What, what's that you say? You say today is...

...Saturday?
There's a free wine tasting today at Red & White. Click to enlarge!






other events: big mulch day/living la vida verde ALL DAY in Wicker Park (for those who are physically able to bend and mulch and sit through lectures. AFTER PARTY at Greenheart Shop on Division! I'm dealing with a herniated disc and writing the booklet editorial as well as finalizing/popping in on last-minute sponsors for the upcoming printed booklet, thus no mulching for me today.)

save-the-date: booklet launch party at Congress Theatre, Thurs. June 30, 7PM. That's two months from today. Booklet needs to be at printer mid-June. We have a lot of work to do, but grateful to over 80 advertisers and counting... thanks to all who sent on your ads already! If anyone is reading this blog, PLEASE get your ads in asap. I was feeling under-the-weather yesterday and took time to stay in bed and write 10 pages of editorial content/interviews with business owners, thus feeling good about editorial progress, but LONG way to go-- hence no pipeline this week. Next one May 10.


-alisa

The Week past, the Week Ahead

Here is a link to Tuesday's issue.

Next one May 10.

Until then, we are working on the printed booklet.

Cheers.

Big Mulch Day Schedule- Sat. April 30

(Note: All content, below, by Doug Wood of the WP Garden Club)


Please Register So we can Have Enough Tools and Lecture Room Space

BIG MULCH DAY AND GREEN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING - Morning Work

Living La Vida Verde

WICKER PARK – BIG MULCH DAY
Registration Required: wpgarden@aol.com
SIGN IN When You Arrive - Park District Day of Event Waiver

Saturday, April 30 – 9am-1pm – Wicker Park – 1425 N. Damen
Mulch the trees in the Park
Learn the basics of mulching for good tree health and give back to your neighborhood park.
Bring Gloves; Wear Closed Toed Shoes and Cloths that can Get Dirty.


GREENHEART EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING - Afternoon Education
Saturday April 30 - 1-4PM - REGISTER NOW

1-4pm, Interactive and educational workshops - Wicker Park Field House, 1425 N Damen Ave.
No Admission Charge – Reservation Required

1pm: Andrew Weithe, Director of Environmental Affairs for the Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op sheds light on the green restaurant scene and what consumers should look for. Chef David Reyes from Chicago's green restaurant, Poag Mahone's, prepare a dish using seasonal ingredients.
Registration Required: adennis@cci-exchange.org


2pm: Merrill Smith, of Green Box Chicago, teaches a hands-on approach to using small spaces for growing your own greens with recycled container gardening methods.
Registration Required: adennis@cci-exchange.org

3pm: Ken Dunn, legendary pioneer of radical recycling and Director of The Resource Center, shares the science and plans of building out of urban farms and the real scoop on Chicago recycling and mass composting.
Registration Required: adennis@cci-exchange.org

4pm: Outdoor Musical Meditation with flutist Elizabeth Margolius and CCI Founder and President Emanuel Kuntzelman.

EVENT SPONSORED BY: Greenheart-Center for Cultural Exchange, Wicker Park Garden Club, Wicker Park Advisory Council, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Mosaic Church, Urban Encounter, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, The Chicago Park District

www.ChicagoParkDistrict.com
www.cci-exchange.com
www.WPGarden.org
www.OurWickerPark.org
www.covenantchicago.org
www.mosaicchicago.com
www.rccachicago.org

Spaces with Eva Bergant, April 25, 2011

Spaces April 25, 2011

It’s about that time to check your Credit Report. It’s simple and free at AnnualCreditReport.com which provides access to all three of the major credit bureaus. You can do each one free once a year, so the best deal is one every four months.

