Crib Chatter

This 3-bedroom at 2734 N. Mildred in Lincoln Park came on the market in August 2015.

The building was built in 1938 and has just 4 units.

It looks like it was converted to condos only as recently as 2009.

It’s in an unusual location, as most of the older vintage buildings are usually found closer to the lake.

This unit has many of its original vintage features including crown moldings. It has built-in bookcases in the living room along with built-in glass cabinets in the dining room.

There’s also a hand carved marble fireplace.

The kitchen, however, is completely modern, with dark wood cabinets, granite counter tops which extends to the back splash, and Viking and Bosch appliances.

The master suite has a spa bath.

There’s 2 private decks and garage parking.

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

At 2066 square feet, this full-floor unit is as big as many nearly townhouses or duplex downs.

Will it get close to ask?

Rachel Krueger at Coldwell Banker has this listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #2: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2066 square feet

• Sold in January 2010 for $675,000
• Originally listed in August 2015 for $799,000
• Currently still listed for $799,000
• Assessments of $270 a month (includes water, snow removal, scavenger, exterior maintenance)
• Taxes of $10661
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 16×18
• Bedroom #2: 13×12
• Bedroom #3: 13×10

This 3-bedroom at 1241 N. Dearborn Parkway in the Gold Coast just came on the market.

But if it looks familiar, that’s because it recently sold at the end of May.

The new listing says it has been “totally remodeled” but doesn’t say what was done.

The unit has dark hardwood floors and a stone surround on the wood burning fireplace.

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

This building was built around 1980 and has 5 units. There is a private elevator that opens into each unit.

It has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and garage parking.

The unit is listed for $147,000 more than the May 2015 sale.

Last May it sold within just 1 month.

Will this remodeled version sell just as quickly?

Julie Yurov at Richter Realty Group has the listing. See the pictures here.

You can also check out the prior listing pictures here if you want to check out the remodel.

Unit #4: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1800 square feet

• Sold in April 1998 for $289,000
• Sold in November 2003 for $500,000
• Sold in May 2015 for $522,000
• Currently listed for $669,000
• Assessments of $500 a month (includes water, exterior maintenance)
• Taxes of $9868
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Wood burning fireplace
• Bedroom #1: 13×15
• Bedroom #2: 10×12
• Bedroom #3: 10×12

This 3-bedroom penthouse loft at 154 W. Hubbard in River North recently came on the market.

This building was converted into 18 luxury lofts by Studio Dwell just as the market bust was beginning to hit in 2008.

This loft has many authentic loft features including the original industrial windows, 14-15 foot ceilings, exposed brick and timber ceilings.

The kitchen has custom Italian cabinetry with an oversized island and Viking, Jenn Air, Bosch appliances.

The master bathroom has a steam and rain shower.

There’s also a side-by-side washer/dryer in the separate laundry room.

But the big selling feature is the 1500 square foot private roof top deck with a covered outdoor gourmet kitchen.

It has central air and 1-car garage parking.

This loft sold just 22 months ago for $1.225 million.

The listing doesn’t say this loft had a renovation.

If you want to see what is different for this sale, compared to 2013, you can see the prior listing pictures here.

It’s been listed 22% higher.

Will they get the premium?

Amy Pritchard at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #601: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed (but the 2013 listing says its 2282 square feet)

• Sold in September 2008 for $1,010,000
• Sold in November 2013 for $1,225,000
• Currently listed for $1,495,000
• Assessments of $470 a month (includes water, snow removal, scavenger and exterior maintenance)
• Taxes of $14804
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• 1-car garage parking included
• Bedroom #1: 14×14
• Bedroom #2: 10×14
• Bedroom #3: 14×11

This 4-bedroom duplex down at 1122 W. Diversey in Lakeview came on the market in August 2015.

But it last sold just 13 months ago in July 2014.

The current listing describes it as “renovated” with newly dark stained hardwood floors on the main level.

The kitchen now has white cabinets, whereas they were maple cabinets just a year ago, with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

The three bathrooms appear to be the same as the year ago listing.

In 2014, however, this unit only had 3 bedrooms.

A 4th bedroom appears to have been created in the lower level out of extra space in the family room where a wet bar had been.

The listing says the 4th bedroom is being used as an office. You can still see the tiny sink from the old bar in the corner of the picture of the office.

It has all the other features that buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 1 garage parking space.

The unit is listed for 42% more than just 1 year ago.

But it’s now a 4-bedroom, instead of a 3-bedroom, and 4 bedroom condos are rare in this neighborhood.

