Snooping public records to find property information

Have a cook county address (and that’s all you have) and want to know all about it? Who owns it? What did they pay for it? How leveraged are they? What other properties does that guy own?

Well there are several pay Internet sites where you can go to do some research and get what you want. But you don’t want to pay someone for the info? Well, with a little computer “leg work” you can find it all on your own for free. Ok, maybe you can’t get all of it. But you can get much of it - as long as those bits of information have been recorded in the public records. You can also make some educated guesses based on what you find. All in the public domain.

Easy as 1-2-3.

For example: Let’s say you are in the market to buy a three flat. One day while driving down Oakdale Street you see one that appears to be vacant. You could call your agent if there was a “for Sale” sign on it. But there isn’t. You peek in the windows (without getting arrested) and now you’re really intrigued because you see potential. You want to find out who owns it. Maybe see it. And maybe, just maybe, make an offer on it. You at least want find out what’s going on with the property.

So let’s go:

Step 1: Get the address. 838 W. George – check.

Step 2: Go to Cook County Assessors website and search by the address to find the PIN. While you are there take note of the past few years assessed valuations. And just as important - the property description of how many units.

Here is what you come up with:

Step 3: Go to the Cook County Recorders Website. This is a goldmine of information about a property’s history, and the parties involved.

Entering the PIN number you found at the Assessor’s website into the PIN number search we find – D’oh! The property sold on June 28th. How do I know this? A deed was recorded on July 3rd.

Click on the hyperlink to the recording document of the warranty and we can see that it was conveyed on 6/28 with a sales price of $865,000 from Martin O’Brien as trustee to James Varga. Keep clicking on hyperlinks on document numbers and names and you can view reams of information that has been recorded against the property.

Click on the mortgage and you can see that Mr. Varga bought the property with $792,000 loan. He probably paid the balance in cash. Hey, 92% financing in this day and age – not bad.

What else has Mr. Varga bought and sold?

Click on his name and you’ll see that he has over the years been the grantor 13 times and the grantee 10 times.

Click on Grantor and you see various transactions of sales and mortgages. You see that not only has Mr. Varga bought and mortgaged the property we were curious about in June of 2007, in October 2006 he took out a mortgage of $338,500 on a property.

With PIN provided for that transaction, you head back to the Assessor’s website and look up the address and find that it is a condo at 828 Wolfram.

If you really want to creep yourself out about what people can find out about you – keep digging: Go to the Cook County Treasure’s website and you can see that his condo us Unit A. You can plainly see that Mr.Varga is getting the homeowner’s exemption and his current tax bill of $2,223.38 is not paid yet.

What about the original property that we were curious about? Well, he hasn’t paid those taxes either. And he’s getting a killer break on the taxes with a homeowners’ exemption, a senior citizen exemption and a senior tax freeze. Yikes, he’s gonna get whacked next year when all those tax breaks vanish into thin air…

Anyway I digress - a great set of free tools to help you learn more about a property. And perhaps make an informed buying decision. Use these three websites and their cross referencing information and amaze yourself with how much information you can dig up.

Electricity comes to Chicago

Read the yard sign carefully and you'll find that this home is "Fully Wired." In West Lakeview / Hamlin Park listed for $1,199,999.

How do you buy bank owned property in Chicago?

A customer wrote last night and asked:

How do you buy bank owned property in Chicago? Do you know a REO agent and how do you contact them?

Lots of ways.

Many banks list their homes with Real Estate agents for sale. Lots of those properties DO make it into the MLS. Experienced agents know what brokerages specialize in the sale of bank owned properties. I know that I keep a prospecting search for properties that come on the market from these agencies so I can get quick notice of properties that come up for sale.

For example, the most recent property to catch my attention was a new listing that I received notice of this morning. It's a single family home in the West Loop - three beds with one bath - listed for $149,900. Before being taken back by the bank, this house was listed for $325,000. Could be a great deal if it's not in too bad condition.

A year ago, I sold a condo owned by Chase Bank to a home buyer in a well known high rise in Edgewater. This condo was purchased by a rehabber who ran out of money and couldn't make the payments on the condo. My client bought the condo for a nice discount and renovated it completely and he has a spectacular and comfortable home in a desirable lakefront location now.

These homes are not always a bargain, however. But careful examination of the listing data and a tour of the property will usually reveal a few diamonds in the rough. Do hire an experienced agent to guide you. A good agent will be able to sift through the mountains of data and suggest properties that represent good values as well as point out the pitfalls that may be present in other properties.

Keep in mind that the foreclosure process takes a long time. By the time a bank actually owns a property, it could have been neglected for many months. Some properties are in good condition, but others are waiting their date with the wrecking ball.

