood. I wouldn’t call this a “quite enclave of Bucktown” – it’s a few feet from the intersection of two of the busiest arteries in all of Chicago. I would consider secure parking a requirement at this price point, unless you are the type that spends $900k for a house but has crappy cars, especially since its location makes it a “driver’s property.” I guess the coach house really makes it about a $700k listing if you consider the potential benefit of a rental, though.

    0
    0
  20. “Anyway, the wager hinges about what the OLP was (in April 07, mind you). I’m guessing something truly absurd.”

    With the anti-staging of the place, which I assume was the same in ’07, and the ’07 sale for 2336 Medill (also 4/3.5) for $899, after listing (new) at $975, even $975 would have been *truly* absurd.

    0
    0
  21. JJJ if you know the area well, you’d know how many families live on these blocks. It’s nearly all single family homes.

    0
    0
  22. Where do the “new” people in this neighborhood send thier kids to school? Per the Chicago CPS website the Pulaski school is 93.7% low income students. The performace rating is level 2 and test scores look poor. The area seems to be expensive with SFH’s averaging around $750k…even several listings over 1 million. If the neighborhood has been gentrifying for the last 10 years why is the school not followed?

    0
    0
  23. “A-Fed…I think the opportunity here is that it has a coach home and you can’t build those (at least legally).”

    And there is in-law clause from like 1920 which required coach house not meeting city regulation, doesn’t mean it makes it a good value.

    I think this is overpriced based on location and the lack of parking. Additionally, I think the point of purchasing a SFH is privacy to some extent. Why have renters on your lot if you dont have to? That space could be a garage, pool, grass, man cave, so many other uses than “renting.” Of course, assuming you have the $$$ to not have to rent it…

    0
    0
  24. Pulaski just got an IB program last year and it’s in the beginning stages of a big turnaround. new principal, etc. I know there’s been a pretty significant parent push over the past year. I also know quite a few people in this area who send their kids to Near North Montessori.

    0
    0
  25. I am looking for a SFH in this area, but this would not be my choice at all (or at this price). Based on the facades of the home and the coach house, I would for sure want to live in the coach house rather than the house with those wood beams and missing window over the door. Backing up to Fullerton here would suck as well and no matter how easy parking is around here, you still want it when you are dropping this coin.

    0
    0
  26. i just want to mention to clio that millions, if not billions, are being LOST in the stock market today alone….

    0
    0
  27. “i just want to mention to clio that millions, if not billions, are being LOST in the stock market today alone….”

    Yah and if you played oil or gold you are making millions…for every loss, someone gains.

    0
    0
  28. Watch that gold, at least short term. Levered up hedge funds may be selling it to meet margin calls.

    “Yah and if you played oil or gold you are making millions…for every loss, someone gains.”

    0
    0
  29. Unless you have stock in an oil company in some parts of the arab world, be prepared to take a big loss

    0
    0
  30. re: schooling here. Pulaski’s just started its neighborhood turnaround. There’s a new IB, a new fullday pre-k, and a new principal from about 2 years back I believe.

    0
    0
  31. How does one get permission to build a coach house, is it still possible?

    0
    0
  32. today sucks in the stock market clio! now I can’t buy another house!

    stupid earnings runup I should have known and now all my other crap is down too 🙁

    0
    0
  33. Ditto – How does one get permission to build a coach house, is it still possible? I have an in-law and would like to build a coach house some day as an inlaw suite. Seems better than having her in the basement (too close for my tastes and too dark for hers.)

    0
    0
  34. 600 feet from the Kennedy makes it even more desirable.

    0
    0
  35. “They should do a few things in order to sell, but I’d bet they won’t. Anyway, the wager hinges about what the OLP was (in April 07, mind you). I’m guessing something truly absurd.”

    $1,099,000

    0
    0
  36. gringozecarioca on February 24th, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    sonies… Trade oil.

    0
    0
  37. So, roma, sticking with 2319 at $549k or less?

    0
    0
  38. Suggestion for the sellers: replace that crappy portico with something nice and modern looking. You spent all that money on the interior renovation but the exterior looks so blah. You don’t want to change the exterior too much or you’d loose the whole vintage exterior / modern interior vibe that people seem to like. A new portico would make a big difference at a relatively small cost.

    0
    0
  39. “Ditto – How does one get permission to build a coach house, is it still possible?”

    From my understanding, one can construct any sort of structure within the owned land lot limits, given it meets ALL city requirements and no disturbence to neighbors or community. All necessary permits are required as well as certified insured contractors.

