On the Market Over 5 Months in Lakeview: A 3-Bedroom Duplex at 820 W. George
This 3-bedroom duplex at 820 W. George in Lakeview first came on the market in May 2017.
Built in 1993, it is a rare first floor duplex up as this style of construction isn’t built anymore (they are almost always duplex downs.)
The living room, dining room, kitchen and family room are on the main floor along with a half bath.
The kitchen has white cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
All three bedrooms and the two full baths are on the second floor, along with the laundry room.
The master-suite has a walk-in closet and it’s own bath with double vanity.
It has a private 600 square foot garage roof as well as 1-car garage parking.
The unit also has central air.
It originally came on the market for $750,000 in May 2017 and then the price was actually RAISED after one week on the market to $779,000.
But after that, it was reduced numerous times and was even listed for rent for $3950 a month at one point.
It is now listed for $599,900, or $25,100 under the 2006 selling price of $625,000.
Three bedroom duplexes have been a hot commodity. This one has the bedrooms well above ground, instead of in the basement where they normally are located.
Is this a deal?
Matt Laricy at Americorp has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #1: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2200 square feet, duplex up
- Sold in July 1993 for $325,000
- Sold in May 1999 for $440,000
- Sold in August 2006 for $625,000
- Sold in March 2011 for $505,000
- Originally listed in May 2017 for $750,000
- Price raised after a week to $779,000
- Reduced numerous times
- Was listed for rent from 8/31 to 9/13 for $3950 a month
- Currently listed for $599,900
- Assessments of $300 a month (includes exterior maintenance, scavenger and snow removal)
- Taxes of $11,817
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 34×18 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 14×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 15×10 (second floor)
- Laundry room: 8×6 (second floor)
- Family room: 18×16 (main floor)
It’s finally priced in the 500s where it should be, and assuming no serious issues that can’t be seen from the photos or assumed from its age and clear lack of updating, it should eventually sell. This is a very good location and desirable layout, but the never that nice and now worn finishes, block windows and older split block construction would make anyone hesitate. I’d worry about the investment potential given all the money this place could suck up in renos, even assuming no major structural issues. Still, it has some potential, redone.
BTW, someone built a building with this layout around the corner from me only a couple of years ago, this layout was never common, but it’s a stretch to say the style “is never built anymore”.
no thanks to split block construction, good luck when your building cracks open in two or rots from the inside. Feel sad for the yuppie chum that got sucked into it during the last real estate bubble with cheapo construction quality, but them’s the apples.
i think it is prob a deal. had these people put 50-60k into this to update it, the updates wouldve more than paid for themselves, imo. buyers want updated. im not surprised this has sat unsold. living space below grade also doesnt help.
The $779k listing price shows how disconnected owners are when it comes to the current condition and value of their property.
This place has some decent square footage, but is woefully outdated. Given the location and space, updating would have probably given a nice return.
this place seems really dark, and its address is
#1… you sure its not a duplex down?
Sonies:
Looks like it’s the same space that would normally be a duplex down (grade level & one level up), but with the building entrance at grade level, you enter into the LR/DR & main living space at grade level & then go up to the Bedrooms.
why is the view from the dining room so terrible then, it still seems below grade at least a foot or so… and all the blinds shut? Depressing
“Originally listed in May 2017 for $750,000
Price raised after a week to $779,000”
they tried the old “the more you pay, the more it’s worth” trick. That sometimes works, like when marketing Bulls tickets to folks from Deerfield and Highland Park, but when they try to sell them via ticket brokers, the market sledgehammers these knuckleheads with reality.
Sabrina, love your site…I’m a longtime reader.
Can’t say I love this example of classic Lakeview East architecture.
Guess buildings like this are here to stay (at least until the split face rots away) but structures like these have really eroded the charm of living on the near north side.
Anyways, great breakdown on the sales history. This warms my heart:
Sold in August 2006 for $625,000
Sold in March 2011 for $505,000
Ahhhhahhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Sonies: I totally agree with you. My point was that its probably about the same space as a Duplex down, but I think the reason those are more popular is that it makes more sense to have the “public” areas of the apartment on the upper level that gets more light, and the bedrooms on the at (or slightly below) grade level.
The only downside to the typical set up is that you go up a flight of stairs to enter, then (once inside) down a flight to get to the bedrooms, etc.
“Guess buildings like this are here to stay (at least until the split face rots away) but structures like these have really eroded the charm of living on the near north side.”
This is one of the older “newer” buildings, actually. It was built in 1993, before the bubble building where the buildings were really slapped together and have no architectural elements at all.
“This place has some decent square footage, but is woefully outdated.”
I felt the same way. Those look like the original bathrooms. If you see any of the other duplexes, they are all much, much newer. They didn’t even bother to put in new vanities (which does amazing things to make a bathroom look “new” by the way. And it’s a relatively cheap way to “remodel.)
“BTW, someone built a building with this layout around the corner from me only a couple of years ago, this layout was never common, but it’s a stretch to say the style “is never built anymore”.
Really? What neighborhood?
It’s not happening, that I’ve seen, on the North Side. I haven’t seen a developer build a first floor duplex up unit in 20+ years. By building it up like that you actually lose the opportunity to build a duplex up on the top floor without having them walk up 4 floors of stairs. Additionally, most buyers want the family room in the basement.
I don’t think you can build these anymore with the building code, right?
Most buyers want a family room in the basement? Are they vampires? The idea of spending the few daylight hours we get cooped up in a basement, is really depressing.
” it still seems below grade at least a foot or so”
Three steps down from the front door to the interior, so about 2 feet.
“makes more sense to have the “public” areas of the apartment on the upper level ”
Piano nobile!
“I don’t think you can build these anymore with the building code”
I don’t think it’s a building code issue, but a zoning code height limit, right?
yeah something with the zoning, building code, profitability, or a combo of all 3 from what I remember
Sabrina, the building I mentioned was Near Roscoe Village in North Center.