Looking for Something Unique? 1855 N. Halsted in Lincoln Park
This 11-unit building at 1855 N. Halsted in Lincoln Park looks like it could have been newer construction in just the last few years but it actually is quite a bit older.
A 2-bedroom duplex unit just came on the market with a unique layout and wood staircase.
The second bedroom and office are lofted.
Do you like a separate kitchen? This one is tucked away.
Ron Knoll at Saffron Realty has the listing. See more pictures and a virtual tour here (be sure to check out the picture of the vintage elevator.)
Unit #1, according to the listing, is actually on the fourth floor.
Unit #1: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed, 2 car parking
- Sold in March 1988 for $150,000
- Sold in January 1994 for $228,000
- Sold in January 2002 for $395,000
- Sold in June 2007 for $562,500
- Currently listed for $635,000
- Assessments of $429 a month
- Taxes of $5689
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 19×12
- Bedroom #2: 15×14
- Loft: 15×6
Great unit! But a tad overpriced for the size of course.
Love it. I am going to go play the lottery right now….
Very nice. Although they will be lucky to get much above what they paid for it in ’07.
This is the epitome of “I haven’t read the newspaper or turned on the news in over a year” syndrome. Buy in June of 2007 and try to flip for 72K profit? Come on!
I love it as well – something I’ve never run across before, especially with the elevator. The ceiling looks a little low in the lofted bedroom though but I know I’d be in the master so it wouldn’t matter.
I’m having a hard time thinking where a TV would go? Above the fireplace in the living room? That would limit the size of my TV too đ
The seafoam cabinets are TMTH but other than that I think this is a great unit. The 70k profit isn’t happening but I think (hope) the unit will move fast.
“This is the epitome of âI havenât read the newspaper or turned on the news in over a yearâ syndrome. Buy in June of 2007 and try to flip for 72K profit? Come on!”
If they were dumb enough to pay 563k for this back in mid-2007 theres no doubt in my mind they’re dumb enough to expect 635k in mid-2009. Unfortunately for them, with loan underwriting standards tightening and the banks smarting from losses, they aren’t giving nearly as many low doc, low downpayment loans for idiots to overpay anymore.
10% down on 635k is 63.5k. Most people do not have this kind of money lying around.
everyone see this?
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=34937
Moldy Metropolis: Homeowners Struggle with Leaky Concrete
Produced by Ashley Gross on Thursday, June 18, 2009
During Chicago’s go-go real estate market of a few years ago, condo buildings mushroomedâŚit seemed overnight. And âmushroomedâ may be a good word, considering how many of those buildings are now plagued with mold and water leakage. The culprit is a construction material that officials have long known can cause problems if it’s not installed right. Homeowners from Bronzeville to Wicker Park and elsewhere in the city are facing tens of thousands of dollars to repair brand-new construction. They’re on the hook, even when city inspectors have signed off on their homes.
That is a widely known problem which is why most savvy buyers usually tried to stay away from some of the crapbox new construction that went up over the years.
With all the cookie-cutter condos that are out there…it is nice to see something different. I bet it will sell quickly…
I don’t like it, i’d blow up the loft and add extra living room space, as it is it looks incredibly narrow and crowded.
the penthouse in this building is awesome, was on the market a few years ago for $2+mm. I hope it sells at this price it is in my hood.
Thanks, Skeptic. This is what I was attempting (however ineptly) to describe in one of my previous posts. I’ve heard that the problem may not be as widespread in some of the “local” ‘burbs (e.g., Evanston, OP) due to their more stringent inspection standards. Does anyone happen to have more insight on this?
(And maybe there should be a separate thread devoted to this issue.)
Without being an expert in construction, masonry, an engineer or a building inspector, I always knew those concrete block construction places looked cheap. And now they are having leaking problems as well as effluorescence on the fascades. All the while the developers used these materials because they were the cheapest available while still targetting their units at very premium pricing.
Of course the city doesn’t check to see whether the developers followed the code or not: half the alderman and mayor seem to have financial connections to these same RE developers.
“Concrete block is a lot cheaper than regular brick – less than half the cost. “
I love this loft. At last, a truly beautiful and livable loft.
But I can’t imagine anything selling above its 2007 price, especially since the financial industry, the source of the bulk of Chicago’s really lucrative jobs that pay the kind of income you need to afford this place, is in shrink mode right now. There are far fewer people out there making $125K or more, let alone $200K, then there were in 2006, and the lending standards for jumbo mortgages are much stricter, as they are for all loans.
