You Can Still Find Contemporary New Construction Under $400K: 1214 N. Rockwell in West Town
This new 4-bedroom contemporary single family home at 1214 N. Rockwell in West Town (the East Humboldt Park neighborhood) is unique for several reasons.
It is both a single family home (in an area where new multi-unit developments, until recently, were king) and it is priced under $400,000.
The house is described in the listing as a “Smart Tech Home”.
It has flaxseed sealed oak hardwood floors and an Eco burning fireplace. They used no VOC paint.
The listing says it has “endless LEED appointments.”
3 of the 4 bedrooms are on the second floor with the fourth on the main floor.
It has a floating staircase and the bathrooms have vessel bowl sinks.
There is a 2-car garage on a 24×102 lot.
From the County Assessor pictures, it appears this was just an empty lot before the house was built.
Is this an attractive price for a new 2400 square foot home?
Karen Biazar at North Clybourn Group has the listing. See the pictures here.
1214 N. Rockwell: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 car garage, 2400 square feet
- Sold in June 2007 for $300,000
- Lis pendens filed in December 2008
- Bank owned in September 2009
- Sold in September 2009 for $41,000
- Currently listed for $369,000
- Taxes are “new”
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 15×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 14×9 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 10×10 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 8×10 (main floor)
Wow, this is one ugly-ass house.
Where is the front door?
I give it a thumbs up for not being obnoxiously large.
Perception is reality, and my perception is that I would not feel safe living there. No sale, for me.
“Where is the front door?”
It’s modern…. it doesn’t have a front door.
Aesthetically from the outside, I find it very unappealing. The inside I find cold. You’re gonna need a good decorator to make this place warm up. Maybe to the right buyer you could get $299-319 for the place.
“Wicker on November 22nd, 2010 at 11:28 am
Perception is reality, and my perception is that I would not feel safe living there. No sale, for me.”
Why? Based on your handle, I assume you live in Wicker Park? When people make knee jerk comments like this, I can’t help but feel like it comes down to the color/socioeconomics of the people who live in the neighborhood (both of which are very diverse in HP). Because from what I can tell, a person is WAY more likely to get mugged/beat up/sexually assaulted in Wicker Park than in Humboldt Park. As far as I know, there is very VERY little stranger crime in East Humboldt Park. I (tiny white girl) feel very, very comfortable arriving home late a couple blocks from this place, but I watch my a$$ if I’m walking through WP.
For the price thats a pretty solid deal for a new house with a 3/4 size lot and garage. The hood still needs some work but if I was a bit of a pioneer i could easily make it work although living right on the alley like that isn’t good
“Aesthetically from the outside, I find it very unappealing. The inside I find cold. You’re gonna need a good decorator to make this place warm up. Maybe to the right buyer you could get $299-319 for the place.”
It’s a brand new SFH in an almost acceptable location. $299 would be super cheap. Bet it closes fairly quickly north of $350k.
From other thread: “I am not sure how the builder could build this for just over $300k sell it and still make a profit, unless it’s distressed.”
Couple possibles:
1. Experimental building, seeing how cheaply they can do it and with only the intent of perfecting building processes and breaking even.
2. Make work to keep the crew busy and only trying to break even.
3. Grants of some sort?
$125psf for a basic build (which this certainly is) isn’t impossible by any means, and any reduction below that–definitely possible–is profit.
the scourge of the vessel sink continues…
This certainly isn’t an expensive buildout. Although I do like the finishes. Who gives a crap if some italian or chinaman built it 😉 as long as its built well
I was actually going to put the same bathroom vanities cabinets + mirrors/med cabinet + faucets & lights, in my house and I know for a fact they can be found on amazon.com for about $1400
“$125psf for a basic build (which this certainly is) isn’t impossible by any means, and any reduction below that–definitely possible–is profit.”
You fail to consider the price of land.
Why do people hate vessel sinks? I don’t get it.
Unless you’re a midget, they seem like an improvement to me.
I’m gonna go ahead and say the land is worth, ohhhhhhhhhhhh, $41k, Clio.
I’d gladly pay $100M more and live in a $100M better location. The home is basic but a good example of no-frills contemporary living. It’s certainly better than the alternatives with similar pricing – old crappy bungalows with tons of teeny rooms.
“Tipster on November 22nd, 2010 at 11:19 am
Where is the front door?”
Side entry. MUCH preferred over front entry on a standard city lot, IMHO.
Hi chimaki –
Is that true that this lot would be worth 41K? Or were you just joking? I was looking at a few teardowns which came up for sale recently around Central Park Avenue, west of Logan Square in the 50 – 60K range. Taxes were between 4 – 6K. If you could get a lot that cheaply, would it be worth it to tear down the existing house and sit on the empty lot until values rose? Is 50K a deal for the lot? I have someone who can demolish the house for 15K.