The process of bidding on a foreclosed home takes guidance and patience. Many levels of bureaucracy can be involved in the sale of a bank owned property. If you submit a bid on a property, the paperwork goes through a maze of bank departments and mid-level administrators before a decision can be made. It often takes weeks to hear about the status of an offer. These nerve-wracking waits are not for the faint of heart.

One last reference for the determined do it your selfer: Check out the Chicago Foreclosure Report at http://www.chicagoforeclosurereport.com. This website offers a web and magazine subscription to properties that are just entering the foreclosure process. You'll be doing all the legwork yourself, however. No experts are guiding you here, so be very careful. But if you can get a jump on a property before everyone else does, the effort could be worth it. Lots of Realtors read the foreclosure report, too, because it's a great prospecting tool. Properties listed in the Foreclosure Report are not yet bank owned and are often still in good condition. The owners usually still live in the properties. Smart sellers who are in financial trouble are wise to list their homes for sale with a broker at this stage in order to perhaps sell the property at full retail price.

Property tax bills are out and due December 3

Property taxpayers should be on the lookout for their property tax bills shortly. Most tax bills hit the U.S.Post Office on Monday and were delivered yesterday. The due date for your payment is Monday, December 3rd.

Does your mortgage company pay your taxes automatically? If so, be on the lookout for an ominous letter from your mortgage company or escrow company telling you to forward your original letter to them or face penalties. The Cook County Treasurer's office started charging a new fee to pay taxes electronically. (Insane, I know.) Your mortgage company may be trying to avoid paying this new fee by asking you for your original tax bill so they can mail in a paper check rather than transmitting your payment.

If you feel like being a helpful customer, feel free to forward your bill to your escrow company, but you are under no obligation to do so. Your mortgage company receives your bill electronically in a large download and is supposed to make your payment in a bulk electronic payment transmittal. They are simply hoping to avoid the fee by sending out these scary-sounding letters. Also, if your escrow company fails to make your payment on time, you are not liable for the extra penalties the County Treasurer imposes for late payments.

Are you missing your tax bill? Your guides are amazed when the original developer of the townhome complex where we reside forwards us a sizable stack of un-deliverable tax bills to us. This occurs because residents still have not changed their address with the Cook County Treasurer's office and therefore the bills are sent off to the most recent known taxpayer of record - namely the developer.

Check out the Cook County Treasurer's website where you can look up your bill, change your name and billing address if you need to, and check out a bunch of other helpful features. The Treasurer's website is www.cookcountytreasurer.com.

Please note: other important services are offered in the treasurer's doppleganger office - the Cook County Assessor. Use the Assessor's office website to locate your Property Tax ID Number if you only know your address. Download the forms to apply for your Home Owner's Exemption, your Senior Citizen's Exemption at the Assessor's office. The Assessor's office is where you will start the process of a Tax Appeal if you feel your property is assessed too high. The Assessor's website is www.cookcountyassessor.com.

Broker Open Tuesday

Tuesdays in Chicago is Broker Tour day. Realtors that want to increase their exposure to other brokers in the area all hold their listings open on Tuesday around Lunchtime. In addition to getting fed, this is a great opportunity to snoop, check out the competition or live vicariously - depending on your mood.

In our neighborhood, a developer has sandwiched eleven ultra-luxurious single family homes in between the back of the Office Max and the McDonald's drive through. Mind you - across the street, the neighborhood is tranquil and residential - it's just that these are literally on the wrong side of street.

In any case, The Estates at Columbia Place had their first Broker Tour today and offered tours inside three of the eleven homes. Each house was about the same size - approximately 6,000 square feet. Each featured 11 rooms, six bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths. The pricing - $2,425,000, $2,525,000, and $2,595,000 - differs only with the level of finishes that each home contains. The most expensive one with an elevator.

Something you don't see very often in Chicago is a clubhouse dedicated to the use of just the eleven homes in the development. Promotional materials indicate there will be an indoor pool, a deckside whirlpool and a fitness equipment room. We snuck inside for a quick peek.

By our estimate, the three homes that were open for viewing today could be ready for occupancy in a matter of a couple weeks. We will be looking forward to seeing whether the homes that are rumored to be sold will have new residents moving in, or whether they are sold to speculators who may have a bit of a wait before new buyers come into the picture.

Looking to buy something listed a bit over my budget...

This morning, a customer posed this question:

After a couple of weeks of searching, I have just found a stunning condo right in downtown Chicago. It seems to be priced correctly, but has been on the market since mid-July, and the seller has yet to lower the original list price. How agressive can my offer be if I hope to stay within reason?

Right now, you're in the driver's seat. A seller should be extremely grateful if you were to formulate a reasonable offer on their property. A reasonable offer is one that takes into consideration comparable sales information as well as a thoughtful presentation of your ideas on other market considerations.

