All Forum Posts by: Svend W.

Thanks @Tj Floros and @Eudith Vacio. Makes sense.

Quote from @Bill B.:

I think a 2 flat is a duplex, is a 2 unit apartment building. Same with triplex and quad plex. Giving it a nickname doesn’t make it not a 2+ unit apartment building. 

Try 8-flat, double quad plex or 8 plex on for style. Sill a 2+ unit apartment building. :-)

True. I was thinking that "two-story" implied 2 *units* when I wrote that, which on further reflection doesn't make much sense. So I guess there's no real overlap there.

While I'm at it, I see that there are 2 categories in the definitions that might apply:

2-05 Two-or-more story residence, over 62 years of age up to 2,200 square feet

2-11 Apartment building with 2 to 6 units, any age

How would a 2-unit "apartment building" differ from a two flat?

Hi all

I have a two flat in Chicago whose listing on the county assessor website has a number of errors (see below).

Is there any practical reason to get these fixed now as opposed to waiting until I sell? I assume these errors are reducing my taxes.

Description.            One story residence, any age, up to 999 square feet [Should be Two Story]
Residence Type      One Story [Should be Two Story]
Use.                           Single Family [Should be Multi Family]
Apartments              0 [Should be 2]
Exterior Constr.       Frame
Full Baths.                 2
Half Baths.                0
Basement.                Crawl Space
Attic.                         Partial
Central Air.               No [Should be Yes (I think--Unit 1 has mini-splits; Unit 2 has central air)]
# of Fireplaces.        0
Garage Size/Type   None [It has a detached garage.]
Age.                           115
Build. Sq Footage.   800

Thanks.

BTW, if you google "Chicago CAR residential lease" etc. you will see many sites conveniently offering the file. You may be tempted to save time and grab one of them, but DON'T. They are almost certainly infected with malware.

Hi, all

I have an old 2 flat which needs central heat and AC to be added (it currently has gas powered fireplaces and a window AC).

I'm leaning towards going with heat pumps for the following reasons:
* One appliance instead of 2 appliances (i.e., furnace and AC), hopefully reducing maintenance
* Is installed outside, saving space
* It seems to be more cost-effective than a gas-powered furnace over the long term

I will be installing ducts.

I've read warnings about air pumps in cold areas, though.

Curious what people think about this reasoning and/or whether there are types I should use or avoid.

Thanks in advance.

Any suggestions on contractors who specialize in heat pumps on the north side of Chicago?

Thanks.

Does anyone have recommendations on local contractors for (or insights on) installing a fence around a front yard?

Are there any best practices from a standpoint of property values (e.g., I assume that a grey chain link fence is less likely to add value)?

Thanks

Sure, certainly didn't mean to sound like I didn't think the tenant wasn't entitled to water. Being without water is obviously a serious hardship. I was just thinking out loud about what my legal requirements are in this situation.

I offered the tenant a choice between a room and compensation. She choose the latter, so I didn't charge rent for those days.

It hadn't occurred to me that renter's insurance might cover something like this, though in this case there was no problem inside the unit--the freeze and break were under the house in the crawlspace.

Thanks.

Thanks @Jonathan Klemm and everyone else. 

Things got worse—my service line burst—but i put in an emergency shutoff request w the city and found somebody, who’s got things under control now.  And luckily the pipe burst was in the crawl space rather than inside.

A fun way to spend the holidays, especially when you’re vacationing on another continent!