Get a 2-Bedroom Under $300,000 Close to the Division Street: 1111 N. Winchester in Ukranian Village

This top floor 2-bedroom at 1111 N. Winchester in the Ukranian Village neighborhood of West Town recently came back on the market after trying to sell from August through November of 2011.

It’s been reduced $7,000 since the original listing.

According to the Redfin agent notes, this unit was converted in 2007.

It has a new kitchen with dark cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

It has a balcony off the back of the unit but also apparently “private access to a roof deck” of which there are just renderings in the listing so I’m assuming it doesn’t exist (and that the owner simply has roof rights.)

The unit has 3 exposures.

It has central air and parking but no washer/dryer in the unit. However, there is a private laundry room/storage area in the basement with the unit’s own washer/dryer.

The listing says there is a $5,000 closing credit for a contract by 6/1/2012.

The unit is just minutes away from the shops and restaurants on hopping Division Street.

Given its location and amenities, will this unit have better luck selling this spring?

Eileen Ellis at Koenig & Strey Real Living has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #3R: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, no square footage listed

  • Sold in November 2007 for $288,000
  • Originally listed in August 2011 for $295,000
  • Withdrawn in November 2011
  • Recently re-listed at $287,000
  • Assessments of $150 a month
  • Taxes of $2673
  • Central Air
  • Private laundry room in the basement
  • Outdoor parking included
  • Bedroom #1: 13×7
  • Bedroom #2: 12×7

26 Responses to “Get a 2-Bedroom Under $300,000 Close to the Division Street: 1111 N. Winchester in Ukranian Village”

  1. Seems like a nice unit but also a lot of money for a rear unit without in unit laundry and only one bath. I’d be more willing to ignore those misgivings at this price if it actually had the roof deck already done.

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  2. SoPoCo Lurker on March 29th, 2012 at 2:26 pm

    The deck pictures shows a ladder going up. I’d guess this unit has the roof rights.

    How does this work practically? Do the downstairs HOA members fight your plan out of shear jealousy?

    I’d be interested in hearing anyone’s experience adding a private roof deck to a 3-flat.

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  3. “Close to the Division Street” did you write that heading at midnight too?

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  4. “I’d be interested in hearing anyone’s experience adding a private roof deck to a 3-flat.”

    If the condo doc’s say that the top floor unit has roof rights, it has roof rights. The doc’s will also (usually) say that the top floor unit owner will assume responsibility for maintaining the roof to the extent that the deck causes damage/requires maintenance. But unless the future owner of this unit happens to build roof decks for a living, I don’t really see them building a roof deck. It’s a 2/1 (and it already has a balcony).

    We have roof rights, as do our fellow top floor neighbors, but nobody has gone to the trouble of building a roof deck. Were we taken up there when we first showed a real interest in the unit? Sure, and we envisioned building a lavish deck. And we’ll certainly encourage a (future) broker to take prospective buyers up there to entertain a similar vision.

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  5. This looks like another seller who is either unable or unwilling to lower the price sufficiently and will chase the market. This part of West Town is growing with good restaurants and bars but its a long way off from having a 2/1 condo worth $300K.

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  6. Bedrooms are tiny and no in unit laundry after a 2007 redo is ridiculous…187 is reasonable

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  7. This is a rear unit with what looks like an incredibly skinny common area. For $287K, I’d expect a whole floor 2BR in a 3-flat. I wouldn’t pay over $200k for this. I do live in and love this area though.

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  8. what do you mean by rear unit? how does this building lay out?

    The picture of the living room shows a door and a small balcony, the facade picture has none of this.

    Even if this old building has better bones & construction than the mccrapbox, it will still trade at a discount to the newer stuff, so under $300K is a given.

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  9. Two 7-foot wide BR’s kills it. One could be tolerable, but not two.

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  10. By “rear unit,” I mean that it looks like the single floor is split into two units, one in front and one in back. Take a look at the front facade of the property and tell me if you see those windows in any of the interior pictures. An “R” in the unit number usually means rear and the realtor comments mention that it is a rear unit. I’m curious how you enter. Do you have to tell your guests go around back? The place looks narrow because they squeezed in the bedrooms parallel to the living room. This is just an overall failure.

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  11. i want to like this place. however, i would argue that its not a 2 br. rather a 1br with a nice den. the living room space is disrupted by the french doors. another ding. 200 and im being nice.

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  12. My place is a comp and we’re closing June 1 at $270

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1539-N-Leavitt-St-60622/unit-3/home/14109117

    Mine’s got larger (though still a bit tight) bedrooms, a waaaay better kitchen (that’s not even a kitchen – it’s a cooking nook), in-unit laundry, garage, massive storage and arguably a better location. This place’s rooms are VERY tight and I’m curious where the ‘3 exposures’ comes from with it being a rear unit and sandwiched between two other 3 flats.

    We consistently were up against 2/2s in the $280-300 range so we eventually had to come in below that before we got any significant traction. No way this place goes for close to $287. $225-230, tops.

    And if I see one more idiot realtor who calls something with Home Depot cabinets, a $2000 worth of appliances a ‘chef’s kitchen’ I’m going to hurl.

