Condominiums
How Long Has this Been on the Market?
Half a dozen of one, six of the other.
That might be the subtitle for the merging together of half of a box of a dozen frozen fish sticks found by an Ohio woman last week.
But instead of tossing the x-shaped trio on the frying pan, Victoria Landis tossed them on ebay where their Easter week appearance [...]
The Rumored Demise - Another Home Sells in Chicago
The Chicago real estate market today? I can’t help but think of Mark Twain’s quote, “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Yesterday my clients finalized negotiations of an offer for their home in West Town. Listed in the upper six figures, this residence attracted the prospective buyers back for three showings before they made [...]
Chicago-Style Good Fortune (Cookie)
A beautiful Saturday visited Chicago today, providing Chicagoans from Lincoln Park to Edgewater with a pleasant dose of sunshine to offset too many days of gray and cold. And while the thermometer didn’t hit the season norm here the fact that we were able to cast shadows was a wonderful diversion to our ongoing battle [...]
Single Digits - A Chicago Salute
Two-thirds of the way through February and here in Chicago we seem no closer to the end of the season.
Just two weeks ago the furry critter made famous in Bill Murray’s movie “Groundhog Day” popped out his hole, saw his shadow, and thereby inflicted upon us an additional six weeks of winter.
Oh Punxsutawney Phil , [...]
A New Way of Looking at Things (with New Pair of Glasses, that is)
I can’t remember the first time I walked in the little optical shop on Broadway near Belmont.
I had popped into the eye glass place across the street but they didn’t have what I wanted. But with unrequested kindness and unexpected candor the clerk nodded to the shop across the way and said I might find [...]
Real Estate Tax Increase - Chicago’s Elected Leaders Railroad Higher Surcharge
Selling your home just got a bit more expensive in Chicago.
The 50-member city council acquiesced to Mayor Richard Daley’s faulty logic and pressure from the goof balls in Springfield as they voted to increase the Chicago Real Estate Transfer Tax by $3 (from $7.50 per $1,000 to $10.50).
Before you dismiss this hike as simply a [...]
From Super Sunday to Super Tuesday - Life in the Chicago Real Estate Lounge
TV sets across the nation were tuned in to Sunday night’s showdown between the Giants and the Patriots. Mine was one even though I had no allegiance to either team. But actually this lack of dedication made watching the game more sporting and festive. Plus it had the added benefit of being a relief.
It was [...]
The Softness of a Major Winter Storm in Chicago
Lightly, lightly fell the snow. And all through the night, like soft fleecy wisps, it gathered and gathered until it coated and covered the streets and sidewalks of Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood with a shimmering tableau of white.
I woke up this morning to the clarion of my 10-month-old son’s hunger. It was between 6 and 6.30 [...]
Vexing Taxing Questions - The Ugly Truth about Chicago Transfer Tax
“How much is this going to cost me?”
That’s one of the questions my selling clients ask when it’s time to put their places on the market. They know there’s a tax involved (there’s always a tax involved), they just don’t know how much.
In Chicago the so-called Real Estate Transfer Tax is the seller’s responsibility and [...]
The First Busy Saturday in a Month of Saturdays
If today is any indication it looks like the Chicago housing market is picking up steam amid the January chill.
Unlike any of the past 30 or so Saturdays, today my schedule was jam-packed from start to finish with showings. 1934 Thomas, a new construction two bed/two bath a block south of Division in the East [...]
