Nearly 3 Years Later, This 2-Bedroom at 1446 W. Henderson in Lakeview Finally Sells
We last chattered about this 2-bedroom at 1446 W. Henderson in the Southport neighborhood of Lakeview in January 2011.
See our prior chatter here.
At that time, it had been on the market 2 1/2 years and was listed $32,000 under the 2005 purchase price at $375,000.
Some of you thought it was listed under rental parity (if you put down enough to get a $300,000 mortgage.)
Others thought you were (surprise!) still catching the falling knife.
It recently sold for $362,500, or $44,500 under the 2005 purchase price.
If you recall, it was located in a 3-unit building constructed in 1995 and was just a few blocks from the Southport restaurants/shops/bars as well as the Southport brown line stop.
The listing said it had a new kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
It had central air, washer/dryer in the unit and deeded parking included.
Did someone get a deal on this unit?
Ashley Carter at Koenig Strey Real Living had the listing. You can still see pictures here.
Unit #2: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in October 1995 for $285,000
- Sold in July 1998 for $280,000
- Sold in April 2001 for $347,000
- Sold in June 2005 for $407,000
- Originally listed in July 2008 for $489,900
- Reduced numerous times
- Was listed in January 2011 for $375,000
- Sold in June 2011 for $362,500
- Assessments of $90 a month
- Taxes of $5479
- Bedroom #1: 14×18
- Bedroom #2: 12×10
wow – I used to be very angry…
good price – if someone lives here for a few years, they should make a little money (or at least break even)
Underpriced. This area should be at 2003 prices not just a hair above 2001 prices. Somebody got a great deal on a gorggeous pllace. Congrats.
I know HD was being facetious, as always. And I’m not a big fan of 1990’s condos in general. But this one seems a bit better than some, is on a good street and is priced pretty decently. Still think it’s higher than it should be, but not ridiculous.
First thing I’d do if I bought it would be rip down that TV over the fireplace.
“Underpriced. This area should be at 2003 prices not just a hair above 2001 prices. Somebody got a great deal on a gorggeous pllace. Congrats.”
Guess what bizzaro-HD? It *DID* sell for the 2003 price. Sabrina just didn’t include the ’03 sale:
May-03: $358,500.
also, in CPI-adjusted terms, that price is about 7% below the 1998 price. And that’s with some improvements in that time.
“First thing I’d do if I bought it would be rip down that TV over the fireplace.”
And where would you put the tv?
Where would I put the TV? Anywhere but there.
I like living rooms to not have TVs. Now it’s most likely that whoever buys this is a young couple either expecting to have a baby or thaat already has a baby, so the second BR is the baby’s room. If not for that, the 2nd BR could serve as a den and have the TV. Otherwise, I suppose the TV is in the LR, as it was for my wife and me when we lived in a 2/2 many years ago with a baby in the 2nd BR. It wasn’t so bad for us, because we had the TV in a large, Pottery Barn-type cabinet that closed, so the TV wasn’t always front and center when it wasn’t on. However, this was in the days before flat screens. Not sure what you’d do now, except put it above the fireplace. Ugh.
“Not sure what you’d do now, except put it above the fireplace. Ugh.”
Especially in this particular unit.
The TV viewing height is relatively low and not completely ridiculous but the look of it w/fireplace is ridiculous. But what can you do *if* you lived here?
Problem is with the existence of fireplace. People use tvs a couple orders magnitude more than fireplaces.
“People use tvs a couple orders magnitude more than fireplaces.”
I dunno, we’ve used our fireplace more than 10 hours this year. More than 30, even. And I’m fairly certain our rolling average of tv watching is under 60/week.
“Not sure what you’d do now, except put it above the fireplace. Ugh.”
It shouldn’t cost much to have a carpenter modify the built-ins to the left (or right, but the left would better isolate the t.v.) of the fireplace. If they do it right, having the flat screen mounted that way may actually look quite good (and it’s like $200 extra to have it mounted such that it can be pulled away from the wall/angled as needed).
“I dunno, we’ve used our fireplace more than 10 hours this year. More than 30, even. And I’m fairly certain our rolling average of tv watching is under 60/week.”
I actually looked up average tv watching before posting. It’s over 8 hours a day per HH!! Could be lower for HH with fireplace I suppose. And decided 30 hours a year of fireplace usage was well above average (or median/typical/etc if we had those stats for both). We use less than once a year.
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/average-tv-viewing-for-2008-09-tv-season-at-all-time-high/
Didn’t use (either of) our fireplaces once this past winter (used it maybe twice during in each of the previous two winters, in a rental). Might have the living room fireplace converted to gas this year, in which case we’d use it frequently from late Oct through at least March. I’d love to hear anyone’s experiences/recommendations with gas-conversions.
“I dunno, we’ve used our fireplace more than 10 hours this year. More than 30, even. And I’m fairly certain our rolling average of tv watching is under 60/week.”
