He holds a master's degree from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Once you have the blueprints in hand, you can review them and see if anything that currently exists in your home didnt exist when the house was built. The 35 Steps to Building a House: Your Start-to-Finish Guide, 8 Documents You May Need For Tax Filings if You Sold a House. So to be part of the architecture and have somebody look at my homes maybe another young girl is going to be in the car with her dad in 50 years and be inspired by what I'm doing is probably the best part of the job.". Windy City Rehab partners Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt find themselves in legal trouble once again. "Sophisticated Living Chicago really is a reflection of me and all the things, places and people that Ilove, whether it's destinations to travel, places to eat, spas to enjoy, fashion houses to frequent or art galleries to admire,"she said in an interview for the magazine's inaugural issue, revealing plans to launch a Las Vegas edition as well. An antique hutch houses a custom coffee/wine bar. The couple claimed this was done to "fraudulently conceal" her assets and requested an injunction that would prevent her from selling it. This ensures that the structure will be safe for you and any future occupants. This version, which can be streamed on YouTube and HGTVs website, makes no reference of the earlier sales price or profit margin. The final of the 16 properties featured in the first two seasons of the popular HGTV show "Windy City Rehab" was sold on Monday, according to the show's producers. According to Chicago's ABC 7Action News, residents living near one of the series' homes were not happy about having a home-improvement series filmed on their street in March 2019. According to Eckhardts lawsuit, Alison, who made the majority of the false and defamatory statements about me during the season two episodes lives in Chicago (in a home that I built), according to the lawsuit, which was thrown out by a Cook County judge who determined that the proper venue for the legal battle should be California. According to listing agent Vincent Anzalone, the single-family home at 1924 W. Berenice Ave. sold for $1,455,000, a record price in the neighborhood. HGTV announced in February that fans of the show can expect new episodes to begin airing some time later this year. Producers loved her pitch, hiring her to star inKitchen Crashers, which ran for nine successful seasons and even led to her joining another series, the Travel Channel'sHotel Impossible,before HGTV'sWindy City Rehab. We're unable to play this video right now. Going by those figures, the project resulted in a $62,250 loss. No one knows if the numbers presented on the show are accurate, he said. Victoria will be returning to the flipping house business on her own in these upcoming episodes. (Best solution), Where Did Gabby Gifford Go For Rehab? I'm meticulous in the way I design. It's something in which the lifelong Chicagoan takes immense pride, and she comes by it naturally. It could be simple stuff like a deck modification or gutters, all the way up to basement finish.. The Windy City Rehab designer listed the home in September 2020 amid a lawsuit in which her former clients were attempting to freeze her assets, Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE. Option 1: Sell the house 'as is'. According to real estate agent. It sold Monday. The final of the 16 properties featured in the first two seasons of the popular HGTV show Windy City Rehab was sold on Monday, according to the shows producers. Requirements vary by county and state, but can include improvements like adding a room, replacing windows, or building a garage. The homeowners first filed a lawsuit against Victoria, her former business partner Donovan Eckhardt, and others in December 2019. This lady has to make it worth your while to leave. Fans of Windy City Rehab might have heard that there is a lawsuit connected to the series. The problem with an 'as is' sale is that depending on the amount and type of unpermitted work, buyers could run into financing problems with . "So it's not about the profit,"she added. Even though its new, I want this to feel like its been here forever, says Victoria. The lawsuit was filed last summer by Michael Ward Jr., a Lake County resident and onetime friend of Eckhardt; his brother Thomas Ward, also of Lake County; and their father, Michael Ward Sr., a Cook County resident. The series, which launched in January 2019, follows interior designer Alison Victoria as she renovates rundown homes in historic neighborhoods throughout her native Chicago. I live in Bucktown, and I'm proud to drive by every single home we've done.". The listing came at a challenging time for the famous designer. Anna and James Morrissey sued and say that one day after their house closing went through, their Lincoln Square home (featured on the show) had a roof that leaked