Google street view still shows it as an empty lot if anyone wants to see it.
The comment was that it seemed to be an empty lot before construction. Since it sold for $41k, it’s a safe assumption that the sale was for land.
Buying and tearing down, then leaving an empty lot in an urban area is a tricky business. They collect trash in a heartbeat, even with fences up. Then you have to deal with the City ticketing the owner for cleanup. Gotta ask if it’s worth the hassle to wait umpteen years until someone’s willing to pay.
Location – Fail.
Definitely an attractive price, perhaps too attractive. I am also puzzled how it could turn a profit. Will go under contract very quickly (though not necessarily close very quickly).
Land in/near Humboldt Park should be negatively priced. The city should pay you to build there.
I’m with Bradford, I like vessel sinks as long as there’s still usable counter space around them.
“The city should pay you to build there.”
This is the problem with this country. People think the government has this bottomless supply of money without realizing that all of the money comes from US!!!! So basically, you are saying that WE should pay for people to build in this area.
““The city should pay you to build there.””
no, sir dense-a-lot
he means the area sucks so the city should pay you to build there because otherwise it would be an urban farmland
gah misquoted, my comment was directed to clio
Clio: look up the meaning of “facetious”.
duhhhh – I know what he meant – but my comment was aimed at the ease at which these type of comments come out of most of us (without realizing that we ARE the government and all of the money government has is from us). You would be surprised at how many people out forget that WE are the ones funding most of what the city/state/country does.
“You would be surprised at how many people out forget that WE are the ones funding most of what the city/state/country does.”
oh yeah I forgot, everyone in your world is rich
New flash chief… not everyone pays lots of taxes so lots of people just want handouts
“New flash chief… not everyone pays lots of taxes so lots of people just want handouts”
uhhhhh really….duhhhhh… I am so stupid, I didn’t realize that before. Thanks for that clarification.
Also let me add that I like the size of this place, not too big, not too small either. I wish they would have shown some of the outside patches of grass and if there are any balconies/patios or rooftop decks
“I wish they would have shown some of the outside patches of grass and if there are any balconies/patios or rooftop decks”
FYI, photo #16 on the redfin link has a picture of the yard. It’s not the best picture but it looks like there is some space back there.
ah i didn’t notice photo #16! thanks
Vessel sinks are not elementary-aged kid friendly, and to me they look difficult to keep clean, but maybe that’s just cos I’m married to a guy who tends to splash a lot of water around when he washes his face/shaves.
“maybe that’s just cos I’m married to a guy who tends to splash a lot of water around when he washes his face/shaves.”
I used to be that guy until I started shaving in the shower a few years ago. Much better!
Re: the sinks…
They’re the same amount of cleaning as a regular sink. You don’t use the outside of the sink, just the inside. O.o If anything, they get less dirty because they’re closer to the water source.
I vastly prefer undermount sinks because I’m splashy and so is Mrs. Villager, she despises these things much more, although the design here is one of the more usable ones out there.
“Why do people hate vessel sinks? I don’t get it.”
shaving in the shower is great, I can’t imagine shaving at the sink!
Bradford, what about the wierd nook behind them? I’d think that would catch all sortsa crap and be difficult to reach.
will try this newfangled idea…
“shaving in the shower is great, I can’t imagine shaving at the sink!”
I guess I’ll be the first to point out that the exterior of this place is butt ugly. Even irredeemably ugly. And I’m normally down with the Modern.
Shower shaving is the way to go. Just bought a new shower mirror at target this weekend, as a matter of fact.
Interesting place, I think the builder will get his number. Most of the people who criticize Humboldt Park have probably never been there. And even if you don’t like the area you can’t question the numbers: check out the sold single fam data on Redfin, there are buyers in that range in E HP.
ChiBuilder: You are correct, and really $350k ends up a good price for a brand new house. I actually like, and frequent, a few shops in the neighborhood but I couldn’t see living there, yet.
I live near Humboldt Park and I’m quite sure this particular location sucks.
This pretty much sums it up: http://www.loumalnatis.com/Locations/Delivery.aspx?ID=4
Zoom out. LOL.
argh – why is my comment still awaiting moderation? More importantly, why do so many people speak authoritatively on HP while clearly having VERY little knowledge off it?!
“Interesting place, I think the builder will get his number. Most of the people who criticize Humboldt Park have probably never been there. And even if you don’t like the area you can’t question the numbers: check out the sold single fam data on Redfin, there are buyers in that range in E HP.”
“I live near Humboldt Park and I’m quite sure this particular location sucks.”