I will be finding out more about my buying ability as I’m in the market for a new car. It’s about time – 14 years is really too long to keep a car! Now I’ll be building my credit score by paying off the car on time every month. At the same time this loan will reduce my mortgage buying ability because it increases my debt-to-income ratio. Financing is all about balance. (PS – send me your suggestions for a new car – not too big, too flashy, too costly)

In Bucktown/Wicker Park, there were a very promising 18 closings in the past two weeks! Of the 18, two were detached single family homes, and 16 were attached homes!
They are as follows:

1733 N Hoyne, 4 bedroom, 2 ½ bath home with garage, $780,000

1724 N Winchester, 4bedroom, 3 ½ bath home with attached garage $1,129,000

1937 N Hoyne #3, 1bedroom, 1bath, Condo, garage spot, $234,000

1927 N Milwaukee #204, 2 bedroom, 2 bath Lofted condo $240,000

1742 N Winchester #201, 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath condo, garage spot $290,000

2213 W Wabansia #2A, 2 bedroom, 2 ½ bath condo garage spot, $310,000 (Foreclosure)

1441 N Wicker Park #3N, 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo, parking spot, $329,500

1731 W Crystal #A, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, Townhouse condo, garage spot, $365,000

1631 W LeMoyne #1, 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, Duplex condo, garage spot, $410,000

1640 W Beach #1E, 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, Duplex Condo, garage spot, $412,500

1372 N Dean #1, 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, Duplex, Condo garage spot, $416,000

1742 N Winchester #203, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, Lofted Condo, Penthouse 2 garage spots, $425,000

2218 W Belden #1, 3bedroom, 2 ½ bath, Duplex condo, garage spot, $443,000

1530 N Paulina #F, 3 bedroom, 3 bath, Duplex, Condo , garage spot $485,000 (Short Sale)

1530 N Elk Grove #D, 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, Townhouse, Condo on Courtyard, garage, $485,000

1717 W Julian #2, 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, Duplex Condo, garage spot, $530,000

2012 W Willow #C, 3bedroom, 3 bath, Townhouse-garage , $555,000

2028 W Division #4R, 3 bedroom, 2bath, Penthouse Condo, 2garage spots, $701,000

Summary Statistics – 16 Sold Condos -

(High, Low, Average, Median)

List Price, $769,800, $239,000, $444,931, $435,000

Sold Price, $701,000, $234,000, $414,437, $414,250

Listing Market Time, 306, 2, 115, 91

Market Time, 697, 2, 195, 168

*** Information sourced from MREDLLC;4/25/11. Attached Property and Detached Property residential Bucktown (Ashland, Western, Fullerton, North) and WickerPark (Ashland, Western, North, Division)


Have a topic you’d like to see explored or a real estate question send it in.

If you’d like more information on properties currently on the market or selling your home just drop me a note at EvaB@atproperties.com

Open House this Sunday at Ray's Bucktown B&B

Click to enlarge

Images from Holy Trinity Service Day Friday April 17

Photos by Philin Phlash

The Friday before last, Phlash popped by FOA's Marquard Center, where teens from Holy Trinity High School were painting the center's grounds as well as cleaning the daytime shelter's kitchen.

Following is a P.S. from John Malloy of Holy Trinity, who sent in some facts about the school, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.

P.S. In case you are not familiar with us, here is some information about Holy Trinity:

Holy Trinity was founded by the Brothers of Holy Cross in 1910 to educate the children of Polish immigrants who settled on the near-north side of Chicago. Today, in keeping with the spiritual tradition of the Brothers of Holy Cross and the educational framework of their founder, Blessed Fr. Basil Moreau, C.S.C., we continue to educate youth from across the city, recognizing the unique spirit of all students and challenging them to realize their potential.

Individualized Attention •
Holy Trinity’s student-to-teacher ratio is 12-to-1
• Faculty and staff care deeply about students, empowering them to realize their goals and ambitions

Challenging Academic Curriculum
• 100% of HT graduates have been accepted into college since 2006
• Students explore a wide variety of subjects, including electives, Honors classes, and the opportunity for internships
Strong Moral Guidance
• A strong moral foundation is developed at our Catholic school, based on values of self-respect, discipline, and social awareness
• Holy Trinity upholds the Holy Cross tradition of giving back to the community
Generous Scholarships and Financial Assistance
• More than 90% of students qualify for scholarships or financial assistance
• Holy Trinity maintains close partnerships with several Chicago scholarship organizations dedicated to helping families to shoulder the financial burden

From the Guy who Brought us the Miss Wicker Park Pageant...