and a kitchen leak from a shower on another floor.They paid $1.36 million for the house and would like Alison and her co-host Donovan to get . There was blood and a bullet hole on the wall 2 inches from me and a bullet in my friends back, Hemmert posted on Facebook. In addition to buying and selling several homes herself, she's also owned and managed rental properties, and previously worked in mortgage lending. Still, arent there always additional expenses? Along with the workaday challenges of revamping aging fixer-uppers, the show itself has been the subject of a fair bit of controversy, including legal troubles over a past remodel and permit problems. Transitions Rehabilitation - Wellness Across The Lifespan, How Is Heart Monitored During Cardiac Rehab For Women? Is Alison Victoria of 'Windy City Rehab' a Better House Flipper Alone? And we decided there and then to do it. Meanwhile, my business partner knows, but he doesnt call to tell me, Gramenos said on the show. Even if the unpermitted work was done before you lived there, not disclosing it to buyers could mean possible legal trouble if they discover it after the fact. A spokeswoman for Discovery Inc., which owns HGTV, did not respond to requests for comment. The expanded and upgraded home features a kitchen with custom cabinetry and brass shelving, Thermador appliances, and an eight-burner range. There is no other house out there that looks like this, not even close, says listing agentVincent Anzalone, with Dream Town Realty. Your email address will not be published. Permits are pulled, Gramenos told Anzalone on the show. ", Windy City Rehab's scuffle with Chicago's Department of Buildings resulted in even bigger consequences than stop-work orders. Meanwhile, a Cook County judge will be in charge of mediating a settlement in a lawsuit brought against Victoria, and her former co-host, Donovan Eckhardt, by a north suburban man whos seeking to claw back $3 million he and his family invested in their reality TV venture. Her five-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom property was initially listed for $2.295 million with Ryan Preuett of Jameson Sothebys International Realty in September 2020 for a price of $2.295 million. In the episode, she still claims Janssen was a huge success, as she did in the first version. Before going to the city to obtain a permit, you might want to hire a contractor to examine the existing work. But at some point last year, another version of the episode was created. With answers to those questions in mind, work with a top local agent to decide how best to proceed with your sale. Windy City Rehabproved to be an instant hit, hooking viewers with Victoria's entertaining efforts at giving old homes sharp new style for profit. Windy City Rehabhas connected with viewers like few other HGTV shows have. Windy City Rehab has used actors to pose as buyers on camera, as was the case at a Lincoln Square home also featured in its first season. Chicago Tribune reporter Tracy Swartz contributed. Theres nothing to save inside.. Windy City Rehab's Alison Victoria's Former Clients Attempt to Freeze All Her Assets Amid Lawsuit A couple who purchased a property featured on the HGTV show first filed a suit against the. (Tracy Swartz / Chicago Tribune). If its a buyers market, then the buyer has way more leverage over the seller, says Roberson. Renovation of the home was featured on an episode of Windy City Rehab that premiered in October 2020. All that said, none of the as-seen-on-TV drama of the episode is apparent in the homes stylish transformation. The property at 1846 N. Damen Ave., photographed here in July 2019, was featured on the second season of "Windy City Rehab." My friends see these shows and are like, They flipped that home and made $300,000 Dan, why dont you do that? Well, I have done it, and Ive never made so much. I think I knocked it out of the park, she said on the HGTV show which originally aired in early 2019 of a $780,000 profit after she said she had closed a $2.2 million sale of a brick multi-unit rental building at 2433 N. Janssen Ave. From the outside, Victoria's leap from behind-the-scenes designer to on-air host may seem like it was effortless, but first she had to overcome her fear of giving up the security of a steady paycheck in order to pursue a risky opportunity. Her work includes copywriting and content marketing for real estate professionals, stories covering real estate trends and housing markets, and varied articles on decor and design. After the stylish and practical renovation was completed, the home initially came on the market in July for $1.65 million. A new show is now on the way for 2021, and it will bring Windy City Rehab 's Alison Victoria together with former Trading Spaces and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host Ty Pennington for Ty . You could also make use of HomeLights Simple Sale platform, allowing you to skip the repairs and go straight