Get a 2-Bedroom Townhouse for Under $275,000 in Avondale: 3651 W. Cornelia
This 2-bedroom townhouse at 3651 W. Cornelia in Avondale recently came on the market.
It is listed for $63,000 under the 2006 purchase price at just $275,000.
At 1650 square feet, the townhouse overlooks the landscaped courtyard and has a 2-car garage.
Both of the bedrooms are on the third floor.
The kitchen has stainless steel appliances and 42” cabinets.
It is located just 2 blocks to the Addison blue line stop and also near Metra.
Is this a deal?
Dana Gerstenschlager at @properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #C: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1650 square feet, 2 car garage
- Sold in July 2000 for $225,000
- Sold in October 2002 for $260,000
- Sold in April 2006 for $338,000
- Currently listed for $275,000
- Assessments of $190 a month
- Taxes of $3489
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 14×11 (third floor)
- Bedroom #2: 14×10 (third floor)
- Family room: 13×12 (lower level)
Very nice unit! If the hood is good, this should sell soon.
A fun exercise is to set the redfin filter to only show contingent and under contract properties. There seems to be a lot of units in the process of being purchased.
Ex: 2153 Belmont.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2153-W-Belmont-Ave-60618/unit-4/home/18925217
Listed at 375K, this unit was under contract in less than 30 days. A fourth floor walk up, with 2 of the 3 bedrooms on small side at 10 x 10 and the unit is on a busy street with buses all day long.
Is the market heating up?
Quite nice/ would look great mid-century vintage except for the kitchen which they “be-fuddled”. To each their own.
I’m on a staycation in Brooklyn this week – getting ready to sink my fangs into some Murray’s uncured, hardwood-smoked chicken bacon. It’s hard to find, but so good! My staycation has reminded me that it’s the little things in life which really make you happy.
About the house, I love it, love the taxes, and I don’t even think the 2006 price was unreasonable. I have 2 questions:
How sturdy is recent brick construction compared to brick construction circa 1900?
What is this neighborhood like? What’s the flavor? What’s the walkability? Can you walk to supermarkets, restaurants, bars etc.? What does this area have to offer? I haven’t explored around here. It looks from the map like you are very close to the Kennedy – perhaps too close – and then east of the Kennedy is a no man’s land Home Depot kind of zone.
@Ed, what’s wrong with the kitchen?
@Milkster, I would say this is one of the better parts of Avondale. I don’t frequent this area too often, except when I need some Polish Liqour, but I think there are some neighborhood bars. It could be a good alternative to your Albany Park hunt.
“A fun exercise is to set the redfin filter to only show contingent and under contract properties. There seems to be a lot of units in the process of being purchased.
Is the market heating up?”
I would say not really. Short sales can take an excruciating amount of time to close, and even then your offer might not be accepted. I imagine half of what you see under contract are just short sales that may or may not go through.
“What is this neighborhood like?”
iffy but not bad but not pastey white like most GZ lovers want, but way better than the areas you were looking at in albany park.
“What’s the flavor?”
mostly mexican with a few polish hold outs
“What’s the walkability? Can you walk to supermarkets, restaurants, bars etc.?”
You can walk to la humita for ecuadorian, smoque for BBQ (if you can get a table now) there is always walgreens close you got a super kmart, la villa pizza is pretty good, there is brother bar which is neat, there was a thai place across from brothers, and walk yo the blue line stop
and theres that german place across from the kmart i forgot the name
“What does this area have to offer?”
a darn good price and decent family focused neighbors
would the groove move there, no, but its a nice little
“Is the market heating up?””
I’ve been watching some properties we’ve chattered about here on CribChatter stay under contract for 2 or 3 months and still they haven’t closed. It’s taking forever to close on a lot of properties (and those don’t even include the short sales.)
I think the market is a mixed bag. Some areas have had a pick up in new contracts while other areas are SLOW. Properties that I didn’t think would go under contract did go contingent, but it’s not that surprising given the lack of reasonably priced inventory for the relative neighborhood.
