Advances in Bacon Goodness

Guys, prepare to have your mind blown. You know me, I've got a membership to the bacon of the month club and I pretty much stand by the statement of "if there's no bacon, it's not breakfast." So what is this advancement?

Drum roll please...

Bacon Scope! Ok, it might be a joke, or some kind of a viral marketing stunt, but c'mon guys, BACON mouthwash?!? I'm not sure if I love it or hate it. Kinda like those bacon mints I got in my Christmas stocking... Verdict is still out in those.

So what do you think - if it is a real product, would you try it? Or better yet, if you could take one everyday item and make it into bacon, what would it be? I'll share my answer tonight :)

Love and Bacon,
Kelsey

Warning: Boring Bits Ahead

So I say this all the time, but this time I mean it: I am going to try and write more. To get better about opening up my Blogger account and staying up to date, I will be sharing info about me. Yes, I know a blog is supposed to be about me and my life and tips and what not, but I find myself waiting for the "right" topic to write about. So, for the next while, I am going to write a post a day about whatever comes to mind... and it may be boring.

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Folks, I make no promises on the interesting-ness of the stories I tell, but hopefully, this blogger-cise will help me get back into the groove and I'll find an interesting voice.

Do you have any tips to help you stick to blogging regularly?

Bikram? Yes, Ma'am!

It's been about 11 months since the last time I went to Bikram, not because I didn't like it but because I didn't want to get up at 5 am to do it... so laziness. I've tried some Hot Yoga places, but I really missed Bikram - I'm a hot yoga snob that can only really be satisfied by the sweaty awesomeness of Bikram Hot Yoga.   

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What is Bikram?  It's a technique that was developed by Rajashree Choudhury in the late 70s centered around exactly 26 poses in 90 minutes in a room that is heated to 105°F degrees with 40% humidity. Pretty much, you go into the yoga studio wearing the least amount of clothing you can stand, start sweating immediately, work through 2 reps of each position, and leave covered in sweat and feeling better and more accomplished than you'd believe. 

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So anyway, I saw a Gilt deal for a new studio on the west side of town and couldn't resist a $40 for 20 deal. It had been so long, and I kept reminding myself of last year's resolution to "Recommit to my Bikram yoga practice by going at least 3 times a week." Clearly I let that 2012 resolution fall by the wayside last April, so with a good deal in my sight, I thought it was time to go back.  

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 I definitely had forgotten how hard the classes are. I sauntered in there all "Oh yeah, no problemo, it's just been a few months since my last class," then I kept finding myself sitting on my mat with my head spinning thinking "WHEN WILL THIS END?!?!?!"  By the time the class ended, I had to accept that I'm way out of shape, that I have no right to be caught in stretchy shorts, and that I will absolutely be coming back as soon as I can. 

Have you tried tried Bikram? What did you think of it?

This is Our Final Offer!

Ok, that blog title is a bit misleading, but you get the idea.

After being crushed not once, but twice on places that we loved, the Baconator and I were not going to let the Humboldt Park Duplex slip through our fingers.  As soon as we decided to walk from the house, we made an appointment for a second viewing of the duplex to take it in with the critical eye needed to draft up a proper punch list.

Not to be all "gut feelings" and what not, but once we got in the front door, the condo really felt right. It was like we'd been through all these hoops with the loft then the house so that we could truly appreciate  how great the duplex was. The finishes of the duplex were really nice, especially when compared to the house; just little things like the quality of the tile in the bathrooms and the continuity of finishes throughout do a lot to pull the place together.  So with that said, we were eager to put our offer on the table!

Our Offer:
Price: 92% Offer and $5K for Closing Costs
Punch List:

1. Build out Closets in (3) Bedrooms
2. Build Wall and Door to close off basement bedroom
3. Back up Battery on Sump Pump
4. Fix Chip in Kitchen Sile Stone
5. Hood has 2 dents - fix dents
6. Finish Carport with Solid Garage Door
7. Installation of Wine Fridge in Kitchen Nook
8. Install Sile Stone in Kitchen Nook

There are a bunch of things that we asked for at the House that aren't on this list because the developer of the Duplex already took care of it during the building process (Alarm, Mirrors, Washer/Dryer, Back Fences, Pulls for Drawers, Tile Backsplash, 1 Year Developer Warranty, etc). 