For example, in my in-box this morning was an update from Bank of America with the results of its monthly survey of real estate agents in major markets. Here in Chicago, buyer traffic remained very weak for the month of October. Agents say that sellers have become a bit more realistic, but prices have not dropped far enough to entice buyers.

You could frame your argument around the fact that it has become obvious that buyers are clearly aware that prices are continuing to fall and are postponing decisions accordingly. Striking a deal with you now could be a positive alternative to waiting for several more months and some severe price reductions.

Other statistics from today's report: Nationally, the supply of inventory is just about to pass 10.5 months worth of supply. Here in Chicago, the numbers are nearly identical as more and more inventory comes on the market with very few contracts being written.

If you are at all hesitant about negotiating so aggressively for your new home, you definitely should employ the services of an experienced agent. An agent will be able to present your case in a factual and non-threatening fashion while getting the point across that selling to you today will be far better than selling at a discount six months from now.

Is it smart to buy a studio?

A customer posed the question a couple days ago:

I live simply and am highly organized so I am looking into purchasing a 600 sq ft studio. Assesments are under 300, garage parking is included, w/d in unit, fireplace, balcony. My concern is resale? On average, do studios tend to take a lot longer to sell and will I be somewhat limited re: appreciation value? Am I better off with a small 1 BDR?

Traditionalists will tell you that it's not a good idea to buy a studio or a one bedroom condo, and they're right in 90% of the country. But we have a different dynamic here in Chicago.

Studios are frequently the most affordable way for a single professional to own a home in a city like Chicago. Demand for affordable housing can be quite strong in urban settings such as near the Loop and the near north side.

Homes priced on the more affordable end of the scale can often appreciate at a greater rate than more expensive ones. In the Loop, Near North and throughout Lincoln Park, the appreciation rate for studios is higher than the appreciation rate for two bedrooms.

If the studio you are considering is close to downtown or other major employment center like a hospital campus, demand will be strong for an affordable studio.

Amenities like the ones you mentioned in your question are also in great demand. Selecting a smaller condo with more amenities such as the laundry in unit, the garage parking, the fireplace and the balcony will all add to the salability of your condo in the future.

It sounds like you've selected a winner.

Haunted Chicago: The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

Nestled within the University of Illinois at Chicago campus on Halsted Street is the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. Hull House was constructed by Charles J. Hull at Halsted and Polk Streets in 1856 at a time when this was one of the most fashionable sections of the city. But after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, residents moved to classier neighborhoods farther north leaving Hull House behind. By the 1880's, the house was surrounded by factories and tenenments. The surrounding area became known in Chicago History as the Levee District - awash in vice.

Jane Addams was the priveleged daughter of a wealthy merchant. During a bout with depression, she spent a portion of her inheritance traveling in Europe. It would be in London, in the terrible slums of Whitechapel, that she would find her calling.

In the company of her college friend and traveling companion, Elle Starr Gates, Jane would spend time at Toynbee Hall, a settlement house for the poor. Here, young and affluent students lived and worked beside the poorest dregs of London, pushing for social reform and better standards of living. Jane was intrigued by the idea of it and after her return to Chicago, began making plans for such a place in the city. She soon discovered the run-down Halsted Street mansion and worse... the terrifying conditions in the Levee district to the west....

At the time when Jane Addams took over Hull House, several years had passed since the death of Mrs. Charles Hull, but this didn't prevent her from making her presence known. She had died of natural causes in a second-floor bedroom of the mansion and within a few months of her passing, her ghost was said to be haunting that particular room. Overnight guests began having their sleep disturbed by footsteps and what were described as "strange and unearthly noises".

Mrs. Hull's bedroom was first occupied by Jane Addams herself, who was awakened one night by loud footsteps in the otherwise empty room. After a few nights of this, she confided her story to Ellen, who also admitted to experiencing the same sounds. Jane later moved to another room.

But she would not be alone in noticing the unusual happenings. Helen Campbell, the author of the book PRISONERS OF POVERTY, reported seeing an apparition standing next to her bed (she took Jane up on the offer of staying in the "haunted room"). When she lit the gas jet, the figure vanished. The same peculiar sounds and figures were also observed by Mrs. Louise Bowen, a lifelong friend of Jane's, Jane and Mary Smith, and even Canon Barnett of Toynbee Hall, who visited the settlement house during the Columbian Exposition in 1893.

According to Jane Addams' book, TWENTY YEARS AT HULL HOUSE, earlier tenants of the house, which included the Little Sisters of the Poor and a second-hand furniture store, believed the upstairs of the house was haunted as well. They had always kept a bucket of water on the stairs, believing that the ghost was unable to cross over it.

