Chitownproperty

Two-level three bedroom, three bath Lakeview condo

Price: $575,000
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Gorgeous and enormous two-level 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom condo in Lakeview. Recently built, this home has all the best finishes and tremendous space. The kitchen has cherry cabinets, granite countertops, stainless appliances, a pantry and a breakfast bar that opens to the living/dining room. The gracious master suite has ample closet space, a balcony and a luxurious bath with a whirlpool tub, separate shower and double bowl sink finished in cherry and marble. The second bedroom and second full bath are conveniently located on this top level as well. An upgraded hardwood staircase leads you down to the large but cozy family room with hardwood floors, a walk-out patio and fireplace. The third large bedroom and nicely finished bath are located on this level. The home comes complete with an attached garage space. The location is the best of both worlds. Although it’s situated on a quiet tree-lined street, the Lakeview neighborhood has everything to offer: bars and restaurants, shops, Wrigley Field and convenient transportation with the el steps away. This home truly has everything!

Modern triplex with huge private deck

Price: $465,000
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Take advantage of this rare opportunity to own this modern loft-like triplex with a Huge 400 sqft PRIVATE deck! Walk through your own private entrance to find a stone foyer welcoming you to the main floor of this three level home. On this level, you’ll find the decedent powder room, the gorgeous kitchen overlooking the living/dining room and leading to the huge private rooftop deck. The kitchen is finished flawlessly with maple cabinets, granite counters and stainless steel appliances, backsplash and island countertop. The entire 3rd level is a luxurious master suite with walk-in closet, stone bathroom, whirlpool tub, separate shower and a balcony. The lower level has a homey family room, 2nd bedroom, 2nd full bathroom and a patio. Hardwood floors throughout, laundry in unit and garage parking finish off this unique home located on a quite tree-lined street close to nightlife, parks & transportation.

South Loop walk-up condo

Price: $384,900
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Upgrades galore in this beautiful 1520 square foot condo in the heart of the South Loop! One of few walk-up buildings in the area, this condo has an expansive sunken living area which includes a gas fireplace, bay window and Juliet balcony. Beautifully finished kitchen with cherry cabinets, granite counters and stainless steel appliances, overlooking the huge dining room and living space. Hardwood floors throughout, crown molding, luxurious stone baths. Large master bedroom with balcony and walk-in closet, Jacuzzi tub, separate shower and dual vanities. Deep closet off of the hallway, which sellers have turned into an office with built-in desk. Tall ceilings, laundry in unit and secured parking included. Professionally managed, this condo has it all!

Lincoln Park penthouse

Price: $200,000
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Fall in love with this incredible west-facing, penthouse condo in the popular Hemingway house. This updated convertible studio has beautiful city views. The newly upgraded kitchen boasts custom cherry cabinets, wood floors, new countertops and dishwasher. All of the closets throughout have been professionally organized. The newly remodeled bathroom includes stone tiles and a European height vanity with new fixtures, sink and medicine cabinet. Building amenities include an outdoor swimming pool with sundeck, bike rooms, storage, parking garage and laundry room. Conveniently located across from the Lincoln Park Zoo. You’ll adore living in this location with the ease of being just steps to Lake Michigan, shopping, restaurants, nightlife, convenient access to Lake Shore Drive and more. This won’t last long!!!!

Two bedroom Ravenswood rehab condo

Price: $250,000 + 15K parking
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This recently rehabbed condo in hot Ravenswood features an art deco exterior and modern interior. Large room sizes make up a wonderful floorplan. This bright condo shows like a model with gleaming hardwood floors, fresh paint and up-dated features including a jacuzzi tub and in-unit washer and dryer. All rooms overlook the beautifully landscaped grounds. This condo has excellent interior storage as well as a huge storage locker in the basement. Centrally located – one block to the Metra stop and four blocks to the El.

2 bed, 1 bath vintage renovation in East Lakeview

Price: $349,900
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Situated on a quiet street in the heart of East Lakeview, this absolutely stunning, spacious and completely renovated top floor condo is the perfect home. The welcoming front room consists of a large living area with bay windows plus a dining area. This home also boasts a huge family room adjacent to the kitchen, which could also be used as a formal dining room. The brand new kitchen boasts cherry cabinets, stainless steal appliances and granite counter tops and an eat-in area. There is an also enclosed porch in the rear of the unit that is flooded with light and perfect for an exercise room or office. Additional storage, in-unit laundry and central air complete this spacious home. The charming vintage building has a beautifully landscaped yard. There is a designated rental parking spot in the lot next door for $200 per month. Steps to the lakefront, public transportation and wonderful shops and restaurants, this beautiful home has it all!

