Crib Chatter

This vintage 2 bedroom unit in The Eddystone at 421 W. Melrose in Lakeview just came on the market as a Fannie Mae property.

The building was completed in 1929, as the Depression was just beginning, and was really the last of the magestic vintage apartment buildings to be completed in that era. It was supposed to be two buildings originally, but the Depression intervened and the second building was dropped and never completed.

The listing for this unit says “close by Dec 31, 2010, seller will offer 3.5% seller credit.”

It has hardwood floors throughout and what looks to be the original crown molding.

The kitchen and baths look intact (from the pictures.) The kitchen has white appliances.

There is no central air, in-unit washer/dryer or parking.

But at 1600 square feet, is this a deal for the square footage and location?

Rakesh Parikh at Keller Williams Lincoln Park has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #8C: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1600 square feet

• Sold in November 2004 for $342,500
• Fannie Mae owned in May 2010
• Currently listed for $256,500
• Assessments of $1043 a month (includes heat, gas, cable, doorman)
• Taxes of $4496
• No central air
• No in-unit washer/dryer
• No parking

This 3-bedroom American Four Square at 5316 W. Warner in Portage Park is located so close to the park that it’s just a short stroll to the weekend farmer’s market there.

Built in 1914, it has many of its original features intact including original moldings, stained glass and a beamed ceiling in the dining room.

The kitchen has stainless steel appliances and corian counter tops.

The baths are “newer” with stone tile.

Built on a 31×125 lot, the house has a 2 car garage and central air.

All 3 bedrooms are on the second floor and there is a semi-finished basement.

The house is now listed $48,600 under the 2006 purchase price.

It is also available to rent for $1800 a month. Is it cheaper to just rent it?

David Berganski at Legent WP Realty has the listing. See the pictures here.

5316 W. Warner: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage, no square footage listed

• Sold in April 1992 for $169,000
• Sold in November 1996 for $175,000
• Sold in October 2006 for $398,500
• Originally listed in March 2010 for $389,900
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $349,000
• Taxes of $4147
• OR you can rent it for $1800 a month
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 18×12
• Bedroom #2: 14×11
• Bedroom #3: 11×10

This 4-bedroom vintage Victorian at 1918 W. Fletcher in North Center has been on and off the market since August 2008.

It has all the bells and whistles including central air and and a 2-car garage on a standard 25×125 Chicago lot.

The kitchen has stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

The house has some of its original wood trim, a clawfoot tub in one of the bathrooms and a finished basement.

3 of the 4 bedrooms are on the second floor with the fourth in the lower level.

It is now listed for $16,000 under the 2004 purchase price.

Will this property fall all the way under the 2003 purchase price?

James Roth at The Real Estate Group LLC has the listing. See the pictures here.

1918 W. Fletcher: 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, no square footage listed, 2 car garage

• Sold in October 1994 for $139,500
• Sold in September 1997 for $340,000
• Sold in July 1999 for $469,000
• Sold in March 2003 for $647,500
• Sold in July 2004 for $815,000
• Originally listed in August 2008
• Currently listed for $799,000
• Taxes of $10,728
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 14×11
• Bedroom #2: 20×10
• Bedroom #3: 14×13
• Bedroom #4: 13×10 (lower level)
• Recreation room: 29×17 (lower level)

Alta Vista Terrace is a unique street in Lakeview as it is an exact replica of a Victorian-era London street. It is a landmark district.

We last chattered about this 6-bedroom rowhouse at 3825 N. Alta Vista in June 2010.

See our prior chatter and pictures here.

This is apparently one of only 4 three-story rowhouses that also have a basement on the street.

It is also one of the few that has garage parking as one side of the street has parking and the other does not.

The kitchen has been renovated with cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances by Subzero and Wolfe and granite counter tops.

The house also has central air.

The price is unchanged since we last chattered about it.

Connie Atterbury at Dream Town Realty still has the listing. See more pictures and the floorplan here. Or here.