Will they get the premium?

Jennifer Mills at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

You can also see the 2014 listing pictures here to see what was renovated.

Unit #1E: 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2400 square feet

• Sold in August 2000 for $409,000
• Sold in June 2005 for $505,000
• Sold in July 2014 for $527,500
• Originally listed in August 2015 for $749,000
• Currently still listed for $749,000
• Assessments of $180 a month (includes water, scavenger, exterior maintenance)
• Taxes of $6339
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Garage parking included
• Bedroom #1: 14×12 (main floor)
• Bedroom #2: 12×10 (main floor)
• Bedroom #3: 15×11 (lower level)
• Bedroom #4: 10×10 (lower level)

This 1-bedroom at 2000 N. Lincoln Park West in Lincoln Park came on the market in August 2015.

The building was constructed in 1931 and has 195 units.

This building used to be apartments until it was converted into condominiums in 2004-2005 at the height of the boom. The developer offered an upgrade package for the kitchens which consisted of new cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

We chattered about the short sales and the foreclosures in this building numerous times from 2008-2012. Here’s a November 2008 chatter about the distress sales in the building.

But now the wave of buyers who bought in the dark times, are trying to sell.

This 1-bedroom on the 15th floor faces west, so it has views over Lincoln Park and NOT park and lake views.

But the listing says it has been “completely renovated.”

The listing says all the wood work has been stripped and refinished.

This unit has crown molding, hardwood floors, built-ins in the living room and dining room.

The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, including a Subzero refrigerator drawer.

There is no central air, but the listing says it has 3 LG air conditioners.

There’s also no in-unit washer/dryer or parking.

This unit is being sold fully furnished so a buyer looking to use it as a pied-a-terre could use it immediately upon getting the keys.

It’s come on the market for $39,400 more than the original 2005 purchase price.

Has this building fully recovered from the housing bubble crash?

Monique Pieron at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #1504: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, no square footage listed

• Sold in July 2005 for $220,500
• Sold in February 2011 for $152,500
• Originally listed in August 2015 for $259,900
• Currently still listed at $259,900
• Assessments of $535 a month (includes heat, water, gas, cable, doorman)
• Taxes of $2025
• No central air. Window units only
• No in-unit washer/dryer. Coin laundry in the building
• No parking
• Bedroom: 15×12
• Living room: 20×13
• Dining room: 9×8
• Galley kitchen: 8×5

This 3-bedroom at 1410 N. State Parkway in the Gold Coast just came on the market.

The building was built in 1981 and has just 50 units, with only 2 units per floor.

If those tree top views seem familiar, that’s because we last chattered about this unit in December 2011 when it was on the market for $71,000 under the 2000 purchase price.

See our 2011 chatter here.

In the prior listing, some of the finishes, including the kitchen, were not up-to-date.

Listed for $499,000 when we chattered about it, some of you thought it would ultimately sell in the $300,000s.

3 years after its last sale, it has come back on the market fully renovated with a new kitchen and baths.

This time the unit is also listed as a 3-bedroom, even though last time it was a 2-bedroom with den. The listing says the middle bedroom has been opened up and is now used as a den but can be configured into a bedroom.

The new kitchen has white cabinets and stainless steel appliances along with a tile backsplash.

The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom that has been updated with a walk-in shower.

If you recall, this is a fourth floor southeast corner unit.

It still has parquet floors in the main living space.

The unit has all the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and valet parking is available in the building for $220 a month.

With the renovation, this property has come back on the market for $330,000 more than the 2012 sale.

Buyers love “new.”

Will it get the premium?

Leslie Ann Bodell at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #4B: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2000 square feet

• Sold in April 2000 for $570,000
• Originally listed in June 2011 for $650,000
• Reduced
• Was listed in December 2011 for $499,000
• Sold in April 2012 for $420,000
• Currently listed at $750,000
• Assessments are now $1550 a month (they were $1420 a month in 2011) (includes water, doorman, cable, exercise room, snow removal)
• Taxes are now $9732 (they were $9634 in 2011)
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Valet parking at $220 a month
• Bedroom #1: 19×14
• Bedroom #2: 17×17
• Bedroom #3: 13×12

This 2-bedroom in the Transportation Building at 600 S. Dearborn in Printers Row recently came on the market.

It is an 18th floor southeast corner unit with views of the Lake and the cityscape.

The unit has loft-like ceiling heights at 11 feet but doesn’t sell itself as a loft. The bedrooms are enclosed.

It has wide plank dark hardwood floors.