Posters referring to the numerous construction problems in recently built places are right on point. Code enforcement seems to have been non-existent during the housing rampage, and we are stuck with a massive number of truly horrible buildings. Buyers should line up a really thorough inspection, much more thorough than the boilerplate inspection usually required, because if there’s anything you don’t want to buy, it’s something with water seepage problems. You will NEVER cure it no matter what you spend on mitigation.
shoot, I remember bringing exactly these types of issues & a mason’s report to a community meeting back in 02, we had a half-completed building, in violation of numerous codes and zoning laws, was exposed to the elements all winter.
to me it’s real simple – bricks should be solid, they should not resemble White Castle hamburgers.
over the years those cinder blocks went from mostly block to mostly air, it was clear early in the game they were not built to last in Chicago’s extreme climate.
Looks cramped and confined. Nice hood tho.
Price is about right. Don’t forget about the second parking spot.
Interesting that no one mentions the assessments for this particular place, but will complain about assessments for other buildings.
Sorry but unless this place is 2200sqft (which it isn’t) it is not “priced right”
Sonies: Where would you price it at? Its not cookie-cutter. I don’t think its an outrageous ask price.
Well
-The upstairs bathroom has maybe 6.5′ ceilings (which is about 1″ too short for me)
-The second bedroom has no privacy or a window and the 6.5′ ceilings. Great for guests, right?
-no view in main room except for some ugly ass townhouses
-master bedroom is wide but not very deep and only room with a decent view
-“office” is a joke with the low ceilings and no windows
-no outdoor space/balcony
It just isn’t that unique of a space, its a 1500sqft (maybe) 2/1 with a lofted extra bedroom/office/bathroom with 6.5′ ceilings.
525k would probably find some midget buyers.
Also
-The living room has no entertainment space as its so narrow. No place to put a TV even!
-The cave like kitchen with the dining area basically being the living room… blech
-The elevator is probably more “cool” than practical. yay for lifting big iron gates when you’ve got a few bags of groceries right?
This “leaky concrete block” issue isn’t a Chicago Building Code enforcement issue. Affected buildings’ permit plans are likely to have been code compliant at time building permit was issued, and received the allotted building dept inspections. It’s an issue of poor building material choice, coupled with inexperienced greedy developers looking for cheapest construction, slipshod informal “pick-up truck” contractors only half-knowing construction techniques, and naive homebuyers buying for the granite counters and not high-quality construction caliber.
Note that a home inspection prior to purchase is no guarantee that building quality issues will be identified. Many home inspectors aren’t particularly thorough in their inspections. Home inspectors recommended by a realtor have a vested interest to not find non-obvious building flaws which may jeopardize the sale, dependent upon realtor’s further recommendations for future clients. I’ve seen home inspectors bring fancy paperwork forms to inspection to impress clients on “thoroughness”, and miss signficant water infiltration issues altogether.
My recommendation is to skip all 3-flat and 6-flat new infill condo construction projects that have block or vinyl-siding on sidewalls. Not worth risk for future major building repairs.
Sonies, you sure those are 1ft tiles in the bath and not 18″ tiles? if they were 18, it’d be at 9 ft. I’d be surprised at any toilet that is only 1.5 ft off the ground.
Sonies:
I agree its not THAT unique of a space. It’s not Carl Street Studios or 50 W. Schiller
response cut off…
Since you have mentioned 525k, would you rather have this at 500k?
http://www.ksgmac.com/07227653
Cookie cutter / 1600 Sq. ft. / Nice street / No view / Nice area
“Sonies, you sure those are 1ft tiles in the bath and not 18? tiles? if they were 18, itâd be at 9 ft. Iâd be surprised at any toilet that is only 1.5 ft off the ground.”
100% positive they are 12″ tiles… look how high the countertops are… most bathrooms don’t have their sinks 50″ in the air, and most toilets are 1.5-2′ off the ground, unless its a handicapped toilet.
The whole “duplex” level has 6.5″ celings… PASS!
“response cut offâŚ
Since you have mentioned 525k, would you rather have this at 500k?
http://www.ksgmac.com/07227653
Cookie cutter / 1600 Sq. ft. / Nice street / No view / Nice area
”
Ewww no, that is even far too cookie cutter for me! But at least it has a small outdoor space, although I’d never ever pay 500k to have someone live above me that I could hear walking around.
Wow.. Can’t stand this. It’s as if they tried to go with a cool high end modern look but everything looks like they cut costs doing it. Just looks cheap to me.
I can’t tell you how many times I have driven up to tour a prop to see cinder block sidewalls…only to drive away without even getting out of my car. It is just too much of a problem not only in Chicago but in the entire NE as well to deal with.
