Lincoln Park Townhouse Sold in February: 1616 N. Larrabee
I missed the sale on this 2-bedroom fee simple townhouse at 1616 N. Larrabee in Lincoln Park.
We had chattered about it several times last year as it kept getting reduced.
See our December 2009 chatter here.
It finally sold in February 2010 after 16 months on the market for nearly $150,000 under the original listing price.
It also sold for $5,000 under the 2004 purchase price.
It had great outdoor space for entertaining, including a 900 square foot patio.
Eileen Brennan at Prudential Rubloff had the listing.
1616 N. Larrabee: 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1500 square feet
- Sold in June 1992 for $240,000
- Sold in October 1999 for $378,000
- Sold in April 2004 for $505,000
- Originally listed in September 2008 for $649,000
- Reduced several times
- Was listed in February 2009 at $609,000
- Reduced
- Was listed in April 2009 at $598,000
- Reduced
- Was listed in June 2009 for $569,000
- Reduced
- Was listed in September 2009 for $540,000
- Reduced
- Was listed in December 2009 for $510,000
- Sold in February 2010 for $500,000
- No assessment – fee simple
- Taxes of $7,767
- 900 square foot patio
- 1 car garage
- Central Air
This person got a screaming deal.
I live in the area and have always thought these were great.
Too close to North for me, but a great deal none the less.
Wait. Wait. Wait.
Is that the Section 8 housing in the backyard?
No. It’s not the Section 8 housing.
That’s a block over.
This concludes Chicagobull’s session of talking to himself on the computer today.
Good times.
http://www.trulia.com/property/photos/1068086282-1616-N-Larrabee-St-Chicago-IL-60614#item-0
Love this area… don’t really like the kitchen configuration, and $510K is still a lot for a 2 bedroom (based on who is buying them)… but no assestments makes that more doable.
The area is nice, except I don’t know about the riff raff from North Avenue if there is spillover onto larabee but for 1500sqft townhouse with a 900 sqft patio 500k seems like a pretty solid deal.
IDK CC’ers, but didnt the eric rojas TH sell for 479k with an extra bedroom and nice lower level family room? which would make the eric place a deal and this not?
JMM
you’ve been quiet latley
“IDK CC’ers, but didnt the eric rojas TH sell for 479k with an extra bedroom and nice lower level family room? which would make the eric place a deal and this not?”
This is fee simple and actually has substantial outdoor space. And this was built as a 3br and converted, I think.
Plus Eric’s listing had an approx. $13K special assessment levied for roof repairs I believe.
“This is fee simple and actually has substantial outdoor space. And this was built as a 3br and converted, I think.”
I was taking a really hard look at a fee simple townhouse in Ravenswood, and it is pretty attractive, but I think people think that fee simple = OMG no monthly assessment, it’s cheap! So yeah you have the freedom to do maintenance more to your finances and schedule, but it’s not like the roof has to be fixed any less whether the place has an association or not.
“it’s not like the roof has to be fixed any less whether the place has an association or not”
Yeah, but you don’t have to go to the supreme court to protect your constitutional rights from stupid rules implemented by the association either. And they can’t stop you from painting your door, or whatever, red and there’s no management company to run off with teh associations reserves, or petty tyrants affecting how you live in your home. And no one deciding that xyz needs to be done and you need to pay for X%, whether or not you agree.
I doubt this sells for $500k w/o the large patio. Otherwise you are looking at a dated 2Br duplex condo w/ parking.
Kinda sad watching that price history though, right?
But, I will grudgingly concur this was a deal. Even though only 2 bedroom’s, even a block from N ave, and even a block from those projects there (and they do suck), $500k for a fee simple townhome in Lincoln makes me mildly jealous.
This is quite clearly a property more appropriately priced at the 1999 priced because that’s where this is headed. The buyer will regret this purchase when he tries to sell in 5-7 years like every other of the previous owners.
HD needs to lay off the barbituates.
SquareD
When you say Lincoln, you mean in LP or Lincoln Elementary school district?
“This is quite clearly a property more appropriately priced at the 1999 priced because that’s where this is headed. The buyer will regret this purchase when he tries to sell in 5-7 years like every other of the previous owners.”
Do you have a text file with a bunch of canned responses you just copy/paste all day?
All it took this seller was one greater fool and 18 months listing time (Sept 08 to Feb 10) to sell.
