Edgewater Medical Center developer meeting this Thursday 3/31/16 @7pm

Photo of proposed Edgewater Medical Center Development on MCZ web site

I received an email blast yesterday from 40th Ward Alderman O'Connor's office:

"WEAR (West Edgewater Area Residents) will be hosting a Q&A Town Meeting with Edgewater Medical Center developer MCZ Development on
Thursday, Mar 31, 2016, at 7:00 pm. The meeting will take place at Experimental Sound Studio, 5925 N. Ravenswood Avenue."

Curbed Chicago has some background coverage of the development site. 

Here's a statement from MCZ Development web site  

It will be great to add density so close to the Andersonville retail and entertainment district.  Most residents will be able to walk to all their shopping and dining needs.

Inspection day! Lincoln Square town house listing sells quickly

I'm at the property inspection this morning for 4949 N Lincoln in Lincoln Square. Check out the video walk through
http://www.ericrojasblog.com/2016/03/open-house-4949-n-lincoln-ave-1-sunday.html?m=1
The home is under contract and in attorney review period.

This is one of two property inspections we have today. We attend all our buyer and seller home inspections on behalf of our clients. We also do our best to make them aware of potential inspection issues prior to buying or selling.

posted from Bloggeroid

Progress at 2940 North Halsted new construction apartments in Lakeview

The former Sappanos paint supply building has come a long way. New residences are taking shape in a busy spot of Lakeview. 2940 N Halsted will be 25 rental apartment units and 25 parking spots.

Check out our post from 2014
http://www.ericrojasblog.com/2014/09/photos-construction-begins-on-new.html

Early returns: Lincoln Square condo sales thus far in 2016

A deck at 5067 N Lincoln Ave in Lincoln Square. We sold the newer construction condo unit in 2014... watch the video!

We recently held a packed open house at 4949 N Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square signaling a lot of interest in the area this spring.  Let's see how early condo sales are doing.

Lincoln Square condo sales Jan 1st to March 18th, 2016
29 attached units (condos, town homes) have sold thus far in Lincoln Square 2016.  The median price is about $265,000.  The lowest sale price is a garden apartment unit for $114,000 at 5225 N Hoyne Unit G.  The highest priced sale is $650,000 at 4826 N Damen Ave Unit 3, Chicago, Illinois 60625.  The large penthouse unit has always been a perennial top price selling condo in Lincoln Square since construction.

Over the same period in 2015 (Jan 1st to March 18th) 42 attached units closed with a median price of about $250,000.  For all of 2015, (352) condo units sold with a median price about $250,000.  Higher list prices and relatively low inventory have slowed over-all unit sales as the bottom of the market has really cleared out.  Expect a little higher Lincoln Square prices this year with more new construction and retail development coming.

Several new condo buildings are in development in Lincoln Square and will add approximately 40 units of higher-end sales for 2016.

Open House! 4949 N Lincoln Ave #1 Sunday March 20th, 2016 from 12p to 2p

Open House Sunday March 20th, 2016 from 12:00p to 2:00p

Terrific open kitchen at 4949 N Lincoln Avenue #1. Photos YoChicago.com

Wow factor! 4949 N Lincoln Avenue #1 asking $489,900 (as of 3/13/2016) is a fee-simple luxury corner town house with two car attached garage. Attractive brick and stone facade greets you in the landscaped courtyard. Highly desirable Lincoln Square neighborhood.  Watch the video walk-through.  
  


 This home has amazing unobstructed southeast exposure on the main level.  The massive open floor-plan provides abundant entertaining space and light.  Rare for town homes is the huge walk-out  front terrace off the living room.

The  home features great outdoor space located off the main living area. The  corner town house allows for a penthouse feel with wide open bright  exposures and very little shared walls.

Fantastic windows for east, south and west exposure.  This room is huge.

4949 N Lincoln Avenue #1, Chicago IL 60625 $499,000
Three bedrooms (or two plus penthouse den)
Two full baths
Two car attached garage
205 sq/ft walk-out terrace on main level
120 plus sq/ft roof level terrace (off penthouse room)
Security system, surround sound
Private entrance w/ foyer
Dual zone HVAC, new water heater
Fee-simple ownership with low assessment for landscaping/ snow removal, fitness and party rooms
Upgraded organized closets and built-ins

Grand spaces and attractive finish level in master suite.