Hi Icarus and Groovy –
That sounds really cool, and I like it already. I’ll definitely check this area out on my next visit. I went into contract on a short sale in Albany Park a couple of weeks ago, but there are some major problems with the building structure and HOA as I’m discovering through the condo board meeting minutes. Roach, rat and squirrel infestations, no money in reserves, some major pending repairs, owners taking care of maintenance, old condo board ousted by a new board in a coup and each side hates the other. Old board member told she could keep her opinions to herself. Neighboring buildings dumping in the alley. Major assessment arrears from forclosed units. It goes on. So for now, it looks like I won’t be living in Albany Park.
Icarus –
If you like Polish liquors, have you ever tried Zubrowka? It’s a bison grass vodka. When I was in Krakow, they made this drink at all the bars called “tatanka” which was Zubrowka mixed with apple juice. Yummy!
Looks nice! Should be a decent deal for a buyer not needing to be in the GZ.
I’d love to see if someone shows up at 6am for the open house.
Nice place, shame it doesn’t have a third bedroom. Interesting attempt at a ‘theater room’ in the basement.
nice looking place. what’s with the 6am open house times?
i am glad there are some comments about the increase in # of properties go under contract. After seeing hardly any properties on my redfin favorite list go under contract since October or so, it does seem to have suddenly picked up.
However, I agree with Sabrina — the number moving to sold is very slow.
I’m new to CC (and happily getting caught up on some posts)…what does “GZ” mean?
Its supposed to pick up this time of year- the spring bounce. The weather isn’t doing the bounce any favors in the midwest. I don’t know about the rest of the country.
This development is fee-simple HOA with low assessments and a well-funded reserve. There ARE 3-BR units in the development and one is currently listed at 3453 N. Lawndale, I believe. The neighborhood is quiet and safe. EASY access to the Blue Line and the Kennedy. Not very noisy for being so close to the expressway. Not a dream location if you like to walk to the corner Starbucks, but there are some great restaurants close by and you should check out Wally’s International Market on Milwaukee–fantastic bakery, meats and produce at amazingly low prices.
also i dont know the home market over here, couldnt you get a SFH with a yard (front and back) for the same price if not cheaper?
Avondale is not a neighborhood appealing to the Starbucks set, and thank gawd for that.
The Starbucks set, willing to drop $3 on an iced tea, obviously is willing to overpay for real estate as well. And banks were all too willing to give those lemmings tons o’ credit.
“Howmuchamonth?”
“Its _only_ $3!”
“The weather isn’t doing the bounce any favors in the midwest. I don’t know about the rest of the country.”
If by “bounce” you mean interest rates you are spot on. 63bps bounce since October.
The government has done all it can and pulled multiple rabbits out of hats in their feeble attempts to stabilize house prices. There’s no more rabbits and the magician is out of other tricks. Time to pay it back and then some more.
Avondale hardly qualifies as a neighborhood. It’s more a mish-mash of somewhat transient non-native english speaking residents who stay there for a time before moving elsewhere, along with a handful of hipsters who were priced out of. The only business district to speak of is milwaukee ave, which is nothing to rave about; it’s lowkey, boring, and nothing particularly interesting about the housing stock. I think it has long term potential as the current residents flee to the suburbs (like many do per the census) but are replaced with hipsters, professionals and other midwestern transplants…for a time that is, until they realize that the schools are abysmal, like Scammon Elementary.
I agree with HD on Avondale. Aside from hosting a couple of the most popular restaurants in the city (Hot Doug’s and Kuma’s), the area isn’t that appealing. Logan Square to the southwest and Irving Park to the northwest are far more interesting.
Sorry…meant Logan Square to the southeast.
As a 10 year resident of Avondale, that’s just pure malarkey.
Just because one isn’t in tune with the neighborhood doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. What is true is that the diagonal slicing of the neighborhood in approx two equal parts by the highway has led the southern part to identify with Logan Square and the northern part to identify with Irving Park.
