Opinion and Column Writing @ DePaul University

When signing for a condo in a South Loop high-rise, you may envision yourself enjoying your new residence in many ways; perhaps, hosting chic dinner parties or watching fireworks over Lake Michigan from the comfort of your living room. A vision that rarely, if ever, comes to mind with an exciting condo purchase: finding oneself [...]

To any passerby, the Prairie Tower, in the South Loop’s Prairie Avenue Historic District, looks like a dream home. With its red brick exterior, views of Lake Michigan and Soldier Field, and generous amenities, the development drew plenty of interest from potential homeowners like Tom Dzurison. After doing his homework, comparing other properties and developers [...]

William Warman is a prominent Chicago developer. During the last ten years, his development companies enabled South Loop high rises to shoot up like geysers. Pools of buyers were eager to move in. Developers raced to build, investors backed them, and Chicago politicians enjoyed the concomitant benefits associated with booming neighborhoods. Condos seemed to appreciate [...]

Back in the 90s, there was an episode of The Cosby Show where Huxtable son Theo and his college roommates poured buckets of water on the floor, tied sponges to their backsides and slid around their apartment for fun. Imagine coming home and seeing that scene (minus the sponge-laden boys) re-staged in the front room [...]

One snowy, Thanksgiving eve in 2004, Julie Marburger was driving home to see her family when she received a frenzied phone call from her neighbor. The neighbor, who was house-watching her brand new condominium at 1717 S. Prairie, breathlessly explained that Julie’s dream apartment was drenched.

All homeowners expect to do repairs on their properties. Things age, deteriorate, break; it’s normal.

Tom Dzurison is a recently retired high school teacher. On Friday September 13th, 2001 when Tom closed on his two bedroom, two bathroom condominium in 1717 S. Prairie he had done his research; “impeccable” is the word he used to describe the type of research he had done. Tom is the type of man that [...]

When you spend $300,000 or more on a home, you do not expect the windows to leak. It is reasonable for a person to believe that their residence is in perfect condition when they purchase it brand new. You expect peace of mind but sometimes that is not what you get.