Get a 5-Bedroom Portage Park Bungalow for $550,000: 5639 W. Sunnyside

This 5-bedroom bungalow at 5639 W. Sunnyside in Portage Park came on the market in September 2020.

Built in 1926, it’s on a corner 33×125 lot and has a 2-car garage.

I don’t have a picture of this house, but I felt like I should cover some of the single family homes that are on the market in the non-GreenZone neighborhoods.

The listing says this house has new windows.

There’s wainscoting and some stained glass windows.

The kitchen has white soft-closed cabinets, a 10 foot island with quartz counter tops and backsplash along with stainless steel appliances.

3 bedrooms are on the second floor along with a bath.

One bedroom is on the main floor and the fifth bedroom is in the lower level.

The lower level also has a family room and a wet bar with a wine fridge along with a bathroom.

The house has central air and a deck.

Originally listed in September 2020 for $595,000, it has been reduced $45,000 to $550,000.

It went under contract in early November but has now been re-listed.

Redfin says this listing has been viewed over 8,000 times.

How high will single family home prices go if this hot market continues into 2021?

Diana Morales at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

5639 W. Sunnyside: 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, no square footage listed, 2 car garage

  • Sold in May 1987 for $125,000
  • Sold in December 1988 for $149,000
  • Sold in February 2020 for $225,000
  • Originally listed in September 2020 for $595,000
  • Reduced
  • Under contract on Nov 2, 2020 at $550,000
  • Re-listed at $550,000
  • Taxes are $732 (senior exemption)
  • Central Air
  • Bedroom #1: 16×15 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #2: 11×10 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #3: 18×14 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #4: 12×11 (main floor)
  • Bedroom #5: 13×12 (lower level)
  • Living room: 23×17 (main floor)
  • Dining room: 16×14 (main floor)
  • Kitchen: 21×14 (main floor)
  • Family room: 26×22 (lower level)
  • Deck: 15×13 (main floor)

15 Responses to “Get a 5-Bedroom Portage Park Bungalow for $550,000: 5639 W. Sunnyside”

  1. It’s nice but it is crazy to think that the next buyer of any of nearby un-renovated is going to overpay just because someone overpays for this one. The tax person in me looks at this and sees all that gain being taxed at ordinary rates driving part of the high asking price too.

    Also why are there no trees only around this house? Victim of some underground infrastructure re-do?

    I know people on this blog think this is “middle of nowhere” – – and I am not the biggest fan of a corner lot that offers no privacy for the outdoor spaces – – and I look at that cheap stove and think to myself “margins are that thin are they?” – – that said, ton of space, new windows is HUGE – – long lead item for a home like this and being close to Portage Park once we are through this pandemic is pretty sweet. I love that pool.

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  2. Cool place but a little simplistic and should be slightly <$500. Place below is a 3 minute drive asking $45 more. I would rather have this one.

    https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/4573-N-Moody-Ave-60630/home/13475118

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  3. I went and looked at the last listing when it sold in February… there are still 40 pics on the MLS.

    The renovation is horrific. They actually took down original crown molding throughout the house. I know painting over original hardwood trim and doors is controversial here, but there is a way to brighten up the place without absolutely murdering its heritage…

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  4. “why are there no trees only around this house?”

    Neighbor to the south had a tree until about 10 years ago–so probably an ash lost to the EAB.

    No trees around this house for at least 20 years.

    Looking further back, looks like there was a tree or two on the north side in the early 60s, but gone by early-70s–as were basically all the other nearby trees visible in the 60s–so, almost certainly elms, felled by Dutch Elm disease. Guess the then owner didn’t want a new tree.

    To the house:

    meh. the cheap stove is a bad joke, too many/much of the faux stones, are they going to put in shower glass??

    HVAC vent placement upstairs seems weird. Why are so many outlets not true? what’s the low middle outlet on the island supposed to be for, and why is it so crooked?

    Garage/parking situation is pretty nice, with space for 3 cars off street outside the garage.

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  5. That house on Moody is architectural pollution imho…

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  6. “Why are so many outlets not true? what’s the low middle outlet on the island supposed to be for, and why is it so crooked?”

    Maybe a Vacuum

    The place oozes Kwality!

    It does bug me that the low middle receptacle is a different type (Round Vs the rectangle)

    Also the ones on the island should have USB ports. Maybe no one in Chicago has been doing that but its been pretty popular across the US for the last 10 years are so.

    Chandelier in DR is hideous.

