Bert Fox and David Pickett bounced round rental residences for nearly a decade in Andersonville, a neighborhood on the north aspect of Chicago identified for its Nineteenth-century rowhouses and quirky retailers.

Mr. Fox would scan the native listings for locations to purchase. “We had been pondering we wanted to save lots of up extra,” Mr. Pickett mentioned. “However he noticed one thing actually cute, and it was moderately priced, in order that type of kicked off our home-buying journey.”

The time had come to discover a everlasting residence for themselves and their senior pug, Sophie. The couple certified for a mortgage on a $600,000 buy, however hoped to discover a condominium that met their wants for significantly much less.

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Mr. Fox, 48, is a therapist, and Mr. Pickett, 39, works from residence as an online designer, so a two-bedroom was preferrred, with one bed room doubling as a house workplace. A decrease flooring was preferable, so Sophie would have fewer steps to climb.

They targeted on a few close by neighborhoods, as a result of they have been accustomed to the retailers and eating places, however discovered stock tight. “We in all probability checked out 20 properties, and there have been a few days we noticed property after property, simply to get a way of the market,” Mr. Pickett mentioned. “If it was a pleasant place, it was getting affords going $20,000 over the asking value.”

With some steerage from Jen Vest, an agent with the Two Door Group at Compass, the couple progressively narrowed the sphere. “It’s type of sq. footage versus entry to espresso retailers and eating places,” Mr. Fox mentioned.

Amongst their choices:

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