Looking for a Townhouse With 3 Outdoor Spaces? 1252 W. Oakdale in Lakeview
This 3-bedroom townhouse at 1252 W. Oakdale in Lakeview came on the market in April 2018.
This group of townhouses was built in 1992. There are ten units and garage parking.
Architecturally, it’s different than many townhouses as it has a rounded façade.
This townhouse has seen some renovation.
The listing says it has new hardwood floors throughout.
There’s also a new custom kitchen with white cabinets, black granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
The kitchen has a custom-built pantry with a marble peninsula where they have hidden the refrigerator, which was moved from the other side of the kitchen (if you look at the 2013 listing pictures you’ll see how they opened it up.)
There’s a deck off the kitchen.
The second floor has 2 bedrooms and a new hall bath.
The master suite is on the third floor with two decks.
There’s a family room in the lower level with a powder room, a bar and the laundry room.
The townhouse has central air and 1-car garage.
The listing says it’s in the Agassiz school district.
Originally listed for $899,500, it has been reduced $50,000 to $849,500.
Buyers love “new” and this townhouse has been renovated.
It’s now been listed about 6 months and has been reduced twice.
Why isn’t this selling?
Heather Hillebrand at Dream Town has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
1252 W. Oakdale: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3000 square feet
- Sold in March 2004 for $525,000
- Sold in April 2013 for $650,000
- Originally listed in April 2018 for $899,500
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $849,500 (includes 1-car garage parking)
- Assessments of $333 a month (includes exterior maintenance, lawn care, snow removal)
- Taxes of $11,973
- Central Air
- 3 outdoor spaces
- Bedroom #1: 15×13 (third floor)
- Bedroom #2: 18×17 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 15×12 (second floor)
- Laundry room: 18×16 (lower level)
- Family room: 23×18 (lower level)
this is a nice place but the main living level is pretty tight.
Its not selling cause the 1st floor living area is a corridor. The sofa’s about 4′ from the fireplace
No door into the MBR?
Also while I like the blue, its not grey enough for Chad & Trixie.
Shitty design overall
I hope one day to see the end of bedroom sized master bathrooms.
The listing says “updated”, not “renovated”, and I think that is closer to the truth. And even with the price drop it’s still 30% more than the last sale around five years ago. It’s a solid property but could use some “wow” factor to go along with the relentless “ genericization” of the gray and white color scheme. Seems a missed opportunity not to have gone higher end on the appliances. So, no bargain even still, but I think it’s getting where it needs to be.
all those outdoor spaces are terrible… why is there a porch pit? And yay you get to sit next to a loud ass Air conditioner on a summer day?
Rest of it looks fine with exception of the low ceiling heights, at least this isn’t a cinderblock 2000’s POS and is built with real bricks, right?
Hi everybody. Long time reader. First time poster.
This is actually our house. You can see the pre-updated pictures here if interested: http://www.smartfloorplan.com/orders/bin/shell2.php?folder=il/v330866&idx=yes
JohnnyU – The first floor is narrow but that is 99% of townhouses. I guess the alternative is you have a duplex down and your bedroom is in the basement? Or you have 1.2M for a SFH?
Sid V – There were two sales this spring for 835/860 with less updated units. Would love to hear your feedback on what a wow-factor would be
we live nearby and take walks in the neighborhood, always remark that these little townhouse development looks very lovely and the inner courtyard looks pleasant as opposed to stark. The ceilings look a touch low, but that’s common for townhouses. The price seems JUST a little aspiration especially given the Fall, I’d think it doesn’t go below 800. Seems a, not too big, step above the townhouses more towards wrightwood nearby which are tight and dark.
Looks cramped and stacked.
“bedroom sized master bathrooms”
Hm, are you objecting to the separate shower? Bc this is not a huge master bath.
“gone higher end on the appliances”
Like, by buyer something better than the cheapest SS package? Yeah, that would’ve been a good idea. Rental (nicer rental, sure) grade.
” sit next to a loud ass Air conditioner”
Completely horrible.
This seems like a very attractive and livable home in a relatively quiet part of Lakeview. I think it will go quickly. Only bad thing is just three bedrooms for $850,000.
” I think it will go quickly.”
they’ve been trying to sell it for the past 5 months.
“Hi everybody. Long time reader. First time poster.”
