Tag: Advice
Should you respond to a blind real estate employment ad?
You'll see quite a few ads at Craigslist for apartment leasing openings with leasing and management companies that go unnamed in the ad. You'll al [...]
A flood of bait-and-switch apartment ads at Craigslist
As winter approaches and the number of apartment-hunting renters drops, Chicago rental services typically ramp up their year-round efforts to floo [...]
Save on rent by referring a friend
Many of Chicago's managed apartment buildings offer "resident referral programs." The concept is simple: refer a friend who rents an apartment in [...]
Back to the future for River North boundaries
About twenty years ago we began reporting the boundaries of Chicago's River North neighborhood as follows:
The River North neighborhood is boun [...]
Earn $2,500 a week leasing apartments
If you consistently follow Craigslist help wanted ads for real estate you'll be struck by the recurring ads for a number of Chicago's rental servi [...]
Leasing agent with criminal record busted again
We've repeatedly warned renters and landlords about Chicago leasing agents who have criminal records.
If you're a landlord handing over the keys t [...]
Follow YoChicago on Flickr
We've visited virtually every corner of Chicago and its far-flung suburbs, and we've generally take pictures on our travels. The result: our netw [...]
Video – Tour twenty Lincoln Park apartment buildings
You can sit for half an hour at an apartment rental service waiting to repeat the information you've already given over the phone to a rookie agen [...]
What do rental service agents really earn at Live Here Chicago?
We've previously written about fraudulent reviews of Live Here Chicago, one of the rental services on our do-not-call list. We've also called atte [...]
The right way to find a Streeterville apartment
Quite a few Chicago renters share the misunderstanding that they'll save time by using a rental services a/k/a apartment finder a/k/a apartment lo [...]
CAR panel says it’s ethical to violate Illinois law
Last Thursday an Ethics Hearing Panel of the Professional Standards Committee of the Chicago Association of Realtors ("CAR") heard my complaint that a [...]
A time-saving way to search Craigslist apartment ads
A few months ago we identified the top 10 apartment ad spammers at Craigslist. As you might expect, they're all Chicago rental services a/k/a apar [...]
When Chicago rental services go into thug mode
Dishonest and illegal practices are a daily routine for many of the agents at Chicago's rental services.
We've spotlighted some of the thing [...]
What do you consider a penthouse?
It's common for real estate agents to refer to the top floor of any residential building as a penthouse. It may be even more common for real estat [...]
Will luxury high-rise dwellers be shivering in September?
Chicagoans experienced cooler than normal temperatures in July, and the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a cold winter.
Anyone who's lived in Chicago [...]
Rental service lies – the largest database of apartments
If you scan help wanted ads for Chicago rental services at Craigslist, or visit their websites, you'll find a number of them claiming to have the [...]
The distinct sub-neighborhoods of River North
River North is bounded by Michigan Ave, Oak St and the Chicago River. It's a sub-neighborhood of the Near North Side community area.
Unlike mo [...]
Has condo pricing gone off the rails again?
Lately I've been seeing nearly identical new condominiums – in some cases from the same developer – selling for similar prices in locations that I [...]
Don’t play rookie roulette with a random rental service
Chicago's rental services are high-turnover operations. New agents are suckered in by promises of high pay, a fun working environment and a clear [...]
Call a time-wasting lawbreaker for your next apartment
All of the rental services a/k/a apartment finders a/k/a apartment locators on YoChicago's do-not-call list have earned a spot on the list by enga [...]