Within 24 hours, we were happy to get a response from the developer!  Great news on that front:

Seller's Counter Offer:

Price: 99% asking price and No Credit for Closing Cost

Punch List: 

Everything! 

OMG!? They said yes to EVERYTHING on the list? Seriously? No wonder our realtor was so confused when the other developer kept turning us down!! After some quick math, we went in with our best and final offer with guns blazing and fingers crossed:

Our Best and Final Offer:

Price: 95% asking price and $5K for Closing Costs

Punch List: Everything already agreed to

The only thing we had left to do was wait and hope they came back with something that we could agree to... and they DID!

By noon the next day, we had agreed to the seller's counter offer of:

Price: 97% asking price and $5K for Closing Costs

Punch List: Everything already agreed to

After 3 long months and more viewings than I can count, we were finally on our way to having house!  We closed just over a month later with no bumps along the road - here are our keys as proof :)

Making an Offer... Again

So we were down to the Humboldt Park Duplex and the Logan Square house with a pretty exhaustive list of pros and cons in hand. The duplex was gorgeous but at the end of the day, the dream has always been to own a HOUSE in the city, so we went in and put in an offer on the house!

Based on comparables in the area, the house was over priced, so we knew we would be offering lower than asking and since we were negotiating with a developer, we asked for some work to be done to bring it up to the value that we offered:

Our Offer:
Price: 93% of Asking Price plus $6K for Closing Costs
Work to Be Done aka Punch List (my comments in italics weren't in the offer...): 

1. Pulls for kitchen, bath, closets (because it's WEIRD that all the drawers and doors were naked)
2. Built out closets (not asking for California closets, just a bar that we could hang hangers on)
3. Battery back up on sump pump (So important for a place with a basement)
4. Tile backsplash with a cap at $8 per sqft (Not a dealbreaker, but worth asking for)
5. 1 year developer warranty which includes all appliances, mechanicals, roof, windows (Pretty standard when buying from a developer)
6. Credit for bathroom mirrors (Why would you sell a house with 3.5 bathrooms and no mirrors?)
7. Side by side front load washer dryer - or credit at closing (Not a deal breaker, but worth asking for since developers could get them cheaper)
8. Build out a overhead front door awning (Without an awning, rain/snow water could get in under the door and warp the floors by the front door)
9. Home security system installed or credit (In a "transitioning" neighborhood, with a brand new place, you really need a security system!)
10. 6' Privacy fence on North to match South side (There was only chain link on the North side of the yard)
11. New Garage Windows as stated by seller at second showing (Window had a crack)
12. New Microwave door - current is dented (I mean, c'mon, the whole place is brand new, but the microwave is already dented?)
13. Stair risers to be finished (Just needed to be painted since they were naked)
14. Upgraded stove and refrigerator (The Baconator dreams of Viking and Wolf ranges every night)

Once that was submitted, we just had to wait and wait and wait...

After 36 hours of nail biting, they got back to us with:
Seller's Counter Offer:
Price: 98.8% of Asking Price and $3K credit for Closing Costs
Work to Be Done aka Punch List: 
     1.  Pulls for kitchen, bath, closets
     2.  Built out closets
     4.  Tile backsplash (cap at $8 per sqft)
     5.  1 year developer warranty which includes all appliances, mechanicals, roof, windows.
   11.  New Garage Windows as stated by seller at second showing
   13.  Stair risers to be finished

Hmm, at least they countered, right?  So we got on the horn with our realtor and had some #realtalk about what we were willing to do to get this house.  In the end we settled on:

Our Best and Final Offer:

Price: 99% of Asking Price and $6K credit for Closing Costs
Work to Be Done: 
Everything on the original Punch list, but instead of a new stove and fridge, we'd pay the difference for a nicer stove and fridge on top of the value for the base models already in the house.