I learned early on if the foundation is not poured concrete and ‘real’ bricks were not used all the way around, it was just not worth investing in. Eventually all of these new construction split face concrete block buildings will leak… even IF they were flash sealed during the construction process.
There are a few ways of repairing this mess, the most effective one being to pour a wet grout mixture through holes drilled on top of the exterior walls. The wet mix basically fills in all gaps in the block, but over time you will still have to deal with water seepage into the unit…and the mold that follows.
This repair method does work well on single story houses (messy though) but not for a multi story building where it is almost a lose/lose situation no matter what you do. Even with patching, sealants, etc., nothing will correct the developer’s use of inexpensive, inferior split faced blocks. Not so much that the masons did not know what they were doing as it is a basic construction process, just a cheap ass developer.
I am real surprised that not many know about this type of problem as it has been around for a number of years now…sad for home owners…
Back to this unit though…agree with Ze…their attempt at ultra cool modern did not work.
When I think modern, I think high ceilings and a lot of space. You can barely get around that bed in there. I would have an anxiety attack just visiting someone in this place, never mind actually living here.
PASS
So FWIW, I live in one of those places with cut face block.
Does it suck. I do think so.
But if the block is sealed properly every 4-5 years, will it leak? Probably not.
Is the sealing a b*&th expense. Absolutely. You have to set it aside in your reserves.
But frankly, I don’t see much around it. You buy into a development and the developer is going to use cheap windows. It just happens. And people just aren’t going to brick all around a building. They’ll brick the front and use concrete block around the sides. Better I think to use siding and not deal with sealing
Sonies:
So that means you would never live in Streeterville or River North or in the Loop.
Because you are going to hear people walking above you if you’re in a high rise.
So basically you are limiting yourself to living on a top floor walkup (I don’t see you getting a elevator building) perhaps in Lincoln Park or a single family home further out (Bridgeport Edgewater, etc.)
“I would have an anxiety attack just visiting someone in this place, never mind actually living here.”
Man, you’re (almost) all negative, all the time in recent days. Something getting you down?
I remember talking with a developer about a unit he couldn’t sell as it was over priced. The problem was it was over priced because he did everything the right way. Even an untrained layman could tell how much effort and love went into this gut rehab.
It was probably priced a good $75k over the typical unit in this particular area. The money wasn’t so much in the aesthetic features like the BS Granite and SS appliances, but the stuff a typical buyer doesn’t appreciate until they buy in a crappy development such as reinforcing the floors with cement so you can’t hear your neighbors (big deal in a vintage conversion) Replacing plumbing out to the street so the water pressure is strong. Upgrading all electric so the systems don’t get overloaded. Using quality HVACs. Solid core doors. Dual paned windows. Tuckpointing the building. Replacing the roofs. etc etc etc.
In his exact words, “people won’t pay for the quality of work I do these days… all they want is ipod docks and cheap granite” He has been a developer for 30 plus years in Chicago doing smaller rehabs, etc.
“Because you are going to hear people walking above you if youâre in a high rise.”
Not with concrete floors. Or is that an urban myth?
450 k tops
“Not with concrete floors. Or is that an urban myth?”
Correct…I live in a fairly new highrise and do not hear my neighbors above. The only noises I hear occasionally are when my next door neighbors have movie night and there’s too much bass on the home theater.
“So that means you would never live in Streeterville or River North or in the Loop.
Because you are going to hear people walking above you if youâre in a high rise.”
ACtually I just bought a place in River North, its built like a bunker and there’s a foot of concrete between each floor and the walls on each side, so no I don’t hear anything. 3 flats like that typically never have cement floors. And I would hate it having lived in one before and i’ll never do it again!
CMU/Rockface is a perfectly fine material to build with if installed and detailed correctly.
Everybody thinks that putting a sealant on is the fix, but its usually a bad idea, especially with single withe construction. Take a minute to think why this might be a bad idea.
“I canât tell you how many times I have driven up to tour a prop to see cinder block sidewallsâŚonly to drive away without even getting out of my car. It is just too much of a problem not only in Chicago but in the entire NE as well to deal with.
I learned early on if the foundation is not poured concrete and ârealâ bricks were not used all the way around, it was just not worth investing in. Eventually all of these new construction split face concrete block buildings will leak⌠even IF they were flash sealed during the construction process.
There are a few ways of repairing this mess, the most effective one being to pour a wet grout mixture through holes drilled on top of the exterior walls. The wet mix basically fills in all gaps in the block, but over time you will still have to deal with water seepage into the unitâŚand the mold that follows.
