Crib Chatter

“Starter” condos have become rare in East Lakeview in the past few years as prices have skyrocketed.

But this 1-bedroom at 636 W. Waveland is actually listed under $200,000 and it has a washer/dryer in the unit.

It’s also been reduced $11,500.

Or- if you still feel like renting- there is a rent to own option for only $1250 a month.

There’s no square footage listed but the room sizes are decently sized for a 1-bedroom.

• Living room: 18×12
• Bedroom: 13×10
• Kitchen: 12×10

Peggy Cain at Karen Douglas Realty has the listing. See more pictures here.

Unit #3C: 1 bedroom, 1 bath

• Sold in July 1999 for $110,000
• Sold in September 2003 for $168,000
• Originally listed in July 2008 for $204,500
• Reduced several times
• Currently listed for $193,000
• Assessments of $342 a month
• Taxes of $1337
• OR you can rent it for $1250 a month
• No central air- window units
• In-unit washer/dryer
• No parking

RealtyTrac released 2008 foreclosure numbers today. It’s not totally clear what the company means by “the Chicago market” (all of Cook County or the entire Chicagoland area?)

In the Chicago market, 77,226 properties, or 2.5 percent of the housing units, faced a foreclosure filing last year, up 53.4 percent from 2007, RealtyTrac said.

In Illinois, 99,488 properties had at least one foreclosure-related filing last year, up almost 55 percent from 2007. RealtyTrac said 1.9 percent of the state’s housing units had a foreclosure filing in 2007, the ninth-highest rate in the country.

“Hitting bottom is a lot different than coming off the bottom,” said Christopher Thornberg, a principal with Beacon Economics in Los Angeles.

In Cook County, the foreclosure filings are jumping. They rose 84% in December from November and were 24% higher than December 2007.

One in every 300 homes in Cook County was in foreclosure in December.

Illinois properties with foreclosure activity up 55% in ’07 [Crain’s Chicago Business, Jan 15, 2009]

Cook County foreclosures jump 84% in December [Sun-Times, Jan 15, 2009]

We last chattered about this 2-bedroom townhouse at 2349 N. Wayne in Lincoln Park in July 2008.

See our prior chatter here.

Back in July, we chattered about whether or not the townhouse was “affordable.” It is still on the market and has been reduced $19,100.

Does this make it even more affordable?

Here’s its history again:

2349 N. Wayne: 2 bedrooms,  2.5 baths, 2400 square feet

• Sold in September 2001 for $420,000
• Was listed in July 2008 for $559,000
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $539,900
• Assessments of $273 a month
• Taxes of $5003
• 1 car garage
• OR you can also rent it for $2950 a month
• Heidie Maslo at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See more pictures here.

We last chattered about this 2-bedroom vintage unit at 630 W. Oakdale in Lakeview in November 2008.

See the old chatter here.

On the market since July 2008, it has now seen a $50,000 reduction from its original listing price.

Here’s its history:

Unit #3E: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, sunroom, 1600 square feet

• Sold in June 2000 for $370,000
• Sold in April 2003 for $455,000
• Originally listed for $599,000 in July 2008
• Reduced in August 2008 to $575,000
• Reduced again in late October 2008 to $560,000
• Was listed in November 2008 at $560,000 (includes 2 car parking)
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $549,000 (2 car parking included)
• Assessments of $150 a month
• Taxes of $5546
• Central air
• Fireplace
• Brian Loomis at Coldwell Banker still has the listing. See more pictures here.

We haven’t yet chattered about The Clocktower Lofts, at 2300 W. Wabansia, in Bucktown.  The brick and timber building has 113 lofts.

These lofts aren’t new construction cookie cutter. This 2-bedroom unit is one of the top floor duplex units which have a unique wall of skylights.

Greg Vollan at @Properties has the listing. See more pictures and a virtual tour here.

