Working with Arlette Quiñones these past few months have been nothing short of amazing. We were first time home buyers in Chicago and we had no idea on where to even start. From the first outreach to tour our first condo, I was immediately impressed by the timeliness of the response from Sam Shaffer at Chicago Properties Firm. He immedtiately connected us with Artette and I feel so lucky to be able to work so closely with her thse past few months. I can't speak highly enough of her and the team at Chi Properties. Her professionalism, honesty, integrity and hard work were very much appreciated and respected. She is very detailed, honest, and just so great to work with. From the first home she viewed with us, to the last, she remember every single detail of things we liked & disliked and as I sent her listing after listing until we found the one, she advised on before even going to the listing if we would like it or not. 10/10 experience with her and the team! When we decide to buy our next home, I will absolutely be using her and the team again as they made this process as seamless as possible. read more

(We worked with David DuFault - please note I posted this review on his individual Yelp page, but wanted to make sure he got credit on the Chicago Properties site too.) I cannot rate David highly enough. He was our real estate agent last year as first-time home buyers also expecting our first baby. David was careful to explain every step of the process, and balanced perfectly the delicate line between supporting our decisions and preferences while giving us honest feedback about certain properties. He was incredibly responsive, always in-contact, and always found an answer for us when we reached out with questions. We never felt pressured to make a decision. Even when, earlier this year, we had an issue with our new Jefferson Park condo and needed consulting on our contract, he responded right away and went above and beyond to help us resolve it. David is also just a great, sweet guy. :) We are so incredibly happy with our first home, and we will definitely be contacting David when it comes time for us to make our next move!! read more

Sam and his team were fantastic start to finish. They provided clear, concise, and timely info throughout our home sale experience, and we felt comfortable throughout. Selling our family home that our kids were born and raised in was also a very heavy emotional decision that Chi Properties took into account and made sure to constantly check in with us both professionally and personally. We also were thrilled with the sale price of our home, and we never had to lift a finger in terms of the realty process. I wouldn't go anywhere else in Chicagoland to buy or sell my home, and I plan on keeping my business with Sam and Chicago Properties in perpetuity. Thank you Chi Prop!!! read more

If you had caught me the first or second year I rented from them, I would have told you to look no further. Something seemed to be going on with the business the last year I rented. They became lax about fixing things. Dan would promise to update something, and then he would never do it. They let me out of my least two months early, but then they pressured me to move my stuff out before the end of the month I had fully paid for. Then they rented it in the middle of the month, essentially receiving rent from two people. They threw out my comcast equipment before I could return it, though, again, I had paid for the month. Then Dan lied and said that hadn't happened. I actually wouldn't have imagined they could get so shady and rude. (And as a side note, I had two different roommates in three years, and both of them hated Dan. So, they thought he was rude from day one. He would continually lose my one roommate's check and call me and say she hadn't paid. So, then I would get angry at her. Then he would find it, and not apologize. It was kind of bad now that I think about it.) Regarding the folks he has doing repairs--Two of them are just fine. BUT one is not so great, and also a little creepy--which is honestly not what you want in a stranger who has access to your house. So, you'll get a deal, but it may not be worth it. read more

Whoa! I'm sorry and surprised to see negative reviews for Chicago Properties. I don't know what makes a positive landlord-tenant relationships; they must be difficult to establish. I don't have any complaints or horror stories. As a matter of fact, I have a totally opposite experience. I had some big time flooding issues in the basement during that storm in Mar 08 (when a tornado was supposed to have touched down in Humboldt Park) and I got inches of standing water. Dan responded immediately and thoroughly, even making (very costly) structural changes to the foundation to ensure that it would never happen again. I love my place. Gut rehab duplex-down in a two flat UK Village graystone. Free W/D in basement. Its a great looking rehab with character. With all the upgrades, I hadn't noticed that the place wasn't advertised as 'cable-ready' so I had to pay to have cable outlets installed. There's a fair sized yard in the back where I tried (and only marginally succeeded) my hand at gardening. Selling point: the garage. I've renewed my lease once so far and if it weren't for the stupidly narrow bedroom, I'd stay here forever and ever. Rental rules are pretty much standard: no painting, pets negotiable, blah blah blah. I like the landlord/manager. I think he's fair, understanding, and attentive. He always replies to my emails immediately (no matter how trivial). I always receive a letter the previous week stating when he needs to make a maintenance call, like changing the furnace air filters. I hope to search his For Sale listings when its time for me to 'go condo'. read more

