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North Center Home Sales Finish 2012 on High Note, Condos a Mixed Bag

By Patty Wetli | January 19, 2013 8:25am | Updated on January 21, 2013 9:31am
 One of the more than 50 North Center homes that sold for $1 million in 2012.
One of the more than 50 North Center homes that sold for $1 million in 2012.
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Eric Rojas

NORTH CENTER — The North Center Community Area is one of the hottest real estate markets in the city, with sales of single family homes and condos both up 8 percent in 2012, according to a local real estate broker.

Eric Rojas of Kale Realty recently tallied North Center sales — which include properties in Roscoe Village and St. Ben's as well as the North Center neighborhood — on his blog, Chicago Real Estate Local.

In 2012, North Center notched 191 single family home sales versus 177 in 2011. Of those, a whopping 53 sold for more than $1 million. The median sale price overall was $800,000, same as the previous year.

Rojas, who's been featured on HGTV's addictive "House Hunters," credited the uptick in activity to stablizing home prices, low interest rates and the area's top-tier elementary schools (Audubon, Coonley and Bell).

A home at 1912 W. Belle Plaine Ave. fetched the highest bid, changing hands for just north of $1.6 million.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, 2425 W. Fletcher St. was purchased for a song at $120,888 and was promptly torn down.

According to Rojas, only 12 of the single family home closings were listed as short sales or foreclosures.

On the attached home side - real estate speak for condos and townhouses - sales were also up 8 percent in 2012, but the median price dropped from $360,000 in 2011 to $330,000.

Though total sales of 246 condos/townhomes represented a nice bump from 2011, Rojas reported the figure was still well below 305 units sold in 2010.

Market statistics were gathered from MREDLLC.com.