Two bed, two bath Wicker Park condo

Price: $389,900
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Wide and large beautiful home on a quite tree-lined street near all that Wicker Park has to offer… bars, restaurants, shopping and transportation. The living/dining room is much bigger than average the average 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom condo and easily accommodates a large dining room table. The kitchen has new stainless steel appliances, gorgeous granite, maple cabinets and is open to the living room but delineated by big dramatic archways. The bedrooms are both big and have ample closet space. The large deck is perfect for entertaining and is accessible from the hallway and master bedroom. Laundry in unit, custom paint, extra storage & garage are all included. This is a big and beautiful place to call home.

Two combined units, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths in the West Loop’s premier building

Price: $589,900
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Situated in one of the West Loop’s most luxurious buildings, this rare 2100 square foot penthouse, 3 bed, 2 1/2 bath home is one of only two combined units in the building. A welcoming foyer leads you to an expansive great room. An open kitchen with oversized island, 42” maple cabinets, granite and upgraded stainless steel appliances overlooks the living and dining areas with a gas fireplace, balcony and a tremendous curved wall of windows displaying beautiful city views. Massive and private master suite with two walk-in closets, second balcony and master bath with double vanity and oversized shower. Large utility room with side by side w/d, extra storage, and dual zone high efficiency mechanicals. Two adjacent parking spots and an over-sized storage locker are included. Building amenities: 24 hour door person, exercise facility, business center, dry cleaners, receiving room, bike room, rooftop deck and on-site management. Steps to El, buses, & fantastic restaurants.

Corner loft in Bucktown

Price: $349,900 + $20K parking
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Loft living at its best in this outstanding 1431 square foot corner loft. Huge windows line the exposed brick walls of this corner unit providing amazing light. The “above and beyond” Chef’s kitchen boasts beautiful 42” cabinets, 1 1/4” granite counters, Jenn-Air stainless steel appliances, oversized breakfast bar and over-looks the large living/dining space. It’s open floorplan and ample dining space is perfect for entertaining. Both bedrooms are oversized have large windows and are on opposite sides of the unit for privacy. The master has huge a walk-in closet, new carpet and double bowl vanity. This home has new hardwood floors, fireplace, high ceilings, in-unit laundry, balcony off the living space and parking for an additional $20K. Located in a charming loft building with an elevator, common roof top deck, extra storage and secured entrance, it’s close to the el and everything Bucktown has to offer. Unbelievable deal!

One bed, one bath new rehab in Andersonville

Price: $239,900
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Beautiful 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom home in a newly rehabbed building. Open the front door to a welcoming foyer, leading to a large living room with bay windows. The separate dining room is ample and versatile. The granite bath is gorgeous and located next to the bedroom for a master suite feel. The upgraded kitchen includes 42 inch maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops. A great private deck is located off the kitchen and steps from the huge landscaped common patio. Custom paint, hardwood floors, in unit laundry and extra storage complete the package for a beautiful home on a tree-lined street steps from the restaurants and shops of Andersonville and the Ravenswood Metra stop!

Maybe you didn’t even realize you could do this, but almost all furnaces have an adjustable humidifier that you can set according to the indoor temperature to make things more comfortable, and maybe even cut down on those nasty winter static shocks. Some models just let you control the amount of water going into the humidifier, but many allow you set a precise temperature. At WGN’s Weather Blog, Tom Skilling says a proper setting is about half the indoor temperature (i.e. 35 for a thermostat set at 70 degrees F), though most people find that 35 to 40 percent is comfortable. Levels higher than 60 percent can cause condensationon on windows.

Continuing our theme of energy-saving measures, here are two stories from the Sun-Times about upgrading two major appliances, your furnace and dishwasher, to newer, more efficient models that could save you a bundle on your gas, electricity, and water bills this year.