HUGE kitchen and dining space for gathering!

Penthouse room used as third bedroom. Awesome windows and sliding door to roof-deck.

The gated courtyard development is located just a few blocks from the CTA Brown Line at Western and the heart of Lincoln Square dining and retail at Giddings Plaza.  Ravenswood Metra to downtown is under a mile to the east. Easy access to Mariano's, Harvest Time Foods, Tony's Finer Foods and any amenity or service you could need. New construction surrounds the unit in this very popular neighborhood.

Easy to trains, groceries and dining!

The private courtyard!

Live in "the Square"! (Photo, Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty)

Exclusively listed by:
Eric Rojas, Broker
Kale Realty
542 W Roosevelt Road
Chicago IL 60607
773-510-1597

Two new condo developments on North Lincoln Ave, Lincoln Square

4912 N Lincoln Avenue. The former property was a one story retail building.

The former one story retail building 5061 N Lincoln has been cleared.  A small house on the lot next store is not part of the development.

I passed these new developments within a block of each other at 4900 to 5100 N Lincoln today. The northwest bend of Lincoln Square is really filling in.

New 3 bedroom condos can sell over $500K with roof decks. A new construction house in the area catches over $1 million.

Condo sales along Lincoln Avenue

posted from Bloggeroid

Work in progress on old Trattoria Trullo spot, Lincoln Square

Workers out painting today. Will be great to have something in this prime location by summer.

posted from Bloggeroid

Chickens, bees and house sales: Mayer school district in Lincoln Park

Oscar Mayer Magnet School is located in the heart of the DePaul neighborhood of Lincoln Park.  The school is well known to locals for its Garden Project. The kids work on the vegetable garden, raise honeybees and chickens all in the middle of a bustling residential area. I always stop and visit whenever showing properties nearby!

Chickens in the schoolyard.

The chicken coop!

The display has great information for kids (and adults) walking by.

Bee crossing!

Single family home sales in Mayer school district
58 single family homes are recorded as sold in Oscar Mayer school district over the past 12 months. There may be a handful more of unlisted homes and those on the MLS that did not include school district information. The median price of homes sold in the district is about $1,600,000.

The lowest house sale was $575,000 at 1952 N Bissell St , Chicago, Illinois 60614. The frame home is on a small lot backing up to the "L" tracks. The highest sale over the last 12 months $5,927,000 at 1874 N Orchard , Chicago, Illinois 60614. The new construction luxury home is on a 35' wide lot.

There are 16 homes under contract in the district with a median asking price of $1.6 million. 

34 homes are currently listed in the Mayer school district with a median asking price of about $2.5 million. 

East Lakeview row homes get new neighbor after $851,000 tear-down

627 West Surf on the left is a new construction three unit building on a very desirable East Lakeview block. The former property was a red brick three-flat building sold for $851,000.

This new construction three-unit condo building caught our eye due to the location and great looking architecture on the block.  We took a look at public records and found the previous brick three-flat rental building at 627 West Surf was purchased for $851,000 and torn down.  The new building is near completion. The immediate neighborhood near the lake is full of classic East Lakeview vintage charm.

This group of East Lakeview grey stone row houses has a new neighbor to the east.

The new condo building just listed a couple units (by broker KoenigRubloff). The four bedrooms, three and one -half baths duplex down at 627 W Surf St Unit 1, Chicago, Illinois 60657 is listed at $1,199,000. The middle unit two bedrooms, two and one-half baths unit #2 is listed at $749,000.  No MLS listing for the top floor duplex unit with roof deck at this time.

One of the renovated grey stone row houses shown above at 637 West Surf sold back in 2014 for $1,160,000.

Newest Lincoln Square tear-down at 2117 West Eastwood sold for $675,000

2117 West Eastwood, Chicago 60625 this morning (all photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty)

A wrecking permit was issued today and crews were out this morning at 2117 West Eastwood in Lincoln Square.  The charming red and white cottage with front porch sits on a 37' wide lot on a prime block near Giddings Plaza and Welles Park.