Regardless, the ghost was always considered to be rather sad, but harmless, and residents and guests learned to live with its presence. Unfortunately, it was not the only "supernatural" legend connected to Hull House!

Continue reading at Weird Chicago...

During our night-time tour, your guides snapped this photograph. The expert ghost hunters at Weird Chicago assert that light-orbs such as the one above the fountain in the photo might even be ghostly apparitions. Or not. Depending on which guide from Ghost Hunters you believe.

Haunted Chicago - the site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre

The unassuming yard next door to a senior citizens' apartment building located on North Clark Street in Lincoln Park is the spot of the gangland killing of seven men during a shootout between Al Capone's South Side Italian gang and Bugs Moran's North Side Irish & German gang.

For a city that is so filled with the history of crime, there has been little preservation of the landmarks that were once so important to the legend of the mob in Chicago. But most tragic, at least to crime buffs, was the destruction of the warehouse that was located at 2122 North Clark Street. It was here, on Valentine's Day 1929, that the most spectacular mob hit in gangland history took place.

The building was called the S-M-C Cartage Company and was a red, brick structure on Clark Street. The events that led to the massacre began on the morning of the 14th. A group of men had gathered at the warehouse that morning, set up by a Detroit gangster who told Moran that a truck was on its way to Chicago.

One of them was Johnny May, an ex-safecracker who had been hired by George "Bugs" Moran as an auto mechanic. He was working on a truck that morning, with his dog tied to the bumper, while six other men waited for the truck of hijacked whiskey to arrive. The men were Frank and Pete Gusenberg, who were supposed to meet Moran and pick up two empty trucks to drive to Detroit and pick up smuggled Canadian whiskey; James Clark, Moran's brother-in-law; Adam Heyer; Al Weinshank; and Reinhardt Schwimmer, a young optometrist who had befriended Moran and hung around the liquor warehouse just for the thrill of rubbing shoulders with gangsters.

Bugs Moran was already late for the morning meeting. He was due to arrive at 10:30 but didn't even leave for the rendezvous, in the company of Willie Marks and Ted Newberry, until several minutes after that.

Continue reading at Wierd and Haunted Chicago...

The tree that branches out at the trunk is the center of five trees in a row. That's the exact spot Bugs Moran's men met their deaths. Even today, people walking along the street at night have reported the sounds of screams and machine guns as they pass the site.

Preparing your HVAC System for Winter Living.

Your home is one of your greatest investments. Properly maintaining your home is paramount to preserving its maximum value. Properly maintaining your home will enhance its value and make it cheaper to run while you’re living in it. Also, lower operating costs also can make you home more saleable. After all, given the choice of two identical homes on the market, one with $150 per month utilities and one with $250 utilities, which as a buyer, would you choose?

One of the most common heating systems in Chicago is the central gas forced-air furnace. If you haven’t already, now is the time to undertake a few tasks to prepare your forced-air system for winter.

Taking these steps should help:

• Save energy usage and costs.


• Make your home more “livable” during the winter months.


• Cause the systems in your home to last longer, thereby saving you maintenance and replacement costs.

It’s recommended that you replace your furnace filters every month. It has also been recommended that you use simple, inexpensive blue fiberglass filters - not the fancy (and expensive) high efficiency filters; they can actually restrict airflow in your furnace.

It is common for furnaces to have built in Aprilaire whole-house humidifiers. They should be used whenever the furnace is in operation. Adding humidity to the air in winter adds greatly to your comfort. The humidifier will also help maintain your wood floors and furniture.

Symptoms of not using your humidifier can include gaps forming between planks of your hardwood floors and shrinkage of wood furniture. Once your humidifier is properly working, it’s possible to cause your ‘dehydrated’ wood floors to restore themselves.

Every year you should open up the Aprilaire, clean it out and if necessary replace the filter panel. We find that soaking the filter panel in a solution of CLR and water for half a day will let us get away with 2 or more seasons without having to replace the filter. Please note that if a filter panel becomes clogged with lime or scale, it will overflow into the furnace and cause expensive damage to the furnace. So – clean or replace those water panel filters.

Turn on the water supply valve to the Aprilaire, move the flapper-valve on the air-supply pipe to the winter position (parallel to the pipe), and turn on the Aprilaire via the control panel which is next to your furnace thermostat.

The control panel settings for your Aprilaire are also important. Throughout the winter you must constantly adjust it based on the current outside air temperature. Right next to the dial for the Aprilaire controller is a chart that tells you where to set it for what temperature. Too much humidity causes the windows to sweat which can damage interior trim or harm double pane window thermo seals; too little and the floors begin to separate, your throat gets scratchy and it takes more energy to make you “feel” more warm and comfortable. Follow the instructions and keep it set properly.