Update on Our Favorite Barry Units: 708 W. Barry
We’ve chattered about these two condos at 708 W. Barry in Lakeview several times in the last few months.
But some good news: one of them is finally under contract!
Both have been reduced since we last chattered about them in May.
Unit #1R: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1200 square feet
- Sold in November 2005 for $454,500
- Was listed in March 2008 for $489,900 which includes two parking spaces that are NOT tandem
- Was still listed in May 2008 for $489,900
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $484,900
- Assessments of $149 a month
- Taxes of $5500
- Select Properties, Inc. GMAC Re has the listing
Unit #4F– the one with the private rooftop deck- is under contract.
Unit #4F: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths
- Sold in September 2005 for $494,000
- Was listed in March 2008 at $499,900 (parking included)
- Reduced
- Was listed in May 2008 for $489,900
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $476,900 (parking included)
- Under Contract
- Assessments of $190 a month
- Taxes of $7,357
- @Properties has the listing
I was just strolling past that place the other day, and stopped to consider it.
And I still say the ceilings are TOO LOW. Those are not 9′ ceilings. Those are barely 8′.
Laura:
How else would they get 5 floors in under the height limits? They’d have to cheat on the ceiling heights to fit that 5th floor (and the cornice!) under whatever applies over there, no?
The ceilings? Again? We own and live in one of the units in this building (not for sale) and I’m telling you – they’re 8’5″ in the kitchen/great room – I measured after the last time this came up.
Its a nice building full of good people, glad to see 4F go to contract!
City only measures height (for zoning anyway) to the underside of the top floor’s roof joist — parapet walls/ cornices / chimney / elevator and stair enclosures can all go over that number. The height limit in R5 (which this probably is) is 45 feet. the first floor is slightly below grade (3 feet – 4 feet), so they can all be pretty close to 9′ ceilings and still have 8″ or so for the joists between floors.
I’m so glad I’m only 5’6″ tall. It expands my horizons, residentially, immeasurably!
I have 9.5 foot ceilings, and they have always struck me as super duper high. Knock a foot off and I’m sure it would be no big. Then again, I grew up in a house built in the 1970’s, that I’m sure must have had low ceilings for the energy savings, so maybe its just what I’m used to. But the energy savings IS significant, and I think people could easily get used to it again.
I am the one who has the contract. The seller let me in again a few weeks ago because I wanted to have california closets & some other people come in to take measurements so I could start ordering stuff. The exact ceiling height is 100″ per their measurement. The closets aren’t any higher than the rest of the place. It’s 100″ aka 8’4″. Perhaps there are minor variations between the 4th floor and Steve’s floor (8’5″). Anyway, the closing is in a week! Also btw, I read the previous blog’s comments on the price of this and just fyi – there were 2 places that just closed on Barry (like 5 properties down) for 468 & 470 with smaller living rooms & 1 even had outdoor parking. The bedrooms & closets were bigger in these though. They had balconies, but neither had a private roof deck like this one. So it’s not really overpriced at this point…just a matter trade-offs (do you want big bedrooms or a big LR?). I think the oddly high taxes were turning people off but the problem is that no exemption was filed…but it can be done retro. Anyway, you can see what I paid in a few weeks on the MLS I suppose…I should probably not post it online until everything is settled. And hi to my new neighbor, Steve. See ya soon!!
4F: Thanks for the update and for setting us straight on the ceiling height.
The rooftop deck is certainly a nice feature of this property and not something you see every day (especially at this price point.)
I’ll be looking for the closing price!
Sure – I thought it was really cool this was one of your favorite Barry properties. This blog has been really great to read while I was searching.