Crib Chatter

This 3-bedroom single family home at 849 N. Francisco in the East Humboldt Park neighborhood of West Town just came on the market.

I don’t have a picture of this house but I thought we should chatter about it.

Built in 1885, on a standard 25×125 lot, it has a 2-car garage.

This is a brick house that the listing says had a “complete rehab” in 2012.

The listing says it has a new kitchen, baths, copper pipes, electricity, windows, roof and new sewer line.

The kitchen has dark brown cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

There’s hardwood floors on the main level as well.

There’s one bedroom on the main level and two bedrooms on the second level, along with a den.

There’s a Jack-n-Jill bathroom on the second level with a double sink vanity.

There’s a basement but the listing says it’s “good for storage.”

The house has central air.

It sold in October 2012 for $243,000. That was near the bottom of the housing bust.

In 2018, it has come back on the market for $449,000.

Are you going to pay over $400,000 for a rehabbed single family home in this neighborhood now?

Arden Fowler at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures here.

849 N. Francisco: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage

• Sold in July 1991 for $42,000
• Sold in May 1998 for $106,000
• Sold in June 2004 for $210,000
• Sold in May 2012 for $90,000 (bank owned)
• Sold in October 2012 for $243,000
• Currently listed for $449,000
• 2-car garage
• Taxes of $3863
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 16×15 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 14×12 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 14×17 (main floor)
• Den: 14×7 (second floor)

This 2-bedroom corner duplex loft in 400 W. Ontario in River North recently came on the market.

This building has an old industrial building at the base and a modern high rise built next to it.

This unit, on the 7th floor, is one of the units in the original base of the building so it’s basically a loft, with exposed concrete ceilings, industrial windows and walls of exposed brick.

This is a corner unit with north and west views.

The listing calls it a penthouse, as it’s on the top of the base of the building, but there’s the much taller high rise part of the building as well.

The listing says the kitchen is newly rehabbed, but you can see the 2015 listing pictures here, if you are a Redfin subscriber, and determine for yourself.

It has gray cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops, including on a large island.

Both bedrooms are on the main level and the listing says the second bedroom is fully enclosed.

The second bedroom also has the stairs that lead to the second level which has a den and a private, enclosed terrace with skyline views.

The listing says there are updated baths.

This duplex has the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and there’s a tandem parking space available for $40,000.

This loft has come on the market for $130,000 more than the 2015 sale, at $540,000 (including the parking.)

With inventory near record lows, will it get that premium?

Nadine Shehaiber at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.

Unit #701: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1556 square feet, duplex

• Sold in July 2000 for $252,500 (included parking)
• Sold in April 2001 (no price listed)
• Sold in October 2012 for $380,000 (included parking)
• Sold in June 2015 for $410,000 (included parking)
• Currently listed for $500,000 (plus $40,000 for parking)
• Assessments of $691 a month (includes doorman, cable, Internet, exercise room, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger and snow removal)
• Taxes of $6527
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 13×11 (main level)
• Bedroom #2: 14×10 (main level)
• Den: 14×12 (second level)
• Terrace: 14×12 (second level)

This 3-bedroom penthouse in the Royalton Towers at 1444 N. Orleans in Old Town just came on the market.

Royalton Towers was built in 2003 and has 55 units and a parking garage.

It was one of the first mid-rise buildings built in the gentrification period of this neighborhood over the last 20 years.

This unit is a south east corner unit with 33 foot ceilings.

The foyer has a checkerboard marble floor.

Looking for a property with space for your dining room? The listing says it has a “true” separate dining area.

The kitchen has cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and jenn-air stainless steel appliances.

The 3 bedrooms are en suite with one on the main level and two on the second floor. The bathrooms are “spa-caliber” with stone.

There’s also a third floor office.

There’s a laundry room with a side-by-side washer/dryer.

This penthouse also has a rare amenity: 3 heated garage spaces which are included in the price.

At 3,000 square feet, is this a single family home alternative?

Mario Greco at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #PH-K: 3 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3000 square feet, triplex (?)