Rich Seng is back, with another event. See below.
Following are random pictures of dogs I found on my computer, shot by Phlash.

Hello Friends,

We cordially invite you to enter your dog in the first ever "Chicago's Best Friend" All-City Dog Show. This week only, entry for the first 100 dogs is free! (A $10 entry fee will apply starting May 1st). To get started, visit http://chicagosbestfriend.com, and click the "Enter Your Dog" button near the top of the page.

Dog owners throughout Chicagoland are welcome to enter their pooches in this interactive dog show and pageant. The preliminaries are being held online and the "Top Ten" (derived from comparative voting and popularity) will advance to the finals at the Double Door on Sunday, June 26. Dogs will be judged on their appearance, and tested on their intelligence, tricks, and loyalty. The final event will stream live at Gigity.TV and will include online voting so that the people will have their say in deciding which dog truly is "Chicago's Best Friend".

Know someone else with a dog? Feel free to forward this email along to them!

Don't have a dog? Signup to vote, support your favorite dogs, and help determine Chicago's Best Friend.

No Riff-Ruff allowed... JUST KIDDING!!!

Best Regards,
Rich Seng
Chicago's Best Friend

Images from the Grand Opening of Real Naked Food

Real Naked Food, 1909 W. Division celebrated its Grand Opening this past Friday night.

I popped by a few weeks back, and this time Philin Phlash was in the area, as were many others.

Here are a few of Phlash's images... including a few familiar faces, from the Logan Square Indoor Farmer's Market (Crumb and Co-Op Hot Sauce) and the Bucktown Craft Fair (Katherine's Chocolates).

Dispatch from Saturday Pop In Excitement

This past Saturday we popped in at the Rogue Gallery on Western shortly after being truly bummed out by this sign on Plazzio's Pizza, [[CONFESSION: one of our favorite places for cheap pizza and greasy-but-good eggplant Parmesan sandwiches that have the best salty decadent fries rolled into the butcher paper. come back soon, plazzio's!!]].

Um, back to the "story," we couldn't help but notice a popcorn machine, and a few moviegoers chilling out inside the Rogue Gallery's makeshift movie theater. What could be happening? We wondered. Come along...

Turns out there was a fundraiser happening, for the Chicago chapter of Off the Street Kids, a non-profit mentoring program started by actress Gillan Anderson, best known as the smart and sassy female sidekick, Scully, to actor David Duchovny's Mulder, on the popular TV series, X-Files.

More specifics on the now-passed-event can be found here on this ChicagoNow blog by Andy Daglas.

Pictured is Melanie, in blue top, who earns the distinction of having traveled the furthest to participate on the fundraiser. Melanie reported that she drove into Chicago from Kalamazoo, Michigan after hearing about the daylong X-files marathon on a website community called IBG (note: Inspired by Gillian, but not affiliated with her, per this website.]

Though in an alternate reality we would've donated $10 and chilled out, like we witnessed one woman doing, who was knitting a blanket while watching X-files, we had a lot of neighborhood ground to cover- literally-since weekends are the only time we have to "pop in" these days, as well as interview people and solicit participation in our upcoming printed booklet. So, we could not help but find some cash to participate in the IDG raffle, in hopes of winning X-Files swag, and then, at the Rogue's gallery neighbor, Challengers, we purchased a $4 dose of reading therapy, a graphic novel called Castling by Logan Square's very own Sarah Becan, founder of Shortpantspress.com, which will be participating in free comic book day, per Patrick of Challenger's.

Castling was devoured later that day, where we enjoyed every page and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast and innovative read! The plot is simple yet universal-- a teenager estranged from her father gets slowly closer to him, as they realize that they swapped dreams on the very same night. When the coincidence ends up affecting reality, and the father's premonition from a dream plot line comes true, the teenager responds by wondering if this man-who-wants-to-be-called-Dad but doesn't deserve to be, should be someone who should be in her life. Not to ruin anything else, but we found the teen's simple, "I...I don't have your number" and her father's response of "Got a pen?" to be brilliant and simple and poignant and even eye misting since we were feeling kind of hormonal anyway.