Barry
I try to mix up my comments a bit.
“When you say Lincoln, you mean in LP or Lincoln Elementary school district?”
Lincoln Elementary.
Without that element, I would actually have to pop open the quaaluudes and agree w/HD’s price prediction.
But given the school disctrict, I see no way this place decreases in value from this point– if it didn’t decrease in value (materially) between ’01 and ’10, hard to see it falling off the cliff now (considering the immediate neighborhood has improved, not declined).
“Without that element, I would actually have to pop open the quaaluudes and agree w/HD’s price prediction”
the funny/sad thing about the lincoln school district is the school is not even tops in the state but because the surrounding CPS schools are so bad it gives these properties a higher premium.
yet the top school in CPS and in the top of the state is Oriole Park. Can you imagine what 500k could get you there??????
Groove:
You are splitting hairs. Unless I am not looking at the right data, Lincoln is #15. Oriole Park is #13. Out of 2,200 elementary schools. Statistically, that is a dead heat. That an excellent neighborhood school exists in what is really the inner city (measured by proximity to city center) is very compelling to a lot of people as we all know.
The top elementary school in the state that is not a neighborhood school is Willard in Evanston.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1854925,top-100-elementary-1009.article
Not a magnet, rather.
“Can you imagine what 500k could get you there??????”
Groove brother, respectfully, considering the following listings (*barf*), I would rather not imagine:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/7720-W-Catalpa-Ave-60656/home/13558680
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/7659-W-Balmoral-Ave-60656/home/12870000
Or checkout this nearby scary thing:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/8131-W-Rascher-Ave-60656/home/13559469
And JMM I agree with you there. . . with the caveat that I also think many are irrationally obsessed with a few highly ranked schools, often missing the fact that a few more on the “fringe” of the best areas are also very good options, because rankings miss a LOT, and can be distorted.
“You are splitting hairs.”
JMM,
sorry when i go off the top of the noggin i sometimes use old data from a spreadsheet of top schools i created when i found out wifey was prego.
but to get all anon (tfo) on you notice that * next to lincoln indicating “test in” which i exclude as neighborhood school and skewed testing numbers. so nah!
Yes but if you actually knew the school, you’d know it is primarily an attendence area school. It also has magnet access (but not separate programs) for kids outside of the area, which is why it has an asterisk. It is an attendence area school for buyers of this property, unlike the ones on the list that precede it.
The house on Rascher has been listed on and off since 2007 and there’s no way it’s going to sell anywhere near it’s current price. The buyer bought in 2002 for $652,000 and IMHO was totally ripped off.
P.s. you got to love the bathroom on Rascher http://media.cdn-redfin.com/photo/68/tmbphoto/180/genTmb.07530180_13_2.jpg
Sorry disregard the link above.
Re Oriole Park, do its results seem anomalous? Its income demographics have got to be pretty different from the other non testing/magnet schools on there? Or am I wrong about that?
HD I had not seen the $652 prior sale price for the Rascher “mansion”. . . it does have the big lot and sq footage, but, yeah, in ’02 $652k could’ve gotten you something way more awesome and without a bathroom full a mirrors (“SquareD is reworking Hendrix’s “Room full of mirrors” to “Bathroom full of mirrors” in my imagitimewaster).
DZ not anomalous if you mean ugly housing stock. That’s absolutely the norm all over the general area. I couldn’t deal with living someplace so visually souless (some good people in the hood, tho).
Demographics all over the map, to my knowledge– I have fam. in the area. But around the fringes it has got to be 40%+ senior citizens. . . which makes me a little nervous (a la Portage Park turnover / backslide).
“not anomalous if you mean ugly housing stock.”
I meant the CPS elem test results. I was speculating (without having really perused the list) that Oriole Park Elem’s results were much better than its income demographics would predict. What the average/median house price around there? 250-300K? Is there any other school toward top of the list where median SFH is in that range?
Ok you bastardz i will 100% agree oriole park has same pretty shyt and but ugly housing stock and the shared wall brick georgians look like east bloc commy buildings. also the jewel shopping center with the missing caeserland and burlington is wrist slitting sad.
but the people are great, the park is great, schools are great, acess to 90 and blue are great, and bang for your buck is great.
dz has a great point;
“What the average/median house price around there? 250-300K? Is there any other school toward top of the list where median SFH is in that range?”
where else are you going to get a great school with attainable housing prices in the city?