to the sale. Daniel Lynch, an attorney for Victoria whose full name is Alison Victoria Gramenos said in an emailed statement that she did nothing wrong. A settlement conference was scheduled for Aug. 18th. Brooklyn Nets' Ben Simmons Lists Los Angeles Home for Nearly $20 Million, See Inside L.A. Home Formerly Owned by Rihanna, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend on the Market for $16.5M, From Longtime to Listed! The houses in this neighborhood are built so close together, you can reach out and touch your neighbor, so there are bound to be some awkward views of the house next door. Selling your home with unpermitted work can be time-consuming and complicated, but its not uncommon. All homes featured on Windy City Rehab have now been sold, Windy City Rehab legal drama explained: Documents, interviews and more on the lawsuits behind the show, Defamation lawsuit filed by Windy City Rehab co-host dismissed by Cook County judge, Windy City Rehab co-host had to get permission to shave his beard and more details from his contract that have surfaced in court, Were Alison Victorias tears real? Lightfoot is the first elected Chicago mayor in 40 years to be denied a second term. For many homeowners, this small detail slips through the cracks, then becomes a problem when they want to put their house on the market. Theres also Victorias personal Bucktown home, which has languishedon the market for months at a reduced price of $2,195,000. Yet a couple of months later, the price dropped to $1,550,000. (Tracy Swartz / Chicago Tribune). The final price was $195,000 less than what it was listed for in October. There is another route you can take. Marks, who works at Cushman Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm, acknowledges he indeed bought the property but said in an email to the Sun-Times it was done at arms length and approved by all stakeholders., He said the deal was not concealed in any way and was conducted after the airing of that episode; and concludedafter offering thepropertyfor sale to other prospective purchasers.. Because the sum of the whole was better than the parts, (the owner of 1844 N. Damen) was happy to sell because I was getting a little more than market value.. "The timing couldn't have been more perfect. The home at 1700 W. Wabansia Ave. was featured on the first season of the HGTV series "Windy City Rehab." Find her on ReallyRather.com, Home Designed by Alison Victoria on Rock the Block Season 1 Available for $1.35M, Peek Inside the Home Designed by Alison Victoria on Rock the Block, Exclusive: Alison Victoria Opens Up About Windy City Rehab, Her Hardest Moments and Favorite Makeover. Its important (and legally required in most cases) that you make sure buyers know what theyre getting into by disclosing unpermitted work in the listing. There are also three additional en-suite bedrooms. Its unclear, but theoriginal $2.2 million deal that Victoria bragged about in the episode does not appear in public records. ", It's something in which the lifelong Chicagoan takes immense pride, and she comes by it naturally. Indeed, a little sleuthing on Realtor.com reveals that the house was listed for $1,599,000. I was like, 'Done, I'll take it,'" she said at the2015 AOL BUILD Series. There should be a woman in this space,'" she told House Beautiful. She made no mention of the new buyer's identity. Homeowners sometimes forgo the permit process because they think it can be tedious and complicated. There was blood and a bullet hole on the wall 2 inches from me and a bullet in my friends back, Hemmert posted on Facebook. They were doing brickwork with the saws and doing all kinds of things before 8 a.m. and the dust was going everywhere. Find out what selling options are available for your home. Theres also a school located across the street, so a giant apartment building is unlikely to be built there and obstruct the view. Within a month of its January 2019 premiere, Windy City Rehabattracted more than9.3 million viewers, prompting HGTV to renew the show for a second season. Theres nothing terrible about it, but nothing great either, she says. If you do decide to list your house and go with an as is sale, make sure to provide full disclosure. The last mayor to suffer that indignity was Jane Byrne, Chicagos first and only other female mayor. Instead, her boyfriend, Michael Marks, ended up buying the place months later under an LLC registered to his name thats titled 2229 N. CLYBOURN AVE., LLC, state records show. Roberson recently saw a seller lose a case in court against a buyer because they failed to disclose unpermitted work, even though they knew it was unpermitted and the unpermitted addition occurred prior to their ownership.. The series, which launched in January 2019, follows interior designer Alison Victoria as she renovates rundown homes in historic neighborhoods throughout her native Chicago. And thats when skeletons in the closet, if you will, get