"Private" Crilly Court and vintage Lincoln Park row house sales

The concrete post at the end of Crilly Court reads "Crilly Court: Private". The row houses along the west side of 1700 N block of Crilly Court rarely change hands. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

I found myself in Old Town Triangle of Lincoln Park on the Friday of Polar Vortex 2019 looking at a couple properties with a client. The sun really lifted my spirits! Despite the cold, Chicago vintage row houses look great in the white snow and sun.  I passed down the small "private" one-way block of Crilly Court that is home to impressive vintage row houses. While walking by I checked when the last time any row homes had sold on the block.

The last two MLS sales I could find on the block are as follows: 1718 North Crilly Court sold in 2012 for $1,200,000 and 1700 North Crilly Court (a corner unit) sold for $1,420,000 in 2010. 

A vintage one-way block of Crilly Court between West St. Paul and and West Eugenie in Old Town Triangle.

Lincoln Park Row House sales 2018
About 22 vintage Lincoln Park row houses sold over 2018.  The median price was approximately $1,200,000.  The highest sold row house by a long shot was a stunning renovation at 2704 N Lakeview for $4,750,000. The 10,000 sq/ft home was previously bought in 2016 for $1.8 million.

2704 N Lakeview (door shown far left) was bought in 2016 for $1.8M and sold late 2018 for $4.7M after an impressive and extensive renovation.

The lowest priced vintage row house to sell over 2018 was 1818 N Lincoln Avenue for $830,000. The Parisian style decor harks back to another area.  1818 N Lincoln is part of a row house group where we sold 1826 North Lincoln several years ago.

Contact us to sell and buy homes in Lincoln Park and greater North Side Chicago and suburbs. We offer the most competitive full service broker commission rates when selling, pre-market opportunities when buying and 25 plus years of experience in real estate transactions. Don't get ripped off!

Portage Park single family home sales, median price up 87% since 2012

Earlier this month I walked a "punch list" for a new construction home buyer in Portage Park. Several items needed to be completed before appraisal and closing. Nine contiguous new construction homes have been built adjacent to a traditional Tudor common in the neighborhood. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

Many of our home buyers are finding themselves in Portage Park these days. And why not? Extremely low inventory and budget busting prices in the likes of Lakeview, Lincoln Square, Lincoln Park and Logan Square have buyers turning to Portage Park for relatively affordable new construction homes. The northwest Chicago neighborhood offers plenty of commercial retail conveniences, a several CTA Blue Line and Metra stations (to the east of the neighborhood) and quite tree-lined streets.

A former bank parking lot that took up the majority of the 4900 block of West Dakin has been transformed into nine new construction single family homes.

Portage Park single family home sales 2018

A robust 453 single family homes were recorded closed on MREDLLC.com over 2018 (does not include off market closings which probably puts this over 500 closings). The median price for 2018 was about $320,000.

Median price is up 37% from 2012 and 87% since 2012.  

The highest priced closed home was 4743 North London, Chicago IL 60630 at $679,000. The four bedrooms new construction home sits on a 25'x126' near the large Jefferson Memorial Park and the Jeff Park Metra.  The lowest priced house sold for $140,000 cash.  The traditional Chicago bungalow at 4544 North Laporte was thoroughly damaged by fire. Around 65 of the closed homes sold were new construction or gut rehabbed homes. 

Past Sales
In 2015,  411 single family homes closed for a median price of $240,000.
In 2102, 355 single family homes closed with a median price of only $175,000!

More posts on Portage Park HERE

Contact us to sell and buy homes in Portage Park and greater North Side Chicago and suburbs. We offer the most competitive full service broker commission rates for selling, pre-market opportunities for buying and 20 plus years of experience in real estate transactions. Don't get ripped off!

City Coffee opens steps from Winnemac Park and Amundsen High School, Lincoln Square

AJ Lutz and City Coffee staff on a Tuesday morning. Located at 5139 N Damen Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60625 All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

City Coffee is open at the corner of Foster and Damen in Lincoln Square / Ravenswood. I had the chance to stop by for coffee and pastry and work for a couple hours this morning.  Owner AJ Lutz has created a comfy sophisticated neighborhood spot at the busy corner. Great music, pastry and Caffe Umbria coffee.  I mentioned he has chosen a terrific, simple name too... how has City Coffee not been taken? LOL

We use to go to the old cafe circa 2007-2009ish. The storefront shop had been vacant for years.  The new space is really nice!

Unique to the local shop is the tech! Download the City Coffee app to order ahead and benefit from a rewards program! The Wi-Fi game is strong too.

Simple modern decor and large meeting table.