300k in oriole can get you a 4br house with a front and back yard, two car garage, street parking right in front of your house, an neighbor that you will probaly share a beer fridge in the garage on a summer weekend doing lawn work and grilling out while your kids ride there bike around the block.
try doing that in the lincoln district!!!
also it doesnt really matter what elementary school your kid is in HE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO GO TO A CPS High School.
and there is not one local/neighborhood CPS highschool that is acceptable. Little Cameron and ashley will need to be lucky as f**k to get in northside prep.
if taft was even close to average the groove family would already be living in a victorian with a large front porch in Old Norwood Park.
So as you can see i have given up on the whole school thing as with cuts and huberman (daley’s pet project) firing “poor performing teachers” but not understanding how those teacher are really judged.
CPS high schools are going to get worse quick. so if little timmy gets into a magnet elementary or into this holy grail called Bell elem, it wont matter cause he will still have to go to lakeview high school with little pookie and chewy the insane gansta disciples or whatever gang you would like to add.
and please dont be naive and think all gang bangers are dumb some can test very well and add that to the new tier system no school is safe.
example when i was in one of the top 5 CPS HS my homeroom (it was called “division” then) of 30, 12 of those kids were gangbangers. of those 12, 7 were “hardcore” gang memebers. and 1 of those 7 was in AP classes.
quick disclaimer,
groove is drunk and waiting for his ipod to update to 4.0
so if i am not making sense or grammar is off (usually is) blame your local CPS school for producing me.
your low chicago taxes will soon be higher and the services you get in return will soon get worse. but at least daley is still planting trees! and we will soon have a children’s museum under a new park with new trees replacing the old ones and who needs cops to protect yuppies daley has cameras now.
“and there is not one local/neighborhood CPS highschool that is acceptable”
The consensus I seem to encounter is that Lincoln Park is the best of the neighborhood HS. Is it really unacceptable?
The Sun Times rankings (linked above) put LPHS at 99 out of about 650 HS statewide. 85th percentile isn’t that bad.
And among the schools with some diversity it is near the top. It is about #10 of the non-magnet schools with at least 20% low income. Roughly 22% of Illinois households qualify for free/reduced lunches (which is “low income” as used by the Sun Times).
Heres a brilliant idea for those of who bitching and whining about how bad the freaking schools are in Chicago…or anywhere else for that matter.
How about you take some time out of your busy schedule, pick up their books and some teaching aids and educate the kids yourselves? Or add to what the CPS is providing them and actually…get involved in your own spawn’s education?
I mean as a taxpayer for MANY properties, I feel my taxdollars are doing far more for your kids than you are providing for them on your own….and I don’t even have any kids.
You think the answer to your kids receiving a quality education lies squarely on the backs of those underpaid, overworked and poorly equipped teachers and do nothing at all to contribute to their education.
I just don’t get it…the school system should be there as a secondary source of information (property owner funded) and the majority of it should be coming from you.
It is so common for kids to not even possess the basics of survival…common sense… as parents think it is just not their fault that the schools are failing. It is not the CPS that is failing, it is you all as parents who don’t care enough to get involved with your children’s education and future.
With what is going on now in public schools across the country, if I were a parent, my kid’s primary source of education would be coming from me and tudors I would bring in to assure that they would not have to work as hard as I have had to.
While I did have a choice of careers to persue, I much rather would have gone into a different field where I would not have had to work 12-15 hr days doing hard ass labor. But my parents were not there to push us to do our best scholastically, instead we were all expected to fall in their footsteps and carry on the business they started.
So stop whining and get more involved in not only your own kid’s education, get involved in their schools and make a mark on their and their classmate’s lives. It is up to the parents in the end and if they turn out to be general laborers or unemployed gangstas, there is no one to blame but yourselves.
OK fire away, but deep down you all realize what I am suggesting is correct…it is your job as parents to see they get what they need to be successful as adults…and it all comes down to the education they receive from you…and NOT the education CPS provides for them.
“Roughly 22% of Illinois households qualify for free/reduced lunches”WTF cares if they receive free lunches when you consider that the price per free lunch is budgeted at about $2.30 per child…and that includes ALL overhead involved in producing these lunches.