Then it was radio silence. TWO whole days of silence before our realtor got this email in response:

"Talking to the partners, they need to net 97% asking, including any modifications.  That would mean the punch list items would be treated as extras with a corresponding adjustment to the price.  I know this is a ways off from what you had proposed below, but that is realistically over $20,000 off the listing price when you add up all the work requested.  I see no other homes with this level of new construction for under $(109% asking), and some of the items like the fence and washer/dryer were not included so that we could price it at the point we did." - The Developer

YIKES! It was time to sit down and be realistic. We didn't have an extra $20K just sitting around waiting to be spent on the work items we wanted, even at our Best Offer, we were already $35K over our budget and the house is located in a place that pretty much demands that we get a car, too. There was just no way that we could swing it and the house really needed things like an alarm system, and we would need mirrors and a washer/dryer as soon as we moved in.  

So what did we do? We walked... and offered on the Humboldt Park Duplex instead!

Weighing Our Options

After a thorough pro and con list between the Humboldt Park Duplex and the more expensive Logan Square House, we finally came to an agreement on what we would do.What was nice is that both places were new gut rehabs, so we were working with developers that could help us make tweaks like install closet organizers or fix fences which wouldn't have been a possibility with owners trying to move out. I'd be lying if I said it was easy - both places had a lot of virtues and draw backs.

Humboldt Park Duplex:

No idea why the sides are black....

Pros:
Priced in our budget
It's Huge: 2200sq ft
Gorgeous new kitchen that was exactly our style
A modern feel with a look and feel that continued throughout
Really great light that spilled in on all four sides
A walk-in closet in the master bedroom
Close to trendy neighborhoods like Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park, with lots of new development moving in to bring up property values
Security System already installed
Brand new fencing in the back yard to keep Leia safe

Cons:
Transitioning neighborhood with some gang activity 10 blocks over
No real space for a dining room
One bedroom is in the basement
We'd have to take a bus to the train every morning
We would eventually have upstairs neighbors and have to create a condo board
Single parking spot in a shared carport
On a moderately busy street

Logan Square House:

Pros:
It's a HOUSE - no direct neighbors, no one to tell us we're too loud, no one to give us rules in a condo association - the kind of thing that we never thought we'd be able to afford in the city. Ever.
Tons of space (2400 sq ft) and a dining room
Enclosed two car garage
On a quiet, tree lined street
Train-only commute - no messing with transfers
Beautiful full kitchen with more cabinet space than we'd know what to do with
All 3 bedrooms on the same floor (for when we have those future kiddos)

Cons:
Well over our budget! (Like $30-$35K over!)
Transitioning neighborhood with some gang activity 5 blocks over
Finishes aren't as premium as the duplex - finishes don't have the same feel throughout the house
No security system
Backyard fencing was the neighbor's, not ours - one side was old, 7 foot wood and the other was 4 foot chainlink - ew
On the northside of Logan Square, so it will take longer for the neighborhood to benefit from the gentrification of neighborhoods like Bucktown and Wicker Park

After exhausting all the things we could possibly chart and running budget scenarios, we finally chose the place we wanted to live and couldn't wait to hear back from the developer! Can you guess which one we offered on?

We Found Love in a Hopeless Place

**Sorry for not posting this in the summer, we didn't want to jinx our house search. The Baconator even quit Facebook for most of the summer!**

After the swearing died down and our heartbeats regulated, we met up with our realtor again and started seeing places. On our first time out for the second time, we decided to check out more unusual listings but this time they were at the bottom of our budget like a couple of duplexes in Noble Square, a small loft and a house that had been gutted and redone - the idea is that maybe we could get a steal!

None of these "Bottom Budget Abodes" really struck a cord with us, they were all small or awkwardly shaped or dingy or in a weird neighborhood or some combination if those issues. While the Baconator was smitten with the house, I just couldn't do it. Sure, it was gorgeous, but the neighborhood was dodgy despite all the hipsters that had moved in. It was bigger than anything we had looked at, every single part of it was brand spanking new, the yard was totally swoon worthy, but it was right across the street from a Streets and Sanitation complex and when I looked up the crime reports, the symbols on the surrounding streets were XXX, syringes and guns. No thank you. So after that showing, we cooled off for a couple weeks, and at the beginning of June, we were back on the prowl.

