The recently-listed, recently-rehabbed 5-bedroom, 3-bath bungalow at 8220 S Prairie Ave in Chatham boasts of “everything new” – and promises buyers “new a/c at closing.”
The home, on a classic tree-lined Chatham block with broad grassy parkways, is listed for sale at $204,900. As recently as 4 years ago it carried a $412,800 mortgage. That mortgage was foreclosed and the home sold to a rehabber for $61,000 in April of this year.
If you’ve been reading the news recently, the “new a/c at closing” will come as no surprise. There’s been a rash of central air-conditioning vandalism and thefts recently, on the South side and in Chicago suburbs. This isn’t a new phenomenon, as you can see from this company’s seasonal promotion, which notes the rising price of copper.
Thefts from new and newly-rehabbed properties are common throughout Chicagoland. Several years ago thieves were stealing the appliances from new homes in Northbrook. And just several months back I delayed a video shoot at a home in Kenilworth because the kitchen had been stripped of its recently-installed granite countertops!
Home vandalism is nothing new. “new a/c at closing” is nothing new, this practice has been going on for decades. It is just smart business and removes the risk. I’ve been in business for 31 years. It didn’t take long before we started this practice and we do it in all areas. We do a lot of business in Chatham and can say it is one of the safest neighborhoods on the south side.