Get a West Town 3-Bedroom Single Family Home for Under $500K: 1807 W. Huron
This 3-bedroom single family home at 1807 W. Huron in West Town recently came on the market.
Built in 1890 on a standard Chicago lot of 25×125, it may be old on the outside but it doesn’t have many of its vintage features intact on the inside.
The listing says the living area has been “opened up.”
The kitchen has maple cabinets and wood counter tops alongside stainless steel appliances.
The listing says all the baths have been “redone”.
All 3 bedrooms are on the second level.
There doesn’t appear to be a basement.
The house does have central air and a 2-car garage.
Is this a good starter house for the neighborhood?
Dawn Venit at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.
1807 W. Huron: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, no square footage listed, 2 car garage
- Sold in July 1989 for $6,473
- Sold in August 2000 for $160,000
- Sold in October 2000 for $236,000
- Sold in July 2003 for $369,000
- Listed in September 2011 for $475,000
- Currently still listed for $475,000
- Taxes of $7518
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 13×19 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 10×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 11×12 (second floor)
Nice enough house, but that kitchen needs more cabinets, and I won’t even get into another boring schools discussion.
425k
Decent house. Terrible curb appeal. Again, I’m not sure why the owners think it has appreciated over $100,000 since 2003 when almost nothing else has.
Yuk yuk, what an ugly dump.
It’s not “old” on the exterior, it’s just ugly. 25 years ago, this place and the neighborhood it’s in were both utter, complete, reeking slums. This never was an architectural gem, just utilitarian “worker” houses built to meet an immediate need for the workers who were employed in all the factories in the area about 100 years ago.
Did Ikea have a sale?
“Yuk yuk, what an ugly dump.”
I like the exterior.
I don’t mind the outside, but that kitchen is just a disaster. Looks like they spent about $2k max, and it was money poorly spent.
“, I’m not sure why the owners think it has appreciated over $100,000 since 2003 when almost nothing else has.”
maybe they did 150k of work on the house?
1989 price doesn’t look right–even if it was in slum/tenement condition. I’m thinking it was “64,730” ?!
“Yuk yuk, what an ugly dump.”
yeah, I have to agree, it has a depressing vibe, with the only exception being that ADORABLE little tree decal/painting on the wall behind the bed. Love that thing. Where can you get one?
for whatever reason, Chicago Ave. btw Ashland & Damen is seriously hurting, there are many vacant storefronts and buildings. The library is anchoring the strip, plus the new little $20 pie place. Pollos Vivos is still there, and the taco joints are in a mini-price war with 99 cent taco Tuesdays, etc. People are selling produce out of pick-up trucks now, and if you like elote of the street, then this is the area for you.
“1989 price doesn’t look right”
The “Trust Deed” strikes again. It was a *MORTGAGE*. There was a *release* recorded on October 9, 1990 as doc. nuber 90491339. A total of *SIX* “trust deeds” recorded b/t 87 and 00, along with 3 mortgages.
I wish we could stop making this mistake.
There was an *actual* conveyance in Apr-87, but with no amount stated in ccrd, and another in Aug-00 for $160k.
Aug-00 purchase financed 80%
Nov-00 purchase financed 90%
Jul-03 purchase financed 80+15 = 95%
(refi’d in Jun-08 to single ~85% of purchase (prolly 80% or less of appraisal) mortgage)
“25 years ago, this place and the neighborhood it’s in were both utter, complete, reeking slums.”
What’s your point? So was Lakeview and a handful of other GZ neighborhoods. Let’s price housing based on neighborhood characteristics in the distant past! That makes sense.
Or, you could just live in a neighborhood that has barely improved in the last 25 years, like Rogers Park.
“25 years ago, this place and the neighborhood it’s in were both utter, complete, reeking slums.”
I am not sure what this area was like exactly back in 1986 but I dont picture utter complete slums. If you went 8-10 blocks South then yes, utter complete slums with major project housing developments at their peak. This area I was told had q lot of long term Italian families that looked after their property. Not a great area, but not “utter complete slum”.
This is not a “dump” just because it isn’t worth $475,000 due to inadequate kitchen cabinets and neighborhood. Though I do love pie.
Lakeview was an expensive, prime neighborhood 25 years ago. I know because I lived there. It was a fully developed, pricey Yup paradise just as it is now. It was never a slum and neither was Southport, which was a plain, dull area of well-paid blue collar types before it became trendy.
Now, 35 years ago, Lakeview was having problems, but nothing like this area of the west side. You can’t even compare them.
This area, on the other hand, was a plain-jane working class nabe that developed to provide housing to factory workers and deteriorated into a total slum. It was an area to avoid in 1986. It was very dangerous, and very ugly and squalid.
“Lakeview was an expensive, prime neighborhood 25 years ago.”
Which “Lakeview” are you talking about?