Thanks for checking in MG. Bold of you to admit this is your house.
Take what the Cribsters say with a grain of salt. They almost never like anything. Lol.
On the positive side, they’re not calling any of the bedrooms “a prison” as has been said here in the past.
“The listing says “updated”, not “renovated”, and I think that is closer to the truth.”
Still is a big deal to re-do the kitchen, put in built-ins, new floors and vanities in the bathrooms. That’s a lot of “updating.”
Just a tip for anyone thinking to sell: just replacing a vanity can make a bathroom seem completely new and updated and it costs a fraction of doing a whole bathroom re-do. Why don’t more people do it?
MG, hang around for awhile, you will learn not to take anything personally. It should be called Crabchatter. I think your place is fine, you just have to find the townhouse buyer that doesn’t mind vertical living. Thank goodness you have a deck off the kitchen. Most have the deck on the roof, two floors above the kitchen and accessed thru an MBR.
“Fraction of doing a whole bathroom redo…why don’t more people do it”?
Because most people can tell the difference between new everything and just a new vanity. Toilets, tubs and tile gets dated. Putting in a new vanity is lipstick on a pig mentality.
Thanks for the welcome. Easy to take things with a grain of salt here since everyone approaches these places without considering the trade-offs that have to be made – i.e. our outdoor “pit” is the best possible design for the space we have (I wish we had a SFH with a side yard too) and the association requirements that you cannot entirely fill the back area with a deck.
The strangest thing for us has been that 2 units sold this spring. One within one day of being on the market and one within 10 days of being in the market. Both were less upgraded than ours and went for 835/860 (end-unit). It has been a frustrating market for us.
MG,
I think the market has been normalizing a bit. paying nearly 900k for a 3k square foot townhouse in lakeview doesn’t make a lot of sense to many people.
Your place is nice but in the pictures, but it looks super cramped (maybe bc of your furniture?) –
I think maybe the problem is you’re shutting out the 750k range buyers and are too low for the 1 mil + buys ( who are looking for a SFH ). Nonetheless , wish you luck. Staging goes a long way.
PS –
As a new dad, I have to comment, is that a restoration hardware crib? I didn’t let my wife splurge that much, haha.
“The strangest thing for us has been that 2 units sold this spring. One within one day of being on the market and one within 10 days of being in the market. Both were less upgraded than ours and went for 835/860 (end-unit). It has been a frustrating market for us.”
yeah our place is under contract now in just under this price range and the housing market has definitely cooled off towards the end of the summer. Although I don’t know for sure but it sure seemed like it. can’t imagine having my place for sale for 5 months though… ugh!
” It should be called Crabchatter”
The official name is CribHater(tm).
I was expecting to hate this place (I’m a CribHater™ and I don’t care for townhouses), but I don’t. I love the built-in in the kitchen.
I think updated lighting would help sell it (wow! factor) – I’m thinking those lantern-y lights (that all the new construction places have) over the dining table and maybe a sputnik-style light in the entry/living room (the west elm brass “mobile chandeliers” are really popular). You could do those changes for around $500 (probably less if using lampsplus or lightingdirect)
Riz – All the furniture is proportionate when you are in the space – except the couch in front of the fireplace. We likely should have replaced the couch in the spring but were, in hindsight, overconfident based on the previous two units. You are right about the limited market for a town home in this price range for the same price that you can purchase a SFH in Logan Square. There is definitely a limited pool of buyers. Congrats on your new addition. Its actually pottery barn which with their sales tend to be not so bad.
Sonies – Congrats! Our situation certainly hasn’t met our expectations.
Madeline – I have a hard time thinking that $500 of new fixtures would have caused any of the 100 people that have seen this place put an offer in. I think that buyers are savvy enough to understand that they can just update those on their own. It would be one thing if we were moving from track lighting to something nice but moving from last years pottery barn fixtures to this years pottery barn fixtures doesn’t seem like it would move the needle.
People have different tastes, so even if some people love it, others will hate it. The first floor seems like an awkward layout to me too (and admittedly I’m not a townhouse fan), but I like the rest of it enough, including the outdoor spaces and the basement area and the overall look and of course the location, that I’d at least check it out and see how the first floor works when you are actually in it. Those kinds of things are hard to tell.