We had a promising selection of places: a brand new gut rehab duplex in Humboldt Park, a walk up in Ukranian Village, a penthouse loft in West Bucktown, another gutted house in Logan Square, a loft in Ravenswood, and a pair of rehabs in Andersonville and Uptown. Notice anything unusual about this selection? Maybe the fact that we have given up on a single neighborhood and have opened up our search to the entire Northside of Chicago?

So "off we went like a band of turtles" as our realtor liked to say. First up was the duplex in Humboldt Park. To call it nice is an understatement; this baby was in a building that a developer flipped over the winter and the whole inside was shiny and new. We were actually able to see every unit in the 3-flat, but it was the main floor duplex down that caught our eye. It was priced at the top of our budget vs the other units in the building... But it had 3 bedrooms and a separate family room aka man cave. This is what dreams are made of.

View of the living room from the kitchen - I swear it's bigger than it looks from this angle!

Love this stainless steel and silestone kitchen - wish we had a photo of the 23rd century microwave, too!

Man Cave? Pretty sure the Baconator is already picking out the perfect shade of red...

Victory! A walk-in closet!!

The drawbacks? Well, it's in a western neighborhood that is still "in transition," so there are still gangs in parts of it and what not, but more jarring is that we'd have to take a bus to a train to get to work. That was definitely on our Don't List. So it was nice but we needed to move on.

The next place was right off Chicago Ave and next door to a large mechanic shop - Scratch that - Overlooked a large mechanic shop. So it was out in under a minute. I didn't even bother to take photos since it was not even a contender.

The penthouse loft in West Bucktown was nice... But not as nice as the first place we saw, so after petting the two cats that were lounging around, we took our leave.

Next was another gutted house in Logan Square. Guys, we could have a totally gutted, brand spanking new, still smells like paint, detached house with a backyard, a basement and a two car garage in the CITY. OMG WHAT?! The only problem was the finishes and color palette, they just felt a bit older than we are. Like a couple in their early forties were moving in, not a couple in their twenties.

The porch, the roof, it all feels so very Torklesons to me

Beautiful kitchen... but just a bit old feeling...

View from the back door looking into the dining room and living room

Yep, this master walks out onto its very own patio!

Fabulous master bath in the same palette

A huge basement Man Cave for the Baconator

So we milled around and gaped at the kitchen a bit... Then the realtor mentioned that their development company had another gutted house that was going in the market the next day. Whoa, buddy! You almost let us leave this place without that juicy tidbit?? We had about 30 minutes to spare between appointments, so we convinced him to show us the unlisted house.

It was only three blocks from the first place and still in Logan Square. The development company bought a foreclosed two flat and revamped it as a single family home with a huge backyard and two car garage, complete with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a basement and an attic. Finishes were much more modern, the color palette was more out style and, hellooooooo, a house!!!

The front of the house - you can see how it is a converted 2 flat.

View from the living room  - You can see the dining room around the corner

The totally gorgeous kitchen... Swoooooooooon

Do I smell another Man Cave option?

The light filled front bedroom

Somewhat awkwardly windowed Master Bedroom

Of course this second house was the top of our budget... actually, about $30-35K above our max budget. And the location was just inconvenient enough that we'd have to buy a car within the first 6 months, but oh man, I was so in love!

We had a lot to think about.  The two front runners of West Town were the duplex down in Humboldt Park and the modern house in Logan Square - both total guts that were sparkly and new inside; both had parking and a back yard; both had gorgeous kitchens; both were in slightly dodgy, somewhat not great, "in transition" neighborhoods. After a quick cup of coffee, we headed off to the northside to check out more places in the afternoon.

I was going to write a whole additional post on the northside places, but the reality is that we compare all 3 of them to the places we'd seen in the morning and none of them held a candle to the west side units.  We traveled all over the place, talked ourselves out of even visiting the unit in Andersonville and even saw one at the end of the street where we'd lived for three years.  The Baconator and I had a lot of thinking to do, but it wasn't "Where are we going next" but instead "How much do you want to offer?" Off to the part we dread the most: Making an offer.