All Forum Posts by: Blake Alan Quarrie

Hey Jonathan,

The program was through Lead-Safe Chicago https://www.leadsafechicago.org/lead-service-line-replacemen..., we had an old water meter that was replaced with a newer one as part of the program. Happy to provide some of the correspondence they sent related to the program if it's of any use.  They didn't give a specific back bill range but they estimated that the back billing goes back to 2021 based on when the water meter started having issues. 

I would also add, the water usage isn't just going up 20%, it's actually almost 300%. My water bill used to be $500 bi monthly, and has recently been about $750-800 monthly.

Has anyone else noticed a significant increase in their Chicago water bill recently? Since acquiring a four-unit property on the Northwest side, my bi-monthly bill has typically been around $500. However, after participating in the City's lead water replacement program, I was informed that I had been underbilled. Following the installation of a new water meter, I received a true-up for the previous underbilling.

Since the meter replacement, my water usage has increased by approximately 20%, and I am now receiving monthly bills instead of the previous bi-monthly statements. As a result, my bill has effectively risen from $500 bi-monthly to $700 monthly since the pipe replacement. I've had my GC run through the property and he did not discover any leaks, so I'm purely confused why I'm seeing this massive increase.

Has anyone else noticed a significant increase in their Chicago water bill recently? Since acquiring a four-unit property on the Northwest side, my bi-monthly bill has typically been around $500. However, after participating in the City's lead water replacement program, I was informed that I had been underbilled. Following the installation of a new water meter, I received a true-up for the previous underbilling.

Since the meter replacement, my water usage has increased by approximately 20%, and I am now receiving monthly bills instead of the previous bi-monthly statements. As a result, my bill has effectively risen from $500 bi-monthly to $700 monthly since the pipe replacement. I've had my GC run through the property and he did not discover any leaks, so I'm purely confused why I'm seeing this massive increase.

 Thank you, this insight is helpful. I was assuming it was a 311 but didn't appear on the 311 log, so I think you are correct regarding an informal report to the alderman. A mixed approach may be the best path forward since the inspector is coming nearly weekly, but agree long term positive reinforcement would be much more sustainable.

 Thanks for the response! Citations are from the City of Chicago

I have a four unit in Chicago, the tenants are fairly careless about keeping all the garbage in the cans. It's not typically that bad, box gets left on top etc, but recently got four violations totally $2,000 for four separate instances over the last few months. What strategies would you recommend to enforce a stricter garbage policy? Planning on enforcing fines and using a camera to monitor the area.

It's fairly accurate, however, I would make sure you're also setting the parameters correctly. For instance, make sure you're setting the sq footage (I typically flex 200 sq feet on either side) and the correct unit type (apt/condo instead of house, which can only be done via laptop).

For other tools, I would suggest looking at the available rentals in that area and how they measure up to your prospective property. You mentioned a condo in the city, so there should be plenty of nearby condos you can use for comparison, if not even in the same building. 

I would also HIGHLY suggest you make sure to check with the building's HOA policy on rentals, not all condominium properties allow rentals, so you could waste a lot of money buying something you can only use as a personal residence.

FHA owner-occupied is what I used, 5% down (extra 1.5% over the 3.5% is worth it for less PMI)

The answer to this varies, if you go FHA then 3.5%, if you go VA, NACA, or USDA it can be 0%

Hey Eric, 

Yes, a HELOC would be your most straightforward equity financing option for this project. Here's an article for additional information regarding HELOCs - https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/mortgages/heloc-home-equi...

Good luck!