Not too much to while and complain about here….
“I mean as a taxpayer for MANY properties, I feel my taxdollars are doing far more for your kids than you are providing for them on your own….and I don’t even have any kids.”
That’s why you’re an easy mark* to the taxman. You might not have kids but you own a bunch of real estate, an asset class that is taxed on gross value (not net equity in the property) for local schools. If you don’t want to pay taxes you believe are wasteful or for other people’s kids (really for the CPS budget and teacher’s generous pensions) then don’t invest in this asset class.
I can only hope voters vote en masse to reign in all government spending soon, including the schools. Don’t let the headlines about class size increases scare you this is all about reigning in teachers union spending to stop generous pensions and overpaid unionized teachers.
*You’re also an easy mark for taxes also if you’re as wealthy as you claim to be.
Can you elaborate on my being an ‘easy mark’ for the taxman? I don’t understand what you are implying…which is usually not the case with you.
I really don’t care about paying the massive amount of taxes I do for the Public School Systems, as I know it is an essential (perhaps the most important) part of Government spending, the end result which *positively* affects us all.
No matter where my money is invested, as long as it is coming in, (for which I am fortunate and very grateful) it still goes to the ‘taxman’ in some way or other.
As far as voting to reign in spending, that comes up every election year and everyone promises to do it but it never happens…what is that saying?
There are two things that one cannot escape….death and taxes? Something like that. Since I am so concerned about school system spending, I have done my homework on what, where, why and especially how much. One thing is for sure though, it is still underfunded big time and most teachers are NOT compensated for their work. I can go on and on about this subject.
I guess what I was referring to in my margarita fueled rant is that it gets so old to hear people (parents) complaining of the state of their children’s education, yet they are the same ones who are failing to get involved to the extent they should be. Bitch and whine about how high the taxes are yet do nothing to contribute. Just want to make that part of my thoughts clear. We need more parental involvment if we expect any changes in the system.
*Yes I am as ‘wealthy’ as I claim to be…if only on paper. I have never stated exactly what exactly my personal wealth is, but I may have implied as much but I simply leave it open for speculation…
something that is well done here on CC.
“Roughly 22% of Illinois households qualify for free/reduced lunches”
“WTF cares if they receive free lunches when you consider that the price per free lunch is budgeted at about $2.30 per child…and that includes ALL overhead involved in producing these lunches.
Not too much to while and complain about here….”
I was just using that as a handy measure of (economic) diversity — a school with about 20% on free/reduced lunches is roughly as diverse as Illinois. Lincoln Park HS has 50%, but only a fraction of the top schools statewide have even 10%.
Lunches, like most everything else at public schools, are woefully underfunded. (As for reining in spending — can you really look at this city and say that taxes should be cut? Fire, traffic control, and parking enforcement seem adequate, but other important city services (police, streets, schools) are horrible.)
“example when i was in one of the top 5 CPS HS my homeroom (it was called “division” then) of 30, 12 of those kids were gangbangers. of those 12, 7 were “hardcore” gang memebers. and 1 of those 7 was in AP classes.”
Groove… you went to high school with Stringer Bell? Gangbangers in AP classes??
The city needs to just hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete on the school system and start over. Seriously, everyone from probably 3rd grade up is screwed. Just accept it is a lost generation and focus on the ones just starting kindergarten with new rules, teachers, etc. All girls schools and all boys schools. Include a focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic instead of all this liberal social agenda. INclude a heavy dose of ass whuppin discipline. Long hours. Uniforms. Positive role models. I really don’t think it is rocket science.
The school system has become too influenced by politics and social agendas instead of focusing on educating kids. We almost need a military like approach… just sayin.
What exactly is a liberal socialist agenda?
I like the rest of your thoughts…gender specific schools, uniforms, long days, discipline (without actual beatings) more of a military based system, but I don’t see any sort of agenda being pushed.
I think a system much like college for all levels. Parents have to work with their kids to get them accepted in a tuition based school. If you can’t afford to do this then don’t reproduce.
[cps rant]:
“Long hours.”
The school day is offensively, ridiculously short in CPS.
“LPHS at 99 out of about 650 HS statewide”
Includes the IB program, which is only slightly easier to get into than the Big Three, and which kids would test in that top 10-ish range.
“CPS high schools are going to get worse quick.”
