Crib Chatter

The Fordham at 25 E. Superior in River North was a sensation when it originally was marketed. Slated to originally be an apartment building, it was turned into an upscale condo residence that allegedly had buyers such as Jennifer Aniston (in her Vince Vaughn days) looking there. The building was completed in 2002. But in […]

The Sun-Times is reporting that the developer of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at 664 N. Michigan is going to start construction in February. The building has been only 40% sold for months now.  Maybe they see something in the market going forward that the rest of us don’t see. From the David Roeder’s column in the Sun-Times: Despite the […]

I’m a sucker for a great downtown terrace.  I admit it.  When an interesting one comes on the market, I’m the first one to “ah” over the pictures- especially if it’s landscaped. A penthouse loft at 375 W. Erie in River North was just listed with a private 1000 square foot terrace.  Check out these […]

In case you haven’t noticed, short sale listings have grown in popularity in recent weeks.  In fact, there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t see at least one short sale listing. In some buildings, prices are dropping so fast that some sellers – and their mortgage holders – don’t have any choice (or […]

It might be easier in one of the big highrises to determine the comp on a condo as there are obviously more units coming onto the market. But what happens if you live in a smaller condo building that hasn’t had a sale in over a year?  Such is the case with the 433 N. […]

A few weeks ago a post about whether a 3 bedroom unit in The Sterling priced at $725,900 was a “deal” for 1900 square feet in River North sparked some discussion. It seemed cheap for the square footage and the location. But there are some other units in River North that put The Sterling three […]

Sometimes you can see the reality of the current Chicago housing market just by pulling the listings of one building. Park Place at 600 N. Kingsbury was completed in 2002.  It wasn’t a “luxury” building but was your standard River North high rise with 42 inch kitchen cabinets and granite. Some of the sellers are struggling […]

  Every day I walk north down Michigan Avenue,  I am reminded that the Ritz-Carlton project at 664 N. Michigan is struggling. Over a year ago, they put a big sign up on the sign of the old Farwell Building that said 30% sold.  Then, they replaced that last summer with 40% sold. It’s been at […]

Why buy a one bedroom in River North or Streeterville when you can buy a two bedroom for much less? For those looking to buy, it pays to look at the high rises that are slightly older.  Such is the case with Park Place at 600 N. Kingsbury on the edge of River North near […]

  The curtains are up in the condo/hotel rooms and closings will begin shortly. A Trump buyer is trying to sell a 1 bedroom, 1 bath “regular” condo unit on Craigslist right now for $998,000.  Those aren’t set to close until 2009. Southeast facing the Chicago River and the Lake. Unit Features Include: – Floor-to-ceiling windows […]