Nearly 2 Years Later, This 2-Bedroom at 2029 W. Pierce in Wicker Park Returns To Test The Market Again
We last chattered about this 2-bedroom at 2029 W. Pierce in Wicker Park nearly 2 years ago.
See our August 2010 chatter here.
At the time, it was listed $5,000 above the 2005 purchase price. Several of you thought it was too high (surprise, surprise.)
But most of the chatter about the property revolved around the CTA shower curtain.
Alas, the shower curtain is no more (at least in the listing pictures.)
But the “rehabbed” kitchen with maple cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances remains.
It has all the other bells and whistles that buyers look for including central air, deeded parking and in-unit washer/dryer (the coveted side by side).
The listing does mention, however, that no dogs are allowed.
It is in a prime location in Wicker Park, just minutes from the Damen blue line stop and within shouting distance of all the shops/restaurants of Bucktown/Wicker Park.
The unit is now listed $35,000 under the 2005 purchase price.
Is this now a better deal than renting in the neighborhood?
Will this price get the sale done?
Joe Kennedy at @Properties now has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #2W: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in May 2002 for $316,000
- Sold in June 2005 for $370,000
- Originally listed in April 2010 for $400,000
- Reduced
- Was listed in August 2010 for $375,000
- Withdrawn in December 2010
- Currently listed for $335,000
- Assessments of $190 a month
- Taxes of $5092 (were $4123 in 2010)
- Central Air
- In-unit washer/dryer
- No dogs
- Bedroom #1: 10×13
- Bedroom #2: 9×13
- Sunroom: 7×10
Decent looking place. Surprised it didn’t sell earlier. I bet it isn’t moving because of the no dogs rule…
Great location but what a bland place! The exterior is vintage but nothing inside is…from the inside it may as well be a cinder block mccondo. Also while the dimensions of the bedrooms don’t look that small the picture sure makes the master seem tiny.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this sells for well under the 2002 price. I wouldn’t even be surprised by under $300k but maybe I’m crazy.
No dogs? In that building and at that location? I can understand it in a dowager-infested coop, but not here. Otherwise, decent but boring place.
I think the price is about right for 2/2 in Wicker Park, especially for a place that has a park view and is so close to the EL. Had they been able to priced it better in the first place it would have sold.
If I were the owner, i would do what I could to overturn the no dog rule. I agree this is limiting the potential pool of owners. If I own a place, I want to be able to have a dog.
Just look at the trend of skyrocketing taxes makes me glad I rent. Also just today CPS announcedt they’re raising taxes the legal max.
Well if no one is going to chime in further, perhaps everyone would like to tell me which place I passed on that I should buy. Note: the address is the hyperlink to the listing:
http://www.mysteries-of-life.com/2012/06/open-house-sunday-oak-park-edition.html
Author: Sabrina
Comment:
By the way- we’re back to a normal posting schedule tomorrow. Yippee! No more afternoon boredom.
Out of the 4 OP houses you looked at, I’d pick Harvey b/c of the bedroom sizes and the location (I wouldn’t buy on Ridgeland – it’s very pretty, but I wouldn’t want the traffic). The Harvey house is very close to lots of good amenities for families and the El, so that’s a bonus. Cute house.
Icarus, of the four you listed, I think the 500 ridgeland house is the best if you don’t mind being on a busier street. Ridgeland isn’t that bad except in morning/evening with rush hour. Otherwise, it is a fairly quiet street. I guess it depends on your tolerance level. The 100 harvey house is kind of close to unattractive commercial part of Lake Street. However, it is a nice house.
The lack of master bath with the Ridgeland house is a downer though so you’d have to factor the cost of adding that bath in the equation.
Having a master suite with bath AND guest bath on one level is very hard to find in OP in some of the smaller sized homes.
I agree with you on front porch. We caved in on not having front porch and kind of regret it. Still love our house, but a big front porch is a very nice to have, especially when the weather is nice. I get kind of jealous of some of my neighbors.
Icarus, I just read your website and wanted to make a quick comment. While there is no overnight street parking in Oak Park, you can call a car in and it won’t get ticketed. There is a hotline on the Village Webpage. You can only call one car in in front of one house about 5 times a year, but you can just keep switching to neighbors’ houses if they are cool with it. Also, they do not enforce this rule between christmas and new years.
Icarus – Regarding your comment on the house on Christiana in Albany Park:
“I think the only reason we aren’t snapping this up is we have made the decision to move out of our particular section of Irving/Albany Park.”
If you don’t want to stay in the neighborhood, then why even waste time viewing anything in the area?
I don’t think you really want to move to the burbs.
