Are you looking for an apartment in the Loop, West Loop or South Loop? Do you have a deep craving for painful, time-wasting, risk-fraught experiences?
If you answered “Yes” to both questions, head over to Craigslist and begin your apartment search. You’ll be treated to 1,000s of rental service ads and can drown yourself in out-of-date information, bait-and-switch come-ons and outright lies.
If you answered “No” to the second question, you’ll use YoChicago’s at-a-glance list and map of downtown apartments to find your next home.
The list includes links to the websites of every downtown apartment complex and links to Yelp reviews and videos, where available. Almost all of those websites have building photos, floor plans and information about price ranges. All of them have accurate information about common-area and in-unit amenities.
We’ve just updated the list to add a column of links directly to the online availability lists of buildings that offer them, which is most downtown buildings and nearly two-thirds of the South Loop buildings. Those lists show you exactly which apartments are available and what they rent for. There’s simply no better way to get a clear picture of what your actual options are, and what you’ll pay to rent them. If you know someone who’s looking to rent, send them a link.
We’ll be adding online availability links to our other at-a-glance apartment lists in the near future.
Joe-
I have to ask an obvious question: do you actually ever investigate anything your write or do you just sit back and speculate. Saw an article you wrote about the convicted felon (drug dealer) Sohail Salahuddin that you wrote some time ago.
Was surprised to see that Jameson was one of the “Sites Yo Likes” Did you know that Salahuddin took his band of merry crooks to Jameson. Just take a look at all the postings on Craigslist under the name “Innovative Property Consultants” (Don’t know what’s so innovative about tacking that word on to the name of a longstanding Chicago real estate brokerage, but that’s another story). This new “team” is now Jameson’s rental arm. Look at all the photos under the Sohail Salahuddin name that still bear the “Rent Smart” brand watermark.
Also, its very curios that your site never mentions the felony shoplifting arrest of Michael Sato, Jameson’s president. Apparently, if you are a big firm sponsor/advertiser, facts just can’t get it the way of a good story…. We’ll see how long it is before this comment is pulled from your site. I challenge you to respond and explain yourself.
Martin,
The comment will not be pulled, because you ask a fair question, although you don’t approach it in a fair manner by disclosing your interest in it. I did delete your identical comment on another post.
Jameson has been a client of my firm for over 20 years, and we still do all of Jameson’s print advertising. I’ve known its previous owners for over 30 years and its current ones since they took over.
You’re incorrect in stating that we didn’t mention the Sato affair. We didn’t write about it directly, but we did link to several of the media stories on our Chicago Real Estate News page. That’s consistent with how we handle any number of real estate related stories that have saturation coverage in other media.
Based on the news reports I saw Sato was not charged with a felony.
My assumption, until proven otherwise, is that Salahuddin will have to run a very different operation as part of Jameson than he did when independent.
Joe-
Thanks for the reply. I must say I was surprised.
FYI: my interest is that I am one of many people, real estate agents, cooperating brokers and clients, that has been totally screwed by Sohail Salahuddin and his crooked ways. I saw first hand how he operated for over three years. He took every opportunity possible to steal every dime he could.
He folded Rent Smart with a pile of debts and owed many agents and fellow brokers unpaid commissions while continuing to collect the company’s accounts and pay himself. When confronted by agents he threatens physical violence. Complaints to IDFPR do little as you know. Going to Jameson has changed nothing – just take a look at how he and his “team” continue to flood Craigslist with postings for apartments that are not available – some even bear the “Rent Smart” watermark (See for example.)
I hope you can continue to monitor this guy and call him out every chance you have. He is a sad member of the real estate profession. As you know, he is a convicted felon, a bankrupt, a former mortgage broker (he closed at least two mortgage companies under suspect circumstances leaving many hurt people) and now a proud member of the Jameson team. WATCH OUT!
As to Michael Sat, here is the link to the Chicago Tribune article that states the shoplifting charge against him was a felony.
Martin,
I’ll go all lawyerly on you with regard to the Tribune article. Police simply make arrests and file reports. Three ties at $145 each add up to more than the $150 minimum for a retail theft felony.
The States Attorney’s office has discretion as to what to charge, and I haven’t seen a solid report that a felony charge will be prosecuted.