• Sold in April 2004 for $928,000 (included 2 parking spaces)
• Sold in July 2010 for $810,000 (included 2 parking spaces)
• Currently listed for $799,500 (includes 3 garage parking spaces)
• Assessments of $1307 a month (includes parking, doorman, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes of $14018
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Fireplace
• Bedroom #1: 25×17 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 17×11 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 13×11 (main floor)
• Office: 31×8 (third level)

This 2-bedroom loft in 3133 N. Lakewood in Lakeview just came on the market.

This building was converted into condos in 2008-2009.

It has 25 units with bike storage, an elevator and some have garage parking.

It’s a loft-like building as it has exposed brick and air ducts but the ceilings are finished with drywall.

This unit has cherry floors and a Belmont north-facing balcony.

The kitchen has cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances and honed granite counter tops.

The master bathroom has all marble finishes along with a dual vanity.

The loft has the finishes buyers look for including central air and washer/dryer in the unit but this is one of the units in the building that doesn’t have a parking space.

Who has a car anymore anyway?

Belmont is filled with restaurants and shops and the huge Lakeview Whole Foods is just a few blocks to the west.

Listed at just $330,000, is this a good starter 2-bedroom Lakeview condo?

William Goldberg at Related Realty has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #2G: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed

• Sold in October 2009 for $310,000
• Sold in April 2015 for $303,500
• Currently listed for $330,000
• Assessments of $214 a month (includes exterior maintenance and scavenger)
• Taxes of $4466
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• No parking included- listing says “easy street parking”
• Bedroom #1: 13×10
• Bedroom #2: 8×11
• Kitchen: 9×12
• Living room: 16×12

This 2-bedroom in this 3-flat at 3321 N. Seminary in Lakeview recently came on the market.

We chattered about this building when it was under construction in 2013.

These 3-unit luxury brick buildings were going up all over the north side as the bust eased in 2012-2014.

This one has 3 units with garage parking.

This unit is in the middle of the building, on the second floor, and has a big front balcony.

It has luxury finishes that were common in these units including coffered ceiling, built-in bookcases, crown molding and wainscoting.

The kitchen has 54 inch cabinets, luxury appliances from Subzero and Viking along with quartz counter tops and a quartz backsplash.

The listing says there’s Restoration Hardware lighting throughout.

The master bathroom has heated marble floors along with a steam and rain shower.

This building is all brick and the listing says it has concrete soundproofing between units.

It has a Nest thermostat and a security system.

The unit sold 5 years ago from the developer for $466,000, with the parking included.

It has come on the market for $83,000 more, or $549,000.

How will prices for these luxury 2/2s hold up in re-sales?

Bonnie Tripton at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures and a floor plan here.

Unit #2: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage included

• Sold in February 2013 for $466,000
• Currently listed for $549,000 (includes the parking)
• Assessments of $90 a month (includes water, scavenger, exterior maintenance)
• Taxes of $9333
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Wood burning fireplace with a gas starter
• Bedroom #1: 13×12
• Bedroom #2: 12×10 (although the floor plan says 10×10)
• Living room/dining room: 17×17
• Kitchen: 10×9
• Front terrace: 20×8 (?)

This large 1-bedroom in the One Magnificent Mile Condos at 950 N. Michigan in the Gold Coast just came on the market.

This building is one of the original 1980s luxury condo buildings.

It was constructed in 1983 and has 181 units along with full service amenities like an indoor pool and sundecks.

There’s rental parking in the building.

This unit has 1570 square feet and south and west exposures from the 48th floor.

It has 10.5 foot floors and oak floors throughout.

The unit has a 27×5 foyer and a dining room.

There’s a master suite with 2 walk-in closets and a travertine bath.

The kitchen has white appliances. It looks like it may be the original kitchen.

It has the features buyers look for including central air and washer/dryer in the unit.

At just $630,000, is this unit a deal for the square footage, location and views?

Anna Pesce at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #4801: 1 bedroom, 1.5 baths, 1570 square feet

• Sold in October 1992 for $364,000
• Currently listed at $630,000
• Assessments of $1078 a month (includes doorman, cable, exercise room, indoor pool, exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
• Parking is rental for $348 a month
• Taxes of $11,484
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom: 20×13
• Living room: 21×18
• Dining room: 14×12
• Foyer: 27×5
• Kitchen: 14×9

This 2-bedroom duplex loft in the Marshfield Lofts at 1740 N. Marshfield in Bucktown came on the market in January 2018.

