4 Months on the Market for this 3-Bedroom in Lincoln Park: 2000 N. Clifton
This 3-bedroom at 2000 N. Clifton in Lincoln Park came on the market in April 2015.
The building was built in 1920 and is in the middle of the restaurant and shopping scene on Armitage.
This is a corner unit with some of its vintage features still intact including bay windows and a wood burning fireplace.
It has exposed brick.
The kitchen has white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
The unit has central air and an in-unit washer/dryer but it doesn’t have parking.
Originally listed for $475,000 it has been reduced several times and is now listed at $435,000.
Three bedroom condos across the city have been really hot as they are normally deemed large enough in which to possibly raise children.
Why isn’t this one selling?
Leigh Marcus at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit B: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- Last sold in 1987 but no price listed
- Originally listed in April 2015 for $475,000
- Reduced several times
- Currently listed at $435,000
- Assessments of $410 a month (includes exterior maintenance)
- Taxes of $7726
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- No parking
- Bedroom #1: 15×12
- Bedroom #2: 14×13
- Bedroom #3: 22×11
Probably not selling because it doesn’t have parking. The place has potential though. Needs some minor updating.
Built in 1920? Says who? The listing sheet? There is no way that this building was built after 1900, if even that late. That looks like an 1890 vintage building- the style, the detailing, the proportions of the rooms, all shriek Victorian.
My building was built in 1929, but the listing sheet for an available unit says 1954. Anyone who knows buildings at all can take one look and know it was built before 1935.
Does this place have parking available? It doesn’t look like it, and that’s a real dealbreaker to most people with families. The appointments and finishes are very ordinary and a little dated. The taxes are a little high for the price.
Also on street view they are doing work to the facade so who knows, might be a special assessment out there as well
Does that assessment include heat? If so, it’s reasonable. If not, what does it include? There should be a healthy reserve, if the heat isn’t included. After all, this building has no grounds to maintain, no elevators, and little common space.
“There should be a healthy reserve, if the heat isn’t included. After all, this building has no grounds to maintain, no elevators, and little common space.”
The listing doesn’t say heat.
This building is nearly 100 years old and it’s brick. There’s quite a bit of maintenance to brick buildings. There are also decks off the back which also have to be maintained.
Flowers and bushes have to be cut. Snow has to be removed. The hallways inside have to be maintained, including replacing any carpeting and painting. You also have to pay for a cleaning person to come and clean the vestibules and the hallways.
It’s a glorified apartment. I like how the one bedroom looks like it’s the first time the dude ever made his bed.
People want 3 bedrooms condos that live like a home, and this place just doesn’t cut it in that regard.
the narrow, closed off galley kitchen has to be a turn off to a lot of young couples.
Sabrina, that building is a good deal more than 100 years old, I don’t care what the listing says. That is not a 1920 vintage building, no way.
I know the things you must do because I am now running my small association, and they cost, especially when you don’t have big building scale. We are now budgeting hallway upgrades, including plaster, carpeting, painting, wood refinishing, and new mailboxes while paying off a special for roof replacement and wall repairs, and a new hot water heater. We are playing “catch up” for the few years about 8 years back when there was a large number of foreclosed units that went seriously delinquent on HOA payments. My HOA for my 2 bed 1200 sq ft is $450, including heat and all exterior and common maintenance, plus $126 for 5 years for the special we did for the roof and wall.
Yet that HOA still seems a little excessive. Perhaps this building, too, had foreclosures in the recent past that left a lot of unpaid assessments behind them, and those are almost impossible to collect. I would estimate the square footage of the unit shown at about 1500 sq ft.
I like the kitchen. I’m sick of open kitchens. I like this unit overall, but wouldn’t consider it due to the lack of parking. We’ve had the parking argument before though and it seems like I am the weirdo for thinking parking is necessary. I’m surprised this place hasn’t sold.
I think the HOA is reasonable. ~$4900 a year to maintain a 3 bedroom home sounds about right.
“I am the weirdo for thinking parking is necessary.”
Oh no, that’s not it at all. (I kid).
I think the price seems very reasonable too. I am surprised it has not sold despite lack of parking. You’d think there are some people who don’t care about having a car in the city.
I am not familiar with this particular stretch though, is there something unpleasant about it?
BTW, I agree that the kitchen would keep quite a few folks away.
Bathrooms need serious updating too, so whoever buys this place, should spend a good 50-70K to renovate.
BTW, there is this unit nearby which is in much better shape and with much lower HOA fees albeit at a higher price.
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2230-N-Kenmore-Ave-60614/unit-3/home/13352871
Looks like a high-end college rental unit, semi-furnished, absence of artwork on walls and carpets on floors, bare kitchen counters and dining-room cupboard, all send an unspoken message “not home”. A lot of buyers respond emotionally to the “feel of home”, reacting to the interior decor, rather than architectural features and potential of a residential unit.
This building has a really beautiful garden along Clifton. The listing photos show some water service work that went on over there earlier this summer. There is a parking lot behind but there must not be parking for every unit. As a very close by neighbor and someone who looked at a few units when I was buying this building suffers from a very strange back deck/fire escape. There aren’t railings behind all units. Many have large sheets of plywood. This makes the back of the units very dark. That said it is very close to public transit and street parking in the neighborhood isn’t too bad. There are lots of single family homes with garages.
The 90’s called, they want their exposed brick back.
I’m not an exposed brick fan, but I love the building and the location. This place is charming in many ways, and the outdoor space is a plus. No parking, but hopefully there’s rental nearby. Way too small for a family but nice for a couple or people with one young kid. From the pics, looks like family with baby is ready to move.