Here’s what $125K buys in Chicago right now

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a weekly column that explores what you can buy for a specific dollar amount in various Chicago ‘hoods. We found five homes at or around today’s price of $125,00. Vote for your favorite below.

Budlong Woods

VHT Studios, Baird & Warner

Specs: Two-bedroom, one-bathroom condo
Details: Let’s start with a sunny corner unit in a prewar building in the North Side community of Budlong Woods, not far for Lincoln Square. The freshly painted home has a large living room and a separate dining area, and both bedrooms can fit king-sized beds. According to the broker notes, the newly listed property is currently vacant and “social distancing friendly” for tours or a potential move-in.
Cost: $128,500

South Shore

VHT Studios, @properties

Specs: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom walk-up
Details: On the South Side, this residence in a charming brick walk-up offers a lot of home for the money—a generous 2,400 square feet to be precise. Inside, you’ll find hardwood floors, a bright sunroom, a spruced-up kitchen with gray painted cabinets, and a long gallery-style hallway leading to three bedrooms. The property also includes off-street garage parking and a recently installed in-unit washer and dryer.
Cost: $120,000

Streeterville

VHT Studios, Constance Stewart Realty

Specs: One-bedroom, one-bathroom high-rise condo
Details: This 850-square-foot residence may not offer a ton of space, the most up-to-date fixtures, or skyline views, but its Streeterville address places it within steps of the Chicago lakefront and the Mag Mile. The 15th-floor unit is being sold in as-in condition, but with some work could make a great pad for a single person, a part-time pied-a-terre, or an investment opportunity. Building perks include a workout room and a pool deck.
Cost: $134,900

Rogers Park

VHT Studios, @properties

Specs: One bedroom, one-bathroom condo
Details: A stone’s throw from Jarvis Beach, this cozy condo in a classic Rogers Park courtyard building is the most affordable of the bunch. The unit features loft-like exposed masonry walls, an attractive green-tiled bathroom, and a recently upgraded kitchen sporting newer cabinets, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances.
Cost: $114,900

Ravenswood Manor

VHT Studios, @properties

Specs: Two-bedroom, one-bathroom garden unit
Details: This North Side property is located on the lower level of another old-school courtyard building. The two-bedroom unit gets plenty of natural light for a garden home thanks to ample—albeit metal barred—windows. There’s new flooring, a fresh paint job, decent ceiling heights and an all-white kitchen. The Ravenswood Manor residence is also short five-minute walk from the Brown Line.
Cost: $149,900