My guess is that $900K was just too high (even though it’s true you are going to pay over $1m for a SFH in the area (unless you want something like the place on Melrose we discussed recently), and the townhouse is probably just as big or bigger than the $1m house — but SFH has its pluses, including no assessments and more autonomy. I suspect the drop to $850K might make the difference, at least in terms of getting offers, even if still lower than you want.
When I was looking it seemed like often a place would go shortly after dropping and I’d wonder why people didn’t just make a lowball offer before, but then if something was more than $40-50K above what I thought it was worth and hadn’t been on the market that long I’d think there was no point and decide to wait and watch. And if it HAD been on the market for a long time and had not dropped, I’d think “they must be dropping soon, I should wait.”
I recall one place I saw (converted 2-flat in Lincoln Square) that was priced at $840K. After about a month with no offers, they dropped to $800, and it sold within a week (although at $730K). I was surprised that they were willing to sell so low already — clearly were motivated despite the original too high price. Some other places dropped less and sold immediately at closer to the new asking too, so who knows why people might be reluctant to just make an offer.
Lets not guild the lily here, a 4 level 3000sf TH isn’t the same as a 3 level 3000sf SFH. Anyone thinking they’re close probably thinks Sabrina knows something about lighting.
MG – I like that you were adventurous and the Blue looks good. I just dont see the value of a TH other thank it his a price point.
GLWTS
The spring sales in the same complex for more are simply further evidence that local real estate is NOT an efficient market. There is more randomness and “luck” than people think as it relates to a sale/price of a single residence in a single market. It’s possible the right buyer just happened to be looking in the spring in that location and now there isn’t one. Doesn’t necessarily mean that the prior sale price was out of whack or the current list is, just shows that single sales in a local market sometimes don’t follow perfect logic. It’s not the stock market — people are looking for a place to live. I can understand the frustration on the sellers side though.
Overall, I think it’s a nice place but doesn’t feel like 3000 sq ft. I assume that includes the lower level which seems to be standard in condos to include that in the sq footage, but not SFHs. Don’t understand why that’s the case. Vertical living shrinks the buyer pool although many like not having to hear neighbors and share anything. My preference is a top floor condo to maximize space/light and not hear anybody above me, but other buyers have different preferences.
Good luck with getting this sold! It’ll happen eventually, this market is just not predictable and can be slow at times it seems.
“Good luck with getting this sold! It’ll happen eventually, this market is just not predictable and can be slow at times it seems.”
But it’s the lowest inventory in 10 years, mortgage rates are still relatively low, and it’s the best job market in decades.
None of that is a recipe for a “slow” housing market.
“My guess is that $900K was just too high (even though it’s true you are going to pay over $1m for a SFH in the area”
Why would $900,000 be too high when 2400 square foot duplex downs all over Lakeview are priced at least as much as this townhouse and you have someone living above you, no private entrance, and less outdoor space?
I feel like many on CribChatter aren’t really aware of the reality of the market in Lakeview. You can barely get a 2/2 for $450,000 anymore (and if you do, it will have really old finishes.)
“I think the market has been normalizing a bit. paying nearly 900k for a 3k square foot townhouse in lakeview doesn’t make a lot of sense to many people.”
They’re paying $900,000 for a 2400 square foot duplex down in a 3-flat. What’s the difference? The townhouse makes way more sense to me than the duplex down.
I sold a condo in Southport just a few months ago (3/2 for about $610K), so I think I know the market in Lakeview very well. I investigated it a lot before selling. Mine sold the first weekend it was on sale so maybe I underpriced, but I think I priced appropriately.
“Why would $900,000 be too high when 2400 square foot duplex downs all over Lakeview are priced at least as much as this townhouse and you have someone living above you, no private entrance, and less outdoor space?”
I think no condos or TH in Lakeview are $900K that are not new, and 1992 is not new, even if updated or reno’d — assessments show that.
I also think 2400 with a significant amount in the basement (which this is) needs to be discounted.
And a TH is just not a SFH — small SHF in the area is $800K, normal is $1m, nice is $1.2M, new and larger than 3000 is at least $1.5m, but none of this going to greatly affect the price of a cute 1992 TH.
“seems to be standard in condos to include that in the sq footage, but not SFHs”
Huh? Not in my experience–Any SFH in Chicago claiming over 4000 sf (on a standard-ish lost) that isn’t 3 full floors + basement is counting the basement.