Unit #309: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1100 square feet, duplex

• Sold in March 2005 for $322,500
• Currently listed for $369,000
• Assessments of $274 a month
• Taxes of $4165
• Central Air
• No parking with the unit- but the listing says parking may be available in the building (i.e. there IS parking in the building- but this unit doesn’t own a spot.)

We last chattered about this 1891 Bucktown cottage at 2069 N. Oakley in October 2008 when we compared it to a storybook cottage in Glencoe for the same price (the Glencoe home is no longer on the market.)

See the old chatter here.

While it was reduced while on the market in 2008, it was recently re-listed at its October 2008 price.

Will it have better luck selling for the same price in 2009?

Here’s its history again:

2069 N. Oakley: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car parking, square footage not given

• Sold in March 1992 for $105,000
• Sold in July 2003 for $413,000
• Originally listed in June 2008 for $524,900
• Reduced
• Was listed in October 2008 for $499,900
• Was re-listed in January 2009 for $499,900
• Taxes of $4,073
• Central air
• Joanne C. Gross & Associates still has the listing. See the listing and more pictures here.

We last chattered about this 3-bedroom vintage greystone unit at 2523 N. Burling in Lincoln Park in July 2008.

See the pictures and chatter here.

Since then, it has been reduced another $4,000. But it’s still available.

Susan Parent at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the listing and more pictures here.

Here’s its history:

Unit #2: 3 bedroom, 2 baths, 1625 square feet

• Sold in June 2006 for $595,000
• Was listed in April 2008 for $599,000 (parking included)
• Reduced
• Was listed in July 2008 at $579,000 (parking included)
• Reduced
• Currently listed at $575,000 (parking included)
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Back porch
• Central air
• Assessments of $100 a month
• Taxes of $5936

The modern look isn’t confined simply to the north side of the city as this 32-unit David Hovey-designed complex at 3120 S. Indiana in the Bronzeville/The Gap neighborhood attests.

The listing says “Mies Van der Rohe inspired” and so it seems, with floor to ceiling windows and open space.

Akos Straub at Jameson Realty has the listing. See more pictures here.

Unit #401: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1300 square feet

• Sold in December 2005 for $239,000
• Currently listed for $299,000 plus $10,000 for parking
• Assessments are $451 a month (includes an indoor pool- see listing pictures)
• Taxes are $3603
• Central Air

Sorry about all the update posts lately, but quite a few of the properties we’ve chattered about are still on the market and many have had price reductions. During this “slow” winter market, I’ll be updating as many of them as I can.

We last chattered about this 2-bedroom unit at 444 W. Belmont in Lakeview in August 2008.

It has a fantastic 1000-square foot private terrace complete with a tented pavillion and refrigeration system. See some great pictures of the tent and terrace here.

It’s also now been reduced by $100,000.

But it doesn’t have any parking. Is the lack of parking hurting its sale?

See our prior chatter and pictures here.

The history again:

Unit #7B: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1800 square feet

• Sold in July 2000 for $383,000
• Was listed in August 2008 for $825,000 (leased parking nearby)
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $725,000
• Assessments of $450 a month
• Taxes of $6,313
• Central air
• Brian Loomis at Coldwell Banker still has the listing

There seem to be a lot of properties that have long market times that are now reducing prices given that the calender has changed to 2009.

This 3-bedroom vintage unit at 626 W. Belden in Lincoln Park is one of them.

See the old chatter and pictures here.

Since we last chattered about this renovated greystone unit, it has reduced another $30,000 and is now listed for under its 2006 selling price.

Julie Dorger at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See more pictures here.

Here’s its history:

Unit #2: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed

• Sold in July 2003 for $445,000
• Sold in November 2006 for $533,500
• Originally listed in June 2008 for $585,000
• Reduced
• Was listed in October 2008 for $550,000
• Reduced
• Currently listed for $520,000 (parking included)
• Assessments of $300 a month
• Taxes of $7073
• Central Air