I've been renting from them for going on 4 years now, in the same apartment. I'm pretty surprised at the negative reviews on here because my experience has been totally positive. My landlord, Dan, is really responsive and accessible by email which is incredibly convenient. If you're used to working with landlords where you have to call and leave a message, waiting days for them to call you back at the worst possible time, these guys are a welcome change from that. He always writes back within a couple hours, and some times immediately. Since I've been there, they've maintained the place really well. Since I've moved in they have: put in central air and a new furnace, put in a new washer/dryer (in my unit), painted the place. Whenever I've reported anything, it'll be fixed within 2 or 3 days, if not the next day. They even send someone out to sweep the sidewalk and walkways at least once every 3 weeks or so, and when it snows in the winter there's someone shoveling within a day of the snowfall (ok, it took about 2 or 3 days after the snowpacolypse, but that's to be expected...). And this is only a 3-unit building. read more

About to finish up a 3-year stint in one of Sam and Dan's properties in Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village, and have nothing but great things to say about my experience as their tenant. There have been very limited issues with our apartment, but whenever something has come up (toilet or drain clogged, smoke alarm spazzing out, etc.) they have been quick to respond and always follow up to make sure things have been handled well. Every repair person they've sent has been in and out quickly, and very courteous to my roommates and I. I'll always have nostalgia for my first apartment out of school and in a new city, and Dan and Sam have been great to work with from the first walk-through and throughout the last three years! read more

We recently had an issue with the outlet our washer/dryer were plugged in to. After putting in a maintenance request, maintenance man John was there within the hour (on a Sunday no less!) to fix the issue. Only took him about 10 minutes. He was very friendly, professional, and efficient. We were extremely impressed by his work and promptness. Thanks John! read more

I haven't been in my current place very long -- just about a month. Thus far, however, my experience with Dan and Robin have been stellar. I moved here from the suburbs and had a lot of questions regarding the apartment before I rented -- I wanted to be very careful to make sure I was getting a good place. Robin answered all of my questions very patiently and even met me at the unit a second time in short notice before I signed the lease because I wanted to double-check everything to make sure it was working. Overall, she was very responsive and available throughout the whole process and I really appreciated her time. The lease signing process was electronic and very easy, and rent is done through Chase Quickpay -- very convenient. They freshly painted the apartment before I moved in and even cleaned the fridge for me! I recently had an issue with the air conditioning -- I emailed Dan in the middle of the night on a weekend and he responded mere hours later, and sent someone over just a few hours after that. And it's worth special mention that it had cooled down unexpectedly outside -- so really it was no emergency at all but Dan was ON IT. Throughout the repair process (which took only about 24 hours), Dan was very responsive to my emails and just really on top of things. He is just great! I look forward to staying in this adorable apartment as long as I can -- I really lucked out! September 2016 update: Dan just came to my place, an hour after I emailed him, to unclog my toilet for me. This man is an angel. February 2017 update: The apartment is in great shape still. I ask them to send maintenance to take care of little unimportant things that I am picky about because I'm a pain in the butt (extra seal on the front door, noisy dryer, changing a light bulb, toilet clog THAT I AM VERY EMBARRASSED ABOUT which was an actual important thing but totally my fault), and someone ALWAYS comes within 12-18 hours and resolves the "issue." Seriously, everything takes less than a day. Dan and maintenance are great. You'd be a fool to not rent with Chicago Properties. read more

I had Chicago Properties as landlord for two years. Never had any problems with them and they were good with making repairs/fixes to apartment when they needed them. Apartment was shoveled when it snowed and rarely heard from them concerning rent or raising the price. Good group to be involved with when renting an apartment! read more

I've lived in my current apartment for just over a year, and it's been a positive experience, on the whole. Dan's always replied by EOD whenever I've emailed about a problem with the apartment, and his guys have been on-site within 48 hours each time. They haven't half-assed anything. Given the new round of rapid gentrification in my neighborhood, I'm pleasantly surprised that my rent didn't increase this time 'round. read more

Dan and Sam are great landlords! We were a little worried while our place was being renovated because it didn't seem like it was going to be finished on time, and it wasn't but we were able to move in and things gradually were fixed. At first we didn't like Dan because he writes back 1 word answers, but things get fixed and addressed pretty quickly, and he does write back. There was 1 time when they did not cash our check for almost 1 month, which was annoying (but that was once in 12 months). On a positive note, there is always someone who comes to shovel the snow within 24 hours which is nice during the winter. When one of our breakers in the breaker box kept going out, it was repaired same day! These guys are super laid back which can be annoying if you are a type A personality, but they are super responsive and don't bother you either. We re-signed our lease for 2 more years. So happy to have found a place in a neighborhood we love and for decent landlords! read more

