Real estate news & trends

News from around the Web - 5/19

Latest news from YoChicago

Search posts
ChicagoNorth Side

New construction on the former site of California Estates

California Estates, Chicago

A 4-bedroom, 3 ½ bath proposed new construction home has just come on the market at 1820 N California Ave in Logan Square. The list price is $549,900. Some of you may recall that we wrote about this site, which was formerly known as California Estates, back in January. At ...

2 comments Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 18, 2012
ChicagoDowntown / Loop

A K2 at K Station construction update

K2 at K Station Chicago

My recent schedule has kept me from spending as much time as I would have liked to at K2 at K Station, which is under construction in the Fulton River District. I did stop by briefly on Wednesday to check on the project’s status. Crews were pouring the 6th floor ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 18, 2012
ChicagoSouth Side

Tour Beverly homes this weekend and meet Jack Simmerling

Heritage Gallery Chicago video

This weekend marks the 42nd Annual Beverly Hills / Morgan Park Home Tour. Six private homes and a historic church will be open for viewing Sunday, May 20, from 11 to 5. Tickets for the tour are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. From 1 to 3 on ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 18, 2012
ChicagoDowntown / Loop

Chicago new home sales down 90% from 5 years ago

View from 1020 S Wabash roofdeck

Five years ago we posted the following report: Sales of new homes downtown fell 46 percent during the first quarter, according to a story in Crain’s Chicago Business, which quoted a new report by Appraisal Research Counselors. Buyers signed contracts for 1,207 new homes downtown during the first quarter, a ...

1 comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 17, 2012
ChicagoDowntown / Loop

The South Loop, from the country’s hottest neighborhood to Chicago’s Las Vegas

Chicago Magazine cover image

When our then-editor Barry Pearce picked up his copy of the June 2007 issue of Chicago Magazine, he was “astounded … to learn that the South Loop is pretty much perfect.” The issue’s cover touted the neighborhood’s “booming real estate … hip restaurants … exploding population … Welcome to the ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 17, 2012

A song for Studs

Studs Terkel video

Studs Terkel, as probably everyone in Chicago knows, would have turned 100 today. Back in 2007 YoChicago attended the Studs Terkel Community Media Awards ceremony. Afterwards, the staff and board of the Community Media Workshop joined Studs on stage for a sing-along. The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Walz on banjo, Eric ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 16, 2012
ChicagoDowntown / Loop

Soap on a rope, high-rise edition

1133 Dearborn window washer

Some high-rise buildings have very elaborately engineered machinery for washing their windows. For some buildings, window washing is as simple as having a man rappel down the side of the building with a bucket of soap and water. As you can see from the following photo, the window washer is ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 16, 2012

Tour a colorful designer townhome in The Glen

1819 Admiral Court, The Glen, Glenview, IL

City living in the suburbs is how Missy Jerfita of Koenig & Strey describes this luxurious 4000 square foot, 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath townhome in The Glen in Glenview. The Glen is a complete neighborhood built on the former Glenview Naval Air Station base that includes parks, a lake, various housing, recreational ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by sponsored post on May 16, 2012
ChicagoDowntown / Loop

The views from Park Michigan apartments

View east from Park Michigan, Chicago

The international-style apartment tower at 1212 S Michigan Ave changed ownership recently, and has been renamed Park Michigan to emphasize its location across from Grant Park. In addition to the rebranding, the building is in the midst of a major makeover of its common area and in-unit amenities. One thing ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 16, 2012
ChicagoSouth Side

An eighty-five percent discount on an Englewood deal-of-the-day

Englewood Chicago

Five years ago we spotlighted a 3-bedroom, 2-bath condo for sale for $176,000 at 501 W 60Th Pl in Englewood as our deal-of-the-day. Unit 2E in the building, also a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, sold for $164,500 with 100% financing in November of 2004. It resold last September for $27,500 – 85% ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 16, 2012

How to find an experienced, professional rental agent

Amy Reynolds video

Our recently-launched YoRents service connects renters directly with quality landlords. Many renters, however, are daunted by the task of finding an apartment on their own, or unwilling to invest the time, and choose to work with a rental agent. That choice presents them with an even more daunting task: finding ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 15, 2012
News & trendsMarket conditions

Chicago Real Estate Daily now in its sixth year

Day in and day out the best real estate reporting in Chicago can be found at Crain’s Chicago Real Estate Daily. If you want to understand what’s happening and what’s trending in Chicago real estate, you’ll want to check in frequently with Crain’s. We link most of the articles on ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 15, 2012
ChicagoNorth Side

Why Katie likes living in Lake View

2850 North Sheridan video

Last week I shot video at 16 different rental properties in Evanston, Lake View and Rogers Park with BJB Evanston and BJB Properties. Whenever I’m shooting video at a property I like to talk to the residents about their experience living there. Most are reluctant to go on camera on ...

1 comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 15, 2012
ChicagoDowntown / Loop

215 West apartments paying top dollar to rental services

215 West apartments video

Anticipating a slow Mother’s Day, the 215 West apartment tower in the Loop sent an email blast on Saturday reminding rental services that it’s paying a higher than normal commission for renting some of its apartments: Hi Brokers! We don’t have many showings scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday) so I thought ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 14, 2012
ChicagoNorth Side

MLS-listed inventory up again in north lakefront neighborhoods

Belden-Stratford, Chicago

For the second week in a row the number of MLS-listed homes, apartments and condos in 6 north lakefront ZIP codes reached a new high since we began tracking earlier this year. There are currently 581 units listed for rent in the MLS from Lincoln Park north to Rogers Park. ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 14, 2012
ChicagoFar North

Lincoln Crossing, price destruction on a deal-of-the-day

Lincoln Crossing Chicago

Five years ago today our “deal of the day” spotlighted Lincoln Crossing, a 35-unit condo development at 5588 N Lincoln Ave in the Budlong Woods neighborhood of Lincoln Square. The developer was offering $20,000 discounts on one-bedrooms priced from the $260s and $30,000 discounts on 2-bedroom, 2-bath units starting at ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 14, 2012

domu offers excellent info for landlords, basement-dwelling hermits

I’m not a fan of domu’s rental search, despite its slick map-based interface and ease of use. I’d rather take a slower path to accurate, up-to-date information than domu’s quicker one to info that’s often stale and sometimes misleading. If you’re a renter, check out our at-a-glance apartments lists and ...

1 comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 14, 2012
ChicagoDowntown / Loop

A renovated Old Town oasis for $2.5M

1330 N Cleveland Chicago

Twenty-five years ago you could have bought the equivalent of several square blocks of the western part of Old Town for unpaid taxes totaling less than $100K. In the interim, the area bounded by Sedgwick, Division, North and Larrabee has been almost completely transformed. Chicago-based MCL Companies spurred development of ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 11, 2012
ChicagoNorthwest Side

Kimball Station sold to Inland affiliate

Kimball Station Chicago

It’s been almost exactly three years since we received word that Kimball Station, a 59-unit condo development in Albany Park, had converted to rentals. Although we’d been told at one point that 15 of the units were under contract, none ever closed. Crain’s has just reported that the project, which ...

1 comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 11, 2012
ChicagoFar North

North Beach Lofts resell at half of original price

Heartland Cafe

Five years ago today we were reporting that the 43-unit North Beach Lofts, 1225 W Morse Ave, was nearing a sellout, with only four units still available. A year later, in June of 2008, we were told that “only a couple of units were left.” Our reporter described the Rogers ...

Comment Read the full article →
Posted by Joe Zekas on May 11, 2012