If you’re considering purchasing a new home or condo in the downtown Chicago area, you have two choices: Blindly search available properties; or, search Chicago sold properties as part of your due diligence process. In this article, I’m going to show you how our sold search feature can shorten the length of time it takes to find the perfect home by locating recently sold properties in your price range.
Searching Chicago Sold Properties to Solve Your Home and Pricing Mystery
First, an important fact: past results sometimes indicate future results, particularly when it comes to real estate prices. By tapping into the vast information available in our convenient Chicago sold properties database, you can see how much properties in different areas generally cost. Because this database gives you information going back two years, you can quickly see whether prices are currently dropping, holding steady or rising.
By entering in just a few details of the search you’re interested in, you can immediately see the listing price, sold price, date sold, and features and amenities for each of the Chicago sold properties returned in the search results. Seeing the results is simple and straightforward: hover your mouse over the appropriate property type (property symbols are explained in the legend on the search results page).
For instance, if you enter the following search criteria into the Chicago sold properties search engine, you’ll receive 565 matches:
• Price: $400,000-$550,000
• Property type: Condo
• Sold date: 24 months
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 2
Further Refining Chicago Sold Properties Search Results
While you could theoretically hover your mouse over any one of the 565 search results to see some of the details of properties sold within the last two years, you’ll be overwhelmed with information. If you’re thinking about purchasing a condo near downtown Chicago, you probably have a laundry list of features and amenities that fit neatly into your “not critical but nice to have” category – and other items that potentially could be deal breakers if they are missing from a property. By modifying the search string to include Fireplace, Garage and Waterfront/View, sold properties drop to a very manageable 7 results. (Your specific search items could vary, but you get the point.)
Putting the Results to Work in Your Downtown Chicago Sold Real Estate Search
Raw information is useless to you, which is why the advanced features available in the downtown Chicago sold real estate search engine can help you unleash the potential this information has to streamline your property shopping process. Having real-world sales figures from recently sold properties can help you determine approximately how much you might expect to pay for a property in the same area (assuming the property offers amenities and features substantially similar to those in your search results). This information can also be a good starting point when determining how much to offer for any property you’re considering purchasing.
Remember, available properties near downtown Chicago can be hot commodities. While these properties can be expensive, you can get the best possible value by utilizing good information from your downtown Chicago sold real estate search. By combining the valuable information you gather with this handy search tool (and tapping into the knowledge and expertise of a great Chicago real estate broker), finding the perfect downtown property doesn’t have to be a gamble.
If you would like to search the pricing of condos sold in Chicago Click here:
Urban Courtyard Lofts with Terra Cotta appointed brick façade No. 10 lofts is located at 1040 W. Adams between Morgan St. and Aberdeen Ave
The West Loop has an abundance of timber lofts. This neighborhood should be your 1st choice if you are passionate about loft living. Since there was so much industry and manufacturing in this area, there are now many choices for loft living.
You will pretty much find all of the usual suspects at No. 10 lofts, high ceilings, timber beams or concrete columns, sandblasted exposed brick, stainless steel or black appliances, oak hardwood flooring, gas fireplaces, balconies and in some cases private patios, in-unit laundry, party room and garage parking.
But No. 10 Lofts doesn’t stop there, they offers some pretty amazing extra amenities. Starting with an elegant lobby, they also feature a yoga and pilates studio, private big screen DVD theater, party room with full kitchen, pool table, fitness center with state of the art equipment, 24 hour doorman and a business center.
You also get ample square footage in this building, the one bedroom homes start at 840 o 1250 sq. ft., two bedrooms range from 1200- 1500 sq. ft. and 3 bedrooms 1380 – 1840 sq. ft.
There are 259 homes in the building and currently 21 are for sale, 11 one bedrooms, 9 two bedrooms and 1 three bedroom. Priced from $237k – $425k. For more info on sales and rentals available in the building go to:
Even in this challenging real estate market the sales have remained strong at 1040 W. Adams, with 9 units being sold in the last 6 months alone & 20 in the last 12 months.
