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New Cook County property tax site is a must-visit

The new Cook County Property Tax Portal has gone live, providing easy online access to a variety of property tax information through a single website. The site is the result of cooperation among the elected county officials who take part in the property tax system. The aspect of the site with the greatest impact is... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
May 3, 2012 at 10:35 pm
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Pilsen's Bohemian builders, Mexican preservationists and sustainability issues

The Pilsen Historic District is bounded roughly on the east and west by Halsted St (800 W) and Western Ave (2400 W), on the south by Cermak Rd (2200 S) and on the north by the railroad embankment just north of 16th St. It’s a large area, and if you were to traverse all of... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
May 1, 2012 at 8:23 pm
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Before and after looks at a riverfront penthouse

Chicago Magazine’s Dennis Rodkin recently visited a two-story penthouse on the Chicago River. The home has dramatic views from its sprawling outdoor terraces. The home, which is currently on the market for $3.35 million, was acquired a little over a year ago by a retired Microsoft executive for $2.85 million. We toured the penthouse, which... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 29, 2012 at 10:40 pm
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RealtyTrac – Chicago metro foreclosures high and trending up

RealtyTrac just released its Q1 2012 Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report, and it doesn’t contain good news for the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro area real estate market. Chicago ranked only 17th among the Top 20 metro areas in the US in overall foreclosure activity, defined as the percentage of homes in foreclosure (1 of every 107), but led... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 26, 2012 at 10:30 pm
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Down by the riverside, in Bridgeport

The ad copy touting Riverside Homes and the actual development site at the northern edge of Bridgeport seem, to an outsider, to be two different places. Your Community Suddenly, it’s all within your reach. The space you’ve dreamed of, the luxury you crave, in the neighborhood you know and love … All in a quiet... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 24, 2012 at 7:47 pm
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Chicago remembers Bill Lavicka, master architectural preservationist

William “Bill” Lavicka impressed, charmed and captivated many people during his life, including many in the media, Don DeBat among them. Don became friends with Bill in 1974 when he wrote a neighborhood story on the Jackson Boulevard Historic District. They made wine together in Bill’s basement since 1983. Don sent along this remembrance of... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 22, 2012 at 4:58 pm
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Video tours of Chicago's highest-priced homes

When I visited the Theurer-Wrigley House last August it hadn’t yet been listed in the MLS. The landmark home at 2466 N Lakeview, which is more commonly known as the Wrigley Mansion, was listed for sale in October at $9,500,000, the current asking price. I visited the landmark Francis J. Dewes Mansion in November of... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 19, 2012 at 11:09 am
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Rental market still strong in downtown Chicago

The leasing office at The LEX, a South Loop condo tower turned rental, has been open for only a month. I received an email update from a representative of The LEX yesterday relating that 108 apartments (32.83%) have been rented and 51 of them (15.5%) are occupied. The rent-up pace at The Lex is just... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 17, 2012 at 8:28 pm
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The biggest apartment search mistake is failure to focus

The biggest mistake that Chicago apartment seekers make is failing to focus their search on one or two relatively small areas where they’d genuinely enjoy living and can comfortably afford. If you’re looking all over the map you’re likely to end up in a bad apartment in a worse location. Chicago’s neighborhoods vary widely in... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 15, 2012 at 4:47 pm
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Target and Mariano's opening soon in the West Loop

Two major retail developments that are likely to have a positive impact on the West Loop are well underway. Target broke ground at Jackson and Aberdeen last September, at which time it was slated for completion in July of this year. Mariano’s Fresh Market on Halsted, pictured above, will be opening in what one observer... Read more »
By Joe Zekas,
April 13, 2012 at 12:20 am
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