Lake View east of Brodway from Diversey to (maybe) Grace? Sure.
Lake View in the blocks immeidately west of Wrigley? Not so much.
helmethofer: diapers.com has that same tree decal.
“This area, on the other hand, was a plain-jane working class nabe that developed to provide housing to factory workers and deteriorated into a total slum. It was an area to avoid in 1986. It was very dangerous, and very ugly and squalid.”
Regardless of Lakeview’s condition 25 years ago, my point is that it is pointless to comment about the condition of a neighborhood 25 years ago when commenting on a current property listing. This is like (but the opposite of) trying to sell your 1986 car and telling the potential buyer that in 1989, it WAS a really nice car. It is what it is today…a decent neighborhood and a crappy car!
I don’t hate the exterior though it could use some awnings. At least it has a backyard…i’ve seen a lot of homes in this hood that have the deck over the garage and the home extends into what was the backyard of whatever they tore down to build.
It’s not a $475K home today, tomorrow or next Tuesday. $375K gets it done.
“for whatever reason, Chicago Ave. btw Ashland & Damen is seriously hurting, there are many vacant storefronts and buildings. ”
And Alderman Moreno had a chance to turn it around with Chicago Bowl but blew it somehow — the developers are looking elsewhere in the city. I think he can rethink that whole “Rock ‘n Roll Alderman” label he’s been touting.
As for this house, not perfect, but seems priced appropriately to me — I bet it goes for $450.
Chicago Ave between Ashland and Damen still looks dumpy and rather scary.
No architecture, houses built 120 years ago to the lowest standard, and one of the worst-looking bars with the scariest, most thuggish-looking tattoo-covered men I’ve ever seen loitering in front of the place, last time I passed that way a couple of years ago. No major grocery stores, services like dry cleaners and shoe repairs, or other retail anywhere nearby, and the Chicago Ave snail-bus the only public transit.
Laura,
I think you’re thinking of further west on Chicago. While there are plenty of empty storefronts (particularly between Wood and Wolcott), the area right around Damen has come around quite a bit. The bars — High Dive and Cleo’s — are definitely not scary, and Roots and Bleeding Heart Bakery have opened up. As for “no major grocery stores,” there’s a Dominick’s just west of Damen on Chicago and there are plenty of dry cleaners/nail salons/hair salons. Still, Chicago Bowl would have accelerated whatever clean-up is still needed in the area.
But this section of Huron is actually pretty decent. Like I’ve said, this is where I’m looking for a SFH right now. The newer construction homes are much more affordable here for obvious reasons. Not everyone needs top notch schools. New construction continues to pop up and has sold quickly. Oh…and we really like that little Farmer’s Pride on Western. Kinda quirky and the staff is awesome and the prices are good.
Farmer’s Pride is good and cheap. Fiore’s is a nice Italian deli at the corner of Erie and Leavitt.
Yes, I think I’ve been to that Fiore’s and the people in the neighborhood love it.
Fiore’s is at Erie & Oakley, about 5 blks from the 1807 Huron prop.
Funny, I lived there 20 years ago, didn’t know it was a slum, but definitely Outfit.
Michael, thank you for posting an accurate description of that stretch of Chicago. It’s coming along.
“didn’t know it was a slum”
No, no, no … you got it all wrong. It was an utter, complete, reeking slum. Not any garden variety slum.
“Michael, thank you for posting an accurate description of that stretch of Chicago. It’s coming along.”
quite well actually
Laura, Please stop. You clearly have no idea. Admittedly, the last time you passed through the area was a couple of years ago. OMG! Watch out, there is a bar with tattoo covered men! No grocery….how about the Domnick’s at Damen/Chicago? Dry cleaners, there are three in the stretch you mentioned. New restaurants are opening fairly frequently. I lived here in 2002-2004 and things were changing then. I moved away for a few years and moved back in 2008. A lot has changed and things continue to improve.
The one thing your are correct about is the 66 bus.
“one of the worst-looking bars with the scariest, most thuggish-looking tattoo-covered men I’ve ever seen loitering in front of the place, last time I passed that way a couple of years ago. No major grocery stores, services like dry cleaners and shoe repairs, or other retail anywhere nearby, and the Chicago Ave snail-bus the only public transit”
I think it’s kind of cute. Every time a property comes up near this area, Laura pipes up with her story of that one time she drove down Chicago and got scared by people at a bar and can’t understand why anyone would want to live there. It’s usually followed by her extolling the virtues of the tree-lined streets of Edgewater but she seems to have posted the short version this time.
It’s kind of a CC meme, kind of like “gatordeck” or the kids’ names above their cribs.
“Chicago Ave between Ashland and Damen still looks dumpy and rather scary…No architecture”
That would make sense… if it had any basis in reality.
Laura whats her name is a snob, period.
““gatordeck””
That is GatorDeck ™, tyvm.