They’re going to get converted to *actual* prisons?
“The school day is offensively, ridiculously short in CPS”
I have always said lengthen the school day, bring back recess and gym class everyday. also bring back study hall. it breaks up the day so the kids wont burn out.
studies prove exercise increases alertness and brain power. with exercise twice a day (recess and gym) you will have smarter healthier kids.
“Groove… you went to high school with Stringer Bell? Gangbangers in AP classes??”
sorry russ, didnt get the reference, i will try to goggle it later.
but i agree with you on “starting over” but our wonderful teachers union wont let that happen. stupid unions always start of good but as the years go by suck the life out of companies and their stupid union laws and contracts. Unions=Communism.
also, russ i dont agree with just saying screw the 3rd and above grades. i am all about starting over with them too, even if its holding them all a grade back to do it.
Westloopelo… global warming, timmy’s got two daddys, blah, blah, blah…. Public schools have basically become a haven of teaching liberal policies. Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t care what people’s politics are (I can be very left leaning on some social issues myself), but you have to be honest and admit the public schools are basically indoctrinating kids with everything other than reading, writing, and arthimetic. Kids can’t do basic math but they can give you all kinds of political opinions (primarily liberal agendas on global warming, corporations, immigration, helping the poor, etc).
I live in the People’s Republic of Oak Park and they just had some lecture on homosexual parenting at one of the elementary schools. I don’t necessarily have a problem with it (kids with two gay parents), but I also don’t think our schools are the appropriate place for that kind of discussion.
Much like how the schools were protesting the Arizona immigration law. Recall the bruhah in one fo the north shore suburbs withdrawing their kids from a tournament in AZ a few weeks ago.
I guess I am saying just getting back to the basics… I very much support corporal punishment too. I got my ass beat in school for getting out of line. We didn’t have a problem with ADD and all these made up BS reasons little Timmy can’t read. A swift ass whipping can make you focus in a heart beat.
Yeah, I am old school…
Very OT: How much ballpark to demo a two-flat and build a 2500 sq ft SFH, nice (or very nice) but not luxury finishes?
Groove77:
The Wire (HBO). Stringer Bell was a drug dealer character who was educated/articulate and ran the dope game like a corporation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPS9YKGaKQE
Sorry westloop, way to hung over to read your extra long posts so i will just agree with it blindly 🙂
AKA The best TV show ever
“The Sun Times rankings (linked above) put LPHS at 99 out of about 650 HS statewide. 85th percentile isn’t that bad”
K,
my new CC friend, i think anon touched on the IB program pulling the scores for that school.
You are more than welcome to send your kids there, let me know how that works out for ya. its the “this fart smells better than than other fart. so i will take the better smelling fart” but your are still choosing a fart.
“Very OT: How much ballpark to demo a two-flat and build a 2500 sq ft SFH, nice (or very nice) but not luxury finishes?”
Frame or brick existing? Either way, it shouldn’t be more than ~$30k, and likely less, depending on the
The read I have from the customer standpoint is that the construction will cost 125-150 psf in the City, plus $$ for anything you don’t see in a typical chicago new house (ie, fancy stone/tile/fixture in kitchen/bath, radiant heat, high end appliances, cool staircases, etc). So, $375k-ish would be a good budget number for the actual, basic nice construction, somewhat more if masonry. Plus architects fees, etc.
Oh shut up Groove and stop whining about my extended postings!
I know you love them, so who you kiddin’? 🙂
You’re so hung over that you can’t read my posts but not hungover enough to talk about farts?
LOL you make me laugh….in a good way….so stop taking shyte about how I post.
russ will check out that you tube right now………..Nice i get it now, i need to watch tv more that looks like a good show! what season is it on? and can i get the DVD’s or watch it online?
anon,
good stuff
“They’re going to get converted to *actual* prisons?”
“Oh shut up Groove and stop whining about my extended postings!
I know you love them, so who you kiddin”
I do love it, and i do read them, EVENTUALLY.
your the guy who will text me and it will end up being three texts and then you will call me 2 mintues after you sent the texts to expand upon what the text were saying. your that guy 🙂
Ok. I’m slowing outing myself. What’s the IB program at Lincoln?
oops…never mind
http://lincolnparkhs.org/curriculum.jsp
Groove:
5 Seasons on DVD. Best show ever… EVER. You MUST watch every show in order though as it gets very complicated and you will miss key character development scenes. Every season and character is connected.