This repair method does work well on single story houses (messy though) but not for a multi story building where it is almost a lose/lose situation no matter what you do. Even with patching, sealants, etc., nothing will correct the developerâs use of inexpensive, inferior split faced blocks. Not so much that the masons did not know what they were doing as it is a basic construction process, just a cheap ass developer.
I am real surprised that not many know about this type of problem as it has been around for a number of years nowâŚsad for home owners⌔
– This really makes me question how much of what you post is real vice BS. Core filling the block isn’t a fix.
Different repair deals for different people is all I can offer to counter what you say is ‘real vice BS’…WETF that means!… that I am posting. I’ve been doing this for 25 years and many of my family members (from whom I learned my trade) have been in the business for generations. So I would rather take what I have learned from them and use it in my own rehabs over the years.
I did say though after a few frustrating projects attempting to repair leaking POOR MATERIALS, I now just pass on these projects as no matter what you do you still run the chance of leaking and the mold that follows. Core filling the block and gaps is indeed a valid and widely used method of repair…tried and true fix for those who did not do it correctly with experience and quality materials to start.
I stand by my indepth and educated background in all facets of renovation projects…not only mine but those of many a family member who have been doing this for years and years.
Not sure of your background but if you take the approach of calling out a renovator and saying their way is BS, when this is their life business, you’d damn sure better have a strong resume to back up your opinions!
westlessthan0:
“all of these new construction split face concrete block buildings will leakâŚnothing will correct the developerâs use of inexpensive, inferior split faced blocks. Not so much that the masons did not know what they were doing as it is a basic construction process, just a cheap ass developer.”
JohnnyU:
“CMU/Rockface is a perfectly fine material to build with if installed and detailed correctly.”
Real vs. BS? You decide.
G:
“Real vs. BS? You decide.”
Refer to my comment under ‘Rare Single Family Home on Lake Shore Drive Still Available: 1258 N. Lake Shore Drive’ as it will be my last exchange with you.
The details count in construction. Almost anything will work, if it is properly installed (and that includes the proper climate). That also goes for repairs….roof repairs sometimes look like nightmares.
Different repair deals for different people is all I can offer to counter what you say is âreal vice BSââŚWETF that means!⌠that I am posting. Iâve been doing this for 25 years and many of my family members (from whom I learned my trade) have been in the business for generations. So I would rather take what I have learned from them and use it in my own rehabs over the years.
I did say though after a few frustrating projects attempting to repair leaking POOR MATERIALS, I now just pass on these projects as no matter what you do you still run the chance of leaking and the mold that follows. Core filling the block and gaps is indeed a valid and widely used method of repairâŚtried and true fix for those who did not do it correctly with experience and quality materials to start.
I stand by my indepth and educated background in all facets of renovation projectsâŚnot only mine but those of many a family member who have been doing this for years and years.
Not sure of your background but if you take the approach of calling out a renovator and saying their way is BS, when this is their life business, youâd damn sure better have a strong resume to back up your opinions!
1 â You canât guarantee getting the cores get filled 100%, therefore its pretty much as waste. You are better off designing a method for removing any water that gets collected in the block. Additionally anyone only just drilling at the top of the wall is flat out wrong. Go watch some real construction and see how many courses they run before core filling the block.
2 â Depending on the vintage the cores may be filled with Vermiculite, how do you propose filling the cores with grout in this case?
3 â From your previous post, what happens to any trapped moisture when you seal the block on the outside (What is flash sealing. Is this a combo of flashing and sealing?). Sealing also needs to be maintained, which owners never do.
My resume? LOL.
So what is the correct way to build with CMU/Rockface/Splitface block? And what is it that contractors are doing wrong when they build with it improperly?
I live in a building with CMU for the back 50% of the sides and full back wall. We had water penetration issues, some units being unaffected and a few that were outright unliveable. It was an interesting remediation period; we had multiple contractors & architecture firms propose solutions, and all of us got to learn a lot more about construction. In the end, after invasive investigations, we determined that the flashing was improperly installed (in some spots it didn’t make it to the outer lip of the CMU but rather would wick the water into the void in the block).
In the end, we did quite a few things, one of which included “sealing” (elastomeric paint) the entire exposed CMU. We’ve been very lucky that this, along with re-routing gutters, finding and patching a roof issue, has worked well and from that experience would endorse the sealing of the blocks as one item to fight the leaking problem.
It was crazy in one apartment – we ripped apart the outer wall down to the brick, and during a rainstorm you could actually see water cascading down! Had to do the full hazmat mold remediation in that person’s condo.
Oh and sort of on point: I’ve wanted to live in the penthouse of this building for years.