Little library... "take a book, leave a book"!

Large picture windows let the light in even on this cloudy, slushy morning.

We love our new businesses near Winnemac Park in Chicago! Grab your coffee and head to the park.  City Coffee is a great place for bus and CTA Damen Brown Line commuters from Bowmanville to make a daily stop. Amundsen High School students, parents and employees finally another great spot to meet! Check out the hours and goings on at City Coffee web site, Facebook and Instagram. Support this growing strip also featuring Sweet Virginia's Kitchen, Bang Bang Pie and veteran Over Easy.

New West Loop rental! Furnished two bedroom loft, utilities included, Skinner School district

1224 West Van Buren, Unit 624, Chicago IL 60607 for rent $2,200 per month furnished and  available now.

Upgraded kitchen with Bosch appliance package and utensils. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty and VHT.com

We're excited to offer a new two bedroom rental listing at 1224 West Van Buren in West Loop. Monthly rent includes: Electric, gas, 5G Internet, basic cable, IN-UNIT washer and dryer.  Freshly painted condo rental in amenity building featuring fitness room, yoga studio, media room, roof deck and 24/7 doorman. Permit parking district. Garage parking may be available in the building. Sorry no pets, no smoking. Tenant responsible for daily supplies (i.e. light-bulbs, detergents etc...).

*Applicants must have 650 credit score and 2.5x yearly rental in gross household income (roughly $66,000)* Voucher applicants welcome.

Entry lobby with 24/7 doorman staff.

Furnished living room with plenty of space for a dining table.

Kitchen equipped with plates and silverware.

Master bedroom easily fits the king bed and furniture. Organized closets.

Double vanity master bathroom.

Huge second bedroom. Currently set up with two beds.

Balcony off the living room.

Great West Loop location just steps from Target, UIC campus, Rush University Medical Center, Skinner Elementary, Skinner Park, Racine CTA Blue Line and a billion restaurants and services.

The condo building resides in top rated Skinner School district just steps away.

Escape the bustle in Skinner Park

Exclusively listed by

Eric Rojas, Broker

Kale Realty

2447 N Ashland, Chicago IL 60614

773-510-1597

erojas@kalerealty.com

Infamous Wrigleyville liquor store bites the dust for new development

The Wrigleyville Gold Crown Liquors at 3425 North Clark Street and two storefront bars have been recently torn down to make way for new development. A demo permit was issued for the three story vintage building to the far right of the photo as well. All Photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

Drinks, drinking establishments and liquor stores are synonymous with Wrigelyville. Well, you can pour one out today. I noticed the much loved and hated Gold Crown Liquors at Clark and Sheffield has been torn down. Drawings for the new building coming to the corner are linked HERE.

I snapped this photo this morning of the former Gold Crown Liquors store in Wrigleyville.  Much has changed in the neighborhood due to the Rickett's Chicago Cubs ownership and the CTA Red Line/ Purple Line "Belmont Bypass" project. See the renderings of a new building HERE

My twenty-one year old self will have to find a new place to rent kegs. Few Chicago neighborhoods have transformed faster over the past five years than Lakeview's Wrigleyville!

What's next for the Old Town Treasure Island property?

The closed Treasure Island store at  1639 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60614 (all photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty)

We have clients looking at a condo on North Wells Street in Old Town. A selling point of this desirable and bustling strip has been the proximity to a neighborhood grocery store. However the Treasure Island grocery store company has closed under much controversy.  The company owns four of it's closed buildings including the Old Town location at 1639 N Wells Street pictured above. I'd love to see a mixed use development with another grocer and high-rise like the newest Gold Coast Jewel Store at Clark and Division (The Sinclair).

Looking southeast.

Eight condos have sold over the past twelve months on the 1500-1700 blocks of North Wells in Old Town. All but one sale was at 1636 North Wells high rise.  Those closings ranged from $152,000 for a studio apartment with $348/mth assessment to $602,000 for a three bedrooms, two baths unit with a $1,055/mth assessment.  There are many more residences on the side streets perpendicular to North Wells just to the immediate west of the Treasure Island building. 

Rod your sewer or face the back-up!

Home maintenance is boring and we cringe at some of the costs; furnace/ boiler maintenance, gutter cleaning, caulking windows, roof flashing, painting to name a few. In my fifteen years experience working with property owners sewer rodding is at the top of the list for neglected maintenance! I stopped by my neighbor's Lincoln Square house who has learned the hard way.



Just prior to the near record cold temps they experienced sewer back-up in the basement.  The sewer line was clogged and now further exasperated by freezing pipes holding up the repairs! They've been out of the house for several days. Oy! 