For whatever reason, in times of stress I always find myself reading graphic novels more so than literary ones. Anything to quiet the mind.

Pictured is Castling, along with a grilled vegetable sandwich enjoyed on the serene back patio of Yuca Cafe, one of the best kept al fresco secrets around. The sandwich was amazing, along with the fries. Not Plazzio's, but close.

Reader Jim Reaches Out to Native Foods

Apologies to Jim on just cutting and pasting a friendly and neighborly email thread. We promise there will be more on this in the next pipeline (26th), we just have a lot of other ground to cover before 8AM- or rather 7:45 if I am to shower before work- and wanted to make sure we included this uber-cool email exchange between a reader, Jim, and an up and coming space. We feel like we've heard from Jim before, but can't remember in relation to which story. In any case, readers like Jim make me feel like the pipeline is worth continuing. There's a large and extended community of people who care about the neighborhood, and many are already tapped into the pipeline and help us out by sending in news like this, below.

Alisa-

See below. Nice to know that Native Foods will correctly identify their new Wicker Park store.

The Levis store is identified on their site as Bucktown, as are a number of other WP businesses... [left out for privacy]

As always, thanks for all your hard work on Pipeline.

Jim O'Brien



-----Original Message-----
From: Online Support
To: Jim O.
Sent: Wed, Apr 13, 2011 7:05 am
Subject: Re: New Chicago Location

thanks for writing.

Yes, we know!!!! the old website has it wrong, but the new website that goes live any day has it correct. Given that we were about to launch a new webiste, we just never fixed the old one. when we were first looking for locations in that area we were looking in both areas, but obviously decided on the Wicker Park locations. The website person just never fixed it.

we have lived in Chicago for almost 20 years and we are excited to be opening here. We hope to see you in the restaurants!!!!

thanks again for writing

eat peace

On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 7:51 AM, Jim XXX wrote:

I live a block from your new Chicago location being built at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue & Honore Street. Your website shows the new location as "Bucktown," but your actual location is in the heart of the Wicker Park neighborhood.

Wicker Park and Bucktown are sister neighborhoods and are often spoken of together as Wicker Park/Bucktown (there are separate Facebook pages for Wicker Park and Bucktown and a combined Wicker Park / Bucktown page). Bucktown is the more upscale of the two, and several retailers on the Milwaukee Avenue shopping strip in Wicker Park (including Levis, just up the block from your new store) have taken to calling their locations Bucktown, obviously hoping to attract a more monied clientele.

Ok, so my nose is a little out of joint, but if you're locating your first Windy City store in Wicker Park, shouldn't you call it that? (Side note: you can see the actual Wicker Park itself from the Honore Street side of your store.)

Either way, welcome to Chicago. This is a vibrant neighborhood and I wish you every success here.

Jim XXX

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Town,_Chicago#Wicker_Park

Nice day for a Muddy Wedding

This past Sunday I was on my way somewhere when I noticed a crew of paparazzi following a bride and a groom around in the alley behind SubT.

I missed the finale- when the bride trashes her wedding dress by immersing in a puddle- but caught some of the earlier parts of the photo shoot.

One of the photographers, who works for the Trib and usually covers sports, told me that he and others are taking part in "Trash the Dress" (find us on Facebook, he said), a meet-up where photographers practice their wedding photography skills in a fun and unique way.

Public Notice: Six Corners- Milw/Damen/North- Zoning Amendment Change

I have to add "Milw Damen North" to any mention of Six Corners, lest it be confused with the real Six Corners in Portage Park. In any case, per this Sun-Times notice, it looks like there is a zoning amendment hearing on April 26 at 10AM in relation to changing the area where the former Midwest Bank stands from a limited business use area to a Community Shopping District.