    Place would really benefit with some staging and a $50k haircut.

    Other than having to live in the city, why not just move to the burbs? You can get a lot more for your $

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  7. “It does bug me that the low middle receptacle is a different type (Round Vs the rectangle)”

    It’s not on the GFCI circuit like the two up top. And it works out to an extra buck to a buck and a quarter to get the rectangle.

    “should have USB ports”

    1. Does the chicago electric code allow that? honest question!
    2. See above–those are like $20 more at HD. If they won’t spend $50 extra to use all decora outlets, do you think they’d spend $20 extra on a single outlet?

    “why not just move to the burbs?”

    Which one, tho? And the house has to have more or less the contempo finishes that this one does. I don’t want a kitchen and bathrooms from the 90s, or even 2005.

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  8. “It’s not on the GFCI circuit like the two up top. And it works out to an extra buck to a buck and a quarter to get the rectangle.”

    I couldnt make out if they we’re GFCI. Probably could make the case that only the first recip on the circuit would need to be a GFCI.

    “1. Does the chicago electric code allow that? honest question!
    2. See above–those are like $20 more at HD. If they won’t spend $50 extra to use all decora outlets, do you think they’d spend $20 extra on a single outlet?”

    1 – Its not a labor reducer like PEX or Pro Press on the plumbing side so I’d doubt there’d be much push back.

    2 – Yeah I know but they wanted $600 large in PP – a few upgrades should be expected (or atleast a coherent set of electrical fixtures should be expected. We’re talking 6 or 7

    Re Burbs – a buyer in PP isnt cross shopping Oak Brook/Winnetka. At that price point and new interior – Lombard, Park Ridge, Elk Grove, Bartlet would fit the bill. Houses and Yards would be larger and price point would/could be less

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  9. “Lombard, Park Ridge, Elk Grove, Bartlet”

    Why am I staying in Illinois then? Don’t I get 90% (hood, community, etc) of what I get in those for a steep discount in almost any other greater midwestern suburb?

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  10. “Why am I staying in Illinois then? Don’t I get 90% (hood, community, etc) of what I get in those for a steep discount in almost any other greater midwestern suburb?”

    Thats the $64k question, why would one (and I’d include the cities as well)? Family, owning a business (that one likes) would top the list. Maybe if you (Pre Covid) we’re eating at Alinea/Blackbird/Topolobampo once a week or you we’re hitting the museums as a primary hobby yeah it would probably be worth it. But other than that, Other Major Midwest cities offer the same amenities and may have further advantages depending on lifestyle preferences

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  11. “Other Major Midwest cities offer the same amenities and may have further advantages depending on lifestyle preferences”

    They do?

    Nah.

    There’s nowhere else you can be surrounded by 70 story towers and all the energy and innovation that that implies in the Midwest.

    I’m a fan, however, of Midwest second tier cities. I think they’re under rated and would make great cities to retire in. I hope the “work-from-home” brings some energy to many of them. It would be great to see Millennials and GenZers decided to stay in the second tier (or return to them).

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  12. “Other than having to live in the city, why not just move to the burbs? You can get a lot more for your $”

    Because the city is where it’s at. Millennials and GenZers don’t want a long commute. They have their kids in Chicago schools. They grew up in the suburbs and were bored there and don’t want to go back.

    There are LOTS of reasons.

    This was the reason I felt it necessary to do this post. In order to buy a SFH in some parts of the city (the non-GreenZone neighborhoods), you’re still paying $400,000 to $500,000 to do it.

    Prices have gone up over the last decade. Lots of houses are being renovated. The buyers WANT to stay in the city if they can get something updated.

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  13. “They do?

    Nah.”

    Yeah they do.

    “There’s nowhere else you can be surrounded by 70 story towers and all the energy and innovation that that implies in the Midwest.

    LOL thats the only way to innovate?

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  14. “But other than that, Other Major Midwest cities offer the same amenities”

    Ratio is less w/r/t the cities than it is when comparing the suburbs–if Lombard/Park Ridge is (ignoring costs) 1.X “better” than Hopkins/Wauwatosa/Troy/Olathe/whatever, Chicago is 1.[X+Y] “better”, and Y>X.

    Holds true even if you believe that X<0 (which I think is a credited response, even with ignoring $$, and likely to be true considering $$)

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  15. I think thats fair with the inclusion of X<0 (and X & Y are additive). You can make the case that in cases where X<0; Y=0

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