The house was sold quickly in December of 2015 (drive by only, no showings) for $675,000 and purchased by a developer. A new house looks to be on the way in a hurry.

Over the last 6 months 27 Lincoln Square area NEW CONSTRUCTION or GUT RENOVATED single family homes listed have been listed

• 14 of those are actively listed for sale with a median asking price of about $1,299,000.
• 7 of those homes have sold for a median price of about $1.2 million.
• 6 of those homes are currently under contract with asking prices from $860,000 to $1.3 million.

Sales info gathered from MREDLLC.com by Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

Watch the video! Lincoln Square luxury town house for sale $489,900

Wow factor! 4949 N Lincoln Avenue #1 asking $489,900 (as of 3/13/2016) is a fee-simple luxury corner town house with two car attached garage. Attractive brick and stone facade greets you in the landscaped courtyard. Highly desirable Lincoln Square neighborhood.  Watch the video walk-through.

Terrific open kitchen at 4949 N Lincoln Avenue #1. Photos YoChicago.com

This home has amazing unobstructed southeast exposure on the main level.  The massive open floor-plan provides abundant  entertaining space and light.  Rare for town homes is the huge walk-out  front terrace off the main living space.

The  home features great outdoor space located off the main living area. The  corner town house allows for a penthouse feel with wide open bright  exposures and very little shared walls.

Fantastic windows for east, south and west exposure.  This room is huge.

4949 N Lincoln Avenue #1, Chicago IL 60625 $499,000
Three bedrooms (or two plus penthouse den)
Two full baths
Two car attached garage
205 sq/ft walk-out terrace on main level
120 plus sq/ft roof level terrace (off penthouse room)
Security system, surround sound
Private entrance w/ foyer
Dual zone HVAC, new water heater
Fee-simple ownership with low assessment for landscaping/ snow removal, fitness and party rooms
Upgraded organized closets and built-ins

Grand spaces and attractive finish level in master suite.

HUGE kitchen and dining space for gathering!

Penthouse room used as third bedroom. Awesome windows and sliding door to roof-deck.

The gated courtyard development is located just a few blocks from the CTA Brown Line at Western and the heart of Lincoln Square dining and retail at Giddings Plaza.  Ravenswood Metra to downtown is under a mile to the east. Easy access to Mariano's, Harvest Time Foods, Tony's Finer Foods and any amenity or service you could need. New construction surrounds the unit in this very popular neighborhood.

Easy to trains, groceries and dining!

The private courtyard!

Live in "the Square"! (Photo, Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty)

Exclusively listed by:
Eric Rojas, Broker
Kale Realty
542 W Roosevelt Road
Chicago IL 60607
773-510-1597

A look at Edgewater condo sales (non high-rise), median prices up year over year

I visited a client this morning to discuss selling their Edgewater condo of eight years. Time to move to the burbs. It's in a great location very close to Foster beach and the Bryn Mawr CTA Red Line stop.  Let's take a look at over-all Edgewater community area condo sales (40 unit buildings or less) for 2015 and early on this year.

Edgewater condo sales 2015 and 2016 (40 unit buildings and under)
(342) attached units sold in Edgewater over 2015 with a median sales price of $259,900.  That's a good jump over the (297) units sold over 2014 (median price was $238,000).  In 2013, (297) units also sold for a median price of about $221,000.

The ubiquitous two beds, two baths unit saw 214 units sold over 2015 with a median price of $254,000.

Edgewater just west of the lakefront is home to many brick and grey stone multi-unit buildings.

Thus far in 2016 (18) attached condo units have sold with a median price of about $260,000

Ravenswood Gardens multi-unit sales spike 80%, new house development follows

Ravenswood Garden neighborhood in Lincoln Square (Western to the the North Branch, Montrose to Lawrence)

(27) multi-units (2-4 units) sold in 2015 in the Ravenswood Gardens neighborhood of Lincoln Square. That's up 80% year over year.  The median price of $600,000.  That's a big number of unit sales for a small area. It highlights the demand and desire to develop single family homes in the Lincoln Square area.  Only (6) single family homes sold in Ravenswood Gardens over 2015 (median price over $700K) mostly due to low inventory.  We wrote about several of the two to four flat buildings converted to single family homes to meet demand.