The increased foot traffic will bring more business to area businesses. I guess the question is which business will it be? The rumor mill seems to be saying "Walbeaen's", but no one really knows at this point. Or maybe everyone does know and I'm just out of the loop for once, unable to catch up on neighborhood happenings because I am making cold calls from a cubicle a few neighborhoods north.

So that's why there's no pipeline today. For the past three months and twelve pipelines, I have been spending most of my daily breathing time outside of the hood, only to return in the evening when I'm exhausted from looking at a screen all day.

Honestly I don't even know if anyone actually missed it this week. Please excuse the fishing. I need a boost to remind myself that what we're doing matters, to more than just myself, or Phlash, or Pat, or Dika. And, if it does matter, will a community rally around the existence of a communication pipeline?

Thus far I view the participation in the Pipeline booklet as proof that dozens of local businesses believe in the pipeline. Sure, some paid a small amount and others a bit more, but at the end of the day there was support given to us which makes me feel like we're at an important future crossroads. Do we realize we're not going big these days, that we are doing the equivalent of catching the pass and then unable to run with the ball down the field, and scurry off in defeat (or recognition of reality)? Or do we go big and don't look back?

Not knowing the answer to these questions puts me in an undesirable state of limbo. General unease. Driftless-ness. Discomfort. I fluctuate from thinking cold calling in a cube all day is better than reporting on a neighborhood, to being angry with myself for not living up to my true potential and taking a risk in lieu of a paycheck.

In this economy, I'd rather have a paycheck than a risk. But if that means at the expense of sacrificing self expression and creativity, once practiced on a daily basis and now confined to nights, mornings, and weekends, is it worth the exhaustion?

Two people think I should take a pill to curb the anxiety. I keep saying that I do not need a pill. I need TIME. If there is a pill that will turn two hours into 12, I'll take that. But until then, I remain crazed and confused and wondering if anyone can cover this story at city hall on the 26th at 10AM since I'll likely be cold calling, which, come to think of it, is better than being around lawyers who ask you questions about whether or not your newspaper is real and if you sit around all day in your pajamas.

I wish.

-30-

Catch Barrymore's Ghost this Weekend at Jackson Junge Gallery

(story, below, by Pat J. Daily. In addition to Barrymore's ghost, there is a Spring Dance in the gallery's pipeline, and more, per the gallery's latest e-newsletter)

Jeffrey Baumgartner and Diann Squiers formed Chicago City Creatives in 2010 to "to develop and promote a collective of artists from all disciplines including the visual arts, music, theatre and performance, film, and installation in an effort to explore and exploit the dialogue between them." So now they're doing a play in an art gallery.

Jason Miller (Father Karras in The Exorcist; he won a Pulitzer for his play That Championship Season) wrote the one-man play and toured it extensively. In it actor John Barrymore is a ghost doomed to haunting a theater during rehearsals for a new play. Local actor Baumgartner says in his press release, "I had the good fortune to play Hamlet about fifteen years ago, as well as having appeared as Barrymore in the wonderful comedy I Hate Hamlet. and with Barrymore's Ghost I get an opportunity to tap into that particular and extraordinary energy that is Hamlet, a role for which Barrymore was quite famous, if not infamous. Too, it is tremendously exciting to have a go of it while being surrounded by all of this original artwork."

The show runs Fri-Sat 4/15-4/23, 8 PM, Sun 4/17, 5 PM, at Jackson Junge Gallery, 1389 N. Milwaukee. Tickets are $25; group sales and dinner theatre packages are available at Tocco Chicago, 1266 N. Milwaukee. Call 773-227-7900 for reservations and more information. --Pat J. Daily


[ED. Note/Disclosure: Jackson Junge Gallery is a valued Pipeline sponsor. Just say 'Pipeline' for a special discount on tickets to Barrymore's Ghost-- and smile at our ad if you see it in the play's playbill!]

Dispatch from 14th District Business C.A.P.S Meeting, 4/19

The 14th Police District C.A.P.S. business meeting Tuesday morning (4/19) was introduced by Adam Burck of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and featured a presentation by Ron Rufo of the Chicago Police Department on burglary prevention.