Season 1) Explores the relationship between street drug dealers and police
Season 2) Explores union corruption and how the street dealers are pawns
Season 3) Explores city politics
Season 4) Explores how city schools get screwed up
Season 5) Explores media influence in the city
most realistic show ever…
To keep it OT, there are a number of scenes in the wire regarding new construction condos and real estate development in general tied to corruption of political officials.
HeHeHe @ Groove.
Actually, you have me all wrong. IRL I don’t talk much and I avoid phones as much as possible, even texting. I guess that explains why I write as I do…gotta let it out somehow.
Allow me to reciprocate and analyze you:
You’re the guy who will start one conversation, see a plane fly overhead and totally lose your line of thought, rambling into a totally different subject, never returning to the original subject to finish your thoughts. If reminded to do so, you ramble incoherently before you say “Ahhh never mind, it probably doesn’t matter any way”
To which I would respond, “You’re probably right, it doesn’t.”
Like my senile old uncle in Palm Beach, you’re that guy. 🙂
Wife is at this moment ordering the complete season. (dont know if thats all 5 seasons?) probably wont get to them until winter time let you know how i like it then 🙁
Westloop,
LOL you baztard, you got me pegged!!! but with all my side tracking i real life i do end up getting to the point, EVENTUALLY. Why is it in summer time in the midwest there are so many muffin tops walking around than anywhere else. i mean come on i cant take it anymore, its like yeah when you were 16 you could pull it off but now i dont need to see your scar from where your belly button ring was when you were young and your stretched out tramp stamp needs a touch up (if not removal). i am sorry its gross and its traumatizing my son, please stop.
ok back to westloops analyzing of the groove, Ahhh never mind, it probably doesn’t matter any way
Oh BTW,
wife said the cheapest place to buy the complete wire dvd set is overstock for like $140, mine should be here tuesday 🙂
“wife said the cheapest place to buy the complete wire dvd set is overstock for like $140, mine should be here tuesday”
Dude, you are single handedly keeping the economy afloat! Haven’t you heard of Netflix etc? Or maybe it’s on reruns on HBO.
It’s is definitely worth watching though. Incredibly good, except for season 5.
“The read I have from the customer standpoint is that the construction will cost 125-150 psf in the City, plus $$ for anything you don’t see in a typical chicago new house (ie, fancy stone/tile/fixture in kitchen/bath, radiant heat, high end appliances, cool staircases, etc). So, $375k-ish would be a good budget number for the actual, basic nice construction, somewhat more if masonry. Plus architects fees, etc.”
Thanks, anon. Also sent you an email.
I’m torn between it being a pain in the ass to manage building our own place versus getting (at least in theory) exactly what we want.
“Dude, you are single handedly keeping the economy afloat! Haven’t you heard of Netflix etc? Or maybe it’s on reruns on HBO. ”
Didn’t you hear? Selecting cheaper goods–even if not inferior–is deflationary. Groove–long on RE–is hoping for inflation. Gotta reinforce your book.
Anon, you’re putting words in my mouth, stop being an a$$. I said that they’re getting rid of the cable and getting dish because they don’t have enough money to pay for cable b/c of a 20% reduction in income. They would have kept the cable TV but it’s too pricey compared to the dish. My point was that there is less money chasing the same number of goods so yes, it’s deflationary.
“znon (tfo) on June 25th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
“Dude, you are single handedly keeping the economy afloat! Haven’t you heard of Netflix etc? Or maybe it’s on reruns on HBO. ”
Didn’t you hear? Selecting cheaper goods–even if not inferior–is deflationary. Groove–long on RE–is hoping for inflation. Gotta reinforce your book.”
“Dude, you are single handedly keeping the economy afloat! Haven’t you heard of Netflix etc? Or maybe it’s on reruns on HBO”
Doode i hardly get time to watch TV and when i do its sports (mainly football and basketball). if i happen to fall on some tv free time its nice to just have the dvd handy and just pop it in.
buying TV seasons works around my schedule and with net flix i work around its schedule.
plus if i get tired of the show or dont like it wifey will just ebay it for her shopping cash.
DirecTV will be airing The Wire, all five seasons, on their 101 network starting on July 18th.