It can be true that this location is highly suboptimal but that the builder will get close to ask. He’s not asking a lot of the land, he’s not pricing as if he got a steal on the land and is asking for a big premium on it. I’ve been around here, would not live here even for free, but think that other people will buy at close to list.
I agree that the pricing is right. It will sell. I just wouldn’t live here. I’d much rather pay an extra $150k and plop the same house over nearer to East Village.
I’m actually going to go see the Rockwell place tonight just to see what the build quality is like.
Agreed that the location sucks (and that Malnati’s delivery map is hysterical), but if — IF — this area gets better, this would be a great investment. As it stands now, it still seems like a pretty good deal — definitely priced for the location it’s in.
Let us know Brandford. It does kind of scream trouble in the immediate area with the pricing. I wouldn’t want a place on the alley in the Green Zone, an alley in Humboldt may be ok but may also be the one thing scarier to Clio than driving down Western at Grand. They may have to price it quick before the windows are gone and it’s painted more to the liking of the neighbors.
I’m not bashing Humboldt as a whole, but it’s certainly a neighborhood you’re going to need thorough investigation of the immediate blocks before making a decision.
This home is missing two things to make it perfect:
1) Bars on the windows;
2) An extensive electronic security system.
HD, it actually has both (in the back, and all over, respectively).
So I guess it’s perfect!!
(I can’t believe no one has mentioned the proximity to the high end wine store across the street.)
Vessel sinks give me a “forward to the past” vibe. They always remind me of the Victorian era, when a bedroom would have a bowl (with matching pitcher) atop a dresser or table. No thanks; I prefer modern plumbing!
The facade is harsh and unappealing. May I suggest the addition of AWNINGS to “soften” the look of the place and also enhance its “green” cred? (Awnings vs. Central Air in summer – discuss).
ChiTownGal: Hah, when I was looking at a few places this week I was thinking that I’d immediately add awnings to a few of them, if only for aesthetic reasons. There was a place in Beverley shown here a while back that had these gorgeous royal blue awnings over every window – which is what I recall about the place.
+1 Awnings. Not sure how much they help vs. having central air.
Bradford – curious to hear you thoughts on the rockwell place you saw last night.
I checked out the subject property last night. It’s a $370M house. I think the use of space and finish selections for the price point were intelligent. The home’s on a 100′ lot. If I were building it on a 125′ lot I’d stretch the floor plan a bit to get more space in the dining room and the master bedroom. For the footprint, to get 3BR, 2BA up is impressive, and for the size of the home the BR sizes were decent. The first floor is kitchen, dining, living all in one space, with a BR/Office in the back. I think that’s a good floor plan for the way people live today. (Except some of the luddites on Cribhater, of course)
Quality seemed OK for the price point. Ikea cabinets, attractive ceramic/subway tiles in the bathrooms. Door hardware seemed OK. The one point of contention for me would be the stairs – the treads are not thick enough. I weigh 200 pounds and I could feel them flex. Also, the exterior sides and rear of the house are Hardiboard, which is great, but not in the usual application with long horizontal overlapping “siding”. The Hardiboard is hung like drywall, with large sheets end to end. Wholly functional but not very attractive at all. I know it’s not Dryvit, but it looks like Dryvit, and that’s not a very positive thing to me. You could easily paint it black to reduce the appearance, but that’s probably not the best plan for summer heat control.
There was a letter from an efficiency inspector in the promo package stating that the home was the tightest sealed home he’d ever inspected, and indeed it did feel quite cozy, even in the basement. The basement floor was not radiant heat as I’d expected in a “green” home, but at this price point, it’s all about picking your spots.
Anyway – they can build this house for $300M on any lot in the city. That’s interesting. I’d scale it up a bit.
Bradford did you catch the developer company’s name?
Bradford – seriously great post, many thanks.
The developer is Smart Tech Homes. They don’t have a website but “they’re working on it”.
They’ve done another one (sold) on Artesian (1300-1400N?) and they’ve got another few lots in the same general area. Everything’s west of Western (hence the pricing). Putting the same home on a $300M lot certainly loses a lot of appeal. If you can manage to find a decent lot in the $200M range though, you could have something…
Thanks Bradford – great info!
very interesting indeed that you can get a modern, efficient and practical house with 2400 sqft + basement + garage for about $125 a sqft. I’ll have to keep these guys in mind if I ever find a good deal on a lot 8)
I wouldn’t bet on Humboldt Park gentrifying… way to many scattered site ‘projects’ that aren’t going anywhere in the next 50+ years.
