Get a 2-Bedroom Duplex Up for Under the 2004 Purchase Price: 159 W. Goethe in Old Town

Looking for something unique? This 2-bedroom duplex up at 159 W. Goethe in Old Town was recently reduced $10,000.

It is now listed for $10,000 under the 2004 purchase price.

The unit has exposed brick, a wood burning fireplace and wood trim as well as a spiral staircase leading to the second floor bedrooms.

The listing says the kitchen is “brand new” with Miele and GE Profile stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and a slate floor.

The bathrooms have been “renovated.”

There is central air and an in-unit washer/dryer but no deeded parking. Looks like rental parking is available off-site.

Compared to other similar properties in Old Town, is this a deal?

Jeanine Wheeler at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #3D: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed

  • Sold in June 1994 for $130,000
  • Sold in April 2004 for $360,000
  • Originally listed in April 2010 for $375,000
  • Reduced
  • Currently listed for $350,000
  • Assessments of $272 a month
  • Taxes of $3419
  • Central Air
  • Washer/Dryer in the unit
  • Bedroom #1: 12×12 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #2: 11×10 (second floor)

24 Responses to “Get a 2-Bedroom Duplex Up for Under the 2004 Purchase Price: 159 W. Goethe in Old Town”

  1. I’m not quite sure what I would have done in the kitchen, but it wouldn’t have been maple with a slate floor.

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  2. Finally a place that makes my condo look large

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  3. Always good to get in shots of both tiny bathrooms and make everyone wonder what you’re hiding by not showing the master bedroom.

    I guess agents are so afraid of Bob, HD et al’s comments about their actual listings that they spend more time on the glamor shot profile pics than those of the property they’re selling.

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  4. “Always good to get in shots of both tiny bathrooms and make everyone wonder what you’re hiding by not showing the master bedroom.”

    Are you sure that isn’t the master bedroom and the office is the second bedroom? Otherwise you would think that the listing would call it a 2 BR PLUS OFFICE…

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  5. also, slate floors belong outside on patios, not in kitchens

    what exactly did they do to “renovate” the bathrooms? hang up a couple of mirrors? Paint the walls?

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  6. “what exactly did they do to “renovate” the bathrooms? hang up a couple of mirrors? Paint the walls?”

    New fixtures, and apparently a steam shower in teh master.

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  7. RILF

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  8. “I guess agents are so afraid of Bob, HD et al’s comments about their actual listings that they spend more time on the glamor shot profile pics than those of the property they’re selling.”

    And in this case it worked–see my comment above.

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  9. Not a bad location in Old Town. Not the best, but then not the worst.

    How many units in this HOA? All same? 2/2s?

    When was this place converted / built?

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  10. Listings calls that the 2nd bedroom Jon but I’m sure you’re right about the office.

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  11. NEWS FLASH
    No one uses travertine any more!
    pick up a design magazine once and a while why dont you.

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  12. “slate floors belong outside on patios, not in kitchens”

    They should be banned from kitchens unless you are building a home in Montana, Colorado, or Wyoming. The slate floor in the kitchen is only acceptable if eitherof these conditions apply.

    a. Having a horse in your driveway would not look out of place.
    b. Most locals in the town are wearing cowboy hats daily.
    c. You love that movie Urban Cowboy and had a mechanical bull installed in your LR.

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  13. Maybe if they had gone with a more homogenous color scheme with the slate tiles – I know that the variations are what people think they want but I have seen all grey slate with a smooth surface done quite tastefully in modern applications. Although at that point you may as well save some money and go with a high-end porcelain.

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  14. Ah the memories. A friend and I rented 3C for two years when we got out of college. Many a drunken evening was spent at the Old Towne Pub. which ended with a burger at Mr. Gyros.

    It’s not a bad location; however, you do get some riff-raff here and there as the area around the Jewel at Clark and Division collects an interesting mix of people. I saw quite a few cars in that area that had windows broken out in order to steal loose change and CDs.

    The building itself is old and I’m not sure about 3D but the windows in 3C were so drafty that we had to use towels and plastic to keep the place above 60 degrees in the winter.

    I’d rent there but I don’t think I’d ever buy.

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  15. “NEWS FLASH
    No one uses travertine any more!”

    I love travertine!! – do you do everything that everyone else does? What is “trendy” now won’t be in a few years. Just go with what you like.

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  16. danny (lower case D) on November 9th, 2010 at 3:55 pm

    Lots of people make jokes about an avocado colored fridge. But I love the color, especially over stainless steel. Nothing wrong with 70s retro.

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  17. Are there two mirrors on top of each other in the bathroom?

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  18. As usual, Sonies should stick to real-eatate not decorating. Slate floors are perfect in this situation especially with the (I think dated and awful) bare brick walls that many people like/liked. The focus on trendy as clio says can be costly and quickly out of date and should be used by those with unlimited financial resources to change with the trend. This unit looks like 1980s and the only out of place feature are the maple cabinets and granite. As to the price: getting close.

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  19. I can’t wait until you can get this place for $130 again.

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  20. ed – the brick looks stupid here as well. In a loft style it works fine but in a small apartment IMO it looks like they skipped the cost of insulation and drywall. Not the best look for this small place,

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  21. Since when is it headline worthy that a price is selling for less than its 2004 price? Aren’t all properties below 2004 level unless that had major renovations?

    The Chicago Case-Shiller has got to be pushing 2000/1999 levels, right?

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  22. “real-eatate”

    mmmm real eatate

    anyway, Slate floors are fine when they aren’t multicolored patio style like some cheap ass POS coffee table from walmart, not to mention it looks totally hideous not just with the brick but with the maple/granite kitchen that looks like it should be found in a cookie cutter condo

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  23. SFH are at January 2003 prices and condos are at November 2002 prices.

    And yet both are headed back towards 1999 prices, or maybe even better. What the bubble gave, the crash shall take away.

    The headline comes from the fact that so few desirable properties are listed for the 2004 price or better. You would think that scarcity would keep prices high but tightened lending standards also make potential buyers scare too.

    “The Chicago Case-Shiller has got to be pushing 2000/1999 levels, right?”

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  24. homedelete on November 9th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
    “SFH are at January 2003 prices and condos are at November 2002 prices.

    And yet both are headed back towards 1999 prices, or maybe even better. What the bubble gave, the crash shall take away.”

    Agreed in many instances – like I have said before, I just bought at nominal 2001 pre-construction prices on my place. In real terms that has to be 1998 or 1999 levels. Some places won’t get that low, but plenty will. The banks are royally screwed on everything in marginal buildings (i.e. that one on LaSalle that was profiled yesterday) and marginal ‘hoods has room to slide. At this point the Fed is just praying for inflation to keep nominal prices from falling materially further, but in real terms, prices will still come down some more. Then, of course, if the Fed is successful, it will end up driving rates up hurting the common prole’s purchasing power with respect to RE.

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