I do agree that the commercial vitality has suffered (that actually dates to the destruction of Milwaukee Ave to extend the subway from Logan Square to the expressway/O’Hare). Alderman Colon has a public meeting next week to discuss some improvements coming to the Kimball-Diversey-Milwaukee intersection. From reycolon.org:
>Woodard Plaza Public Meeting : Tuesday March 8th 6:30pm Voice of The City 3429 West Diversey Parkway (Above the Family Dollar) Posted on 2/25/2011 .
–
Proposal to permanently close off Woodard Street at Milwaukee & Kimball to create a public plaza featuring a rain garden and other exciting elements.
>
So, things are coming fast. I just hope Bob is right and one of those things isn’t a Charbucks.
“Avondale hardly qualifies as a neighborhood.”
I think this neighborhood is on the way up, though not sure of the incline of the trajectory. There are a number of restaurants and bars that have popped up here (or close enough): Urban Belly, Kuma’s, Pork Shoppe, Smoque, Late Bar, Orbit Room, Small Bar. It is sort of like a Logan Square annex, much like Ukranian Village and Noble Square were the Wicker Park annex last decade. My feeling is that this stretch of Belmont is similar to Chicago Ave eight years ago, mostly ethnic but with a couple of nice places that may be an indication of more to come (like West Town Tavern and the dreaded Sonotheque). I wasn’t raised in Chicago, so not sure what the schools are like, but I get the sense that bad schools do not stop gentrification (Wicker Park, UK Village, Bucktown, Logan).
“(Hot Doug’s and Kuma’s)”
And the neighborhood worsened to me when they traded in the Wendy’s for a Best Buy.
In particular, what makes it unappealing as a neighborhood is the housing stock. It’s an old working class neighborhood and most of the homes haven’t seen much in the way in maintenance for decades. Once those old frame homes go, it’s hard to justify pouring money into them.
Yeah but the bursting of the housing bubble will stop gentrification. You see, when it came time for school in gentrified neighborhoods, you merely sell, and use the profit as a downpayment on a place in an area with better schools. Now that residents are stuck, they’re scrambling.
“but I get the sense that bad schools do not stop gentrification (Wicker Park, UK Village, Bucktown, Logan).”
“but I get the sense that bad schools do not stop gentrification (Wicker Park, UK Village, Bucktown, Logan).”
All recently gentrified within the past 15 years. Mostly gentrified by whities using them as a stepping stone before hightailing it out to the burbs.
But now they’re stuck as the property ponzi scheme has come to a halt. Long-term it could be a net positive for these neighborhoods as formerly mobile people are forced to remain in these neighborhoods and send their kids to local schools.
However I don’t see that gentrification spilling over to neighborhoods not yet gentrified. Before the bust Avondale was billed as a more affordable alternative to already gentrified neighborhoods. But now all neighborhoods are more affordable so I no longer see the draw.
There are some great restaurants and bars as already mentioned, but they are mostly along the Belmont corridor. Avondale is much larger than just that section.
“Just because one isn’t in tune with the neighborhood doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
I won’t. I promise. I just don’t have strong feelings about Avon Dale either way.
“(Wicker Park, UK Village, Bucktown, Logan).”
All recently gentrified within the past 15 years.”
Lumping the gentrification of these ‘hoods together is misleading, at best. They are at *hugely* different stages of gentrification, and on meaningfully different timelines.
The two people who savagely beat those girls with baseball bats under the viaduct in Bucktown lived roughly at Pulaski, Belmont and Milwaukee Ave in Avondale. Crime is everywhere sure but I don’t want these scumbags as my neighbors. Avondale might identify with irving park but for irving park residents the neighborhood extends no furhter south than addison. I think irving park identifies more with the nw side like mayfair, jeff park, portage park, etc.