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  13. Tom – I’ll take your word on your place as I walked 1111 N Winchester when it was first rehabbed an all the units were for sale. They’re “nice” but definitely small and the bedrooms get absolutely no light; however, I can’t agree on location. 1111 N Winchester is superior to Leavitt south of North all day. Between the school to the south and the Bickerdike housing scattered along Leavitt. No thanks.

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  14. This unit while nice is no more than 600 sq ft. if it is even that.

    These buildings usually have a side center entrance on the outside of the building via the gangway, which serves as the back door for the F units and the front door for the R units. This building doesn’t look like it has a gangway, so maybe there is an internal hallway accessed from the front. There is a door to the right of the kitchen that is probably the main entrance.

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  15. Agreed Tom, your place is nicer in terms of vintage and modern amenities. Good luck, hope the curse of Crib Chatter doesn’t get to you.

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  16. Just slapping a deck up there is not that expensive, but it’s the costs of planning, permitting, getting electric and water and getting access and egress that add up. I don’t really recall, but I think that Code will make you have two points of egress up there for that size, which is expensive, and I’m not sure how you would do it here. No one has done it here because it doesn’t make sense for this space.

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  17. “Agreed Tom, your place is nicer in terms of vintage and modern amenities. Good luck, hope the curse of Crib Chatter doesn’t get to you.”

    thanks … we’re pretty much past the point of no return now — all contingencies passed and just waiting for closing. I just shudder to think what would have happened if my place showed up on here when it was listed at $325 🙂

    At least I don’t have to worry about being underwater since I bought in 1996 for $146 :-)))

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  18. it’s laughable that the agent described this as having a chef’s kitchen.

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  19. This place just has too many flaws for buyers today.

    It is tolerable or nice enough for a higher grade rental, but not something I think most people want to deal with when they buy. Laundry in basement, fail. 1 bath, fail. Narrow bedrooms, fail. In fact, I’d say it might be worth spending the money to get one of those euro/kitchen washer/dryer things installed. I bet most people completely write this place off when the find out it has the w/d in basement even if the w/d could be jerry rigged in the unit.

    The private deck will probably never get built. I can’t imagine people buying in this price range are going to want to or have the ability to spend money building out a roof top deck. I also doubt it would result in a ROI, because the roof deck won’t make up for the other obvious issues.

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  20. “My place is a comp and we’re closing June 1 at $270”
    Tom – I’m not even sure I would call your place a comp! You have an extra half bath which to me takes it out of contention right there. It doesn’t look like your unit is an alley-facing rear unit which is a serious negative. Outdoor parking to your garage parking… Basement laundry to your in-unit laundry.

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  21. “This unit while nice is no more than 600 sq ft. if it is even that.”

    Sounds about right. This is a nicer version of the apartment I’m currently living in. Apart from super-dense areas, place this size should remain rental apartments.

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  22. the other thing I’m wondering is if there is basement access from inside. From the looks of the photo of the rear, I’d bet there isn’t. That’d be another serious ding as well. No way I want to lug my laundry down those steps in the winter (or summer).

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  23. My 6 flat building has a central staircase that leads to a side door and the basement, but I’m guessing that’s not the case here, judging by the narrow spaces between this building and the buildings on each side of it.

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  24. > We consistently were up against 2/2s in the $280-300 range so we eventually had to come in below that before we got any significant traction.

    How much are vintage 2/2s going for without parking in this area? (True 2/2, not 2/1.5)

    I’d guess 250k?

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  25. Love this blog, the comments have provided helpful insights as my husband and I search to buy our first condo.

    I’d love to hear what you all think about adding a washer/dryer hookup to a unit after purchasing. Assuming you have the space for a stackable set in a unit and relatively easy access to whatever the necessary plumbing is (units on other floors have them in-unit) what does that sort of addition cost in Chicago from reputable contractors going through all the proper permitting etc?

    Clearly I’m a bit off topic from 1111 #3R (we went there for a showing, and while nice, there truly isn’t an inch to spare in that place!) so many thanks in advance to anyone willing to shed some light for some first time home buyers.

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  26. “I’d love to hear what you all think about adding a washer/dryer hookup to a unit after purchasing. Assuming you have the space for a stackable set in a unit and relatively easy access to whatever the necessary plumbing is (units on other floors have them in-unit) what does that sort of addition cost in Chicago from reputable contractors going through all the proper permitting etc?”

    This assumes that the condo board will actually allow it. (Never assume that because other units have it- that it is allowed in new units. Some buildings have w/ds that have been grandfathered in but they don’t allow any new ones to be added. Some units have them because they’re combined units with the right piping and the building doesn’t allow it in other units. I’ve seen both of these examples before. Make sure you are 100% clear/sure with the condo board that they will allow you to put it in.)

    That being said- I have had realtors quote me “$10,000” to have it put in in the pre-war buildings along Lake Shore Drive (the ones that DO allow it.) I don’t know if they were simply estimating or shooting off the cuff or if their seller actually had it quoted out by a contractor. But I’ve heard the “$10,000” amount thrown at me in multiple buildings over the years.

    Anyone else know anything?

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