The market times ranged from 18 days to 305 days with the average days on market at 165. With most buildings in the West Loop have minimum market times of 6 month’s, No. 10 lofts is selling faster than the average of other buildings in the West Loop.
Ideally located for anyone working in the loop, on a nice day you can walk the 10 minutes to downtown or catch a bus right outside your door. Union and Metra stations are 5 minutes away. You are also only 3 blocks from hopping on the Eisenhower, Dan Ryan or Kennedy Expressway.
The choice between single family homes and condos in Chicago is usually not a very easy one. While there would be a vast number of individuals on either side of the fence, i.e. either vehemently for or against opting for Chicago condos, the truth actually lies somewhere in between. Agreed, that there are a number of benefits that condos offer, but there are also various limiting factors that accompany them; we look at some of them in this article, starting with the benefits.
Numerous Shared Resources
A major advantage with condos is the instant access that you gain, to a vast number of shared resources that are already a part of the entire condominium. There is relatively little additional effort involved in gaining access to those resources, unlike in single family homes, where you won’t even have such existing resources, in the very first place. Examples include lounges, pools, exercise rooms, and more. Additionally, costs of electricity, Internet access, Television Cable, etc. are also shared and distributed, dramatically bringing down the cost per household.
Instant Access to a Social Network
Life in independent bungalows can be lonely at times; with condominiums, you have immediate access to people in the vicinity who eventually become a part of your social network. Security too is largely taken care of, in condominiums, as entry of external entities is restricted, and neighbors in the vicinity act as additional security and support in case anything untoward happens.
While the above are some of the advantages of staying in condos, there are a few disadvantages as well, including:
Lesser Privacy
With the additional security and safety that your neighbors give you, they also take away the privacy you experience in your own private bungalow. The experience is all the more stark, if you have always stayed in a family home, and are making the transition to a Chicago condo for the first time.
Limitations of Size and Layout
While an independent house can be structured, laid out and designed as per personal tastes and preferences, condos do not allow that luxury. Invariably, the overall size, shape, layout of the rooms, and the colors used are standard. Even the fittings and fixtures tend to be uniform – often, not to your taste. This can be a severely limiting factor for those with varied tastes and a dash of creativity in their personalities!
Summing up, the choice of opting for an independent family home, or going for a condominium is not an easy one; there are various factors that come into play, both in favor and against each. So, it is up to you which factor affects you the most, and accordingly, you should go about making your choice.
#610 1 Bedroom/1 bath Concrete Loft $249,900 (Assts. $281 and include Heat/Air)
Urban living at it’s finest. Beautiful 1 bedroom concrete loft in the west loop. Completely remodeled kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances and custom stone back splash. Unique original maple floors, fireplace, 12′ concrete ceilings, full size side by side washer/dryer, large bathroom w/linen closet, must see! Garage parking options available in building. FHA Spot Approval Available. View Photos
#823 2Bedroom/2bath Timber Loft $324,000 (Assts. $480 and include Heat/Air)
Top floor, Penthouse level Timber Loft with both bedrooms fully enclosed! Master Suite w/huge walk-in closet, Split bedroom floor plan, in-unit laundry, Island Kitchen, 11 ft. ceilings, hardwood floors, gas fireplace, North exposure for beautiful city skyline views. Full amenity building. Parking available $32K. All this in a true walk to work location. View Photos
Complete renovation of a 1 bedroom duplex at The Water Tower Place Residences. 2 Story Marble foyer with a Grand Staircase leading to the den & the master bedroom. The master bedroom has an ornate recessed tray ceiling and master bath with custom cabinetry, Jacuzzi, stone floors & counters.
The Kitchen is custom designed with Abitare cabinets, cherry floors and stainless steel appliances. Incredible custom built-in cabinetry in living room-familyroom-dining room & den. Phenomenal Lake & City Views. Full Amenity building including the world class services of the Ritz Carlton Hotel $1,850,000.