Crib Chatter

This 2-bedroom at 630 N. Franklin in River North just came on the market.

The unit has concrete walls and ceilings, which was common construction throughout the building. The exposed concrete was a “thing” in 2005.

The ceilings are 10 foot and faces east. The listing says there are custom blinds.

The listing also says there was $40,000 in developer upgrades.

The kitchen has maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances and what looks like black granite counter tops.

It has the other features that buyers usually look for, including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and garage parking is $30,000 extra.

Including the parking, the unit is listed $68,000 above the 2006 peak bubble price, at $570,000.

How high will prices go during this latest housing boom?

Jon Dimetros at Main Street Real Estate Group has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #910: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1500 square feet

• Sold in May 2006 for $502,000 (included the parking)
• Sold in July 2008 for $519,000 (included the parking)
• Currently listed for $540,000 plus $30,000 for parking
• Assessments of $560 a month (includes water)
• Taxes of $5750
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 15×11
• Bedroom #2: 13×10
• Den: 12×10

This 2-bedroom soft loft in Leland Crossing at 3201 W. Leland in Albany Park came on the market in May 2015.

The 45-unit building was built in 2010 and cut prices in 2012.

We chattered about the price cuts. You can see that chatter here.

This building is considered “soft-lofts” because it was new construction (and not an old factory or warehouse that was converted) but it has exposed concrete ceilings and exposed ductwork that makes it loft-like.

This unit has 10 foot ceilings with floor to ceiling windows.

The kitchen has granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

It has all the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and attached heated garage parking.

The building is right next to the brown line stop at Kedzie.

In the listing, it says the “developer controls management” which likely means the developer is still majority unit owner.

In 2012, prices were cut from $289,000 to $249,000 but many of you thought even $249,000 was too high for this location.

This unit is currently listed for $289,900.

Will the seller get it?

Christopher Mandli at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.

Or see it at the Open House on Sunday, July 19 from 12- 2 PM.

Unit #403: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed

• Sold in April 2011 for $287,000
• Originally listed in May 2015
• Currently listed for $289,900 (includes parking)
• Assessments of $232 a month
• Taxes aren’t listed
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 13×11
• Bedroom #2: 13×10

This 3-bedroom English brick single family home at 2925 W. Giddings in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood of Albany Park has been on the market since May 2015.

Like many homes in this neighborhood of winding streets, it is built on an irregular lot measuring 30x66x46x11x125.

It is just a half a block to the Chicago River and just 2 blocks from the Francisco stop on the Brown line.

The house has a layout that many buyers would look for with all 3 bedrooms on the second floor.

The listing says the kitchen has been “renovated” with cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

It has a family room in the basement along with a massive laundry room.

There’s a deck off the back and a 1-car garage.

It also has central air.

Originally listed in May for $710,000, it has been reduced to $699,000.

That is $110,000 above the 2005 purchase price.

Is $700,000 the new entry level price for a single family home in Ravenswood Manor?

Pamela Hartman at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

2925 W. Giddings: 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, no square footage listed

• Sold in November 1997 for $263,000
• Sold in April 2005 for $589,000
• Originally listed in May 2015 for $710,000
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $699,000
• Taxes of $7296
• Central Air
• 1-car garage
• Bedroom #1: 18×14 – 2nd floor
• Bedroom #2: 14×10 – 2nd floor
• Bedroom #3: 12×11 – 2nd floor
• Family room: 21×10 – basement
• Laundry room: 23×21 – basement

This rare 1-bedroom Chicago Fire cottage at 216 W. Menomonee in Old Town just came on the market.

Built in 1874 on a 24×117 lot, it come complete with a picket fence and a highly coveted 1-car garage.

According to tax records, the house is only about 780 square feet.

It is landmarked.

It has skylights and the kitchen is open to the living room with craftsmen style cabinetry.

The bedroom opens to the bricked private garden.

It has central air and a laundry room.

There’s a floorplan in the listing.

The house is listed at a new record high, of just about $1000 a square foot.

Will this unique property find a buyer at this price?

(It came on the market a few days ago- it may already be under contract.)