Oak Park is far and it’s boring.
Buy the house on Christiana.
If you’ve ever lived in a condo building with dogs, you know the benefit of a “no dogs” rule.
I’m with Brad on the dog issue.
“Just look at the trend of skyrocketing taxes makes me glad I rent. Also just today CPS announcedt they’re raising taxes the legal max.”
Yes, because landlords would never dare pass on a fee increase to their tenants.
“If you don’t want to stay in the neighborhood, then why even waste time viewing anything in the area?”
we have friends who have moved to Oak Park and are encouraging/pressuring us to move there as well.
@anne, do people in OP generally agree or disagree with this policy? It seems like it may have made sense at one time but is now anarchaic.
“You can only call one car in in front of one house about 5 times a year”
Those Oak Park taxes are stupid. City wins.
Icarus, it depends on where your house is located. I think most people support it. I know I do. My neighbor has one of those serial killer vans (white with no windows) and he loves to park it on the street. It would drive me up the wall if he could leave it parkedout front of my house 24 hours a day.
The rule is to prevent your neighbors from leaving their hoopties out on the street messing up the street scape. Most people rarely have overnight guests and the rule isn’t enforced during holidays. the only people who complain about it are those who live closer to Lake Street or in condos with limited parking.
Icarus, I like that you are looking at OP. 🙂
The Harvey house looks nice but kinda small. The Ridgeland house looked awful before rehab so it is nice to see it in good shape and it is the type of house I love but I know some people who bought a house on Ridgeland because it was where they could afford a “bigger” house and I know that they wish it weren’t on Ridgeland now even though they love their house. It isn’t great living on a busy street with kids…you have to worry even more of them running into the street and an accident has ended up in their front yard before.
I think none of those are the right OP home…but keep looking!
I like this one in OP in Icarus’ price range (or the range of the houses posted, anyway). Some people might have issues with it being too close to Austin, tho.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Oak-Park/616-Lyman-Ave-60304/home/13252345
Icarus–as you know I moved out of Oak Park last summer. Great town but the taxes are brutal and are only going to increase. Based on the places you’re looking at, you’ll need to budget around $1k/month for taxes. I saw that Harvey place in person before it was rehabbed–it’s basically across the street from an auto shop–not very pleasant when you’re hanging out on the porch. I was right in this area, south of the tracks. Based on my many walks in the area I found the area south of the tracks more pleasant than the area north of the tracks (when west of Ridgeland). Green Line is pretty convenient but watch out for the thugs, particarlarly outside of rush hour–it gets kinda awkward.
Sorry–mean to say when east of Ridgeland, I thought the area south of the tracks was preferable in terms of atmosphere. Houses on both sides are nice though.
I was going to suggest that one as you could open the front porch or how about any of these Icarus?
538 S Humphrey
104 Wesley
805 S Cuyler
307 S Humphrey
“I like this one in OP in Icarus’ price range (or the range of the houses posted, anyway). Some people might have issues with it being too close to Austin, tho.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Oak-Park/616-Lyman-Ave-60304/home/13252345“
I don’t know a lot about Oak Park. I was told that generally, the better area is West of Ridgeland and as far away from Roosevelt as possible. However, the realtor at the last Ridgeland place told me that something recently happened — infrastructure improvement? — that kinda cleaned up Roosevelt and you can now find some very nice property there at lower tax rate.
can any OPers confirm or dispute?
russ is pretty much right. My friends who live in a condo in OP aren’t a big fan of the policy, but they make sure to get a permit and park on the street. They also just call in for friends’ cars. My friend who lives in a house on Humphrey LOVES the policy because it essentially prevents the hoodlums from Austin from coming in, hanging out and causing trouble on her street. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but OP is big on differentiating themselves from the city. The No Cars, different colored street lights, different color cop cars, etc, is all used to let people know that they are NOT in Chicago anymore. it’s interesting, for a place that prides itself on being so close to the city.
“@anne, do people in OP generally agree or disagree with this policy? It seems like it may have made sense at one time but is now anarchaic.”
That used to be true, but I think the perception is. Changing. Crime is way down over the last decade(which was the east of ridge land issue).
Icarus, for the price range you appear to be considering, I think you will have a hard time finding a house West of Ridgeland in good condition. Generally, I wouldn’t go east of Hayes (which is about four blocks off Austin). However, the streets are all fine right up to Austin Blvd. Ridgeland is just the next main street West, so I think it is easy to use a divider in terms of not wanting to get too close to Austin. I am in the NE Corner of OP near Ridgeland/Division and like the area a lot.