3825 N. Alta Vista: 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 1 car garage, no square footage listed

• Sold in June 2000 for $595,000
• Was listed in June 2010 for $899,000
• Currently still listed for $899,000
• Taxes of $6663
• Central Air
• Skylights
• Bedroom #1: 19×13 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 8×15 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 11×10 (second floor)
• Bedroom #4: 10×20 (third floor)
• Bedroom #5: 12×8 (third floor)
• Bedroom #6: 11×10 (third floor)

This 4-bedroom Queen Anne at 6239 N. Lundy in Old Edgebrook is located in the middle of a forest preserve- literally.

The Old Edgebrook historic district was created in 1894 and designed to be houses of various styles. It was designated a landmark district in 1988.

There is only one road in to the neighborhood and one road out.

There are walking paths that wind through the neighborhood as those trekking through the forest preserve can just keep on with their hike.

This Queen Anne was built in 1896. It still has many of its vintage features including its oak staircase, lead and stained glass and pocket doors.

It has a front turret and a double parlor.

There is a 3-car garage and central air.

The houses in the district are on larger lots and this one is on a 108x163x65x158 lot.

It has been reduced $49,000.

Irene Yungerman at Baird and Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.

6239 N. Lundy: 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car garage, 3510 square feet

• Sold in March 1986
• Sold in December 1989 for $984,000
• Originally listed in February 2010 for $998,000
• Reduced in May 2010
• Currently listed for $949,000
• Taxes of $12,800
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 15×14 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 17×12 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 13×12 (second floor)
• Bedroom #4: 14×14 (third floor)

Looking for something unique? This 6-bedroom penthouse unit at 1347 N. Sedgwick in Old Town is for you.

Looks can be deceiving if you were only looking at the outside of this mid-rise building because hidden behind the brick facade is a penthouse with 7000 square feet and a private elevator.

It also has 5 car heated garage parking included.

The duplex unit has plenty of outdoor space with a 4000 square foot private rooftop deck with views of the city and 3 other balconies.

It also has many options in which to keep you entertained with a billards room, a media room and a sizable home gym.

What more could a buyer want?

Becky Thompson at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures here. (You must check out the pics!)

1347 N. Sedgwick PH: 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 half baths, 7000 square feet, 5 car parking

• Sold in September 2001 for $2,083,500
• Currently listed for $2,990,000
• Assessments of $595 a month
• Taxes of $17,501
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• 4 of the 6 bedrooms are on the second floor

This 4-bedroom single family home and coach house at 1633 N. Campbell in West Town (the West Bucktown neighborhood?) used to be a 2-flat and coach house just one year ago.

Bought from the bank in September 2009, it has been rehabbed and the listing says it now has the finest finishes.

The kitchen is like “something you see in a magazine.”

It has stainless steel appliances and what looks to be stainless cabinets.

There are hardwood floors throughout the main level.

The house and coach house are on a standard 25×125 lot. It doesn’t appear there is any garage.

Will we see a big upgrade in the housing stock in some neighborhoods as rehabbers buy properties from the bank on the cheap and fix them up for resale?

Anthony Zaskowski at Property Consultants, Inc. has the listing. See the pictures here.

(If you have a redfin account, it is illuminating to click on the prior 2009 sale link to see what the front of the property looked like as a 2-flat just a year ago.)

1633 N. Campbell: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths for the house- 2 bedrooms, 1 bath on the coach house, 3000 square feet (total???)

• Sold in July 1996 for $92,000
• Lis pendens filed in January 2008
• Bank owned in January 2009
• Sold in September 2009 for $129,000
• Originally listed in September 2010 for $474,900
• Reduced
• Currently listed at $464,900
• Taxes of $4383
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 14×12 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 12×11 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 15×14 (third floor)
• Bedroom #4: 10×8 (main floor)
• Office: 15×13 (third floor)

This 3-bedroom townhouse at 2820 N. Greenview in Lakeview has been on the market since May 2009.

It has been reduced about $100,000 from its original May 2009 listing price.

The townhouse is also now listed $46,100 under the 2005 purchase price.

Though it was built in 1991, this property has been renovated with a new kitchen and baths.

The kitchen has stainless steel appliances and concrete counter tops (no granite here.)

2 out of the 3 bedrooms are on the second floor. The third bedroom is in the lower level and is currently being used as a family room- with a full bath on that level.

