Crib Chatter

This 5-bedroom single family home at 3726 N. Hermitage in Lakeview was built in 2007 but never sold from the developer.

It is now bank owned.

First listed in January 2007, it was de-listed in October 2008 only to come back on the market, from the bank, about a month ago.

It has been sitting empty for 17 months after it was de-listed.

The house was listed on the city’s list of vacant buildings in August 2009 where the description said:

“BUILDING IS OPEN / UNSECURE – DEADBILT IS MISSING AND KNOB DOES NOT LOCK. ANYONE CAN WALK IN; THIS IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE IN THE AREA.”

See the pictures of the interior of the house from the city’s vacant building website here. 

The city’s permit information also shows that several permits were issued at the end of March 2010 on the property.

One permit was to remove/replace drywall.

You can check out the permits on the City’s website here (put in the address).

The listing says the basement has been completely refinished and there’s not much left to be done with the rest of the house.

It has hardwood floors and, from the pictures, the kitchen is intact, complete with stainless steel appliances.

Is this a deal for this neighborhood with this square footage?

Ian Halpin at Jameson has the listing. See the pictures here.

3726 N. Hermitage: 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2.5 car garage

• Old house sold in September 2005 for $620,000
• Originally listed in January 2007 for $1.475 million
• Lis pendens filed in August 2008
• De-listed in October 2008
• Bank owned in January 2010
• Originally listed in April 2010 for $980,000
• Currently listed for $980,000
• Taxes of $8465
• Central Air

We chattered about this 2-bedroom unit at 2734 N. Kimball in Logan Square several times over the last year.

See our December 2009 chatter here.

The newer conversion unit actually had greenish paint color the first time we chattered and then quickly went to a neutral beige.

After several price reductions, it sold for $14,000 under the 2006 purchase price.

It had all the bells and whistles including an new kitchen and bath, central air and in-unit washer/dryer. The only thing “missing” was deeded parking but the listing said parking was “available.”

Alex Till at Baird & Warner had the listing.

Unit #3: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1000 square feet

• Sold in July 2006 for $244,000
• Was listed in March 2009 for $285,000
• Reduced
• Was listed in May 2009 for $274,900
• Reduced several times
• Was listed in December 2009 for $237,500
• Withdrawn
• Re-listed in January 2010 for $250,000
• Reduced in February 2010 to $239,000
• Sold in April 2010 for $230,000
• Assessments of $207 a month
• Taxes are $3240
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Gas fireplace
• No parking- but the listing says it’s “available”
• Bedroom #1: 12×13
• Bedroom #2: 10×9

Many of you probably recognize this 3-story pre-war building at 443 W. Aldine in East Lakeview.

The building was built in 1925 and has been renovated. It is now being sold as condos.

There are only 3 units with the top two floors being the most expensive. They are on the market as the following:

1. Unit #1: $475,000 (first floor- 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, parking included)
2. Unit #2: $1.475 million (second floor- 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, parking included)
3. Unit #3: $1.475 million (third floor- 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, parking included)

The first floor unit has a more modern feel with exposed brick and a modern white kitchen.

The two upper floor units are all about vintage elegance.

There is central air and washer/dryers in the units.

Brad Lippitz at Prudential Rubloff has the listings.

See pictures of Unit #3 here.

See pictures of Unit #1 here.

This 2-bedroom penthouse at 632 W. Wrightwood in Lincoln Park recently came on the market.

The listing says the unit was designed by Nate Berkus (one of Oprah’s favorite interior designers and a frequent guest on her show, for those of you who don’t know.)

The unit has cathedral ceilings and a private deck.

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

The master suite has a marble bath.

The building is an elevator building so there is no concern about going up 5 flights of stairs to reach your penthouse. There is also 2 car parking.

For a buyer, does it matter if Nate Berkus designed the interior of a property?

Sophia Worden at Prudential Rubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #5W: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1800 square feet, 2 car parking

• Sold in April 1996 for $320,000
• Sold in June 1999 for $435,000
• Sold in June 2000 for $498,000
• Sold in May 2005 for $630,000
• Currently listed for $599,000
• Assessments of $310 a month
• Taxes of $6084
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 20×13
• Bedroom #2: 13×11

Some of you will remember this 6-bedroom single family home at 1833 W. Melrose in Roscoe Village that was described in the listing as the builder’s custom home.

See our November 2009 chatter and pictures here.

It sold as a “short sale”- as is.

The listing said it was 95% complete.

It had extensive detailing including crown molding and wainscotting and hand crafted storage areas.

Cara Buffa at Prudential Rubloff had the listing.

1833 W. Melrose: 6 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 5500 square feet, 2 car garage

• Sold in May 2005 for $550,000 (prior home)
• Was listed in June 2009 for $1.749 million
• Reduced several times
• Was listed in November 2009 as a “short sale” for $1.199 million
• Sold in March 2010 for $1.125 million
• Taxes of $5857
• 4 fireplaces
• Hot tub

We last chattered about this historic 4-bedroom West Loop single family home at 1535 W. Jackson in November 2009.