“If you can manage to find a decent lot in the $200M range though, you could have something…”
Agreed. Thanks for the info. Getting a low $200K lot in a nicer location, upgrading the finishes a bit, and getting a new place for $600K or so is appealing. If the build quality is decent.
I was of the understanding that a property of these dimensions, would cost at least $175 a sqft to construct, whats going on here they are doing it for $125.
I actually have an empty lot i’d like to do something with in uptown.
I think it’s probably 2400sf including the basement, just on a wild assed guess of “feel”. It’s a very short floorplan, but the space seems to be efficiently used. I can scan the floorplan to Sabrina…
I mean is there anyone that knows of a better deal that the cost these guys built the home for?
so you’re saying that each floor is only 20’x40′?
looks a lot bigger than that but you would know more than me having been in the place
I just can’t believe these guys are making any real money on this project.
Maybe they are just trying to see if they can develop an affordable ” infill” house thatcould be duplicated around the city?
actually it does look like the place could be like 16 or 17′ wide by 50′ deep so 2400 sqft would be including the basement
“I just can’t believe these guys are making any real money on this project.”
Maybe they’re not using unionized labor. Non-unionized labor is probably quite a bit cheaper these days.
Humboldt Park Resident: My apologies; I missed your original response to my comment. While I do spend some time in the general area (usually up and down Chicago for dining, or Division & California as I love Tipsy Cake and Maize), and I have good friends that live near that intersection, I have not lived in the area.
The reason is that my perception is that I’d be a bit more of a pioneer than I’d personally prefer here. I watch myself in Wicker (and yes I live there), just as I would at this location. Also frankly I’m one of those big fans of light rail and prefer to be closer to a stop.
I’m glad all is working well for you in the neighborhood, I’ll continue to visit, but I’m not certain how you could call the feeling that Humboldt Park isn’t safe a ‘kneejerk’ reaction. Especially the few blocks east of the park itself. This could not have been the first time you’ve heard of this reputation of the area.
What’s the best way to determine the safety of a neighborhood? My girlfriend wants to move out to West Town or Avondale but I’m not sure about those neighborhoods. Is there somewhere I can show her statistics on the area?
I like West Town a lot. I’d want to be east of Western or in the area immediately surrounding Smith Park though.
I’d also say go to the neighborhood, visit the stores and walk around. Start off from the place you’re thinking of living, walk the neighborhood.
What is the required set back on lot width? Or how wide of a house can you build on a 25′ lot? 30′ lot?
Definitely. My wife and I learned a lot more about the area immediately surrounding our place once we got a dog. I think the area bordered by Western, Division, Ashland, and Grand is a good value for SFRs.
Sammy G,
You can view the crime rate, with the district police station. Any area has its up and downs, but West Town seems to be a solid community.
“Wicker on November 23rd, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Humboldt Park Resident: My apologies; I missed your original response to my comment. While I do spend some time in the general area (usually up and down Chicago for dining, or Division & California as I love Tipsy Cake and Maize), and I have good friends that live near that intersection, I have not lived in the area.
The reason is that my perception is that I’d be a bit more of a pioneer than I’d personally prefer here. I watch myself in Wicker (and yes I live there), just as I would at this location. Also frankly I’m one of those big fans of light rail and prefer to be closer to a stop.
I’m glad all is working well for you in the neighborhood, I’ll continue to visit, but I’m not certain how you could call the feeling that Humboldt Park isn’t safe a ‘kneejerk’ reaction. Especially the few blocks east of the park itself. This could not have been the first time you’ve heard of this reputation of the area.”
It’s somewhat funny to me that people think moving to HP makes them “pioneers.” I moved to my current location (2 short blocks off of Rockwell/Division) 7 years ago, and I considered myself about 5 years behind the pioneers then.
Understood re public transport, which is not great in HP, but if someone who lives in WP thinks living in HP is too dangerous, then yes, that certainly seems kneejerk given the stranger crime in the two areas and that I’m pretty sure the statistics would bear me out that you’re generally safer in East HP than WP. And assuming that’s the case, it makes me think that calling oneself a “pioneer” means moving to an area with more brown/below-middle class people that one is used to, rather than moving to an area that is more dangerous. And if that’s actually the case, well…. it depresses me that things are still that way in this day and age. I’ve found my neighbors in HP far, far nicer than the rich young yuppies (which I actually prob qualify as) that drove me out of WP.
Also, if people think HP ain’t gentrifying, they’re not paying attention. I’m not thrilled that it is, but it is.
Sammy G;
you can get a general feel for any neighborhood by checking out the http://chicago.everyblock.com website. The site is fairly self explanatory. If you’re looking at a particular address for an area, you can look at a radius around that address.
for actual police data, you can go here;
http://gis.chicagopolice.org/
CLEARmap