Crib Chatter

Who knew there were townhouses in Printers Row?

This 2-bedroom unit at 801 S. Plymouth, which is at the south end of Printers Row, is a two story townhouse with its own private patio entry within the larger 198-unit condo building.

According to the listing, the kitchen and baths were recently renovated. The two bedrooms are located on the second level where there is a skylight.

There is central air and the townhouse has an in-unit washer/dryer.

Alan Shultz at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See more pictures and a virtual tour here.

Unit #B: 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1425 square feet

• Sold in October 2002 for $322,000 (looks like it included the parking spot)
• Currently listed for $399,000 (plus $40,000 for parking)
• Assessments of $442 a month (includes the cable)
• Taxes of $2992
• Wood burning fireplace
• Bedroom #1: 14×17
• Bedroom #2: 13×17

I heard from some of you that you were “drooling” over this contemporary single family home at 1852 N. Sedgwick in Lincoln Park.

You aren’t the only one.

The home, which is owned by a developer, has apparently been featured in many magazines and, according to the listing, is the recipient of the ALA design award.

The finishes are true high end with a poggen-pohl kitchen, concrete counters, a  floating wood ceiling and radiant heat.

Jennifer South at Dream Town Realty has the listing. See the pictures here.

1852 N. Sedgwick: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2 car garage, no square footage listed

• Sold in January 2002 for $550,000
• House completed in 2004
• Currently listed for $2.495 million
• Taxes of $25,241

We’ve chattered about this 2-bedroom vintage unit in a classic 1920s East Lakeview courtyard building several times.

See our prior chatter and pictures here.

It has 2 full baths, a dining room, washer/dryer in the unit and the rare deeded parking.

It was withdrawn from the market but was recently re-listed and reduced another $36,000.

It is now listed well-under the 2007 purchase price.

In prior chattering, some of  you thought it would sell for closer to $300,000 (which would put it in the price range of many of the listed 1-bedrooms in the neighborhood.)

And now?

Brent J. Rosenbower at Sudler Sotheby’s now has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit#2B: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, dining room, no square footage listed

• Sold in May 1995 for $154,000
• Sold in June 1998 for $199,000
• Sold in April 2000 for $243,000
• Sold in March 2007 for $379,000
• Was listed in February 2009 for $410,000 (included the parking)
• Reduced
• Was listed in March 2009 for $399,900 (included the parking)
• Reduced
• Was listed in May 2009 for $375,000 (includes the parking)
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $339,000
• Assessments of $344 a month
• Taxes of $4830
• No central air- window units
• In-unit Washer/Dryer
• Wood-burning fireplace
• Bedroom #1: 14×12
• Bedroom #2: 12×11

If you price a property “right,” it will sell quickly. Take this 2-bedroom vintage unit at 2002 N. Howe in Lincoln Park.

It has all the bells and whistles most buyers would like including central air, an in-unit washer/dryer and deeded parking.

It’s also in a Lincoln Park location that is actually near the Park and the Lake as well as the restaurant scene on Armitage/Halsted as well as Old Town.

And it has some nice vintage features like original woodwork, crown molding, bay windows and a wood burning fireplace.

It recently went under contract after being on the market just under a month.

Eric Rojas at Rubloff has the listing. See more pictures here.

See the property’s website here.

If those links have expired (since the listing is now under contract)- see the pictures here.

Eric also writes an interesting blog on his properties (and some others) that you can check out here.

Unit #2N: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, plus den, no square footage listed

• Sold in May 1991 for $200,000
• Sold in September 1996 for $220,000
• Sold in August 2001 for $354,000
• Sold in May 2006 for $459,000
• Originally listed in May 2009 for $440,000 (parking included)
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $434,900 (parking included)
• Under Contract
• Assessments of $239 a month
• Taxes of $5443
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 13×11
• Bedroom #2: 11×9
• Den: 11×8
• Living room: 24×12
• Kitchen: 9×9

In case you might have missed this story because you have a summer work time schedule on Fridays, Crain’s reported about a foreclosure lawsuit on 3 Lincoln Park luxury home sites.

From Crain’s:

Foreclosure suits seeking more than $8.2 million have been filed against two sites controlled by a developer of high-end Lincoln Park homes whose customers have included Eric of the “Eric & Kathy” morning radio show.

State Bank of Countryside is seeking to collect more than $5.7 million on the two parcels at 1701-03 N. Dayton St., where ventures controlled by developer Seth Harris, president of SMH Development LLC, has started construction of two 6,500-square-foot homes.

Separately, Lakeside Bank is seeking to collect just over $2.5 million on a nearly completed 5,100-square-foot home at 2140 N. Clifton St., about seven blocks away.

Is this the beginning of more foreclosure suits against developers on the high end of the housing market in Lincoln Park but also elsewhere in the city?

“These homes were planned when things were still good,” says Ron Benninga, president of Red House Development Inc., another Chicago luxury homebuilder not involved in the three foreclosure cases.

See a picture and the listing of the home at 2140 N. Clifton here.

Foreclosure suits hit Lincoln Park luxury home sites [Crain’s, Samantha Sleevi, June 12, 2009]

We last chattered about this 2-bedroom unit at 3110 N. Sheridan in East Lakeview in August 2008.

At the time, I asked if it was a “deal” given its location as it was a 2/2 and priced under $300,000.

See our prior chatter and the pictures here.

It has since been reduced by $35,100.

