Skyline views from Lincoln Park: Penthouse on North Dayton

The skyline view is closer than it looks here.  The "Big 3" Hancock Willis (Sears) and Trump towers all in view.

We showed our clients a top floor "penthouse" unit in Lincoln Park on the 1600 block of North Dayton on Saturday.  The home gets unusually great skyline views from it's east facing, large terrace.  The duplex-up home was nicely renovated and offered at $689,000.  We'll see if the great location and "wow" views will be enough.

For Sale NOW: Lincoln Square single family home 2164 W Leland $745,0000

2164 W Leland shown this winter. "Gut re-habbed" with great details!

This renovated Lincoln Square home is on an extra wide 37.5 foot lot with side drive. Steps to shopping, great restaurants, Old Town School of Folk Music, Lincoln Square Athletic Club, CTA Brown Line, Sulzer Library and more. Call Eric, Kale Realty at 773-510-1597. Calls only please.

The fully renovated kitchen with concrete counter-top island opens to the huge dining room.  

Lots of windows and light.

Dining room and kitchen.  This can also be arranged as the great-room 

with dining combined in the living room.

Dacor gas island cook-top, oversize refrigerator, double oven, awesome layout, windows and finish level.

 Large living room

Living room

Master bath, double-vanity sky-light and tub

Master bath with heated floors and separate shower

Two tier deck and patio

Master bedroom with luxury bath

Den off living room. 

Second bedroom

Organized mudroom with powder room, half-bath, double closet

2164 W Leland last summer.  Rare red brick side drive!

Awesome location, great block...minutes to everything!

 More Details:

The basement level is finished with drywall, new windows, canned lights, heating system and half-bath.  Three large rooms for office, family room/playroom and guest bedroom.  Large utility area with laundry, double sinks, storage and mechanical.

2164 W Leland offered at $745,000.

 Taxes $7,925

37.5 foot wide lot

4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2 half-baths

Radiant heat

Central AC (SpacePac)

Main floor surround sound and speakers

Alarm system

New electrical, plumbing, roof, siding, windows in last 5-10 years

Luxury kitchens and bath

Organized mud-room

Flexible layout with tons of entertaining space

Listed by Eric Rojas and Robert DePalma Real Estate Brokers, Kale Realty

Calls only please for showings and information, 773-510-1597.  If you are not represented by a broker, Bob and I would represent you as designated agents on any showing. 

More Lincoln Square posts HERE

Great Decks! A West Loop terrace that delivers

Our clients check out the private terrace for a condo at 843 W Monroe. Nice!  The unit sold in under 20 days.

We rushed to look at this terrace unit last weekend at 843 W Monroe last week.  The clients liked the great West Loop location near grocery, restaurants and jobs in the Loop.  The one bedroom plus den (with Murphy Bed), two baths unit asked $265,000 plus $25,000 for deeded garage parking (not my listing).  The assessments were low and building in great shape.

The terrace at 843 W Monroe.  The bright south facing open space was great.

All Photos Eric Rojas, Real Estate Broker and Realtor

For Sale: NEW Ravenswood, Lincoln Square homes coming on next week

One of our single family home listings is located near Selmarie in Lincoln Square!

If you are in the market for Lincoln Square and Ravenswood town homes or single family homes, we have a couple new listings (pocket listings) hitting the market next week in the $375,000-$750,000 range.  If you are looking for homes in this range, please contact us for first looks.  We do require our clients consult with a mortgage broker or their bank and get mortgage pre-approvals prior to showings (proof of funds please for cash buyers).


If you have questions about buying, selling or pre-approvals, give us a call.  We've referred our associate lenders and attorneys to many happy clients. Bob and I go the extra mile to make sure everyone is on the same page and we all have proper expectations for buying and selling homes.  No funny business!

Our Ravenswood town home listing coming on next week is steps from City Provisions!

Condo buying: Client's top picks over $600K are all selling

Large one floor and duplex high floor condos (2000 sq/ft plus) seem to be moving...at least the ones we want. Photo of 432 W Grant Place, Lincoln Park.  Eric Rojas

I've been putting together a schedule for my buyer clients.  They are in the $600K-$700K condo range with some more room for higher assessments.  They would love top floor, 3 beds, big open space...you know, "wow" stuff. The top 3 places in Lincoln Park and Lake View of about 7 we've identified are all under contract this week. We did view one of the three last week.  Now that it's sold (under 30 days) the buyer clients have a little more perspective and know what they really want.


