Crib Chatter

  Investors who closed on condo units downtown in 2006 continue to have difficulty selling for more than they paid. Such is the case in 1841 S. Calumet a 22 story high rise in the South Loop that was completed in 2006.  There are 9 units for sale and at least 3 units for rent. […]

Normally, I post only on Chicago real estate but every once in a while a property comes up in the Chicago suburbs that is too interesting to resist.  A few months ago, I chattered about a Hinsdale mansion originally listed for over $3 million that finally sold in foreclosure for half of that price (around $1.5 […]

The Case Shiller Standard & Poor’s Housing Index for October was just released. The Chicago Metro Area saw a price drop of 3.2% from October 2006.  The good  news is that the Chicagoland Area isn’t as bad off as other Metro Areas that are simply getting hammered. Miami down 12.4% year over year Tampa down […]

Motor Row, the landmark historic district in the South Loop which runs roughly from 1400 S. Michigan to 2500 S. Michigan (with some blocks of South Wabash and South Indiana also thrown in), has been touted as the next “hot” neighborhood.  The area gets its names from the number of former automobile showrooms that line the […]

A mansion with a private beach on Lake Michigan. There are several to choose from- but I kind of like this Kenilworth mansion on the North Shore because it also has the pool- for those months when, frankly, the lake is inhospitable.  And a game of tennis every once in a while would also be […]

Trio, the three building development in the West Loop on Wayman, has started closings.  There are several different addresses for the buildings.  In this post, I’ll talk about 650 W. Wayman, which is one of the 7 story mid-rise buildings (there are two midrises and a high rise.) Trio was marketed as very modern with […]

550 N. St. Clair, the new high rise a block east of Michigan Avenue in Streeterville, is set to begin closings in January/February (according to the developer’s ad in the weekend Tribune.) Yet, there are already several flips on the market including one trying to sell a one bedroom for $469,900, which includes the parking, […]

The Chicago Tribune had an article in the Sunday Business Section called, “‘Bottom’  Proving Elusive” about whether or not now is a good time to buy real estate in Chicago. There were several examples of people choosing to buy properties now that were priced under 2005 prices.  In some examples the buyers were getting 20% to […]

Sometimes to get the “real” authentic loft experience, you have to go off the beaten path a bit. Such is the case with 2334 W. Polk, known as The Pasta Factory.  Located in Tri-Taylor, it was a 6 unit 1990s conversion. Unit #3: 4 bedrooms, 2 baths,  2000 square feet Sold in September 1995 for […]

The New York Times has an article today discussing the influx of European buyers in the Manhattan condo market. The number of foreign buyers has doubled in the last two years, according to data from the research firm Radar Logic. In just the last 18 months, they have bought one-third of all new condos that […]