Welcome to affordable living in Bucktown !

Absolutely stunning recently renovated vintage 2BR condo just off of Armitage and west of Damen in Bucktown at 2017 North Leavitt Street (directions). Great Bucktown residence with an unbeatable location at this price.  Walkers’ Paradise Walk Score: 91/100.

Spacious, sunny and bright contemporary feel with vintage details. Cherry kitchen cabinets with granite countertops with peninsula with bar stool seating. In-unit laundry and extra storage too. Clean and move-in condition. A true must see. Street parking a breeze or rental parking nearby. Low taxes and assessments are only $201 per month.

Call Jim at 773.252.HOME, send a text or email him at rememberjim@kw.com today to make appointment or for more details on this great Bucktown opportunity. Visit www.bucktownchicagocondos.com for more information about this featured Chicago property

Property Features include:

• Renovated residence in 2003
  
• 2 Bedrooms (split layout)
  
• 1 Full Bathroom with linen closet
  
• South-facing into courtyard
  
• Granite countertops & Cherry cabinets
  
• Central heat & air conditioning
  
• Rear deck/stairs off kitchen
  
• In-unit washer and dryer
  
• HD CATV included in assessment
  
• Ample street parking or rental options
  
• Private Storage and bike room
  
• Western Blue line “L” stop
  
• Convenient to shops & restaurants
  
• Walk Score: 91/100 Walkers Paradise!
  
• DogPads.net Dog-friendly Condo

Welcome to affordable living in Lakeview ! 3440 N Lake Shore Drive for only $219,000

Absolutely stunning 1BR condo overlooking Belmont Harbor, Lake Michigan and Lincoln Park. Enjoy the sites of the city from your own private balcony. Updated home with hardwood flooring throughout with a new kitchen (2009).

Assessments include your Heat, Air conditioning, Cable, Fitness room, 24/7 doorman, 3 shift maintenance staff and more. Commercial grade laundry in basement. On site management company and a friendly, courteous door staff to greet you and accept packages. Valet parking available for $140/month. Treasure Island and Broadway street retail and restaurants just west and our most treasured commodity, Lake Michigan and Lincoln Park to the east. Call Jim today for more details.

Sorry, not a DogPads.net Dog Friendly Building.

Welcome home.

 
A sign of recovery? If you have to ask ‘have we recovered yet’ chances are we have not. However, by the time we know we have recovered we will have been recovered for some time. Remember we didn’t diagnose the recession until three quarters later.

Warren Buffet says, “If you wait for the robins, Spring will be over”. In my opinion, the best opportunities come at the bottom of the market cycle when depression and worry are at their peak. I’d say we are pretty close to that now. The market is correcting itself in a healthy way. When prices inflate beyond a normal appreciation (~5% annually) the market requires corrections and that is what is happening now. Correction means opportunity. Look at the graph below and it spotlights the need for this correction (figures are national).

Once local indicator of housing pricing and recovery is to measure the absorption rate. In a healthy balanced market we could expect five to six months supply of units on the market (if no new inventory came on the market that is how long it would take to sell the current housing stock). In most areas we are well into double digit absorption rates. In many areas we are into years to absorb the current supply!
That’s the Chicago buzz for now. Visit www.ChicagoHomeBuzz.com for the latest market buzz!

Welcome to affordable living in East Lakeview Chicago and Our Featured Lakeview Dog-friendly Chicago Condo ! Absolutely stunning recently renovated 2BR condo just off of Broadway in East Lakeview at 634 W Roscoe 3S. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION, CONDITION CONDITION CONDITION, PRICE PRICE PRICE. It's got it all. Great starter residence with an unbeatable location at this price. A Walkers’ Paradise Walk Score of 95/100. Renovated in 2001 with newer kitchen with granite countertops and a outdoor deck for summer fun. In-unit laundry and extra storage too. Clean and move-in condition. A true must see. Permit street parking a breeze or I have a rental garage option within 50 yards of this home. Low taxes and assessments are only $153 per month. A DogPads.net Chicago Dog-friendly featured condo. See pictures here See directions here OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY 4-25 from 11am to 1pm. Join us! Visit www.lakeviewchicagocondos.com for more about this featured Chicago property Call Jim at 773.252.HOME or send him a text or email today to make appointment or for more details on this great Bucktown opportunity. Property features: •2 Bedrooms • 1 Full Bathroom • Renovated residence in 2001 • Sunny top floor unit • Granite countertops • Updated kitchen w/ cherry cabinets • Central heat & air conditioning • Rear deck • In-unit washer and dryer • Garage rental or permit street parking • Private storage and bike area • Belmont Brown or Addison Red “El” • Convenient to shops & restaurants •$156/month low assessment! •2007 taxes $2,609.81 •Walk Score; 95/100 Walkers’ Paradise! •Official DogPads.net Dog-friendly Chicago Condo

What kind of incentive are Fannie and Freddie offering to help build buyer confidence and stimulate the economy? How about a 3/4% penalty charge for buyers with good credit that don't have 25% down payments! If your credit is under 700 try a 1.5% penalty. While I realize they are trying to cover their tail from future property value tailspins, it seems to me there needs a solution which will not prevent buyers from buying especially good credit candidates. The risk could be underwritten with perhaps a lesser penalty charged to these buyers. Some lenders are fighting this ridiculous amended clause, but unless more people are aware of this there will not be any change. This article was posted on the NAHB e-letter I receive and I wanted to share the absurdity with my bloggers. There are alternatives such as FHA but those come with great limitations. It is getting a little crazy out there and you need to be aware.