Gregory Desmond at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

216 W. Menomonee: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, no square footage listed (but tax records say 780 square feet)

• Sold in October 1988 for $200,000
• Sold in September 1990 for $240,000
• Sold in October 1997 for $275,000
• Sold in February 2002 for $387,000
• Sold in January 2007 for $630,000
• Currently listed for $795,000
• Taxes of $9739
• Central Air
• Bedroom: 18×11
• Living room: 26×13
• Kitchen: 10×10

This 2-bedroom penthouse in The Emerald at 123 S. Green in the West Loop came on the market in June 2015.

The Emerald was built in 2008 just as the bust was hitting. The developer slashed prices in 2010 in order to finally sell the units.

See our March 2010 chatter about the price cuts here. Several of you thought, even at the lower prices, that these units were still not a deal.

This corner penthouse has 15 foot ceilings and North and West exposures.

The listing says the unit has $50,000 in upgrades.

The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, Italian stone counters and a tile backsplash.

It also has a  “spa-like” bath and custom Hunter Douglas blinds.

It has the other features buyers look for including washer/dryer in the unit, air conditioning and garage parking for $35,000 extra.

According to Redfin, this unit sold for $381,000 in 2010.

It is listed for $203,000 more in 2015, or $584,000 with the parking space.

Was The Emerald one of the best deals of the housing bust?

Raj Patel at Core Luxury Real Estate has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #1201B: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1250 square feet

• Sold in June 2010 for $381,000 (according to Redfin. Public records show that parking was included but it doesn’t show the selling price)
• Originally listed in June 2015 – I couldn’t find an original listing price
• Currently listed at $549,000 plus $35,000 for parking
• Assessments of $547 a month (includes heat, a/c, gas, doorman, exercise room)
• Taxes of $6210
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 15×11
• Bedroom #2: 13×11

This 2-bedroom duplex up loft at 1137 N. Wood in the East Village neighborhood of West Town just came on the market.

It is located in a popular area, just steps away from the shops and restaurants of hot Division Street.

The loft has 17 foot ceilings with exposed brick.

The main level has dark ebony floors.

The listing says there is a “renovated” white kitchen with stainless steel appliances and black granite countertops.

One bedroom is located on the main floor, and has windows and full walls, while the second bedroom is duplex-up and has a 30×9 deck.

The upstairs bedroom has carpet.

The loft has the other features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and included garage parking.

It is listed for $500,000 which is a new peak price for this unit.

Is $500,000 the new entry point for 2/2 lofts in West Town?

Sophia Klopas at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Or go to the Open House on Sunday, July 12 from 11 to 1 pm (if it’s not under contract by then.)

Unit #2B: 2 bedroom, 2 bath, duplex up, no square footage listed

• Sold in May 2006 for $415,000
• Currently listed for $500,000
• Assessments of $310 a month (includes water, snow removal)
• Taxes of $5120
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Garage parking included
• Bedroom #1: 17×14 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 14×10 (first floor)

This 3-bedroom full floor authentic loft at 208 W. Kinzie in River North just came on the market.

We’ve chattered about this unique 5-unit building in the past. See our chatter about Unit #4 in 2010 here.

This loft is 1550 square feet with brick and timber and exposed ductwork.

The freight elevator opens directly into the loft.

It has central air but no parking.

There’s a washer/dryer in the unit and the listing says it has a “full kitchen” which has white cabinets and appliances.

In a flashback to the way things used to work in River North, this is a live/work space so you can legitimately run a business out of it.

Who’s the target buyer for this loft now that everything else in the neighborhood has been turned into solely residential or solely commercial space?

Sharon Tuckman at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #3: 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1550 square feet

• Sold in November 1997 for $157,500
• Lis pendens filed in May 2014
• Lis pendens foreclosure filed in August 2014
• Currently listed at $465,000
• Assessments of $500 a month (includes water, exterior maintenance)
• Taxes of $11,099
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• No parking- it’s available to rent nearby
• Bedroom #1: 16×8
• Bedroom #2: 12×9
• Bedroom #3: 8×7
• First floor 7×7 storage

This 3-bedroom penthouse in the Parc Chestnut at 849 N. Franklin in River North came on the market in June 2015.

