The Kenwood 5-Bedroom Greystone Under $400K: 4358 S. Berkeley
This 5-bedroom vintage greystone at 4358 S. Berkeley in Kenwood recently came on the market.
Built in 1883, the house still has the original staircase.
It is on a corner 26×125 lot.
While there is central air, there is, however, no garage.
The listing says there was a complete gut rehab in 94/95.
The top floor now has a massive 36×16 master suite.
There are no appliances in the photo of the kitchen in the listing.
The listing says the house “awaits your finishing touches.”
At under $400,000 for 2754 square feet, is this a deal?
Pamela Pekoc at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.
4358 S. Berkeley: 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 half baths, no garage, 2754 square feet
- Looks like it sold sometime before 1988
- Currently listed for $399,000
- Taxes of $4707
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 36×16 (3rd floor)
- Bedroom #2: 19×15 (2nd floor)
- Bedroom #3: 11×12 (2nd floor)
- Bedroom #4: 11×9 (2nd floor)
- Bedroom #5: 13×13 (2nd floor)
I can also show you extremely beautiful houses in Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arizona, Florida, Nevada that are exremely inexpensive…… the point being that this neighborhood will not be considered by the vast majority of people looking for a place. You would have better luck selling chicagoans a vacation house in Fla/L.V/Az than this place.
clio, you are just plain ignorant.
You’d be surprised at the people who live between 47th and 51st in Kenwood. Quite a few major law firm partners and business execs are in that area.
The main problem with this place is that it may just be a little too far north of that prominent area of Kenwood. Back in 2005, I thought that for certain the area near the lake between the Loop and Hyde Park would fully gentrify within 10-15 years. Under that scenario, newlyweds buying here may have made a lot of sense (especially if they had U of C ties and could send their kids to the Lab School). I still think the gentrification will happen — so long as Chicago’s job market for professionals rebounds and stays strong — but it’s probably going to take 15-25 more years with the housing crash.
Also, coming on the market at this time seems like a mistake. The largest group of potential buyers for this house currently probably are U of C professors, and I assume most new professors are looking in early spring. By now they’re already settled.
My (completely uneducated) guess is that it sells for around $375,000 in March or April of next year.
Whats with the EXIT sign?
“clio, you are just plain ignorant”
uhhh – no, I’m, not – just realistic. Chris, I’m sorry that you are letting your emotions get in the way of fact – but the truth is that real estate is a business – you HAVE to check your emotions at the door. I am not saying anything bad about this house or neighborhood (in fact, I WISH I would be the type of person that would want to live in this neighborhood because there are a LOT of very nice houses) – however, this neighborhood only appeals to a ridiculously small percentage of home buyers.
“Whats with the EXIT sign?”
Was probably used as some sort of commercial space.
“Finishing touches” would require a heavy hand. The kitchen and baths are horrible.
mark my words, the south shall rise again.
The big negative as I see it is no good access to the el (at least w/o walking into the ‘hood). A nice immediate area, but kind of isolated off.
Also no garage.
“You’d be surprised at the people who live between 47th and 51st in Kenwood. Quite a few major law firm partners and business execs are in that area”
I have a place next to the lab school and went to U. of C. – believe me, the demographic of people looking for places in that location is EXTREMELY small. Usually, proferssors and people assoc. w/ U. of C. would like to live within safe walking distance. South of 55th and west of blackstone is the hottest area. Most of the business execs/lawyers that choose to live in that area are African-American/black and have close ties to the region – that demographic is EXTREMELY small.
“mark my words, the south shall rise again.”
rise and kick clio’s butt.
nice place; the realtor didn’t even mention the the basement might mean there problems.
This house is too far north and too close to the ‘hood’. Lots of uncertainty in the immediate area.
Clio said:
“I have a place next to the lab school and went to U. of C. – believe me, the demographic of people looking for places in that location is EXTREMELY small. Usually, proferssors and people assoc. w/ U. of C. would like to live within safe walking distance. South of 55th and west of blackstone is the hottest area. Most of the business execs/lawyers that choose to live in that area are African-American/black and have close ties to the region – that demographic is EXTREMELY small.”
I went to U of C as well, and lived in Hyde Park for multiple years. Maybe things have changed, but the hot areas when I was there tend to be more toward the east and north, as those areas were considered safer. The farther you go southwest in HP the closer you get to some really sketchy areas (like the one surrounding 63rd and Cottage Grove).
Also, the attorneys and businesspeople I’ve talked to who live in the the 47th to 51st area of Kenwood have all been white, though I’m sure some wealthly black people live in the area as well. As far as “close ties to the region,” a lot of them are U of C graduates of some form or another, but others are not.
“rise and kick clio’s butt”
revassal, why can’t you do it yourself? if you have a valid rebuttal to my comments regarding the real estate in this area, please share…..
Calderon just proves again that Clio is 80% of the time talking out of his azz and should just stick to the 20% and only just type when those time come around.
lets see if the us steel idea is implemented and works out?