    0
    0
  40. “sonies… Trade oil”

    too late to that party, although I do own quite a few different big oils

    0
    0
  41. Eh, you win some, you lose some…

    “So, roma, sticking with 2319 at $549k or less?”

    0
    0
  42. “From my understanding, one can construct any sort of structure within the owned land lot limits, given it meets ALL city requirements and no disturbence to neighbors or community. All necessary permits are required as well as certified insured contractors.”

    And you can construct habitable space in your garage location, it’s just exceedingly difficult to maybe impossible to get it treated as a legal rentable unit. You could definitely build an office/guest suite above your garage–know people who have the office w/ bath above the garage in a ~10 year old garage behind an existing house.

    0
    0
  43. I like this place quite a bit.

    0
    0
  44. “And you can construct habitable space in your garage location, it’s just exceedingly difficult to maybe impossible to get it treated as a legal rentable unit.”

    Well this is due, in part, to a lack of chicago address for the coach house. I was refering to building a coach house for one’s own personal use – not necessarily for rental needs. One could then rent the house “under the radar” or “illegally” as some of you would put it.

    0
    0
  45. “I was refering to building a coach house for one’s own personal use – not necessarily for rental needs.”

    Just refining, as there were a number of people asking.

    0
    0
  46. Thanks for all your feedback on this house. In full disclosure, I am the listing agent. I really appreciate your candor and honesty. I will certainly try and use your comments when marketing the house going forward. I also wanted to try and answer some of your questions about the property:

    JJJ, The coach house is currently rented for $1800/month. This is stated in the agent remarks on the MLS listing.

    Trudi, I am looking forward to seeing you at the open house on Sunday. I hope some of you other Cribchatter folks can make it as well. I think once you are inside the house you will appreciate the flow and continuity of it more then comes across from looking at photos on the internet. I feel that the owners did an amazing job on with the rehab and I am looking forward to what they do with their next house.

    Chris, the Pulaski School or as it is know today, Pulaski International School of Chicago. has already made the turn. Wicker is right, a new principal took over there a couple years back and they also have a very well respected IB program.

    Gesco, as for how to build a new coach house today in Chicago, simply put, you can not. As of the early 1900’s they are no longer legal, but since this coach house was already built it is considered legal non-conforming. So it is pretty rare to have this and has many great uses for the home owner.

    Thanks again.

    0
    0
  47. I agree with whoever it was about the portico. And the “missing” window. And would add that the front door looks odd, but that could be the pic.

    Like it a lot, but would have sacrificed some of the coach house livable space for a single garage spot (yes, I know of more than one coach house done that way.), had I been doing the work.

    0
    0
  48. Jon, and others, looking for houses…
    Is anyone else completely bummed by the fact that Google Maps removed the “Real Estate” option from the set mapping features that they have?

    I found nothing more satisfying than typing in an address, clicking over on Real Estate and seeing all the current stuff for sale all around. Now, it’s redfin or nothing. Boo.

    0
    0
  49. shortwithhighceilings on February 24th, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    Mitch G,

    Altho we would not buy in that particular location, the rehab is so striking and wonderful (to us) that we would at least want to know if the owners or their designers are looking for more work ….

    0
    0
  50. “Is anyone else completely bummed by the fact that Google Maps removed the “Real Estate” option from the set mapping features that they have?”

    Totally agree.

    0
    0
  51. Mitch, thanks for stopping by and answering our questions. Good luck with the listing. That much rental income should make this very attractive for the right buyers.

    0
    0
  52. re: JJJ
    Also, I know this area pretty well and I expect that this property is pretty out of character for the neighborhood. I wouldn’t call this a “quite enclave of Bucktown” – it’s a few feet from the intersection of two of the busiest arteries in all of Chicago.

    I used to live back here – it is oddly quiet! there is really no drive thru traffic because there is no clear-cut short cut to get from Western or Fullerton to the SE or vice versa. Also this whole area is very neighborhoody, lots of families – I never felt unsafe walking around at night. I always say that if we move back to Chicago, this is the area I would want to live in. Plus the (free) public pool over there is clean and nice, believe it or not. A wonderful little area, in my opinion.

    0
    0
  53. “I found nothing more satisfying than typing in an address, clicking over on Real Estate and seeing all the current stuff for sale all around. Now, it’s redfin or nothing. Boo.”

    A website that I’ve used for similar purposes is the unfortunately named hotpads.com. It’s basically a listing aggregator (whether that listing comes from craigslist, listhub or other syndicating services) that maps those results – it’s also great for rentals.