If there’s something familiar about it, it’s because we chattered about this unit in June 2013.

See that chatter here.

At that time, mortgage rates had just spiked dramatically and we were debating whether or not it would impact the housing market (it did.)

We also debated what neighborhood this was in, as I called it Gold Coast since it was north of Chicago Avenue. Some of you called it Old Town.

How about River North?

I suspect as more construction happens north of Chicago Avenue and West of Wells, the realtors will give this area some sort of new name.

If you recall, this is a corner unit with north and east exposures and a large covered terrace.

The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, stone counter tops and dark wood cabinets.

The listing says it has two master suites.

In 2013, there was a 12×10 “den” and now there is a 12×10 “eating area” and no den.

Tandem parking for 2 cars is included.

It sold in August of 2013 for $825,000 and has come back on the market at $1.175 million.

Is the market hot enough for the $350,000 premium?

Izetta Carroll at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #1504: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2500 square feet

• Sold in March 2007 for $834,500 (it doesn’t list the parking in the original sale so I’m not sure if this included it or not.)
• Has been on and off the market since 2008
• Was listed in April 2012 for $800,000
• Was listed in June 2013 for $875,000
• Sold in August 2013 for $825,000 (again, parking wasn’t listed in the public record)
• Currently listed for $1.175 million (includes 2-car tandem parking)
• Assessments of $1079 a month (includes heat, a/c, doorman, cable)- are the same as in 2013
• Taxes now $11,630 (they were $8297 in 2013)
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 18×13
• Bedroom #2: 17×12
• Bedroom #3: 13×12
• Eating area: 12×10
• Laundry Room: 6×3

This 3-bedroom penthouse in The Montgomery at 500 W. Superior in River North came on the market in February 2015.

The Montgomery was originally built in 1972 as Montgomery Wards’ corporate headquarters. It was designed by Minoru Yamaskai, who was designing the World Trade Center at the same time.

It was converted into 245 luxury condos at the peak of the market in 2007.

This unit has 14-foot floor to ceiling windows that face south with views of the Willis Tower and the entire loop skyline.

It also has a rooftop cabana with a 1000 square foot private terrace.

The kitchen has luxury finishes including stainless steel appliances.

It has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 2 side-by-side parking spaces are available.

There are plenty of penthouses available right now across the city.

Do the south facing city views set this penthouse apart?

Terri McAuley at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #2801: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 half baths, 4700 square feet

• Sold in January 2007 for $2.645 million (sold with 2-car parking)
• Originally listed in February 2015 for $3,487,500
• Reduced
• Currently listed at $3.295 million
• Assessments of $2676 a month (includes heat, air conditioning, gas, doorman, cable)
• Taxes of $26,756
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• 2-car parking available (not sure if that’s included or extra)
• Bedroom #1: 23×18
• Bedroom #2: 20×17
• Bedroom #3: 22×18
• Family room: 41×12

This 4-bedroom in the Carl Street Studios at 155 W. Burton in Old Town recently came on the market.

The Carl Street Studios is one of the most unique properties in Old Town.

Originally built as a mansion in the 1880s, it was converted into the “studios” in 1927. There are only 15 units.

Each one is unique with its own lay out.

This is one of the larger units with 5,000 square feet.

It has a dramatic two story stained glass window in the living room.

The unit has carved doors, built-ins and the mosaics that are famous in these units.

The kitchen is designed to fit in with the house with what looks like custom wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

It has a private 22×31 roof terrace and a library.

There are also 5 fireplaces.

While it has central air, there is no parking with this complex. The listing says there is 2-car parking a half a block away for $450 a month.

Will the hot market mean a quick sale for this unique property?

Mille Rosenbloom at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #7: 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 5000 square feet

• Sold in March 2003 for $1.8 million
• Currently listed for $1.5 million
• Assessments of $3676 a month (includes heat, water)
• Taxes of $28,168
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• No parking- but 2 spots available a half a block away for $450 a month
• 5 fireplaces
• Bedroom #1: 11×19 (main floor)
• Bedroom #2: 13×19 (third floor)
• Bedroom #3: 18×11 (third floor)
• Bedroom #4: 14×18 (third floor)
• Library: 7×26