Three adjacent two-flats have been converted to single family homes. I've counted at least 10 single family home conversions in process. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty.

(15) multi-unit buildings sold in 2014 with a median price of about $650,000.
(9) multi-units buildings sold in 2013 with a median price of $525,000.
(9) multi-unit buildings sold in 2012 with a median price of about $370,000

Median price for a multi-unit has gone up 62%  ($370,000 to $600,000 ) from 2012 to the beginning of 2016.  The Ravenswood Gardens neighborhood benefits from CTA Brown Line service at Rockwell and Western, Lincoln Square's booming retail and dining and Waters school district.  The densely populated area has many small multi-units and 6-18 unit condo and apartment buildings. There were relatively few single family homes in the dense area but that number is increasing with all the conversions.

Bang Bang Pie confirms new location on Damen near Winnemac Park

The store front at 4947 N Damen Avennue teases walker-bys. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

Patty Wetli of DNAinfo confirms Bang Bang Pie will open a new store at 4947 N Damen Avenue in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Lincoln Square. The location is across from popular Winnemac Park.  We posted earlier this week on speculation over what would replace Dolce Casa Cafe.

Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits should do great at this location.  North Damen Avenue from Lawrence to Foster has become a fairly high-end destination for new condos and has added quality retail and dining over the past few years.

Residents living near Winnemac Park on Damen Avenue have been longing for a new cafe to take over for local favorite Dolce Casa Cafe.

 

 

More gut renovations in Ravenswood Gardens of Lincoln Square, Waters school district

A quick walk around Ravenswood Gardens reveals many gut renovations in a small area near Waters school. These three multi-units are being converted to single family homes. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

The buildings shown above left to right:  2445 W Eastwood Ave , Chicago, Illinois 60625 sold for $650,000 in June of 2014.  2449 W Eastwood Ave , Chicago, Illinois 60625 sold for $582,500 in March 2014 and 2451 W Eastwood Ave , Chicago, Illinois 60625 sold for $550,000 as a foreclosure in July of 2015.  It's rare to see (3) adjacent two-flats all bought by different parties being de-converted to single family homes at the same time.  2451 West Eastwood has signage advertising the sale but there is no MLS listing at this time.

I wrote about another three adjacent home conversions on West Wilson a few weeks ago. Two are owned by the same developer in this case.

Ravenswood Gardens sales area in Lincoln Square

2016 Ravenswood Gardens sales
Only (2) residential properties have closed in Ravenswood Gardens neighborhood thus far (March 8th) in 2016.  2500 W Eastwood Ave Unit 1, Chicago, Illinois 60625 closed for $299,000. The renovated two beds, two baths unit (no dedicated parking) is in an attractive vintage building. 4733 N Artesian Ave,  Chicago, Illinois 60625 closed for $671,000.  The classic two-flat building sold quickly.

2015 Ravenswood Gardens sales
(6) single family  homes sold in 2015.  The highest sale was 4540 N Artesian Ave , Chicago, Illinois 60625 for $975,000.  The lowest sold single family home in 2015 was 2444 W Eastwood Ave , Chicago, Illinois 60625 for $545,000.

(27) multi-units (2-4 units) sold in 2015 with a median price of $600,000.  That's a big number for a small area and points to the demand and desire to develop single family homes (as mentioned above) in the Lincoln Square area. Only (15) multi-unit buildings sold in 2014 and (9) buildings sold in 2013 in Ravenswood Gardens.

50 condo units sold in 2015 with a median price of about $266,500.

Rockwell Crossing in Ravenswood Gardens features local shops and dining.

Good school district, the North Branch of the Chicago River, desirable Lincoln Square retail and dining, CTA trains, good local private school options and vintage housing stock on tree-lined streets have pushed prices and sales up in Ravenswood Gardens.