All Forum Posts by: Jay Garrison

Hi, 

I am having washer/dryer hook ups and vents installed in two units and one GC estimate suggests skipping permits. I will sell down the road and want no problems with the city. Is this GC to be avoided? He also just dropped a price with no follow up paperwork or contract but is ready to fix a date to start.

 The quote was $8700 for everything, including a crane to get the units on the roof (the roof hatch is too small to put them through). My neighborhood is challenged/promising, just south of Back of the Yards... that may be why he recommended cages.

 Mario, how satisfied are you with the central air units, what is their BTU and what size space do they need to cool? 

Hi Lesa,

Thanks for that! So you were able to get your addition much cooler with just one mini split inside, what about the other rooms of the home? The second floor unit has 3 small bedrooms and a living/dining room that gets tons of light. Plus the roof functions as a roasting pan during July and August. If the main mini split is in the living/dining room, do the bedroom doors need to be open for the bedrooms to be cooled? I should add that the choice for me now is between central air and the mini split, not a window unit. THanks!

Hi,

I just had a HVAC guy come out and give me an estimate on 2 central air units for a 2 flat. The top floor gets pretty hot in the summer, flat roof. First floor is obviously much cooler. The quote they gave me has a 2.5 ton setup for the second floor, and 2 ton for the first. Does that sound about right? Each unit is 1000 square feet, 3/1. Thanks!

 I sent you a PM. Good luck!

 One of the guys who put the meter in asked me how much I was paying and told me I was going to save a ton. 

7/20 Update

I had a water meter installed today. Just one for the entire building, in the basement unit. A contractor for the city called me on Mon to schedule and they came out this morning, had everything done by 9ish. Free, and they ran copper piping. Apparently they are going by zip code. If you aren't registered with the meter save program, get in it now.

Never before have I actually looked forward to receiving a utility bill! 

You hear the same neighborhoods ad nauseam: Little Village, Albany Park... and then someone chimes in with something they saw about avoiding "dangerous" areas based on some low-hanging fruit they came across online.  Much of the South Side is solid, but it's definitely not for parachute investing. That said, you don't need to split any atoms to do okay. 

A better way to approach Chicago is by starting with single blocks, or having a knowledge of the city's design - which actually takes some legwork and an appreciative eye. For example: Humboldt Park is big! Can you afford to be east of California, or should you stretch it back to Kedzie based on your budget? Maybe even Homan? 

East Garfield Park has a reputation as a "permanent" up and comer, but do you plan to Air BNB or just try the standard rental market? That makes a big difference. Are you on one of the one-way streets - Washington, Warren - where the housing stock seems to be a bit more charming? The area very close to the Garfield Park Conservatory is a gold mine, but I would definitely not lump it in with some of the blocks between Homan and Kedzie, from Lake Street down to the expressway.

If you get familiar with the Chicago Boulevard System, you'll know that there are stately homes along them... and that immediate areas near Douglas Park, Marshall Square, Columbus Park, and a few others are not the same as the neighborhoods that surround them. 

Buying near an L station is a good idea, but know your subway lines! The Green Line has a bit of new commercial activity around the shuttered Racine Station, and I wouldn't be surprised if that station is re-opened in the next 10 years. I love love love the area near the Halsted station, but would be reluctant to invest near Ashland, even though it's close to a major police station. The Morgan station transformed that little corner really quickly, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were 1 or 2 more stops added to the Green line in coming years. And so on.

Do your homework.