This 2-bedroom unit has a unique layout as it was a 1-bedroom and studio that were combined.

It doesn’t have central air or a washer/dryer in the unit. But it does have deeded parking.

It was listed as an “unbelieveable value” 10 months ago so what does that make it now?

Alan Berlow at Coldwell Banker now has the listing. See the latest pictures here.

Unit #1710: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage given

• Sold in March 1990 for $220,000
• Sold in September 1998 for $135,000
• Sold in July 2002 for $237,000
• Was listed in August 2008 for $285,000 (parking included)
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $224,900 (plus $25,000 for parking)
• Assessments of $645 a month
• Taxes are $2480
• No central air- window units
• No w/d in the unit
• Living room: 21×10
• Dining room: 9×9
• Kitchen: 9×6
• Bedroom #1: 19×17
• Bedroom #2: 15×11

In March we chattered about a unit at the Vetro at 611 S.  Wells in the South Loop with a 950 square foot terrace with its own outdoor kitchen. It was priced then at $869,000 (now reduced to $849,000).

See that chatter and pictures here.

But if that’s too pricey for your taste, check out the unit right next door which has just come on the market for several hundred thousand dollars less.

Unit #706 is a 2-bedroom with a similar huge 1000 square foot terrace (no outdoor kitchen, however.) The listing describes the terrace as a “blank canvas.”

The master bathroom has been upgraded with marble and limestone and the shower has Hans Grohe fixtures.

For those cold winter (or summer) days, it also a Toto Washlet heated-seat commode and a towel warmer.

Sara McMurray at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See more pictures here.

Or go see the property at the open house this Sunday, June 14: 11 to 2 pm.

Unit #706: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1343 square feet, 1000 square foot terrace

• Sold in December 2007 for $524,500
• Currently listed for $498,900 plus $35,000 for parking
• Assessments of $450 a month
• Taxes are “new” 

SoNo, the new construction high rise at 860 W. Blackhawk in the Clybourn Corridor (aka, west Lincoln Park), is the lastest development to cut prices in order to sell units.

Thanks to the tipster who sent me pricing information on the units.

Prices are being cut by 16-20% and the sale starts this weekend.

If anyone goes to the sales center- please report back in.

Here are some of the new prices in the Tower. There are some units on the MLS that appear to have the old pricing so I listed those for comparison purposes.

Click on the Unit links to see pictures.

01 Tier: 1/1, South view, 905 square feet

• Now priced: $302,400 to $338,400

02 Tier: 2/2, Southwest view, 1416 square feet

• Unit #1402 is listed on the MLS for $505,400
• Now priced: $421,400 to $469,400

03 Tier: 2/2, Northwest view, 1416 square feet

• Unit #2803 is listed on the MLS for $547,400
• Now priced: $394,900 to $463,900

04 Tier: 1/1, North view, 905 square feet

• Unit #1004 is listed on the MLS for $322,750
• Now priced: $275,750 to $331,750

05 Tier: 1/1, North view, 995 square feet

• Unit #2705 is listed on the MLS for $379,250
• Now priced: $287,500 to $348,250

06 Tier: 2/2, Northeast view, 1436 square feet

• Now priced: $426,400 to $466,400 

07 Tier: 2/2, Southeast view, 1436 square feet

• Now priced: $440,400 to $481,400

08 Tier: 1/1, South view, 995 square feet

• Now priced: $316,900 to $366,900

According to the public records, 27 units have closed in the building out of 200 (this is likely not a complete list of closings as it depends on what the developer reports.)

6 of the 27 closed for over $500,000.

None of the current reduced prices are over $500,000.

Parking is also available and reduced. They’re currently asking $9,000.

@Properties is handling sales.

See SoNo’s website for floorplans and building details [Sono Chicago].

We chattered about this renovated 3-bedroom greystone duplex at 3816 N. Fremont in Lakeview several times since it first came on the market in February 2008.

It was listed for re-sale only 7 months after being purchased in 2007.

See our prior January 2009 chatter here where we debated why someone would sell only  months after purchasing.

See the pictures here.

It finally sold in April 2009 for $17,500 under the June 2007 purchase price.

Unit #1: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, duplex down

• Sold in June 2007 for $717,500
• Originally listed in February 2008 for $775,000
• Reduced several times
• Was listed in July 2008 for $738,900 (parking included)
• Reduced
• Was listed in January 2009 at $729,000 (parking included)
• Sold in April 2009 for $700,000 (parking included)
• Assessments of $154 a month
• Taxes are “new”
• Joe Green at Coldwell Banker had the listing.

Amidst the high rises that dominate the River North neighborhood, there are still remnants of the area’s past including 55 W. Erie, a 9-unit brick vintage building.

This 2-bedroom top floor unit has been completed rehabbed but this is no cookie-cutter rehab.

The kitchen, which is a massive 26×13, has an oversized stone island, a Wolf range and a Subzero glass front refrigerator.

The unit also has 2 fireplaces, including one in the master bedroom.

There’s central air and an in-unit washer/dryer but there’s no parking (although it’s available for rent in the neighborhood.)

Elizabeth August at @Properties has the listing. See all of the pictures and a virtual tour here.

Unit #4W: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1700 square feet

• Sold in August 2003 for $335,000
• Originally listed in April 2009 for $524,900
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $499,900
• Assessments of $414 a month
• Taxes of $3726
• Central Air
• In-unit Washer/Dryer
• No parking