brought up, adds Engel. Your agent may even suggest not including the unpermitted work in the calculation of market value for the home. Windy City Rehab'sAlison Victoria responded to the controversy inan Instagram postin July 2019, insisting that the issues flagged by the department were being addressed. Better Business Bureau. "Not all of the rehabs make money," Alison Victoria admitted in an interview with Parade. None of us at that gathering will ever be the same.. David Brown. People love these elements, and people buy because of them, Victoria affirms. The home at 1700 W. Wabansia Ave. was featured on the first season of the HGTV series "Windy City Rehab." According to her website's official bio, she left Chicago after high school and attended the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. If you are obtaining a permit for work done by a previous owner, the city or county may be more lenient with you. Her co-star, Donovan Eckhardt, had his general contractors and developers licenses suspended by the city during the episode, further upending the project plan. If your neighborhood is part of a homeowner association, you can also contact the HOA directly and see if they can provide a copy. The Lincoln Park house still had windows boarded up months after it was featured on an episode of Windy City Rehab.. The reason? According to House Beautiful in January 2020, the lawsuit forced Victoria to discontinue its business relationships with Eckhardt and recruit a new team of general contractors as a result. "Now that I had a contact, I was like, 'I'm going to pitch myself as the first female crasher and do kitchens,' and that was it.". The gutted three-unit building at 1846 N. Damen Ave., which once housed a Mikos Italian Ice location on the ground floor, sold Feb. 12 for $575,000 to a developer that also purchased a neighboring property for $575,000, real estate agent Vincent Anzalone said. Header Image Source: (Roger Starnes Sr / Unsplash), Former Associate Editor, Seller Resource Center. According to theTribune, Eckhardt was "accused of building garages at three properties without first obtaining permits and not requesting final inspections, as required by law, in addition to other alleged infractions." "You have to be scared,"she toldA Drink With. In order to meet the show's tight production deadlines, Eckhardt's suspension left the show with no choice but to bring on other contractors so the work could be completed. But, according to the Chicago Tribune, it was removed from the market amid a lawsuit from Victoria's former clients later that year. Enter your address and answer a few questions to get started. Before you get too alarmed, keep in mind that unpermitted work is fairly common, and there are things you can do to resolve it. Selling a house without the proper permits could affect its marketability, as well as a buyers ability to finance their purchase. The brick facade is bulging, and the tacked-on front porch covering is crumbling. ", Buying rundown heritage houses to renovate and then flip offers the potential for big rewards, but also carries with it some serious risks. Dec 02, 2021 at 9:32 am "Windy City Rehab" stars Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt have reached a settlement with a Lincoln Square couple who sued over the renovation of their. This, the Tribunepointed out, is "less than the year-long suspension the department considered for a slew of alleged violations.". The Wards accused Victoria and Eckhardt of gross mismanagement that resulted in bungling nearly every home flipping project they took on. The Untold Truth Of HGTV's Windy City Rehab, "It's an even bigger dream to be rehabbing, like, a ton of them now.". The main bedroom, which takes up half of the home's second floor, has its own oversized walk-in-closet as well as a luxurious marble bathroom, which houses both a marble steam shower and a bathtub. $34 Million Villa Where John F. Kennedy's Family Vacationed Listed for Sale See Inside! Selling Your Rental Property? Plus, by wiping the slate clean, shell be able to add higher ceilings and extra square footage. "We're meticulous in the way we build. Going down to the city or county building might sound complicated, but its very easy to pull the permits up. According to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE, Anna and James Morrissey, who purchased a house featured on season 1 of the HGTV series, filed a motion on Oct. 8, 2020 to prevent Victoria from "dissipating her assets, including selling any property which she owns or controls.". For more photos and details, check out the. Another new venture wasSophisticated Living magazine, which launched in 2019 with Victoria as publisher. 