Crib Chatter

Did anyone go on the South Loop Trolley Tour over the weekend? If so- please let us know how it went. Was it crowded on the trolley? Were a lot of the buyers investors? How many buildings did you visit? Was anyone else in any of the sales centers? What incentives were developers giving out? Thanks!

Here we go. The flippers are turning up, where else, but on Craigslist for the midrise buildings at Parkside of Old Town, two new buildings at the intersection of Division with Clybourn. The Hudson is a nine story building. The Cambridge is the eight story building. You will know The Hudson if you ride the Brown Line as it’s clearly visible on […]

There are wonderful greystones and other historic houses along or near the boulevard system, including in Logan Square. This is one that was renovated around 2004. Unit #1S: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1600 square feet, one car parking Sold in August 2004 for $349,000 Currently listed for $409,000 Assessment of $155 a month Rubloff North Shore has the […]

Two lofts are currently for sale in the Riverbend Lofts at 2620 N. Clybourn Avenue.  I’m not sure exactly what neighborhood this is in- far west Lincoln Park?  The “Clybourn Corridor”? One is in short sale. One is not. The building is an older “original” loft conversion from the mid-1990s. Unit #205 is NOT a short […]

Inventory continues to build around the city.  If you look at enough listings you’ll notice that much of it is empty. Take these three townhomes at 1919 N. Drake near Logan Square.  (Not sure it’s actually IN that neighborhood though.)  Built in 2005, I don’t believe they have ever sold. Two of them have a sale […]

I recently chattered about a new two bedroom unit in The Palmolive in the Gold Coast that the listing said had “ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN UPGRADES CLIVE CHRISTIAN KITCHEN.” What exactly do you get for a million bucks? Here is what a standard kitchen in The Palmolive from the developer looks like: Yes, the master bedroom (see above) […]

Is it just me, or are market times increasing? I haven’t seen any data lately. Most of the stats seem to focus on number of sales or prices. But market time is also illustrative of the market conditions.  Take 2814 N. Sheffield in Lakeview. It has been on the market for about 270 days. Why? […]

Many people are looking for “affordable” single family homes on the North Side. Prices have surged in the last few years so that the “starter” home is virtually non-existent. Or is it? Foreclosures are creeping into the north side- even  in the single family home market. Such is the case with this house at 3740 W. Agatite […]

It seems the 01 tier, which is a three bedroom, two bath southeast facing unit, isn’t re-selling as quickly as sellers had hoped in 600 N. Fairbanks in Streeterville. Currently, there are eight of the 01 tier units on the market. Two have now had substantial price reductions: #1301 and now #1901. #3201: $1,199,900 #2901: $1,199,000 […]

As we talked about earlier this week, it appears that Terrapin is trying to convert Burnham Pointe in Printers Row into a rental tower. At Burnham Pointe, the question is whether a buyer will be willing to pay more than the roughly $98 million, or about $327,000 a unit, that Terrapin borrowed to finance the […]