The Marshfield Lofts has 32 lofts, some with gated parking and others with garage parking. It was converted in 1992-93.

It now has an envious location, across from Walsh Park and one of the entrances to the 606.

The loft has 14 foot timber ceilings with exposed brick walls on the main level.

This is a duplex down with the living room, kitchen and dining rooms on the main level and the bedrooms on the lower level.

The kitchen has white cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel and white appliances, including a double oven.

The master suite bathroom has a double vanity with quartz counter tops.

This loft has the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and gated parking is available for $20,000.

This property is near the Clybourn Metra stop.

If you like levels, but want the convenience of a condo building or can’t afford a townhouse, is a unit like this the perfect compromise?

Nicholas Apostal at Keller Williams Chicago-Lincoln Park has the listing. See the pictures and the floor plan here.

Unit #8: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, no square footage listed, duplex

• Sold in October 1993 for $132,500
• Sold in June 1999 for $213,000
• Sold in April 2002 for $261,000
• Sold in June 2005 for $309,000
• Sold in November 2009 for $287,000
• Sold in February 2015 for $303,000
• Currently listed for $399,900 (plus $20,000 for gated parking)
• Assessments of $330 a month (includes scavenger)
• Taxes of $5641
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 13×11 (lower level)
• Bedroom #2: 12×12 (lower level)
• Living room: 27×13 (main floor)
• Kitchen: 12×9 (main floor)
• Balcony: 13×5 (main floor)

This 2-bedroom townhouse in the Embassy Club at 1446 W. Wrightwood in Lincoln Park just came on the market.

The Embassy Club was built in 1990 and has 19 townhouses.

This is a rare townhouse that actually has a 2-car garage.

At 2,150 square feet, the living/dining and kitchen are on the second floor along with a half bath.

The kitchen has white cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

The master suite and second bedroom are on the third floor.

It has both a balcony, as well as what the listing describes as a “lush front patio.”

At $700,000, is this an affordable way to get into this prestige neighborhood?

Leigh Marcus at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

1446 W. Wrightwood: 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2150 square feet

• Sold in August 1993 for $336,500
• Sold in April 1999 for $436,000
• Sold in March 2005 for $580,000
• Currently listed for $700,000 (includes 2 car attached garage)
• Assessments of $508 a month (includes cable, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes of $13,255
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 21×20 (third floor)
• Bedroom #2: 14×11 (third floor)

This 2-bedroom in 1300 N. Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast recently came on the market.

But if it looks familiar, that’s because we chattered about it nearly 3 years ago, in August 2015.

See our chatter here.

At that time, it had recently been renovated with a mid-century modern motif that fit with the building, which was built in 1963.

You might recall that it has dead on Lake Michigan views from the 21st floor.

There’s a chef’s kitchen with walnut cabinets, Bosch appliances, a double convection oven and a built in banquette, with green cushions, which overlooks the lake.

The master bathroom has a aroma/chromatherapy rain shower and heated floors.

As the listing said in 2015, it has all new electric, plumbing and ventilation.

There is an in-unit washer/dryer.

The unit also has unique Terrazzo floors with brass spacers, custom LED lighting and remote control window shades.

There’s valet rental parking in the building for $290 a month along with guest parking.

It’s a full amenity building with a 24-hour doorman, pool and exercise room.

In 2015, we wondered if it would sell quickly given that it was renovated.

But it still hasn’t sold.

In 2015, some of you also thought that it made more sense to just rent given the assessments, taxes and parking fee, and since then, all three have risen.

Listed at $799,000 in August 2015, it’s now listed at $16,000 more, or $815,000.

What will it take to sell this property?

Leslie Glazier at @Properties still has the listing. See the pictures again here.

Unit #21B: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1500 square feet

• Sold before 1986
• Sold in April 2014 for $530,000 (no pictures on the listing which said to “bring your designer”)
• Was listed in August 2015 for $799,000
• Off and on the market
• Re-listed in February 2018 for $815,000
• Assessments are now $1374 a month (they were $1139 a month in August 2015)(includes heat, a/c, doorman, pool, exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes are now $10,378 (they were $9456 in August 2015)
• Valet parking is now $290 a month (it was $239 a month in August 2015)
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 20×12
• Bedroom #2: 15×12

Artist’s rendering of a new high-rise development proposed in River North at the site of the current parking lot for Holy Name Cathedral. | Image courtesy of Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture per the Sun-Times

2018 is starting off with a bang as far as new high rise condos as plans for two super towers were reported on by the press for two prime downtown sites.

