Are Smart Cars the new plasma TVs? The Macon Group is offering free Smart Cars to buyers who sign contracts at before October 1 at Berteau Terrace, a 33-unit new-construction development at 2056 W Berteau Ave. This is the second Smart Car offer we’ve seen at a new-construction condo development in less than a year, so technically, that constitutes a trend.

The other Smart Car deal was offered by Bluewater Companies at 5430 Sheridan in October. That promotion wasn’t very successful, considering that there are currently three more condos on the market than there were when the offer was announced.

Berteau Terrace first appeared on the New Developments page of the Jameson Real Estate Web site earlier this summer, and the only information I have about the four-story building is what I’ve gleaned from around the Web. According to The Macon Group’s Web site, the development is aiming for LEED certification, and it will have 7,000 square feet of retail space and 58 parking spaces (or 116 Smart Car spaces, I suppose).

The only condo in the development that’s currently listed on the MLS is unit 212, a two-bedroom / one-bath unit that’s priced in the $270s, and parking spaces are priced at $30,000. The listing says that deliveries are scheduled for spring 2010.

Since I was up in Roscoe Village Tuesday, I figured I’d head a little farther north to check out the new construction scene in North Center and Lincoln Square. Since there’s not an abundance of new developments in either neighborhood, I figured I’d combine the two. Here’s what I found:

Since since the project was announced back in June of 2007, we’ve written quite a bit about Fountain View, Terra Firma’s green development at 2326 W Giddings St. It looks like Koenig & Strey’s Jennifer Mills is down to one last listing in the 18-unit building; a two-bedroom, two-bath in the $530s. The LEED Silver-certified development was recycled from 97 percent of the debris from the building that previously sat on the lot.

Three two-bedroom / two-bath units remain at 1937 W Diversey Pwky (right), all of which are priced in the $400s and $410s. The units are being listed by Property Consultants Realty, Inc.’s Anthony Zaskowski.

According to the listing, Century 21 M.B. Real Estate’s Blair Brozynski is “motivated and negotiable” with a three-bedroom / two-bath at 4313 N Western Ave he has listed in the in the $380s. The building also has a three-bedroom / three-bath in the $470s.

One unit remains at 5114 N Western Ave; a three-bedroom / two-bath in the $350s. Houseland Realty’s Mark Pieczka has the listing.

There’s one three-bedroom / 2.5-bath at 3045 N Clybourn Ave (both below), which was reduced from the $540s to $520s in early May. The unit comes with quartz countertops, a private roof deck and is wired for solar panels that would cost around $30,000 to purchase and install. Philip Soto of Jameson Real Estate has the listing.

To round out my open house tours this weekend I headed up north to check out Phase I of EcoNorth, a 16-unit development at 1842 W Irving Park Rd in North Center. One of the area’s few green developments, EcoNorth features ENERGY STAR-rated appliances, bamboo floors, dual-flush toilets, and a green roof (which you’ll see isn’t quite “green” yet). It’s also right next to the Irving Park Brown Line stop.

Baird & Warner agent Mary Jaeger told me all of of the homes are corner units, and each has two bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and span 1,250 to 1,335 square feet. Prices range from the $390s to the $450s.

As you’ll see from the video, not much progress has been made yet on the rest of the three-phase development, which is supposed to comprise 48 homes when finished.

Related posts:
• A first look at EcoNorth’s furnished model (March 27)
• Concept vs. execution: Phase 1 of EcoNorth (Dec. 5)

For most of the past year, the one constant message heard from condo developers is that, given the current market, it’s very difficult to get buyers to commit to purchasing a home based on floor plans and blueprints alone. That’s why it came as a surprise to find that Hibernian Builders is doing just that at 4037 N Damen Ave in North Center, where Hibernian is planning to build a 12-unit condo development. Right now, there’s just a surface-level parking lot at that address (shown above).

In the case of 4037 North Damen, buyers don’t have much more to go by than floor plans and the generic elevation rendering at right, but Coldwell Banker agent Patrick Devereux, who is marketing the project, says that isn’t holding buyers back.

Devereux is directing potential buyers to look at another recently-completed development from the same builder at 3534 N Hermitage Ave. In fact, the listings for 4037 North Damen show photos from that development. Buyers have made reservations on four of the 12 condos in the building, Devereux says, and that should be enough to get a loan, but he hopes to get a couple more contracts before ground breaks.

All of the homes have three bedrooms and two baths, and prices range from the $390s to the $540s. According to the listings, it will cost buyers $2,500 to reserve a unit.

This evening, the developer will be hosting a meet-and-greet event at 1936 West Nelson, a single-family home that was built by Hibernian. The event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., and potential buyers will be able to meet the developer and look at floor plans an brochures, Devereux says.

NewHomeNotebook:
• Rate and review 4037 North Damen