All Forum Posts by: Daniel Dem

Thanks for the replies.  Some great suggestions here.  I'll reach out to the suggested contractors, but I'm mostly just glad to hear I'm not crazy.  I never thought 1 day of work would be $37k.

I'd consider doing the work myself, I just don't want to mess anything up.

I had 3 estimates done from what looked like the best rated window guys I could find on Google Maps (I don't know where to get any references).

They all quoted me between $26k and $37k for 10 1st floor windows and 8 tiny basement windows.  Thats minimum $1500 a window.  Is this way out of line or the way things go now?

Renata, thanks for replying.  For the zoning permit, I've spoken to aldermans' offices and the zoning department and they offer little help and seem to have no interest in providing a zoning change for anyone.  Maybe I'm the 100,000th person to ask about it.

So in your scenario, assuming there are no violations with the building code, there would be no issue with legality?

Been searching for this for a while and I can't find a clear answer from the city or from other investors.

What is the checklist of items that I would need to satisfy to get a 1920s Ukranian 2-flat and/or a 1960s 3-flat to be able to legally rent out 2 units plus a basement unit?  Most of the ones I've seen are in RS-2 and RS-3 zones, which I understand are zoned for single family residences with the ability to add only one additional dwelling unit if grandfathered in before 1957.  One would then assume that all buildings in RS-2 and RS-3 zones built after 1957 with 3 units are illegal buildings, correct?  Yet I see them advertised by agents everywhere.  They claim "we have the papers" yet, I haven't seen any.  What are these papers that one would need?  A certificate of occupancy explicitly stating it is a 3-unit?  A zoning amendment?

Thanks.