I live next door to a new residence Steve Acoba built & sold. He was less than truthful, always with good manners and a big smile from early in the process, citing a non existent ordinance about gangway placement that resulted in the new building being very close to my very old one. He suggested not putting a fence between the house "so I could retain some of the light I lost". I foolishly agreed which led to 2 large ac units being 2.5' from my many-windowed wall; this creates an echo chamber & the intermittent loud hum permeates my whole house, destroying my quality of life. I got a deflection from Steve Acoba when I reported this. The next day I found out the sale had closed & he'd washed his hands of the whole business. I've already invested a lot of money in a futile attempt to deaden the noise, and will continue to pursue that. So. I'm seriousLu of pocket, assaulted by noise every day, and having a hard time not associating my feelings of betrayal, dismissal and anger towards Steve Acoba with the new neighbors. I write this in hopes it will alert existing neighbors to be more vigilant than they might be about what could impact them, and to let buyers know they may be walking into neighbor problems they could not foresee. On a separate note, the foreman Vlad and his crews were great, both at steady work and daily cleanup so Iwas happy to grant his request to start an hour earlier than the city allows. read more

My experience with Steve Acoba was wonderful - period! I didn't just need a realtor to market my secondary residence with stunning views, I needed a 'good' one, and got a GREAT one with Steve! He is people smart, business bright, very talented - and a fine human being to boot. I can't think of a single shortcoming about this guy. From the very start he was stunningly attentive, returned every call and text, filled-in every gap, anticipated every issue, and he displays the finest of personalities. I'm writing this Yelp review because 8 months ago I had never met Steve, but a neighbor gave him real praise, and when I checked on Yelp, those who reviewed Steve Acoba had obviously shared the same kind of great experience. Now I am one of them. He's really THAT good. read more

Steve Acoba - Lake Michigan view - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My wife and I are writing this to share our family's experience working with Steve Acoba. As it relates to this transaction, Steve served as the selling broker and developer. We met with Steve on October 22, 2021 at a house he intended to tear down, and build a 5 bedroom home. We had mentioned we preferred a 6 bedroom home, and he adjusted the floor plans with a $25,000 price increase. We made a full price offer of $1,750,000, and we went under contract on October 28. During our first meeting with Steve, we also made him aware that we were expecting our fourth child in the Spring of 2022. Following the initial contract, we proceeded to attorney review. We requested some minor ammendments to the contract, but the major sticking point was there was no intended close date. Steve contended that he wouldn't agree to a close date without demolition and construction permits. In the subsequent months, we experienced delays related to the demolition permit, but maintained a cordial relationship with Steve. He updated us on permitting, and we consulted on windows, plumbing fixtures, etc. The demolition permit was finally obtained on January 27, 2022 and the house was demo'd on February 17. Along the way, we continued to ask for updates related to the close date in attempts to close attorney review. On April 11, I spoke with Steve to discuss a potential close date, and we specifically discussed a worst case scenario. In that conversation, I mentioned that we had a pending offer on our house and that my wife was scheduled to be induced the following week. During that conversation, he indicated that our new home was moving forward as planned and that nothing was amiss. The next day, our attorney received an email from Steve's attorney stating that they did not agree to any of our amendments to the contract, and in the absence of an additional $125,000 the contract would be cancelled - despite Steve's own developer's contract expressly prohibiting renegotiating price during attorney review. Our attorney replied that we agreed to the contract as is, and then Steve's attorney replied that the contract was cancelled. The following week, his attorney sent our attorney a letter stating we were in breach of contract, as we failed to put 5% of the purchase price in escrow. As all of this was happening, I emailed Steve and the realtor representing us called him. Our email and his calls were both unreturned. The next week on April 19th, my wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter. We spent our days in the hospital setting up listing appointments, and were fortunate to go under contract on a new house on April 26. In the interest of full disclosure, we did file a lien against the property on July 7. When Steve's attorney contacted us to lift the lien, we did seek financial compensation - as we believe we suffered meaningful economic harm as a direct result of Steve's actions. We were immediately threatened with a lawsuit. We thoroughly considered litigating, but decided we didn't have the time or emotional energy to do so. We released the lien on September 29. Beyond the lien, we have also filed an ethics complaint with the Illinois REALTORS. read more

I could not more highly recommend Steve. He patiently guided us through the sale of our condo in Ravenswood. He was a pleasure to work with. I would recommend his services to any of my friends, family and colleagues - and already have. read more

home ownership was just a dream for me for many years. In 2013 Steve Acoba took the time to discuss what I'd need to do to make it a reality and showed my my first home back then. What an education! 6 years later he is still one of the most trusted advisors I know in Chicago real estate. His commitment to happy home owners really shows. as I go about making improvements and updates to the 100 yr old place I finally bought last summer, Steve has been there for me with advice, referrals, and most importantly to listen. I respect his integrity and professionalism, and am so glad to have him in my life. read more