I was out this morning in negative seventeen degree weather  (I won't even talk about the wind chills) to check on a few properties. We warned many of our client's to take precautions prior to the record cold temps heading into Chicago.  Additionally, some of our properties are in different stages of completion with most projects just plain stopping for a few days. 

Much of the city is on lock down for the next two days. Stay safe!

Norwood Park single family home sales in 2018 (median price $325,000)

Lots of vintage eye candy homes in the Old Norwood Park Historical District of Norwood Park Chicago. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty 

I've been in Norwood Park looking at homes for a client.  The area remains a popular choice for those looking for a city/ suburban experience near Metra, highways and amenities. The public and private schools are well rated and the single family housing stock is diverse throughout the community.

A farm house on a huge lot in Old Norwood Park.  It is hard to imagine this is located in the city near some busy main commercial streets! 

Norwood Park sales 2018
388 Norwood Park single family homes closed over 2018 with an attractive median price of $325,000. The median price point gets you a relatively updated three bedrooms brick raised ranch house. The highest priced closed home in 2018 was 5912 North Nickerson sold for $777,000. The large Old Norwood Park home located in the "circle" is updated with six beds, four and one-half baths on a 50'x200' lot.

The lowest priced sold house was 5043 N Normandy Avenue Chicago, IL 60656 for $165,000. The house has been torn down to build a new house.

Past Sales
In 2015, 406 single family houses closed in Norwood Park with a median price of only $285,000. Back in 2012 when the real estate market was crawling out of recession 336 single family homes closed with a median price of $230,000. 83 of those sales in 2012 were a short sales or foreclosures! About 12 homes were recorded as sold short sale or foreclosure in 2018.

Brick and frame custom homes alternate throughout the circle streets of Old Norwood Park.

Interestingly the church property and separate house at 5917 North Nina in the "circle" is under contract at the moment. The asking price is about $1.79 million.

For Sale
Currently there are a good number of homes for sale in Norwood Park.  Seventy-three single family homes are listed for sale on the MLS with a median asking price of about $375,000. Twenty-seven homes are currently under contract with a median asking price of $345,000. Sellers look to be a listed a little high at the moment. We love finding great home values in the northwest of the city and near suburbs. Contact us today!

Looking for million dollar new construction in West Town / Logan Square

We viewed this new construction home on 1853 N North Fairfield with our client near the 606 in Logan Square priced at $999,900. The property previously sold for $375K for redevelopment. 

One of our long time clients is looking to upgrade to a modern new construction or gut rehab single family home.  She'd like to stay near her current West Town neighborhood of Ashland and Division or Logan Square near the Blue Line. The area just west of of North Western and south of West Armitage is a hotbed of modern new construction fairly close to the Blue Line and the popular 606 trail and park system. Several modern homes are priced under $1 million.

Our buyer clients were surprised by the skyline views from the built out roof deck (appears much closer in person).  

We are looking for a new construction home of this portion of  West Town/ Logan Square.  The area offers new construction homes around one million dollars with access to the CTA Blue Line and close to trendy restaurants and bars. Humboldt Park is just southwest of the shaded area.

Over 2018 the shaded area above of West Town / Logan Square (Armitage to Wabansia and Western to California) twenty-three homes closed with a median price of $870,000. 

In 2015 twenty-six homes sold with a median price of $740,000.

Way back in 2012 when the market took off from the recession days twenty-three homes closed with a median price of about $500,000. Seven of those homes were sold as either short-sale or foreclosures. This popular area for home buyers and development has seen a 74% increase in median price of a single family home. Some of that is reflected by the many more new construction homes sold in recent years.

Kiddie Academy building construction at old Lincoln Lanes site, Lincoln Square

A new Kiddie Academy takes full shape at 4847 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago IL 60625. All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

The new Kiddie Academy of Chicago has taken shape at the prominent bend once occupied by Lincoln Lanes and Matty K's Hardware.  A photo I took of the old building the morning of the fire is below.

A terrible day for our neighbors and the loss of local history and a good sports bar.

Here's my post from last June with more info and photo links of the Kiddie Academy news and the Lincoln Lanes fire of 2015.

An earlier photo of the construction looking northwest down North Lincoln Avenue along the bend.

The site is adjacent to a McDonald's drive-thru. I'd hoped this whole corner home to an older McDonald's store and the vacant Lincoln Lanes lots would have been redeveloped together. In related news McDonald's projects and 300% spike in Happy Meal sales by 2020.

A McDonald's store shares a parking lot with the Kiddie Academy development.