“Urban Belly, Kuma’s, Pork Shoppe, Smoque, Late Bar, Orbit Room, Small Bar”
I have a rental in Avondale and used to live in it. Most of these places are at least a mile away from the Cornelia property. I don’t disagree that the march of cool up Milwaukee will continue as big “ethnic” discount stores and furniture stores close down and hipper places move in, but it is taking a long time to move just barely into Avondale. I expect that the Hairpin Lofts will accelerate this a little, but no one should buy this property thinking that it’s going to be in a hip, hot hood for yuppies in 5 years.
That said, I think that this is a nice property for the right buyer (maybe a good saver with lower income with a kid), and, without looking at comps, I can easily see it getting mid $200s.
“Heriberto Viramontes, 30, of the 2700 block of West Evergreen and Marcy Cruz, 25, of the 3100 block of North Springfield”
HD, that’s a block east of Humboldt Park (so, several miles away) for him and right in the area you cited for her.
http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/ is a great resource for crime data – it shows where the crimes took place. I’m not sure that having a single individual living in your neighborhood is a problem. I also think that your approach is inappropriately anecdotal and unrealistic – do you have any idea how many criminals live in Chicago? You can always find a way to dismiss an area but saying that a single criminal who committed a specific high-profile single crime lives near there is a pretty poor reason.
JJJ, I was wrong about him but right about her. I don’t dismiss the entire area due to one criminal but I dismissed it for one of many reasons. It’s just not that hot of an area and this really isn’t in dispute. Go a mile or two south on milwaukee and yeah, that’s hot.
I really don’t like the whole Milwaukee corridor. Whether it’s filled with goth kids from the burbs, college dropouts or artists there is a distinct sense of rejecting the mainstream there. Even clueless yuppies who don’t want to be thought of as yuppies gravitate there. Then these people turn 30 and move to Ukie Village or West Town.
Dear god I *hope* we don’t get a bunch of yahoos in Avondale hoping to flip – I moved here to avoid exactly that problem.
The frame houses are older, but like many of my neighbors, that attracted me as a DIY type who had the will & desire but not the capital, and needed to space my improvements out over years.
The odd mentality I am still seeing from Chicago buyers is that they think old homes should be cheap AND not have major issues. That has never been the reality in my experience. You buy an old home, you know you’re going to need to do some work in it. It’s like complaining that a car with 100,000 miles will at some point need a timing belt.
As far as the hood goes, I like Avondale as my proximity to the Belmont/Kimball subway stop makes Milwaukee Ave feel like my neighborhood all the way south to Grand & Halsted. And the expressways mean I can get all over the area very quickly, it’s a serious game-changer for how one can enjoy the entire region. When I lived at Diversey & Damen it could take upwards of 15 – 20 minutes on a Saturday just to get *to* 90/94.
Skeptic, you are on to something with the subway belmont blue lines stop in the winter time.
You get no argument from me, you have more freedom than someone living at 1300-1600 N. LSD does.
“…it’s a serious game-changer for how one can enjoy the entire region.”
Seriously, it’s a dream come true after a childhood of watching those damned “A” or “B” trains go flying by on the old Diversey or Wellington Ravenswood stops. It was colder than hell on the platforms! Anyone remember that goofy row of lightbulbs at Diversey that would light in conjunction with a horrible buzzing when a train was approaching? Except it didn’t indicate which direction!
Loving train tracker as well.
“Skeptic, you are on to something with the subway belmont blue lines stop in the winter time.”
btw, some outstanding Avondale history/background here:
http://nwchicagohistory.org/nwch_avondale.html
Bob IIRC they traded in Wendy’s for a Bank of America branch & Best Buy replaced the old Walgreens which moved to new digs nearby.
“And the neighborhood worsened to me when they traded in the Wendy’s for a Best Buy.”
Bob misses going to wendys getting a JR double then chasing tail over at discovery clothing 🙂
“I’m new to CC (and happily getting caught up on some posts)…what does “GZ” mean?”
GreenZone.
Which in CC language indicates the “prime” areas of Chicago such as River North, Streeterville, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Bucktown and Wicker Park.