In 2017, we chattered about the sale of the parking lot across from Holy Name Cathedral in River North bordering Chicago Avenue.

JDL Development released an updated version of its plan for the site, now called One Chicago Square.

It was signed off by the Chicago Plan Commission but will have to continue to get approval as the project continues for its various phases.

There will be two buildings with 869 residential units with a combined price tag of $500 million.

The tallest building would be 76 stories. It would rise 1,011 feet and would be the 6th tallest in Chicago.

The second building would be a mere 49 stories.

From the Sun-Times:

Both towers will rise from a nine-story commercial base.

Roughly 225 of the development’s 1,090 parking spaces – none of which would be visible from the street – would be reserved for use by Holy Name parishioners.

Instead of building affordable units on site, JDL Development will make a $6.1 million payment that will bankroll construction of 22 affordable units at the Lawson House SRO development across the street.

JDL will satisfy the remainder of its city mandate by making the largest payment ever made to Chicago’s Affordable Housing Opportunity fund: $11.3 million.

That’s on top of a $13.2 million contribution – the second-largest bonus ever paid – to the so-called “Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus Fund.”

The share the wealth fund was created by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to rebuild neighborhood commercial corridors with contributions from developers allowed to build bigger and taller downtown projects.

Planning and Development Commissioner David Reifman credited JDL with devising a “great creative approach” to Chicago’s affordable housing mandate.

“They’re not doing affordable housing on-site, but it works well for us because the Lawson YMCA…is a very important SRO. We’re looking for sources of funding to make sure that project can work. So, it’s a great synergy. The location is ideal. It’s right down the block,” he said.

Not to be outdone, at the southern end of Michigan Avenue, plans for the development of the Tribune Tower site have leaked so these aren’t written in stone, by any means.

According to the Tribune, the Tribune Tower will be redeveloped into 165 condos.

Rising to the east would be a 1,388 foot tower, which would put it at just a foot shorter than Trump Tower.

For comparison, the Willis Tower is 1,451 feet.

From the Tribune:

In 2016, CIM Group and Golub & Co. bought the Tribune property from Tribune Media, a broadcasting concern, for $240 million. In addition to Tribune Tower, the property consists of three low-rise structures — a former printing plant, the four-story WGN Radio building and the 11-story WGN TV building — that connect to the iconic skyscraper.

Most of Tribune Tower’s exterior and its main lobby — a hushed, churchlike space whose travertine marble walls are inscribed with quotations about freedom of the press and courage in battle — are protected by the city landmark status that was granted to the building in 1989.

Although the other buildings in the Tribune complex do not have protected status, their facades are likely to be preserved under the redevelopment plan, Reilly and a source confirmed.

The new tower would apparently be 220 hotel rooms and 158 condos.

There will be retail and restaurants in the bases of both projects.

No renderings were leaked for the Tribune development.

But it can be guaranteed that with this kind of height, the design of both of these towers will be heavily scrutinized.

If you recall, Trump Tower went through several renderings before the city council signed off on the design.

Another concern, with the Tribune Tower super tower, is the proximity to the historic Tribune Tower.

But, some of you may recall, the same concern was present about the proximity of Trump Tower to the Wrigley Building. The worries were that somehow it would dwarf it or over shadow it.

Those fears didn’t become a reality with the final project.

At a time when the Wanda Group is looking to sell its stake in the Vista Tower, the super tower of condos and a hotel already under construction across the river, for $900 million, are the developers jumping in at the peak of the luxury condo market in this real estate cycle?

Will either one of these actually get built?

Approval doesn’t mean there is financing.

New skyscraper rivaling Trump’s in height could rise could rise behind a redeveloped Tribune Tower [Chicago Tribune, by Bill Ruthhart and Blair Kamin, January 25, 2018]

Holy Name, North Branch projects win Plan Commission Approval [Chicago Sun-Times, by Fran Spielman, January 18, 2018]