Three bedroom, three bath Wicker Park duplex with Victorian touches

Price: $450,000
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Located in historic Wickerpark within a landmarked building, this absolutely charming 3 bedroom & 3 bath duplex has it all. Gut rehabbed in 2001, the Victorian charm is preserved with the original wood work, hardwood floors and large glass windows & doors. An up-dated kitchen features: 42” maple cabinets, granite counters, oversized island, & stainless steel appliances. A family room is located next to the kitchen as well as a newly enclosed 3-season porch which leads to a large deck perfect for entertaining. The 2nd bedroom is conveniently located on this level next to the 2nd full bath. The huge master suite on the lower level has an over-sized walk-in closet, Jacuzzi tub and separate shower. A recreation room is located on the lower level and leads to the third bathroom and third bedroom which is ideal for a small bedroom or office. With generous closet space throughout, washer/dryer within a large utility room and a secured parking space, this condo really feels like a home.

Despite valiant attempts by the Illinois House of Representatives to reinstate the freeze on electricity rates from ComEd, Chicagoans should be bracing for at least a 25 percent hike in their bills this month. The House passed a measure to freeze ComEd’s rates another three years, after the utility company held an auction late last year to set the price for electricity after a previous 10-year ban expired. But the bill still needs to pass the Senate, where it faces stiff opposition and isn’t likely to even come to a vote.

One widespread suggestion to help homeowner save on energy is to replace standard incandescent light bulbs with new, more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorscents are those funky corkscrew-shaped bulbs, but despite their strange looks, they use 75 percent less energy, can last up to 10 years, and on average save you $30 over the life of the bulb.

These new bulbs are pricey–they cost around $5 each–but it’s the right thing to do, both to save you money and do your share to conserve energy. Matt has been on a mission to replace all the bulbs in his and Debbie’s townhome, and we wanted to share some of the results:

• Not all compact fluorescent bulbs can be used with a dimmer, so if you want to do this, make sure you buy ones that specifically say they are dimmable. The standard bulbs will buzz and flicker unless the dimmer is set at the highest level, which of course defeats the whole purpose.
• Compact fluorescents come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including globes and floodlight/can style bulbs, so if you aren’t wild about that corkscrew shape, shop around for your tastes.
• Test out one bulb before you buy for the whole house. Fluorescent lights normally give off a more white, sterile light like what we expect in offices and retail stores, and cheaper brands of the compact bulbs don’t improve this much. Spend some money on the name brands. Matt found that GE bulbs have a nice, yellow glow that is indistinguishable from incandescents.
• The compact fluorescents are larger than incandescent bulbs, so they may not fit in tight spaces like lamps, ceiling fans, closet lights, etc. Again, test one or two first. Concentrate on putting new bulbs in your high traffic areas because you probably won’t be able to fit them everywhere.
• Finally, compact flourescents don’t light up immediately when you flip the switch, and may need to warm up a few minutes before they hit full strength. This takes some getting used to, but if you use the right wattage, you’ll never notice the difference.

Last year was a time of adjustment, as the once-hot real estate market cooled off and settled back at much more reasonable levels. The latter part of the year was confusing and frustrating to both sellers and buyers, as expectations about home prices varied wildly. Buyers, encouraged by news reports of desperate sellers willing to do anything to sell their homes, perhaps expected a little too much at the bargaining table. Conversely, many sellers were reluctant to reconsider their asking prices with the memory of 15-20 percent profits from recent years still fresh in their minds.

The new year means the beginning of the annual “Spring Market,” when buyers and sellers, freed of hectic holiday schedules, jump into the housing market with both feet. Inventory will be up, and eager buyers will be hitting the streets in force. Unfortunately, this could mean more differences in expectations. Sellers who have been waiting for the new year to market their place will likely continue asking for top dollar, as hopes of a new year and new market bolster their opinion of value. And buyers, exhausted by holiday spending and still in tune to reports of the changing market, will still be looking for deals.

If you’re shopping for a home, be willing to pay what a home is really worth, and don’t expect a seller to take a bath. If you like a place, chances are someone else does too, and you don’t want to lose it just because you like to drive a hard bargain. Likewise sellers, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. How much would you pay for your home now? How does it compare to recent sales in your neighborhood? Does the data support your asking price? If you can afford to hold out for that top price, then do so, but the longer it stays on the market, the more you might need to reconsider your options.

We can only suggest realism in this environment. If you’re honest with yourself about true value of a home, you won’t regret your decision to buy or sell. Good luck in the new year from the Chitownproperty team, and happy house hunting.