We have rented the same place in Bucktown from Chicago Properties for 3 years now. I would only recommend renting from them if you are low maintenance when it comes to problems with an apartment. The Good: We paid less than $1400 for a duplex coach house near Armitage and Damen - they never raised the rent even when they added a nice new two level deck and a usable 3/4 bathroom on the 2nd level. They are okay with dogs - we have a dog, the girl downstairs has one and so does another couple in the front building. The Bad: The repairmen/service guys they have come out are pretty incompetent. I can't think of any work they did to the place that wasn't half-assed shoddy work. They spend the money to have the work done, but usually the end result causes more problems than what they were trying to fix. Example: The central heat wasn't doing a good job of heating anywhere except the closet where the furnace is at because the ductwork has a large opening along the backside of the furnace. Rather than sealing the gap, his repairman cut a hole in the wall into the bedroom and ran a duct straight in from the furnace. So now all the hot air comes in that duct rather than being properly distributed around the apartment. We had to stuff a towel into the vent to try to keep the hot air out. It will be 85 degrees upstairs and 55 downstairs. They own a bunch of rentals in the Bucktown/Wicker/Humboldt neighborhoods. The other people I have talked to that currently rent or have rented from them have the same stories and experiences. I have seen some of their new construction condos for sale too but can't comment on the construction side of the company. read more

I have been renting from the guys at Chicago Properties for 6 years now!!! They have been great landlords and great property owners. They fix things in a timely manner, and have been very responsive to all my requests. In fact, just today I noticed that my furnace was acting up, and the repair man was at my house an hour after I called. Now thats a quick response. They are good guys, working hard to keep their tenants and clients happy. read more

after dealing with a few unpleasant landlords showing us their "best places you'll find in this neighborhood", we viewed a unit with Chicago Properties. Sam replied to my emails promptly, answered questions, and arrived on time for our appointment. he knocked on the door before entering the unit, something that we definitely took notice of. the current tenant was there and he stopped to chat with her as we took our time looking around. he was helpful in showing us all of the amenities of the unit and answering our questions. there was no hard sell here, just a friendly guy showing us a great apartment. we have yet to move in to our place, but already we are quite happy with our experience with Chicago Properties. read more

We're coming up on our first year here with Chicago Properties. One word. Incredible! There hasn't been any issues really, once the apartment had a noise from the basement. They came over at 6:45 in the morning and took care of it (I didn't even email Dan until around midnight). I've never had a more perfect experience with renting. They are always there when you need them, but are never intrusive. read more

I have been renting with Chicago Properties the last few years and find that they are great landlords. Every time I have had a problem or something needed to be fixed, they responded immediately to the problem. Also, they are reasonable with their rent price for the 3 bedroom unit I am renting and have not raised it since I moved in. I am now in the market for buying my first place and have chosen Chicago Properties to assist me with my first property. They are reputable, honest, personable but professional people. read more

Beware! They never repaired anything we had issues with. Never answered our calls or show up! But they would be calling you the first thing in the morning the second day of the month! The electrical installed is shotty work half of our outlets pop breakers or don't work at all. We had to replace light bulbs three to four times in a year! One of the lights went out every month! We gave up using it. The heat duct system was terrible. There was a valve blocking any air/ heat to the bedroom. Our heating bill for 800 sq. feet was three times my parents whole 2000 sq. foot house! When I asked about the bill I was told "everyones bills are large" yeah everyone that rents from them due to the shotty hvac work. In one month we lost count after killing over thirty mice in one month! The roaches didn't stop until we took our own action sealing up the holes around plumbing etc. that the maintnence guys should have sealed after they installed the equipment. The one laundry room washer breaker popped constantly. Causing a back up in a 7 unit building. The refrigerator freezer woulnd't freeze our food and the refrigerator part would freeze our food! Be careful getting your deposit back too. They try to keep your deposit even if you were a clean tenant that paid on time! They think your deposit is they're play money. Because we took care of our unit they would use our unit as the model , parading up to three visits per day six days a week at anytime they felt without giving 24 hour notice. Sometimes walking in un-announced which is illegal. The two owners were rude with no empathy for our problems. They were disrespectful and talked down to the renters with an attitude that you were below them. Un-responsive un-caring. They seem to prey on renters from out state that don't know they're reputation. Most of the tenants in my building are not renewing with similar stories. Its all about volume. In the end we had to seek legal advice due to they're un-ethical tactics. Thank you www. tenantsrights.com read more

