Author: erik stonikas
Quote of the day: Sudler Sotheby's CEO gets a word in about his eviction notice
This week I called Sudler Sotheby's International Realty CEO Sergio Martinucci to get his angle on the eviction he was handed last week by a company o [...]
The homebuyer tax credit: it's growing!
In case you haven't heard, Congress has extended and expanded the home buyers tax credit. First-time buyers are still eligible for as much as $8,000, [...]
The nearly news: high-end Bronzeville
The most expensive home for sale in Bronzeville today is 3443 S Indiana St, built in 2007. This five-bedroom / 3.5-bath single-family home, markete [...]
FHA delays new condo rules, may avoid bottlenecks
Changes in the FHA approval process for condos that were supposed to go into effect this week have been delayed until December 7 (a day which will liv [...]
Conversions and Oakwood Shores: Bronzeville's dominant features
In this video, Coldwell Banker Realtor Clarence Thompson tells me about three distinct pricing areas within Bronzeville. Sixty-seven percent of the [...]
Query quintet: Five questions on the market with Coldwell Banker agent Danielle Olsen
Another stop I made in my West Loop open house tour yesterday was at 700 W Van Buren St, Unit #1102. The listing agent, Danielle Olsen of Coldwell B [...]
Finding new developments in Bronzeville and North Kenwood
Earlier this week, Clarence Thompson of Coldwell Banker took me around Bronzeville in Chicago's South Side, with a short visit to a street in North [...]
Catalpa Gardens finds the sweet spot
Catalpa Gardens' recent price reductions, combined with the first-time buyer tax credit and the availability of FHA-insured financing with as little [...]
Web presence: @properties.com
After hearing that Chicago-based brokerage @properties launched a new and enhanced Web site this week, I set out to explore it, engage it, and pass [...]
The most important thing: attorney Lloyd Gussis on appraisal reform
"You find a buyer out there, it's like gold in the mine," says Chicago real-estate attorney Lloyd Gussis, who talked to me recently about the changes [...]
Rock out in an Irving Park Loft
For authentic loft conversions in Chicago, places like the South Loop and River North stand out as go-to neighborhoods. After reading about the "Wil [...]
East vs. West at Grand Plaza
In 2005, developer Near North Properties sold the Grand Plaza's west tower at 545 N Dearborn St to Jaeger Equities. Two years later, NNP sold the ea [...]
Name the nabe where the caged bird-man sings
Where in Chicago can you see this statue of a man in a suit of feathers? Be the first to name the nabe of the caged bird-man statue and win a YoChic [...]
Shorties in Avondale
The "short sale" is somewhere between a sale and a foreclosure. Similar to a common sale, a short sale is listed and marketed by a homeowner or brok [...]
Web presence: Shoemaker Lofts
To get an update on the Shoemaker Lofts in Avondale, I got in touch with Steve Samules of Dubin Residential, who heads up sales for the project at 3 [...]
Convenience for you is a safe bet for lenders
On October 23rd, the Metropolitan Planning Council, in partnership with the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Plan [...]
Pearson on the Park interrupted
Crain's reported in July that the converted high-rise Pearson on the Park, 222 E Pearson St, was facing foreclosure. Today I followed up with with Pam [...]
Avondale's uncommon amenities
View Avondale amenities in a larger map
The Avondale community area was once home to the one-of-a-kind Olson Park and Waterfall, one of the city's "S [...]
Five easy pieces: Gale Goldstick of Coldwell Banker
In an effort to get the most substantive responses from our interviewees, we've honed the five questions of our ongoing "five easy pieces" feature. [...]
Neighborhoods for the rest of us: Avondale's Polish Patches
Driving along North Milwaukee Avenue through Jackowo and Wacławowo in Avondale, it's hard not to notice the signs above every storefront. Nearly eve [...]