All the usual rules still apply: good lighting, good locks, don’t let landscaping like high bushes in front of windows provide cover for thieves. Also, set up a phone tree to notify neighbors quickly of criminals in the area (probably more useful in cases of shoplifting). The phone tree idea leads to another--know your neighbors. Nosy neighbors can be your best defense against bad guys, Rufo noted. A couple things that I’d never really thought of was posting your address on your back door or alley entrance--officers trying to cover the escape of a suspect might end up sitting in the wrong place. Also, shut off the electricity to garage doors when you close for the night. Burglars, while not being the “sharpest knives in the drawer, aren‘t stupid,” and can open those things.

You can give Rufo a call at 312-745-5838, ext. 84652, and he’ll come over and look your business or home over and tell you how to better crime-proof it. He added that he “won’t open up a can worms” by calling the fire department or some other agency about building-code violations or whatever. --Pat J. Daily

(ed note: for coverage of a similar meeting from 2009, click here)

Earth Day Party 'FUN'DRAISER this Friday, April 22 at Karen Marie Salon

Click to enlarge

Everything must go at Crosell & Co on Damen

70% off and the fixtures too, per this email.

Following are a few photos snapped there on various visits. I love my green placemats, purchased a few years back.

Oh, and it's not goodbye, it's see you... downtown. Crosell & Co. has another location.

Get Your Time Machine on! Jason Brammer at Jackson Junge, Friday May 6, 6-9PM

FUTURA OBSCURA

The Timeless Art of Jason Brammer

Special Exhibit Jackson Junge Gallery Friday, May 6 – Sunday, July 3, 2011

Opening Reception Friday, May 6, 6pm – 9pm

“Futura Obscura,” a collection Jason Brammer’s most recent mixed media paintings and signature Time Machines, will be on exhibit at the Jackson Junge Gallery, 1389 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, from Friday, May 6, through Sunday, July 3. Brammer’s new series features the timeless imagery of the seascape. His work imparts a sense of nostalgia while suggesting an enduring quality that transcends past, present and future.

An opening reception, where Brammer will demonstrate his unique painting techniques, will be held on Friday, May 6th, 6pm- 9pm. The exhibit and reception are free of charge. In the days leading up to the opening, the artist will create a special wall installation at the gallery. Passerby will be able to observe the artist in action through the venue’s large showcase windows.

The artist infuses a feel for antiquity into his paintings by incorporating gauges, recycled wood, vintage handles, and other items he finds in the alleys by his studio and salvage yards. Many of his pieces merge painting with the art of assemblage. In his latest series Brammer obscures the line between two-and three-dimensional perception further by painting flat cutout surfaces that appear to be folding like a traditional Japanese screen.

Brammer applies acrylics, colored plasters and transparent glazes to various surfaces using a combination of airbrush and paintbrush techniques. He often scrapes the paint to reveal portions of the surface below and sands the edges of his work for an antiquated appearance. He creates the effect of rusting, weathered metal with layers of paint and plaster.

“My seascape paintings and Time Machines evoke a sense of mystery,” says Brammer. “Upon closer inspection, people are surprised to discover that my pieces are not what they appear to be at first. One assumption is that I incorporate photography. In actuality, everything is hand painted.”

While Brammer’s work does not include photography he is inspired by the unique metallic coloring of early photographic images from the 1830’s call daguerreotypes. In addition, he employs the airbrush, a technique more commonly associated with photography.

“The airbrush helps me achieve a soft, luminous effect that creates depth and photographic realism in my painting,” says Brammer. “I’ve been fascinated with the airbrush ever since a high-school art teacher introduced me to it years ago.”

‘My Time Machines evolved out of my love for turn-of-the century aesthetics as well as the mechanical, modern environment that surrounds me in Chicago,” says the artist. “I create artifacts reminiscent of Art Nouveau while incorporating gadgets of urban futurism. Ultimately, I want these pieces to provide a glimpse into another era, dimension or lifetime.”

