March 9, 2010 - “Holy !%?$@! Emerald drops prices for a limited time only.” That’s the banner headline advertising the new lower prices at Emerald. Chicago real estate developer Senco Properties may be hoping buyers will find their pot of gold at Emerald before St. Patrick’s Day. Prices on the remaining unsold Chicago condos at this two tower project have been lowered by about 25% to 35%.

The eco-friendly West Loop towers, located on 123 Green Street, have a combines total of 212 condos. Right now Senco is listing one bedroom condos that had been priced from $344,000 for a reduced price of $224,700. The one bedroom plus den units that were $408,300 are now priced from $266,700. For a larger two bedroom condo you previously would have had to pay from $471,400 but can now expect to pay from $352,000.

Indoor heated parking that had been sold for $35,000 per space is now included with all purchases and the building is also FHA approved.

Emerald has a two story glass atrium and 8,000 square foot lobby. The condos feature bamboo flooring, stainless steel or granite counter tops, one or two balconies, 42″ hardwood cabinets, stainless steel kitchen appliance package and Grohe faucets. The master baths come with an LCD television, natural stone tile and separate shower and tub.

You can check out these new lower prices at Emerald and compare them with some of the other Chicago New Construction Condos that have slashed prices.

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March 8, 2010 - Last week we told you about the newly opened leasing center for 215 West Apartments. Now we have some updated information on the montly rental rates for the units at this 50 story apartment tower on 215 West Washington Street. According to the press release from PRN Newswire, renters are supposed to be able to start moving in at some point this month.

Jupiter Reality is the Chicago real estate developer for this project, and the 389 apartments in this Solomon Cordwell Buenz designed high-rise are a mix of studios, one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom layouts.

Studios have 525 to 707 square feet and are currently being leased for $1,149 to $1,872 per month. The one bedroom apartments that size up betwen 751 to 933 square feet are renting from $1,277 to $2,551 per month. For a two bedroom unit with from 1,106 to 1,108 square feet you can expect to pay from $2,433 to $2,692 per month. And the three bedroom apartments that have from 1,598 to 1,799 square feet are being leased for $4,122 to $4,617 per month.

All of the units in this soon to be LEED certified tower come with a washer and dryer, Frigidaire Energy Star kitchen appliance package, granite counter tops, ample closet space and floor-to-ceiling windows to maixmize light. Residents of 215 West will have a 24 hour doorman, theater room, party room, game room, Internet lounge, library, business center and fitness center with steam and massage rooms. They will also have access to the green rooftop that features a pool, grilling station, sundeck and seats. Pets are also welcome.

If you are more interested in purchasing a new home rather than leasing, there are still plenty of Chicago homes for sale for sale right now as well.

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March 6, 2010 - Another rental tower has opened for residents to start moving in, and that is Alta at K Station. According to the development website, the leasing center opened on February 15th of this year and move-ins started March 1st. This 39 story high-rise is located on 365 North Jefferson Street and has a total of 420 apartments. This tower is one of the half dozen or so large Chicago real estate projects to start leasing in 2010. The developers are Lincoln Property Company and the Fifield Companies and they have another tower, 55 West Kinzie, that will add another significant number of rental units in the near future as well.

The big perk at Alta at K Station is the Club K. This is a 32,000 square foot private club located on floor eight for residents of the tower. Features of Club K include a fully equipped fitness center, business center, sun terrace, party room, lounge, movie theater and a few other recreational perks.

The rental rates for the apartments at Alta at K Station have been running from about $1,295 per month for the studio residences and from around $3,100 for the two to three bedroom apartments. A recent press release stated that lower monthly rates will be announced soon though, so it might pay to wait and see what those are.

Regardless of whether you’re looking to rent or buy, it easy to use the Chicago MLS search to find Chicago condos and apartments.

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