We just started renting with Chicago Properties and I am satisfied with this company so far. When we looked at the apartment it was still in the process of being moved out of so it wasn't painted and walls weren't repaired. We pointed out a few things that needed to be taken care of and when we started moving in, everything was painted and fixed. One complaint when we moved in was that the place looked like it hadn't been cleaned. I called the company and they had a professional come over and do the job. We still went over everything but I was very impressed with their response to my inquiry. Bottom-line - We just started living here and are very happy. The communication/responses are FANTASTIC. This is a small sample size but so far I would be very inclined to recommend their services. read more

Dan and Sam are awesome. I recently moved into one of their Bucktown properties, and not only were the dudes super helpful and on point throughout the showing, lease signing, and move-in prep process, they were extremely responsive and proactive about a few repairs and touch-ups needed around the place shortly after my move-in. The guy they sent over to touch up the paint, Valentine, was friendly and efficient, and he went out of his way to get the walls looking as good as new. So far, so good fellas! read more

Sam & Dan, the owners of Chicago Properties, have been great as landlords. Their focus is on rehabbing single-family homes and 2-flat style apartments in West Town, making them into apartments. My wife & I were the first renters in a rehabbed unit on Erie Street, near Leavitt. When we moved in, there was still drywall dust covering much of the home, and the floor of the shower was not level, leaving a puddle that wouldn't drain. Frankly, it didn't seem to bode well. HOWEVER, Sam & Dan were quick to respond to our complaints. Any time anything has gone 'wrong', they have fixed it quickly--a broken window pane was replaced the next day, they had a call in to the dishwasher repairman within an hour of when we called (though it took the guy 2 days to come out), and broken hardware on a cabinet door was fixed the same day. If things go wrong, they respond quickly. Otherwise, they are good landlords. They have never been in our apartment without notification (they even send a snail mail letter letting us know when they are coming by to replace furnace air filters). Once, we made the rent check out incorrectly, and Dan drove over to pick up a corrected check. Basically, if you pay on time, they give you no hassle and are quick to respond to any requests you might have. After 2 1/2 years in this apartment, we are glad to have Chicago Properties as our landlords, and would recommend them to others looking to live in West Town. I'm SHOCKED at "dj f"s review below (6/22/2009). Nothing in my experience has EVER been even remotely similar to his/her experience. It sounds completely the opposite to our time in this apartment. (Full Disclosure: We're getting $10 off next month's rent to post on Yelp. They did NOT ask for a positive review, just any review. And nothing I've said in my post would be different if I wasn't getting paid. I'm guessing they just want to have a presence on Yelp?) read more

My family and I have been renting from Chicago Properties for about four years. We've mainly worked with Dan, the landlord, and he has been very accommodating to my family. Two of our apartments have been completely renovated and we've had very few problems. When we do need repairs (which is expected), Dan's repairmen fix the problem and are always polite and helpful. We like working with Dan because he is fair and his rent prices are affordable. This Christmas, Dan gave us a discount off our rent, which was very much appreciated. read more

I've rented from a few different agencies since I've been in Chicago, and Chicago Properties is the only place from which I've renewed my lease. Dan and Sam are very attentive, and seem to understand when an issue needs immediate attention. If I were going to stay in the city longer, I'd probably buy one of their properties! read more

I've had such a positive experience with Chicago Properties. I've lived in the same apartment for three years now, going on four and I've always been treated well and with care. Every time there's been an issue with the apartment, I've notified Dan and he responds within 24 hours and takes immediate action. I talk to friends who are surprised my landlord even responds to my requests! I feel lucky to have such a responsive landlord who cares about his buildings and tenants. read more

David Dufault was my agent. He worked with me for 5 months as I shopped for my first home. He got me a dream condo! His service, attention, tips, coaching and patience was definitely worth 5 stars. I will absolutely refer him to family and friends and will be using him again when the next experience is needed. Thanks David! read more

I've rented from Chicago Properties for over a year and have had a great experience throughout. Sam made the lease signing easy and seamless, and Dan has been so responsive to every maintenance request I've submitted. All buildings or houses, no matter how new or old, are bound to run into small issues here and there. What really matters to me at the end of the day is how effectively and readily a problem is fixed. I had a leak in the roof of my back sunroom area. When I emailed Dan to have this looked at, he sent someone over right away. He then checked back to make sure I was happy with it. I also asked for the apartment to be repainted a year after I moved in- it's an older building and the walls were in need of a few repairs. They scheduled the repainting for a couple weeks later and did a fantastic job. I don't know what I expected, but I was really impressed with all the repairs they did to both the ceiling and walls before repainting. Overall, Chicago Properties takes really good care of their tenants. I'd strongly consider anyone looking for a west side apartment to go with these guys! read more

My wife and I have been renters of Chicago Properties for about four years so far and will most likely be here at least one more. Any time we've had any issues with anything, I send a quick little email and someone addresses our issue right away. I highly recommend them to anyone that is looking for a place and in the event we did move, I know we'd look for something else they own. read more