Should be a fun Saturday!

Video! Remember last winter?

I can't stop talking to friends and neighbors about how much I've enjoyed this "non-Chicago like" winter. There's been not one week where I couldn't run in Winnemac Park in clear weather or comfortably take the kids outside somewhere.


Remember last winter?! It feels like a lifetime ago.



More property and neighborhood videos HERE

"Hamlin Park" vs Roscoe Village: Single family home sales

A Park District banner hangs at Hamlin Park last summer. The park has vast fields, a pool and field house

Just south of  the West Belmont boundary of popular Roscoe Village in the North Center Community is the area commonly known as "Hamlin Park".  For this purpose, I use the streets North Ravenswood to North Western Avenue (east to west) and West Belmont to West Diversey (I do not cross the angled North Clybourn on the southern border).  It forms a sort of triangle area bordered by major streets and the Metra tracks.


37 single family homes closed in 2011 for a median price of  just over $700,000. The high was a newer construction home with terrific over-the-top finish level at 3105 N Wolcott for $1.6 million and the low a pretty bombed out frame foreclosure at 2132 W Fletcher for $260,000.  4 homes have sold in 2012 so far with prices of $325K, $425K, $855K and $860K. 


Just north in Roscoe Village in 2011 (Belmont to Addison, Raveswood to Western) 49 single family homes closed for a median of about $870,000. So far in 2012 only one single family home has closed in the Roscoe Village borders...a new construction house at 3435 N Leavitt for $1.2 million.

Newer construction homes and renovations ring Hamlin Park.

Homes in this swath of Hamlin Park are priced and sold considerably less than it's adjacent neighbor of Roscoe Village just north of Belmont Ave.  So, you can benefit from Roscoe Village boutique retail, entertainment and restaurants along with other neighborhood shopping amenities to the north AND south (Costco for one). Easy access to other parts of the city and highway can be had on Clybourn or Damen and you'll be closer to Hamlin Park itself for less money.

 We represented a client of ours on a foreclosure home purchase in the Hamlin Park area recently.  He got a great value compared to similar sized single family homes nearby.



All photos Eric Rojas, Bob DePalma Real Estate Brokers. All sales data gathered from MREDLLC.com and analyzed by Eric Rojas, Broker and Realtor.

Home buying tips: Large modern condos on the North Side...for a price

Here our clients view a newer construction, modern condo unit that may fit the bill. It's cheaper to own than high-rise or a converted loft building renovations but more rare to find a "wow" factor.

Our buyer clients are looking for modern, big open 2400 sq/ft plus space on the Near North side to Lincoln Park with "wow" factor. This often means big monthly assessments.  We have to take all costs into consideration and get creative when looking for modern aesthetic condo homes that meet a client's budget.


Large, one floor spaces or appropriate duplex-up spaces are often located in high-rise buildings with "combined units".  In the Near North Side (Gold Coast, River North, Old Town), this can mean assessments well over $1,000 a month.  Another option is a converted industrial loft space in a former warehouse.  These offer the most flexibility in layout. But large spaces, over 2400 sq/ft for example, are a little more rare in Lincoln Park and Near North locations...and can easily approach $800,000 plus.

Great Decks! Condo buyers consider outdoor space in South Loop

A unit at 1620 S Michigan featured a 550 sq/ft deck with pergola (Photo Eric Rojas)

We were out this weekend showing condos in the South Loop to buyer clients. We identified several units that had great outdoor space. The unit shown above at 1620 S Michigan had a 550 sq/ft terrace off the two bedrooms, one bath condo unit with garage parking. The asking price was $275,000 with a $354.00 assessment.

The terrace had open exposures, but, a vacant build-able lot was behind the building (Photo Eric Rojas)

 Our first-time buyer clients will have to make a choice: Do they want a little smaller condo with only one bathroom, but have a tremendous outdoor terrace? Or, they may opt for a two bedrooms, two baths home with a smaller balcony...but interior space a finish may be better. The South Loop location is perfect for their busy professional lives and commutes.

More on home buying HERE!

Chicago Restaurant Week 2012 NOW! February 17-26

Bob started Chicago's well loved 5th Annual Restaurant Week last Friday with great views at Park Grill at Millennium Park.  He ate and let others do the skating!

Cloud Gate overlooks the ice rink and the Park Grill

More Downtown posts HERE