Is this a deal for the square footage and location?

Genevieve Lenon at Romanek Residential Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit C: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1900 square feet, 1 car parking

• Sold in May 1991 for $191,500
• Sold in August 2002 for $353,500
• Sold in September 2005 for $465,000
• Originally listed in May 2009 for $519,000
• Reduced numerous times
• Currently listed for $418,900
• Assessments of $200 a month
• Taxes of $6889
• Bedroom #1: 13×12
• Bedroom #2: 13×11
• Bedroom #3: 20×16 (lower level)

There has been a lot of discussion in recent days about Congress trying to force a foreclosure moratorium nationwide until they can investigate what is going on at the big banks with foreclosure processing.

Illinois is one of the 23 states where GMAC’s mortgage unit, now called Ally Financial, JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America have halted foreclosures while they look into allegations of missed paperwork and unread files.

The Sun-Times reports on the impacts of the moratorium on the real estate market.

In Cook County, the banks’ actions so far have had no large-scale impact on foreclosures, according to a spokesperson for the Office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans in the Circuit Court of Cook County, which hears foreclosure cases. An estimated 30 to 35 pending foreclosure cases here are on hold while lenders complete their internal document investigations, the spokesperson said. The county had 66,136 foreclosure cases pending at the end of August and was on track to have about 68,000 at the end of September.

Realtors have mixed views on the impact of the document issue.

“There is a concern in the process just slowing things down, that it’s going to delay the inevitable and what is that going to do with the pipeline of foreclosures down the road?” said Mike Onorato, immediate past president of the Illinois Association of Realtors. Is that going to have a negative impact down the road? It may.”

Genie Birch, immediate past president of the Chicago Association of Realtors, doesn’t think it would delay the recovery.

“Property that’s on the market right now, regardless of whether it’s a foreclosure, a short sale or it’s a traditional sale, whatever, it’s a good opportunity to either get them sold or rented or whatever needs to be done with them,” she said.

On the brighter side, the delay could help homeowners facing foreclosure, said Dru Bergman, executive director of the DuPage Homeownership Center. She noted about two-thirds of the families the group works with are facing foreclosure because they became unemployed or underemployed.

“So if this moratorium gives people more time in terms of finding employment, that could be a good thing,” she said.

Foreclosures up in the air but no big impact here [Chicago Sun-Times,  Sandra Guy and Francine Knowles, October 5, 2010]

Now that the Cubs season has officially wound down, I thought we should revisit this 3-bedroom penthouse unit at 1131 W. Addison which is nearly within throwing distance of Wrigley Field.

See our May 2010 chatter and pictures here.

It has one of the coolest rooftop decks in Lakeview with dead on views of the ball park from a completely private deck outfitted with a 6-person hot tub, cable television and electricty.

Who would need to actually go to the games?

The duplex unit has 11 foot ceilings and luxury finishes such as custom cabinets, granite counter tops and a Viking stainless steel appliance package in the kitchen.

Is this priced to sell now?

Nancy Gaspadarek and Catherine Brennan at Sudler Sotheby’s still have the listing. See the virtual tour pictures here.

Unit #3: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1 car parking, 1500 square feet

• Sold in June 2007 for $552,000
• Originally listed in October 2009 for $629,900
• Withdrawn
• Was listed in March 2010 for $609,000
• Reduced
• Was listed in May 2010 for $589,999
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $579,999
• Assessments of $176 a month
• Taxes of $7605
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 12×12
• Bedroom #2: 10×9
• Bedroom #3: 20×11

Nancy Gaspadarek and Catherine Brennan at Sudler Sotheby’s still have the listing. See the virtual tour pictures here.

Unit #3: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1 car parking, 1500 square feet

• Sold in June 2007 for $552,000
• Originally listed in October 2009 for $629,900
• Withdrawn
• Was listed in March 2010 for $609,000
• Reduced
• Was listed in May 2010 for $589,999
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $579,999
• Assessments of $176 a month
• Taxes of $7605
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 12×12
• Bedroom #2: 10×9
• Bedroom #3: 20×11