Put your tv over your fireplace and then you can do both at the same time. Your relaxation will be twice as productive.
“Put your tv over your fireplace and then you can do both at the same time. Your relaxation will be twice as productive.”
In the same room, not visually on the same wall.
“I’d love to hear anyone’s experiences/recommendations with gas-conversions.”
Guarantee you will use it more. It’s not as nice, but you’ll use it more.
Only “difficult” thing is if you need to add 50′ of gas line to bring it to the right spot.
Re gas fireplaces, we now have one that’s lit by (1) turning a key in a disk thing on the floor by the fireplace and (2) using a match. We’d like to have it run off a lightswitch so it’s easy to turn on and off (prior owners had small children, we don’t). We’ve seen those elsewhere but have no idea how they work. If anyone has any experience with folks who do this kind of work or comments on the viability of the concept, please let me know. And no, there is and will never be a TV over the fireplace….
i had a gas fireplace, always thought it would be cheesy but it was surprisingly nicely done. You can buy surprisingly nice ones. Like anon said, not as nice, but you will use it regularly.
“If anyone has any experience with folks who do this kind of work or comments on the viability of the concept, please let me know.”
Absolutely, positively works, and works pretty easily. Don’t have a rec on who to do an install or details of the process, but do know that these folks:
http://www.fireplaceproducts.com/
*could* do it.
H. As for viability mine was off a remote control so you just need to find the right unit. Sounds like yo already have gas to the point so that might make it much easier, but i’m sure a plumber doing work with gas should nail ya if you neee to change that dial, i would see if i could make the final connection myself and leave that dial always open.
Thanks for the thoughts re our gas fireplace situation! Agree, wood burning is much prettier, but I think we’ll actually use this far more come winter. Much appreciated. If anyone seeing this later has any further recommendations, I’d love to hear them, too.
And OK, to go totally OT, we have a blue recyling cart at the new abode (it’s the first time we’ve had recyling). It’s in the alley. Our black garbage carts are tucked in a niche in the side of the garage, so they are open to the alley but not as easily visible. Is there any way to prevent people from putting their stuff in our recyling cart? This happens regardless of whether it’s in the niche or alley. One can’t wheel it out right before the recyling run bc we have no idea what day they will come (we have every other week pick-up). If we fill it up and then set it out, people put stuff in it so the lid is up (we’re talking pretty much vertical, not just cracked open). This freaks me out as I want the lid to be closed to avoid encouraqing rodents. Is this a fact of life, or is there something we don’t know? I appreciate any help!
“Is this a fact of life, or is there something we don’t know?”
1. Guessing everyone else on the alley always has theirs full, too.
2. You can request a 2d blue cart. Call your alderman’s office or 311.
“Guessing everyone else on the alley always has theirs full, too.”
One cart for every two weeks is a bit tight. Certainly can’t toss in boxes as is, but even if you are moderately diligent about breaking down large boxes, still run out of room sometimes.
“Problem is with the existence of fireplace. People use tvs a couple orders magnitude more than fireplaces.”
you are right in general, but we actually use our wood burning fireplace almost all cold winter nights and have no tv in one place and an old 21in in the other with only local channels. with netflix and other streaming options to me cable is just a waste of time.
“Problem is with the existence of fireplace. People use tvs a couple orders magnitude more than fireplaces.”
Really depends. A lot of younger people generally dislike TVs. Used to just be hipsters but lately I’ve noticed it entering the mainstream a little.
Case in point I have some drinking buddies with no TVs (just rock out to radio and guzzle brews). They do burn bonfires out back during summer nights though.
Lucky sellers to unload this condo. In two years, the sting of their financial loss will have faded.
With exception of initial novelty of a burning fire and winter parties, our three fireplaces remain dormant. They don’t contribute to ambient room temperature. Flues kept shut. Wish we had radiant wood-burning stove in family room.
I just don’t see why this unit is special, but not my taste so more power to the seller & buyer (esp the seller).
Re the recyling cart issue, the problem is not needing more volume, it’s the fact that the lid’s open bc other people shove in whatever they can. I readily admit to being paranoid about anything creepy crawly, let alone rodents. Hate the idea of having the lid on my blue cart open because other people put stuff in it and don’t care if the lid shuts. My husband says recyling isn’t an issue for rodents like regular trash is, but still… wish people would not put their stuff in so the lid won’t shut. Is my husband right or is having the lid open an issue? This is one aspect of city living that I do not appreciate. Have not seen anything to date, but I really want to keep it that way. Ugh! Getting vaguely back on topic, it’s true, there are things you don’t have to think about in a condo vs. a house.
“Hate the idea of having the lid on my blue cart open because other people put stuff in it and don’t care if the lid shuts. My husband says recyling isn’t an issue for rodents like regular trash is, but still… wish people would not put their stuff in so the lid won’t shut.”
