9/13/02 - Dubin Residential Attracts Repeat Buyers to The Courts of Evanston.

Friday, September 13, 2002
Dubin Residential Attracts Repeat Buyers To The Courts of Evanston

When Eileen Casey bought her first home in 1994, she purchased the first property she saw. "I'm a real estate agent's dream," said the 42-year-old, who should know. She became a RealtorÆ herself in July of this year.

But Casey is also a developer's dream for at least one local homebuilder. That first property - a 1,700-square-foot townhome on Janssen Avenue, near the Southport Corridor in Lake View - proved the first of three properties she would buy from Chicago-based Dubin Residential. Earlier this year, she purchased as an investment a two-bedroom condominium at Dubin's Buck City Lofts conversion in West Bucktown. Then in June, she was among the first to buy a four-story townhome at The Courts of Evanston.

"I feel very confident buying from Dubin. From experience, I know they stand by their word. With my first Dubin home, there was a small flaw in the tile flooring that become apparent two years after I had moved in, and Dubin replaced it right away," Casey said.

Casey said she would have more space at The Courts of Evanston. "I'll have more than enough room for a home office, plus my own garage," she said.

She purchased her new home on the first day of sales and wasn't alone. According to David Dubin, president of Dubin Residential, Phase I of the 90-townhome project sold out in a week, and Phase II sales are continuing briskly.

Located at the corner of Chicago Avenue and South Boulevard, the townhomes feature three levels of outdoor space and attached, two-car garages. Six floor plans range in size from 2,200 to 2,774 square feet and offer two to three bedrooms and 2 to 21/2 baths. Base prices range from $368,900 to $458,900. A seventh plan, base-priced at $649,900, features 4,032 square feet, four bedrooms, 31/2 baths, a den, family room and two-car garage.

Casey also said she likes Dubin's track record for selecting well-located sites with good appreciation potential. "Dubin has a knack for building in areas that are just about to pop. After I moved into my Southport townhome, the neighborhood around the Music Box became highly desirable, and now I'm seeing the same thing around Buck City Lofts," she said.

Another repeat customer, Eric Warren, also appreciates this Dubin trait. Two years ago, he and his wife Leslie bought a two-bedroom condominium at Dubin's Clarksville Station in East Lake View. Now thinking about starting a family, they plan to tap the equity they've built and step up to a larger home at The Courts of Evanston.

"We've been so pleased with Dubin that we regularly check the company's Web site to see what they're building," said Warren, a 31-year-old information systems manager. "My wife saw The Courts of Evanston online, and it was the perfect fit for us."

The Warrens chose the 2,602-square-foot Sherman floor plan, and Casey selected the 2,741-square-foot Greenwood plan. Both plans feature three bedrooms, 21/2 baths, a first-floor den, and a laundry room in the fourth-floor roof room adjacent to the roof deck. For Warren, the Sherman's most attractive design feature is its ample entertainment space. The second floor offers an open kitchen, 515-square-foot living/dining area with fireplace, and a powder room.

"It's an ideal space for entertaining friends, which we love to do," Warren said. "We're especially looking forward to having a gourmet kitchen, and we plan to add a breakfast bar for entertainment purposes. We love to grill, so the outdoor space was another big selling point for us."

According to Leonard Koenig, sales and marketing director for Dubin Residential, it's not unusual for Dubin properties to attract interest from former buyers. In fact, repeat buyers were among the first to buy homes at the company's new Welbourn Row development at Wellington and Clybourn avenues in West Lake View.

"We're very proud of our customer loyalty," he said. "We emphasize good service both during and after the sales process, which contributes to the high degree of confidence our past buyers have in us."

In addition to the Dubin name, the location of The Courts of Evanston also appealed to Casey and the Warrens. Said Casey, "I'll be across the street from a Purple Line 'L' stop, which gives me easy access to my downtown office, and I like being less than half a mile from an Evanston public beach. It'll be a nice place to walk my dog."

Warren said he appreciates the proximity to downtown Evanston and Northwestern University. "It'll be very convenient because I'll be starting graduate courses at NU this fall," he said. "And I was just reading that there are 72 restaurants in downtown Evanston, which is great because we enjoy eating out."

The Courts of Evanston sales center, located at 525 Chicago Ave., features a virtual-reality model that gives a tour through one of the community's courtyards and into a four-story townhome.

Sales hours are Saturday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment. To reach the sales center, take Interstate 94 to the Dempster exit, and drive east to Chicago Avenue. Turn right to South Boulevard. For more information, call (847) 328-1888, or visit www.dubinresidential.com.

Building townhomes in Chicago since the early 1990s, Dubin Residential has garnered a reputation for quality and value. The company is currently developing nearly 300 townhomes, condominiums and lofts in the Chicago area, including Emerson Point in Rogers Park, Ainslie Row in West Albany Park and Arcadia Place in the West Loop.

Prices subject to change.