The listing says the kitchen and bath have been rehabbed. The kitchen has cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

It has a washer/dryer in the unit and wall air conditioning units.

As is common in Printers Row, there’s no parking with this building but there are several rental garages just a block away.

Will the lake views and walkability of this unit lead to a quick sale?

Thomas Bezanes at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #1816: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1400 square feet

• Sold in April 1996 for $154,000
• Sold in January 1999 for $190,500
• Sold in December 2001 for $238,500
• Sold in May 2013 for $350,000
• Currently listed for $420,000
• Assessments of $531 a month (includes water, doorman, cable, exterior maintenance and snow removal)
• Taxes of $4321
• No central air- but it has wall units
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• No parking with the building
• Bedroom #1: 14×14
• Bedroom #2: 10×14
• Office: 7×6

This 2-bedroom duplex in the Greenhouses at 2131 N. Clark in Lincoln Park just came on the market.

I’m surprised it isn’t under contract already as there are only 11 of these units and they are rarely on the market.

The Greenhouses were built in the mid-1970s.

Dennis Rodkin, when he was still with Chicago Magazine, explained their background back in 2013, the last time a unit was on the market.

(Thanks to the Groove for posting a link to this in our last chatter about this complex.)

“While working for two top Chicago architectural firms in the 1950s and ’60s, Gertrude Lempp Kerbis made contributions to design elements at O’Hare International Airport and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. Today’s tour is at a building that was a benchmark project for her, one that she has said was among the first places where she worked on her own.

Kerbis both designed and developed the residential building for a site on Clark Street and called it the Greenhouses.”

None of the units have outside windows. They all face into the 2-story glass atriums.

According to our prior chatter about this building, those glass atriums are heated.

The first floor of this unit is the living room, atrium/dining room and kitchen along with a half bath.

The gray wall in the living room is actually painted brick.

The kitchen has wood cabinets and a mix of white and stainless steel appliances.

The second floor has the two bedrooms and the full bath.

The duplex has an in-unit washer/dryer, central air and an outdoor parking spot.

The building does not allow dogs.

Is the 2-story atrium a pro or a con for most buyers?

Sheetal Balani at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #11: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, no square footage listed, duplex

• Sold in November 1987 (no price listed)
• Sold in June 1997 for $190,000
• Sold in July 1999 for $230,000
• Sold in July 2004 for $350,000
• Sold in August 2005 for $365,000
• Sold in March 2006 for $375,000
• Currently listed for $385,000
• Assessments of $389 a month (includes water, cable, snow removal)
• Taxes of $4996
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Outdoor parking included
• No dogs allowed
• Bedroom #1: 13×11 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 12×10 (second floor)

This 3-bedroom in Mies Van Der Rohe’s Commonwealth Plaza at 340 W. Diversey Parkway in Lakeview has been on the market since June 2015.

The listing says it is a gut renovation from the architect owner with two units combined into one big corner unit.

The unit has south and west views.

Commonwealth Plaza is two buildings and was built in 1958. It has 357 units. Many have spectacular views of Lincoln Park and the city skyline.

Parking appears to be rented in the building.

This unit has a double living room measuring 43×18.

The kitchen and bathrooms have been renovated in the modern style.

It has wall air conditioning units and an in-unit washer/dryer.

If you want city and park views on the North Side, are these two buildings the #1 choice?

David Stone at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #1515: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1900 square feet

• One unit, #1517, sold in February 1989 for $130,000
• The second unit, #1515, sold in February 2000 for $160,000
• Originally listed in June 2015 for $795,000
• Currently still listed for $795,000
• Assessments of $1451 a month (includes heat, a/c, water, cable, doorman, pool, exercise room, exterior maintenance, snow removal)
• Taxes of $7391
• No central air- wall units instead
• In-unit washer/dryer
• Parking available for rent in the building?
• Bedroom #1: 15×12
• Bedroom #2: 11×15
• Bedroom #3: 11×12

It was one of the best spring and summers in the Chicago housing market since the housing bubble.

Low inventory kept prime properties on the market for only a few days as bidding wars erupted, appraisals were waived, and prices moved to new records in many neighborhoods.

Sales were at 10 year highs.

Market conditions seem to support more of the same for the fall season.

1. Mortgage rates remain near record lows with no indication they will be moving higher even with a possible Fed rate increase later this month.
2. Stocks entered into a correction, but quickly reversed, which should support the housing market.
3. Inventory is lower than ever, which still supports even higher housing prices.
4. The job market continues to improve with the lowest jobless rate in Chicago since 2008.

What are your predictions?