Austin to Ridgeland has the traditional chicago bungalows. Ridgeland to Oak Park Avenue has the larger houses and lots. Oak Park to Harlem has a mix of large homes/lots and smaller houses (a lot of bad architecture thrown in as you get closer to Harlem).
Generally, you don’t want to get too close to any of the border streets – Austin, North, Harlem, and Roosevelt. Although Harlem is the border of River Forest, Harlem is basically a highway so you don’t want to be right up on it imho.
Russ summed it up well.
I agree you probably would like to be in several blocks from Austin, however I think anywhere in Oak Park really is fine. The different areas east/west of ridgelnd, north/south of Lake/Madison/290 each have a different feeling but having lived in several different locations within OP I liked each area for different reasons.
I would not listen to fear mongers that say you have to live west of ridgeland (preferably oak park) and north of Lake. They are just scared of a little diversity (economic or racial) or smaller lots or just plain snooty.
Thanks Russ, Anne, mh and good finds Benjamon9, I’ll look into those homes. The overnight parking thing sounds like it has a decent workaround. I suspect calling it in is all that is necessary whereas in the city you’d still get a ticket.
So another OP legend I’ve been told is that it is very hard to get permission to do things to your home like dormer a roof or paint the place. Was my friend just pulling my leg or is there anything to that? Assume a non-historical district type home.
“Yes, because landlords would never dare pass on a fee increase to their tenants.”
The tax man has to be paid or he takes your property. If there is an intermediary (ie: landlord) then that increase can be split between the tenant and landlord depending on a number of factors. Methinks everyone who thumbed up your post is too stupid to understand this.
I like the Harvey house, very cute! But whats your situation? Kids, commute, etc?
And I totally agree with this “they are trying to cash in on naive or frustrated buyers who just want new and ready to move in homes. “
Icarus, what I understand is this is only a concern within the historic district and only covers changes seen from the street within the historic districts but I may be wrong.
I do know one person who is across the street and one lot in from a historic district that was appalled when the neighbor between her and the historic district painted their house bright blue instead of the historic colors she recommended when asked her opinion.
Icarus, I know it doesn’t have a front porch, but what about:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Oak-Park/946-N-Lombard-Ave-60302/home/13276771
@Benjamon9, another nice find. Will my realtor have to split commission with you. 🙂
TS we don’t have children yet which makes a move to OP tricky. If children don’t happen, I’ll have to work something out with Groove and send his kids to our schools because if i’m paying all those taxes, someone is benefiting from it.
Forget Oak Park – BERWYN is where it’s at now for home buyers in the prime young-family demographic! At least that’s what all those “target” themed billboards are telling us!
BTW I’m rather partial to Oak Park Avenue itself as a residential street.
Along with Local Lassie, the area around Roosevelt Road is being built up. I am partial because I grew up south of the bridge (south of the Ike for those that didn’t grow up there) down the block from Fitzgeralds so take it all with a grain of salt. Berwyn is being built up, so I’d say as long as you stay near the Berwyn part of Roosevelt and not the Cicero part, you’ll be fine.
My parent’s re-did their house back in the 90’s and while it was a pain to get the permits, they did so and it was fine. There are lots of rehabs on my parent’s block, so I wouldn’t worry to much about it. My friend re-did hers a few years ago, even putting up solar panels, and didnt’ have that many problems.
ALSO, a fun fact for OP is if you do not have kids, you can apply for an exemption and have your property taxes lowered. Again, check out the village website.
“@Benjamon9, another nice find. Will my realtor have to split commission with you. ”
I’d love to get some money off of my real estate (particularly OP real estate) fetish! I love real estate challenges, so I had to find better once I read your OP open housing blog. The last place I found while searching for myself.
“ALSO, a fun fact for OP is if you do not have kids, you can apply for an exemption and have your property taxes lowered. Again, check out the village website.”
I can’t find this anywhere. Does anyone know if this is in fact true? It seems like more of a fairy tale to me!
these people are dreaming at $335. My place on Leavitt, which had vintage woodwork, builtin hutch, garage parking, dogs allowed, lower taxes by about $1500, a better kitchen but slightly smaller beds and only 1.5 baths closed a month ago for $270. Joe Kennedy should talk to his fellow @properties agent who sold my place because he clearly doesn’t know how to look at comps.
It’s a shame they got screwed at $370 in 2005 but this place won’t get any serious looks until it hits $290 and will sell for $280-285 tops.
This place is already off the market, and pending. Pretty quick sale if you ask me,
looks like 335k was a good ask.
shows what I know.
We’ll see what it closes at 🙂
Closed at $325K in just 6 weeks! Tom is looks likes maybe you should have had their agent 😉