See our November 2009 chatter and pictures here.

It is still available, has been reduced, and is now listed for $30,000 less than the 2004 purchase price.

Built in 1893, the house has 5 fireplaces and many of its vintage historical features including the original stained glass.

It has a longer than standard Chicago lot but is also narrower at 17×188.

The listing says there is room for 6 car parking or you can build a 2 car garage in the back. It has central air.

Is this now a deal for a vintage lover looking for one of the classic Jackson Boulevard mansions?

Mario Greco at Prudential Rubloff still has the listing. See more pictures and a virtual tour here.

1535 W. Jackson: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 4000 square feet

• Sold in September 2003 for $675,000
• Sold in December 2004 for $829,000
• Originally listed in April 2009 for $1.2 million
• Reduced numerous times
• Was listed in November 2009 at $975,000
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $799,000
• Taxes of $5455
• Central Air
• 5 fireplaces
• Bedroom #1: 19×13
• Bedroom #2: 16×13
• Bedroom #3: 12×12 (lower level)
• Bedroom #4: 12×11 (lower level)

There’s something about turrets on a property and this French Normandy style home at 4901 W. Berwyn in Forest Glen has one that leads up to the bedrooms.

Built in 1949, the house has a unique (at least for the city) attached 2-car garage.

It also is only a couple of blocks from the Forest Glen Metra Station which makes it an easy commute to downtown.

All three bedrooms are on the second floor.

The kitchen has white cabinets and black appliances.  The full bath has what looks like the original 1949 tiles.

There is a stone wood burning fireplace in the living room, plaster coved ceilings and leaded windows.

It also has central air.

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

4901 W. Berwyn: 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 2 car garage, 1500 square feet

• I couldn’t find an original price- looks like it last sold before 1988
• Originally listed in April 2010 for $499,000
• Reduced almost immediately to $479,900
• Currently listed at $479,900
• Taxes of $5091
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 14×12
• Bedroom #2: 13×10
• Bedroom #3: 14×9

This 8-bedroom mansion at 2801 S. Prairie in Bronzeville was built in 1885 when this part of the city was the home of Chicago’s wealthiest citizens.

It now sits just north of the historic landmarked “Gap” district which runs from 3100 to 3500 South Prairie.

At 6,000 square feet, the house has amazing woodwork and what looks to be original stained glass windows. Click on the link to see the pictures of the magnificent staircase.

It also has 6 fireplaces.

It has no central air but there is room on the side drive for 4 cars. 

There are no pictures of the bathrooms or the kitchen and there is no further written listing whatsoever on the public real estate sites that describes the property.

Will someone save this house and restore it to its former grandeur?

Frederic Scovell at Keller Williams has the listing. See the pictures here.

2801 S. Prairie: 8 bedrooms, 5 baths, 23 total rooms, 6000 square feet

• I couldn’t find a prior sales price
• Currently listed for $850,000
• Taxes of $3407
• No Central Air
• Parking for at least 4 cars
• 6 fireplaces

This 1-bedroom timber loft at 2806 N. Oakley is technically listed as being in Lakeview on the MLS.

However, if you look at a map, it is certainly located closer to Logan Square than, say, Wrigley Field. (And I’m labeling it as Logan Square for the purposes of this chatter.)

This top floor unit has a balcony with views along with extra tall ceilings common in authentic lofts.

The kitchen has granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

The loft also has central air and an in-unit washer dryer.

Yes, the unit below this one, Unit #305, is also for sale. That one is a short sale and it’s listed considerably lower at $219,000 including the parking.

Daniel White at Dreamtown has the listing. See more pictures here.

Unit #405: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 1032 square feet

• Sold in April 2004 for $246,500
• Currently listed for $259,000 (includes the parking)
• Assessments of $142 a month
• Taxes of $2366
• Central Air
• In-unit Washer/Dryer
• Bedroom: 15×13

We chattered about this big 4-bedroom bungalow at 5501 W. Cullom in Portage Park several times over the last few months.

See our December 2009 chatter and pictures here.

The house finally sold for $170,000 under the July 2009 list price but $55,000 over the 2002 purchase price.

Built in 1926, the house had much of its vintage woodwork and stained glass still in place. It also had an original walk-in meat smoker.

Heather Lange at Koenig & Strey had the listing.

5501 W. Cullom: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2.5 car garage, 3500 square feet

• Sold in January 1995 for $293,000
• Sold in December 2002 for $525,000
• Was listed in July 2009 for $750,000
• Reduced
• Was listed in September 2009 at $650,000
• Reduced
• Was listed in December 2009 at $635,000
• Sold in April 2010 for $580,000
• Taxes of $5001
• Central Air
• Bedroom #1: 15×13
• Bedroom #2: 14×12
• Bedroom #3: 10×10
• Bedroom #4: 12×9