I, too, went to U of C and lived in Hyde Park for 8 years. I have to agree with Clio on this one. North of 47th doesn’t make sense at this price point, yet. Maybe someday it will . . . Anyone else remember when they built that small semi-gated community of new homes at about 45th and the lakefront around 1995? I wonder how it is doing now? (That is not a rhetorical question–I have no idea!)
I went to U of C and know a handful of people who bought greystones as is north of 47th. The problem is the price. Most educated buyers know this area is a little shaky, mainly because of the 3 section 8 buildings on Lake Park. A friend of mine paid 180k last year for a 4000 sq ft “as-is” greystone. So 400k for 2700 sq ft.
“lets see if the us steel idea is implemented and works out?”
I saw the Chicago Tribune article on that, and it just seems nuts. That large of a project seems doomed to failure if undertaken at any point in the near future. That would be an awful lot of new housing in a market that’s probably going to be falling or sideways for years. It’s already pretty far from downtown, and would turn LSD into a mess.
“Calderon just proves again that Clio is 80% of the time talking out of his azz”
how does calderon prove it? – an opinion does not equal proof. Oh, and how did you come up w/ the 80% number? Who’s talking out his “azz” now?!!
“Maybe things have changed, but the hot areas when I was there tend to be more toward the east and north, as those areas were considered safer”
What the hell are you talking about?!! The “golden triangle” of Hyde Park is bordered by 55th, 59th, blackstone and university – that, without any doubt or controversy is absolutely the most desired, safest and sought out are of the U. of C. folk – and not just because I have a place in that area. It is an absolute truth. The “hot” areas you speak of are popular w/ students/younger staff. The well established U. of C. royalty live in the “golden triangle”
Days after I start posting, there’s another Chris in town. Guess I’ll need to change my name to Chris (tfo) to safeguard my reputation on this forum!
Beautiful facade but it’s heartbreaking to see the interior…all the beautiful woodwork and vintage details removed. And contrary to the listing’s remarks, I’m skeptical that the staircare is original…based on the home’s fairly elaborate facade and late Victorian design, this staircare actually looks very plain.
“That large of a project seems doomed to failure if undertaken at any point in the near future. That would be an awful lot of new housing in a market that’s probably going to be falling or sideways for years. It’s already pretty far from downtown, and would turn LSD into a mess”
I agree with you, IMO they are going a different route than i think should be done. that spot need a major attraction (even if a spectacle) and shops which will bring jobs and bring people from other areas to visit. we dont need MORE housing just improve what we have alreaedy.
“how does calderon prove it? – an opinion does not equal proof. Oh, and how did you come up w/ the 80% number? Who’s talking out his “azz” now?!!”
i am a grown man and admit most of the crap that spews from my brain ends up shooting out my bum. and i am ok with that. are you?
“i am a grown man and admit most of the crap that spews from my brain ends up shooting out my bum. and i am ok with that. are you”
uhh – not really – especially because I have lived in this area and still own a condo here – so I may have a little more insight into this area… however, I am grown up enough to realize that this discussion should be redirected to real estate topics…
98% of the vintage gone.
just a house.
next
Agreed. Did the major 94/95 rehab strip away all that was lovely about the house? I have a special soft spot for southside vintage homes and their amazing intact woodwork…but this place has neither the original detailing nor the location.
Chris (tfo) — been posting here a few years (just not often)
clio — your debate-club shtick is old and tired and I cringed when I read you were a fellow uchicago alum.
Chris – Point well taken. Too bad this site doesn’t indicate if a name has already been taken…
Clio is full of it. If Clio actually had a place in HP Clio would know that it’s called the Golden Rectangle and goes from the IC tracks to campus.
I have a white female friend who lives near here and takes the bus to the el – no problems. The IC (Metra Electric District) isn’t too far from here, though 47th has limited service compared to the rest of HP.
“If Clio actually had a place in HP Clio would know that it’s called the Golden Rectangle and goes from the IC tracks to campus.”
1. He described a rectangle, even tho he typed triangle, so that’s hardly dispositive.
2. His description compared to yours only excludes Harper, which isn’t unreasonable.
3. Given the totality of the evidence, do you really doubt his Lab Skool pedigree?
The fact that Clio trumps it up so much and gets it even a little wrong says phony to me.
“The fact that Clio trumps it up so much and gets it even a little wrong says phony to me.”
Maybe. But well researched on the person being impersonated.
Maybe it’s one of his kids. Or his gardener.
I ignore the posts of ‘personages’ who don’t seem believable….
OK – the site isn’t about me – but once again I have to stress that I have NEVER lied about anything I have written. I DO have a place on Kenwood and 58th – the ONLY thing that I was slightly deceptive about was that the condo was initially bought by my parents in the name of their children (as we were the only ones that lived there when we attended lab school) – so, although I still am co-owner, I didn’t buy it myself. There – the only “untruth” I have told is now explained. Everything else is 100% true!!
Now let’s stop analyzing my life and get back to the real estate discussion!!!
One year later and a the asking gets nudged up to #399,900