March 17, 2010 - If you’re shopping for Chicago townhomes, you may want to check out Ivy Hall. Right now there is what the developer is calling a final closeout sale going on and three townhomes are ready for buyers to move in immediately, according to a press release in the Tribune.

University Village, which is where Ivy Hall is located, is a mixed-use Chicago real estate development consisting of 152 Chicago condos, 36 single-family homes and 32 townhomes. The remaining townhomes vary in price from $544,900 to $789,900 and sit on the 700 block of West 15th Street.

The smallest townhome in terms of square feet measures 2,148 and has two bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The price on this unit is $544,900. Features include hardwood floors, 42″ maple kitchen cabinets, granite counter tops, GE stainless steel appliances, a pantry, marble baths, private rooftop deck and attached two car garage.

The next townhome has 2,319 square feet, two bedrooms and two baths. This unit is priced at $789,900. Finishes in this home include diagonal walnut flooring, walnut stairs, 42″ maple kitchen cabinets, granite counter tops, GE Profile and Monogram appliances, marble baths, private rooftop deck and attached two car garage.

The largest remaining unsold townhome at Ivy Village measures 3,001 square feet and has three bedrooms and three baths. The price for this home is $699,900. This home also comes with diagonal walnut hardwood flooring, 42″ ivory maple kitchen cabinets, GE stainless steel appliance package, oversized balcony off the kitchen, marble baths, private rooftop deck and attached two car garage.

If these townhomes at Ivy Hall aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, there are plenty of other Chicago homes profiled here on the site that might appeal to you.

Technorati Tags: Ivy Hall, Chicago Homes, Chicago Real Estate

October 3, 2009 - The list of Chicago real estate developments that are applying for FHA approval gets longer every day. The list of buildings that have actually received approval increases at a much slower pace, but you can now add Library Tower to it. The 18 story high-rise from Lennar Homes just recently was approved and the developer didn’t waste any time advertising the fact.

The headline on the building’s site read, “Library Tower is now officially FHA approved! Only 3.5% down ties it up!” Their last promotion was a 4.75% fixed interest rate though their preferred lender, but that offer ended on September 30th. With a new incentive on the table nearly every month, we’ll have to wait and see if Lennar serves up another one or just runs with the FHA approval for now.

Library Tower, located on 520 South State Street, has a total of 184 Chicago condos. The interior finishes are pretty much standard, with the hardwood flooring, large windows, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. The building amenities include a 24 hour door person, theater room, business meeting room, fitness center, party room and roof top sun deck and private park.

Prices on the remaining unsold one to two bedroom units at this development may have gone down just a bit, and they are currently being marketed for between the $220,000s and $730,000s.

And remember that there are quite a few Downtown Chicago Condos that have also received FHA approval.

Technorati Tags: Library Tower, Chicago Condos, Chicago Real Estate

Chicago’s real estate market is heating up. For the most part, it is a buyer’s market as there are a lot of opportunities, a lot of properties for sale and new ones are being built all the time. This makes the situation more difficult for sellers. Selling your home is an involved process that affects your family and your future. Before you begin this process, you’ll want to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information. When you’re armed with the right information, and an experienced real estate professional, you’ll be closer to reaching your goal - selling your home fast, and for the best price. In today’s real estate market, you may find that you can choose between a wide variety of options for representation. If you want to sell a home, you can work with a “seller’s agent”.

Of course, as with all fields of the business, there are good and bad professionals. Take your time and be diligent in your search process so you find professionals that you trust and are able to establish a productive working relationship.  A lot of money is involved in real estate transactions, and most importantly, it is your money that is at stake, so be your own advocate and vigilant in your selection process. The person that you choose must be licensed to practice in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Division of Professional Regulation (DFPR) governs the licensing requirements and discipline process for the majority of space-related professions. For more information, visit DFPR’s website. It is best interest to find professionals who understand your.

When dealing with all professional help, it’s a good idea to start your search with referrals from colleagues, family and friends that have had a good experience working with the individual. Get the names of two or three agents other people have used and like and then call them. Tell them you’re getting ready to list your home for sale and ask if they’re interested in researching the market for you. Be sure that the agents you choose to interview work in the area of Chicago where you want the property to be. It is almost always a mistake to hire a realtor to list your home for sale if his or her office is outside of your immediate area. If they have to drive an hour to get there, you can be sure that they won’t be there often and they won’t bring buyers if they can find suitable homes closer to the office.

Chicago’s seller agents have a lot of duties. First, they must do everything possible to gain an advantage for the seller, by obeying all lawful instruction. Must be loyal to the seller by taking no action that is adverse or detrimental to the seller’s interest in a transaction. Must not reveal any items that might make the property less desirable to buyers such as traffic problems, poor school system, declining property values. Must tell the seller everything they know about the buyer, including his financial situation.

The seller’s agent has access to a computer database of properties in his area. Your property will be listed on this database giving many more people the opportunity to be aware of its availability. Then the agent would screens calls about your property and shows it to potential buyers, saving you time, energy, and the inconvenience of scheduling your life around calls and showings. He will work with the potential buyer or his agent in negotiating the best possible price for you. He provides the benefits of his expertise from determining the sale price to closing.

Technorati Tags: Chicago condos, Chicago real estate agent, Chicago real estate sales