Jason Brammer resides in Chicago’s Logan Square community and has a studio in Ukrainian Village. His work has been featured in numerous local and national art exhibitions. The artist has created site-specific installations and murals for a variety of venues.

In addition to the art installation at the Jackson Junge Gallery the week of May 2nd and the painting demonstration at the exhibit’s Opening Reception on May 6th, Jason Brammer will be at the gallery on Saturday, June 4th, 2pm, to chat about his art and creative process.

The Jackson Junge Gallery features the work of Laura Lee Junge and other contemporary artists. The Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 8pm and Sunday, 12 Noon to 5pm. Closed on Monday.

The Week Past, The Week Ahead

The week past (April 12) is here.
There will be no week ahead.
Yay!!!
i will see how pipeline separation anxiety goes on monday, but for now, no planned issue. if we end up covering stuff between now and the 26, will post it here.
thanks to jim and a neighbor for writing in with updates on local spaces!

Spaces with Eva Bergant

(All content, below, by Eva Bergant of @properties)

The offer was accepted - now what?

After the buyer and the seller have come to an agreement on the price and the terms of the home sale, it's time to work on meeting all the contingencies.


Inspection - In most sales, the buyer has a few days to bring in any inspector or other Licensed persons to examine the property and identify any health or safety defects. These are items that are not obvious to the buyer or seller. An example might be that the inspector looks at the basement sink drain and finds a leak. The buyer might ask the seller to have the pipe repaired or pay for the buyer to have it done at a later time.


Attorney Review - Both buyer and seller will have their attorneys look at the terms of the purchase agreement and the attorneys will come to agreement on any terms. This review is usually as long as the inspection period (or a few days longer) and the attorneys will confirm any responses to the inspection items.


Mortgage - Generally the last completed contingency, since the details of confirming the mortgage funding are the most time consuming. The purchase agreement includes a date by which the buyer and their lender must be able to agree that funding is available for this buyer and this property. The agreement also provides some limits for the loan rate and duration. (This is why it’s so important for buyers to be pre-approved!)


Condo Documents - The Condo Declarations and Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, Budget (current and previous year), Minutes and a 22.1 form will all need to be provided to the buyer for their review, and the attorney. Most are required during the attorney review period. They are also needed by the buyer’s lender who will confirm the financial stability of the condo association before authorizing a loan.


Other contingencies could be the sale of a previous home, pet rules, leases, or other items that both buyer and seller agreed to during negotiations and included in the Purchase Agreement.

In Bucktown/Wicker Park this week, there were six closings! Of the six, four were detached single family homes, and two were attached homes. They are as follows.


1850 N Wilmot, 4 bedroom, 3bath, Rowhome, private yard, garage, $595,000


1880 N Hoyne, 5bedroom, 3 bath +2 ½ baths, Contemporary renovation, attached garage, $1,624,625


1627 N Wolcott, 4bedroom, 4 ½ bath, 4+ Stories ultra modern new construction , $1,950,000


1804 N Leavitt, 5 bedroom, 4 ½ bath, Modern open conversion of warehouse space, $2,770,000


1524 N Leavitt #1, 4 bedroom, 3bath, 2 garage spots, Duplex Condo, $399,000


1767 N Hoyne #L, 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, updated Townhouse Condo, Attached 2 car Garage, $575,000


*** Information sourced from MREDLLC;4/11/11. Attached Property and Detached Property residential Bucktown (Ashland, Western, Fullerton, North) and WickerPark (Ashland, Western, North, Division)


Do you have a topic you'd like to see explored or a real estate question? Send it in. If you'd like more information on properties currently on the market or selling your home just drop me a note.

About Eva:
Eva Bergant is a Bucktown resident and local Realtor with a community driven style. In addition to being the president of the Bucktown Community Organization (BCO), Eva has served as chair for the annual Bucktown Garden Walk for the past three years. You can reach Eva by email or at 312-543-6819.

Spring Sale at Galerie Du Muroc in Bucktown

CLICK TO ENLARGE

SPRING HAS SPRUNG- Photos by Philin Phlash