1. If the only stuff going in is “clean” recycling, no real worries. Squirrels might drag some paper out for a nest, but probably not.
2. The “too full” is speculating that all the other blue carts are full, too, so your neighbors just stuff it in yours.
3. If you got a second one, then there’d be enough extra volume on the alley so that no of them would be overfull, at least on a regular basis.
“One cart for every two weeks is a bit tight. Certainly can’t toss in boxes as is”
Sometimes I feel like I am the only person in the city who *expects* to have to break down boxes to recycle.
“If you got a second one”
I’d rather get a second bin for whichever neighbor(s) are dumping stuff in mine.
“I’d rather get a second bin for whichever neighbor(s) are dumping stuff in mine.”
Get it delivered, get a grease pencil, change the house number on the can. Wahlah.
“I’d rather get a second bin for whichever neighbor(s) are dumping stuff in mine.”
We have to give up one of our two black carts (weekly pick-up) to get a second blue cart (every other week pick-up). And who knows if we’d end up with blue carts with the lid fully shut, anyway. I tend to think that whatever space is there will get filled up, esp given the infrequent pick up schedule. But it sounds like my hubby is right and my fear of r-a-t-s (ugh! don’t even want to type it) in a blue cart with the lid open is groundless. He graciously will continue to take all the garbage and recyling out anyway, but I’m sure will luxuriate in the moment of validation.
“We have to give up one of our two black carts … to get a second blue cart”
Huh. Not on my block you don’t.
And, I dunno how a not-large family needs more than one black cart anyway. Other than construction debris type stuff, usually don’t even get 3/4 full on one.
Thanks, Anon(tfo).
“We have to give up one of our two black carts … to get a second blue cart”
“Huh. Not on my block you don’t.
And, I dunno how a not-large family needs more than one black cart anyway. Other than construction debris type stuff, usually don’t even get 3/4 full on one.”
I called our alderman and they said we had to swap a regular cart for a blue one. Do you deal with someone else re carts? The gist of the question, though, was whether leaving the lid open on a blue cart was a problem re attracting rodents. If not, we are happy with our cart situation. If nothing else, I honestly think that if we had two blue ones, we’d end up with two with open lids. There are a few condos on the block who seem to think our blue cart’s open season for recyling.
“I called our alderman and they said we had to swap a regular cart for a blue one.”
Might be a recent change. Several neighbors have two (or three) black and two blue, but have had them for over 12 months.
And, on the rodents, like I said, rinse out your bottles and cans, and otherwise use good recycling practices and it would be weird to have a problem.
One more reason to not want to live near condos. Tho we’ve been known to top off other blue carts just before pickup (which, btw, is *supposed to* be the same day as your regular garbage pickup, but I find is often the day before).
Identical unit for sale right now down the street listed at $359,900: http://lucidrealty.com/homes-for-sale/Chicago_Lake_View/condos_townhomes/1429-W-HENDERSON-ST-unit-2/
Except the kitchen was apparently remodeled and opened up in 1446. Factor in some discount off of list and the cost of the remodel and you’re probably at the same price.
Apparently, some developer came through this block and built the same building several times. There are at least 3 of these buildings on the block.
“With exception of initial novelty of a burning fire and winter parties, our three fireplaces remain dormant. They don’t contribute to ambient room temperature. ”
maybe gas burning ones, ours rocks and it actually warms up ones bones. I prefer the heat from a fire place to the one from heater any day.
Breaking down boxes for “recycling” is SO un-good-neighborly! Keep them intact and just put them by the garbage cans. Your box-needing neighbors will thank you.
“Breaking down boxes for “recycling” is SO un-good-neighborly! Keep them intact and just put them by the garbage cans. Your box-needing neighbors will thank you.”
Again, not on my alley.
“Breaking down boxes for “recycling” is SO un-good-neighborly! Keep them intact and just put them by the garbage cans. Your box-needing neighbors will thank you.”
“Again, not on my alley.”
I’d be thrilled if people would come and take boxes. Also, most of the boxes are perfectly usable after being broken down, would just need to be retaped. I don’t think anyone has ever taken any of the boxes I’ve left outside the bin when it’s full.
I’ve had the rat abatement folks out a few times and have attended rat meetings in Lake View. I know way too much about rats.
If there is even the smallest hint of smells coming out of your bin (black or blue) and there is a way in, the rat will take it. For example, if someone isn’t diligent about what he recycles and puts greasy paper in the recycle bin, the rats will find it if the top is open. They also chew holes through the bottom of the bins. So, watch for those.
Rats only go about 100 yards from their nest if there is a food source. So, keep the area around your bins clean and help to starve them.
“So, keep the area around your bins clean and help to starve them.”
Or walk a few doors down and put your stuff in H.’s bin.
When the smart money comes out with purchases like this, the bottom is IN
Executed Recorded Document Type Amount
06/01/2011 06/15/2011 MORTGAGE $290,000.00