As of April 1, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are increasing the delivery fees they charge lenders based on FICO scores, downpayment amounts and other loan characteristics. Most major lenders already are pricing in these higher fees, effectively raising costs to borrowers immediately. Lenders can pass these fees on to the consumer in the form of higher interest rates rather than as an upfront charge. Under the new guidelines, even applicants who assumed that their FICO credit scores would get them favorable rates will be charged more unless they can come up with downpayments of 30% or more. For example, a buyer with a 699 FICO score who brings a sizable downpayment of about 25% to the table will be hit with a 1.5% delivery fee at closing under the new guidelines. A buyer with a FICO score between 700 and 720 will pay an extra three-quarters of a point. Even someone with a 739 FICO — once considered a platinum guarantee of the best rates available — will get dinged with a quarter-point add-on. Condominium buyers who cannot come up with a 25% downpayment will be hit with a three-quarter point add-on penalty, no matter how high their credit score — simply because they are not purchasing a traditional detached, stand-alone house. Without congressional intervention or new marching orders from the companies’ regulator, the add-on fees are here to stay. But there’s an alternative available for just about anyone who wants to avoid the fees: Federal Housing Administration mortgages, where downpayments go as low as 3.5% and credit scores are not an issue for most applicants. (www.washingtonpost.com)

Washington Post (2/14/09); Kenneth R. Harney

Lakeview's Southport Avenue Multi-unit Residence for Sale

This two-unit property Lakeview two-flat sits on a full size lot (24x125) in an RS3 zoning district on Chicago’s north side. The property is located at 3119 North Southport in the Lakeview neighborhood between Belmont Avenue (3200N) and Wellington (3000N) just south of Chicago’s popular destination Southport Corridor.

Property improvements include a two and one-half story frame two-unit residence with 2 car garage. The first floor unit includes a 2 bedroom plus office and one bathroom. The sunny bright unit includes in-unit washer and dryer and is currently leased until October, 2009 with a monthly rent of $1,745 including a garage parking space.

The second floor owner’s duplex unit includes a recently rehabbed 2 bedroom 2 bath unit with a bonus family room/office on the second level off the master bedroom. This sunny unit also includes an in-unit washer and dryer as well as an updated kitchen, hardwood flooring and pantry. There is a large deck off the eat-in kitchen which leads down to the fenced yard and two-car garage.

Great for live-in owner or solid rents for investor purchase. Review Walk Score on this property and all the features right outside the door including restaurants, shops and Belmont El stop

Visit www.lakeviewhomeschicago.com for more information today

Welcome to our featured condo for sale just a block off of Logan Square!

Absolutely stunning recently renovated vintage 2BR plus flex room condo in Logan Square ‘on the boulevard’ at 2443 N Kedzie Blvd. Large front living room, sitting area and ‘flex room’ with piano (pics) with extra wide entry foyer. New granite countertops with large deck for summer fun. Large bedrooms and ample closet storage. Dog Friendly condo approved by DogPads.net!

Clean and move-in condition. A true must see. Secure parking space included in this price. Low taxes and assessments are only $225 per month.

Visit www.logansquarechicagocondos.com for more information, pictures and to schedule your showing today.

This two-unit property Lakeview two-flat sits on a full size lot (24x125) in an RS3 zoning district on Chicago’s north side. The property is located at 3119 North Southport in the Lakeview neighborhood between Belmont Avenue (3200N) and Wellington (3000N) just south of Chicago’s popular destination Southport Corridor.

Property improvements include a two and one-half story frame two-unit residence with 2 car garage. The first floor unit includes a 2 bedroom plus office and one bathroom. The sunny bright unit includes in-unit washer and dryer and is currently leased until October, 2009 with a monthly rent of $1,745 including a garage parking space.

The second floor owner’s duplex unit includes a recently rehabbed 2 bedroom 2 bath unit with a bonus family room/office on the second level off the master bedroom. This sunny unit also includes an in-unit washer and dryer as well as an updated kitchen, hardwood flooring and pantry. There is a large deck off the eat-in kitchen which leads down to the fenced yard and two-car garage.

Great for live-in owner or solid rents for investor purchase. Review Walk Score on this property and all the features right outside the door including restaurants, shops and Belmont El stop

Visit www.lakeviewhomeschicago.com </a>for more information today

Welcome to affordable living in Bucktown !

Absolutely stunning recently renovated vintage 2BR condo just off of Armitage and west of Damen in Bucktown at 2013 N Leavitt. Great starter residence with an unbeatable location at this price. A Walkers’ Paradise Walk Score of 88/100. Eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and a outdoor deck for summer fun. In-unit laundry and extra storage too. Clean and move-in condition. A true must see. Street parking a breeze. Low taxes and assessments are only $181 per month.

Visit www.bucktownchicagocondos.com for more information about this featured Chicago property