It's easy to see now that I very much lucked out with my first landlord in Chicago. Dan was always very responsive and while he may be brief in his communication, he gets things done. Whenever I needed anything fixed, it would more than likely be taken care of within less than 48 hrs, if possible. The apartment didn't need much in terms of upkeep, but I was there over 6 years, so random little things here and there needed to be addressed. He and his workers were always extremely respectful and I never had to worry. Looking back on it, my roommates and I all agree we had it good when Dan was our landlord. I had such a good experience that I certainly wanted to stay with them and asked for Robin's help finding a new place. She was was extremely helpful and also very considerate of the tenants whose apartment she was showing. If you're going to rent in Chicago, I highly recommend Dan and Robin. read more

I can definately say that I've had some experiances with landlords in Chicago. I having living here 10+ years rentingwith 5 different landlords. These are the 2nd group of landlords I have enjoyed living in their building. I had been at 1 property for 3 years and then they sold the building, and have now finally found Dan with Chicago Properities. (and Sam) I have been in my place for 3 years and have had my share of ups and downs. Things like the heat breaking in December and Dan having someone out to fix it the next morning, toilet breaking and being out to fix it the same day. But the most grateful thing from chicago properities has been them actually helping me get thru school with no worries. I have been able to work anything out with them and being financially ok while completing my education. If I have an issue all I have to do is email. All that, a great rent price, and a fantastic apartment. I look forward to renting and buying from you in the future. Thanks guys. -Ms. Fisher read more

We just started renting from Sam and Dan and they have been great. There were things that needes to be fixed ex: the walls needed touch ups and alarms needed to.be fixed. Dan replied with my emails within minutes each time and when he wouks be sending his workers over. So far they have been great and i highly recommend them as landlords and chicago properties! read more

From day one when we came to view the property with Sam until now still living in the apartment, we have been completely happy. Dan always gets everything fixed right away and follows up as well. They are both very professional and easy to work with. We would recommend Chicago Properties to anyone looking for a place. read more

I'll reserve my 5th star after having been here a little longer, as my boyfriend and I just signed our second year-long lease. Our rent was raised an insubstantial and affordable amount when we resigned, and, if allowed, we will be here for many years to come. Robin was incredibly helpful to us as newcomers to the city, but also respectful of the current tenant of the apt we were looking to rent. Dan, as the property manager, is the reason we would love to call this place home for as long as possible. For every horror story someone has about an evil landlord, I have 2 for how awesome Dan has been. We hit a rough financial patch and he was totally understanding, and he allowed us to pay 2 weeks late with no trouble or penalties. It's certainly not something we would ever abuse, but it was comforting to know we weren't going to be thrown out for one quick run of bad luck. The best example of Dan's excellence and efficiency in his role happened today. I came home to a ceiling leak that ruined our mattress from the renovations happening in the upstairs apt. Within an hour I had a confirmation from him that a new mattress would be delivered within 24-hours. Dan isn't chatty, he won't waste your time or his. He's too busy being awesome and fixing problems promptly. If you're looking to move, please contact this company. You will be taken care of not only during the move-in process, but for the entire length of your tenancy. read more

I took some time to wait before I wrote this review, because I wanted to be as fair as possible. We rented from Chicago Properties for approximately 3-4 years. We had a lot of positive experiences overall, but the experiences are mostly due to loving the location that we were in at the time. My first encounter with Sam was the showing of the apartment. He was very cordial, but I could tell that he wanted to act fast. The rent was reasonable for the location (Bucktown) and the apartment fit our needs-- so I was fine with signing the lease. From that point forward all issues were dealt with Dan Kravitz. Dan lacks people skills and can be very brisk in all forms of communication i.e. phone, text and emails. He is smug and gives the "landlord" vibe. A postive-- his response time was awesome, but there was a good chance that you would receive an unexpected drop by from a hired worker to complete the necessary project. One instance he texted that he would be by within the week and then showed up at my back door (no knock) trying to get in the place and he had his child tagging along. I acknowledged the "surprise" visit and he said, "I texted you". Whatever. Technical issues that were a pain- our electrical outlet was shared with the downstairs apartment, so unbeknownst to us we had been paying for the downstair's neighbor's refrigerator for the entire time. We found a house that we loved before our lease was up-- Dan was understanding and told us that we could get out of our lease 3 months early by subletting or finding a tenant, but he wanted to increase the rent 15%. So, really we DID him the favor. Overall, we loved Bucktown, but our experience with Chicago Properties wasn't horrible, but I can't give more than 2 stars either. read more