3 official emerges as front-runner for interim top cop and maybe an audition for permanent job. "If you're not scared, then what is it worth? It's big risks and big rewards.". There are very few items that you can construct without legally being required to get a permit, he says. If you have the time, getting permits now could mean a smoother sale and higher offers from future buyers. The case recently settled for an undisclosed amount. An attorney for the Ferro fund and the Triffler trust did not respond to requests for comment. Permits for projects ensure that the work complies with local policies like land use, zoning, and building codes. ", The job wasn't glamorous, but Victoria saw the possibilities it presented. Last month, Eckhardt and Victoria, whove suffered a major falling out in their relationship, asked the judge overseeing the case to allow a third party to take control of and provide a full accounting of their tangled finances that sit in the form of limited liability companies they created to purchase and renovate homes featured on the show. One company that came calling was bathroom and kitchen fixture manufacturer Kohler, which enlisted Victoria's design skills in designing rooms using the company's products, such as a Paris-inspired kitchen. Alison Victoria Development is the manager of Hot N Cold, according to online Illinois Secretary of State records. She patted herself on the back during the episode, which is still streaming on Xfinity, after a bit of handwringing over whether the high cost of rehabbing the property would pay off. Theyll be able to ballpark the cost of bringing it up to code and have an idea of how much is already built in accordance with the existing code requirements. "Growing up, my dad used to take us driving around the city, and Iwould see all these houses, and I just would like dream of living in one of them one day," the designer said in a 2019 interview withRoku. Altogether, this warm, shiny brass adds something distinct and pulls the kitchens whole look together. Yes, you can sell a house with unpermitted work and are required to disclose to buyers any known unpermitted work done on your house, even if it was done by previous owners. At 1846 N. Damen, areas of flooring were removed without a permit, the city noted. We talked to real estate agents and translated the legalese from real estate attorneys in order to give you some of the best options when it comes to selling a house with unpermitted work. ", Subsequently, Cunningham stated that Alison Victoria had taken steps to comply with the department's concerns. Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt flipped homes on Season 1 of HGTV's "Windy City Rehab." "Coming from Chicago, I grew up with all that history, and that's what I like to reflect in my work. "The negative side is that the TV crews don't show what goes into all of this. We Recommend Windy City Rehab: The Lincoln Park Fourplex 28 Photos Show-Stopping Designs From 'Windy City Rehab' 29 Photos That request was withdrawn after Eckhardt and Victoria jointly agreed to hire an attorney to represent their sharedinterests. With so much money already on the line, Victoria must watch every penny she spends. (Best solution). With these projects forming the basis of Windy City Rehab's second season, Eckhardt's role in the show appears to be uncertain. "It's my dream to flip houses in my hometown of Chicago, but renovating homes in this price point leaves a ton of money on the line," said Victoria in a 2018HGTV announcement. And though she said at the time the show originally aired that all four units in the building had been rented, three of four units initially sat unrented for four months, the Sun-Times reported in March of 2019. 'Windy City Rehab' Returns New episodes starring Alison Victoria hit HGTV May 23 at 9|8. Save Article. A lawsuit over the home's renovation was filed in April 2020 and dropped in December 2020 after a settlement was reached. Gramenos and Eckhardts ability to file new permit applications was suspended, as was the general contractor license for Eckhardts Greymark Development Group. We will not confirm or deny the identities of people with whom Ms. Gramenos has personal relationships because by their nature, those relationships are personal and ought not to be fodder for business stories published in the Sun-Times., He added: As to the insinuation that the deal was somehow improper, be advised that no element of the transaction was concealed from anyone involved.. As a buyer, you might not have thought to ask the seller about permits when looking at all the great upgrades they did to the house, but now is the time to take a closer look. She went on, "That's what I hope comes out of this show, that people really learn how to prepare themselves and how to do it the right way. The condo at 200 E. Delaware Pl. Eckhardt has also filed a $2.2 million suit accusing HGTVs parent company and Big Table Media, which produces Windy City Rehab, of defamation, saying in part in the lawsuit that he experienced anxiety and depression after being falsely accused of misappropriating money and being subjected to social media attacks from fans of the show.