    0
    0
  54. We looked at the coach house for a rental. Let’s just say that the pictures are (and were) very flattering, and the actual work was less than impressive. Didn’t see the interior of the actual house.

    0
    0
  55. “Thanks for all your feedback on this house. In full disclosure, I am the listing agent. I really appreciate your candor and honesty. I will certainly try and use your comments when marketing the house going forward. I also wanted to try and answer some of your questions about the property:”

    Thanks for answering some of the questions Mitch. I hope a lot of crib chatterers show up at the open house!

    0
    0
  56. And Quenchers – don’t discount proximity to Quenchers, one of the coolest live-music bars in the area!

    0
    0
  57. shortwithhighceilings, I am sure the designers of this house would be interested in a different project. I have personally worked with both the builder and designer on other projects and would highly recommend them. I would be more then happy to pass along some contact information. If you are interested please email me directly at mitch.gordon@bairdwarner.com.

    Thanks

    0
    0
  58. Went to the open house this weekend. Let me preface all of this with the fact that the realtor was very nice/very professional so these comments should be taken in the right way and not as a slam on the house.

    First, the coach house wasn’t open to view which I thought was a bit strange for an open house where one of the main draws was the additional living quarters. We didn’t see this as a good “income” feature because if you are spending almost a million, do you really want to share your backyard with renters and have them looking into your house from 15 feet away?

    A floor plan would be really helpful because this place is set up very uniquely. We were told that the owner did all of the renovations and – while nice – not everything flowed or made great use of the space. The kitchen (the rear of the house) had very little work space but high end German appliances. The living room (front of house, main floor) was very small and would not work very well for entertaining. The outdoor spaces were relatively small. The radiant heated floors were a nice feature.

    The master suite is confused. The front of the floor is an open closet with very little space on either side for clothes. The master bedroom itself was very small with odd angled ceilings. Leading back to the master bath was a curved corrider with a fireplace — it was not useful space in my opinion. There were light colored wood steps which then turned to dark wood floors followed by one kind of tile in the fireplace area and then another tile in the bathroom. Second floor are two kids’ rooms with some nice built in storage and then the rest of the floor is occupied by a work space.

    Dealbreakers were the facade of the house (the portico is worse in person — held up by 2 4×4 decking beams with original flimsy railing). The brick is not attractive and lack of parking is a total dealbreaker for us. Despite this being a nice pocket of Bucktown, this house is very close to Western/Fullerton (a fairly undesireable intersection).

    This will be a tough sell at this price point in light of how unique the property is and the various cons.

    0
    0
  59. Went to the open house this weekend as well. This is definitely a property worth seeing in person as it would be difficult to determine from the pictures the actual layout. I was pleasantly surprised and found the space very inviting and exceptionally well set up for entertaining. To me that was a huge asset. The kitchen is beautifully done. The staircase is absolutely stunning in person and I actually really love the master suite layout. I would use that space by the fire place as a nice reading/sitting room.

    I went with a friend who is looking in the area and the neighborhood feel is very nice.

    “We didn’t see this as a good “income” feature because if you are spending almost a million, do you really want to share your backyard with renters and have them looking into your house from 15 feet away?”

    What was appealing to my friend was the fact that she could move up into this price point because of the income from the coach house would off set her monthly outlay.

    Overall, I was very impressed, but you definitely have to appreciate a contemporary style. I’ve seen so many cookie cutter places with crappy fixtuers and shoddy construction that it was very refreshing to see something that was well executed. The exterior is certainly not going to win any awards, but to me I would prefer having a bit of a stealth house and have the money spent on the interior.

    0
    0
  60. Thanks for the recap J[o/e]n!

    0
    0
  61. Would like to add that the realtor, Mitch, has more pics of the coach house. I actually thought they may have been hiding something, but the unpictured areas in the listing are commensurate to what is shown. Also, I believe he said the work was done in 2010.

    Overall, it was a pleasant surprise. The other houses on the street are really nice, not a dud among them. Probably one of the best looking streets in the area, though too close to Western for me. Parking seemed to be no issue, with plenty of spaces to choose from.

    0
    0
  62. That drywall on the ceiling looks shoddy.

    0
    0
  63. “That drywall on the ceiling looks shoddy.”

    We noticed that the ceiling was repainted along the stud-lines which was a bit disconcerting. Glad that you had a different take on it Jen because it probably will be a nice home for someone. I have to disagree on the kitchen though because as someone that cooks a considerable amount of the time, there were nice appliances but no work space. Also, did you notice the plastic things that held the rails to the stairs? I didn’t like at all. I would not say that this appeals to every contemporary buyer.

    0
    0

Leave a Reply