Steve worked with me when I was looking to buy my first condo in the fall of 2011. While I did not know Steve prior to working with him, he came highly recommended from a number of my friends from a sports league, so I put him on my list of agents to talk to...and boy am I glad I did! While I think there are always going to be stressful moments when purchasing real estate, I can honestly say that I couldn't have imagined that my first time through the process would have gone as smoothly as it did. Once I found a place that I loved, Steve guided me through the bidding process (not the simplest thing, since the property had been foreclosed on and multiple purchasers were interested). His advice proved to be priceless, as I was able to beat out the other bidders while still getting the property for a ridiculously low price. I've been living in the condo for about 8 months now and absolutely love it. Perhaps the best thing about working with Steve is the dedication he showed to his client: he always answered my phone calls and e-mails promptly and comprehensively; he was always able to recommend extremely skilled individuals to help me with my needs (from legal to flooring to HVAC etc.); and, even months after the purchase, he's been super-willing to field my questions. read more

We bought our place (a condo) through Steve in 2012. He's calm, patient, and professional and very "no pressure." We were first time buyers and with all the information to absorb, I credit Steve's knowledge and demeanor with the fact that we had a good understanding of the process and did not get completely overwhelmed. I want to second what the first reviewer has said about Steve's promptness and commitment. Indeed, he was always good with returning messages and has helped us with recommending everything from a legal team to repair services after we moved in. The most recent being just a couple of weeks ago. So, yes, he is certainly dedicated! I love that Steve was always willing to show a place even if it looked like it was more likely to be a no than a yes. I'm thinking in particular of a Victorian greystone that had a beautiful facade and some amazing original features still intact but pretty much needed a gut rehab. (Note to new buyers- if the listing only shows the exterior of a building, there's a reason.) For our budget, all of the needed work made it it totally out of the question, but Steve still took the time to show us the building, let us ogle leaded glass windows and built in hutches and talk about what we liked and how someone might go about rehabbing the building (if one had the budget.) Basically, Steve really made buying a home an enjoyable and educational experience. read more

As a first-time homebuyer, it was an absolute pleasure to work with Steve. From our initial meeting to closing, Steve was a phenomenal resource in learning the ins and outs of homebuying, navigating the process, and finding a the home that met all of my needs. I thought "my list" would be tough to achieve, but Steve did a great job of identifying options in my price range and coaching me on realistic expectations and flexibility. Steve was prompt and accessible in his communications, which was crucial in a competitive buying market! Steve also provided a helpful second opinion - and reality check to look beyond seller's style/decor! - which was helpful as a solo buyer. I closed on my dream place a few months ago, and now actually miss the house hunting process with Steve. I trust him completely and look forward to working with him again in the future! I highly recommend Steve - he is simply the best. read more

Steve is an incredible agent who take great pride in his work. He is very communicative, honest and a pleasure to work with. He is a skilled negotiator and always puts the needs and desires of his clients first! read more

Steve guided us through the tricky Chicago single family home market. We were first time buyers and he was immensely patient and helpful. He helped us understand how much house we could afford, which neighborhoods were a good fit for our family, which houses were over priced, and then finally helped us with finding a lawyer and all the other billion details that go into house buying. Although we bought our house with Steve over two years ago, I'm prompted to write now as he again helped us out. Each time we think about making renovations or changes to the house we always run them by Steve so he can help us understand if we are adding value to the house. He also has a number of contacts that can do the renovations. I refer all of my friends to him, and recommend him to anyone looking for a new home. read more

Steve helped me with buying my first home this past summer, and was wonderful. He was knowledgeable and patient, and offered his advice without the expectation that I would take it. No questions were too stupid, and he made sure all of my concerns were addressed. He responded to emails promptly and helpfully, and even interrupted his vacation to make sure paperwork was submitted quickly. Steve connected me with excellent help in other areas as well, and made what could have been an overwhelming experience a manageable one. I would enthusiastically recommend Steve, and while I hope I stay in my new home for a long time, plan on seeking his help when I sell. read more

Steve Acoba is, fair man, kind, and logical, he works to make both parties in the negotiation feel well treated. My husband and I have bought and sold about eight houses in our life so far. The transaction is usually stressful and unpleasant. I could never have recommended any realtors that we have dealt with in the past either as buyers or sellers. He is the absolute best! I can't say enough good about him. read more

These fools have been calling my home line non-stop for days, day and night, week and weekend, ever since I took my home off the market. I am on a DO NOT CALL list but it matters not to these people. I would never do business with these relentless robo-callers. read more

Steve is the ideal realtor. He guided my husband and I through our first purchase and our first sale. We came out well in both transactions. In our purchase he was patient and never made us feel rushed. We found a great place and he helped us to negotiate in a way that we felt was fair, ethical and ensured our goals were met. This was true in our sale as well. Steve is a great written and verbal communicator, responding promptly and giving detailed, but accessible information. He provides an opinion, but he is most interested in making the right deal for you. Steve is also just an all around nice guy and a pleasure to do business with. His referrals are good as like attracts like. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Steve Acoba in 2015 when selling my condo. I found Steve to be knowledgeable, trustworthy, honest, forthright, punctual, engaging, thorough, prompt and realistic. Steve is very good at setting expectations upfront in regards to what clients can expect from him, what he expects of clients in return and what clients can realistically expect to find in the real estate market given their needs, wants, budgets etc. My property was a vintage 2 BR, 1 Bath condo with an unattached garage in a 100+ year old building. Steve's expertise was critical in identifying my target buyer profile so as to be efficient and effective in executing appropriate marketing campaigns as opposed to a marketing approach of trying to appeal to every buyer. His targeted approach was instrumental in selling my condo in a timely fashion. I would not hesitate to enlist Steve's services again and recommend him wholeheartedly to anyone seeking a real estate agent. read more