They successfully did that in DC and got approval to do it in a residential neighborhood for a house that now rents to college students blocks from campus.

It ironically was built in 1937 as well.Something to keep in mind going forward; it is our understanding that many homes built prior to 1939 used sandstone foundations and obviously older "cloth type / knob and tube" style wiring.1940+ homes builders started utilizing cinder block foundations and bx wiring, which is as mentioned a ground wiring system.All the best

Buyers are lining up down the block and foaming at the mouth to purchase homes. 

Anywhere within a 30 to 40 mile radius of downtown Chicago if the financials make sense & the specific block has no to low crime.  

What about butcher block counter tops from Ikea? 

I have been driving by parks that easily are twice that price and alot of them are in pretty dicey areas, i.e. no jobs, drugs, cars on blocks etc etc.

We have already put on a new roof ($9,900), new fence + block windows ($2,400), new windows ($3,900), and new back stairs/porch ($2,700).  

I'm also helping a couple of investors buy properties in that area as well.The SW side can be very tricky because the character of the neighborhoods can change within a few blocks of each other.

Area average is 750 on rentometer and my brother gets 700 for his units a few blocks away.  

@William Kyle Walker  again don't know the context but I have been around a few blocks a few times.. and if I have seen people flame out in RE its robbing peter to pay paul.. its slippery slope that once you get behind many times you can't recover and it just gets worse and depending on the situation here IE you have investor it can move to a criminal type thing..