734-742 West Oakdale Avenue, Chicago
technical data · neighborhood and transit
Quick answers
- Does 734-742 West Oakdale Avenue have open permits or code violations?
- Chicago Department of Buildings lists 11 permits, 5 not closed, and 48 violations, 45 open.
- What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Cook County?
- $832,750 for a single-unit home, per FHFA. Larger loans are jumbo loans.
- Is radon a problem here?
- EPA radon zone 2, moderate potential.
- What natural disasters is 734-742 West Oakdale Avenue at risk for?
- FEMA's National Risk Index rates the area very low overall, with elevated cold wave risk.
Permits and code violations
5 permits not closed out. Unfinished permits pass to the next owner. 45 open violations.
- Permit - easy permit process Oct 2019
All elevation - tuckpointing and caulking- no structural work - 2400 sqft;
- Permit – express permit program Nov 2018Complete
Installation of low voltage security system. interior work only. customer# 402782936. job# 98034052.
- Permit - renovation/alteration Apr 2014Complete
Replace furnaces as per plans, to a three story birck building as per plans **certified corrections- - subject to field inspections & audit **
- Permit - renovation/alteration Feb 2014Complete
Add duplex to existing unit 742 and 734 and remove and replace existing unit entry doors (same size and location) as per plans.
- Permit - easy permit process Feb 2014
Tuckpoint all elevations 8000 sq. ft. replace approximately 100 bricks.
- Permit - renovation/alteration Aug 2013Complete
Remove three story wood porch and replace with three story metal, as per plans
- Permit - renovation/alteration Aug 2012Complete
Rebuild porch per plan
- Permit - easy permit process Jul 2012
Emergency repairs to reinforce the porch stairs
- Permit - renovation/alteration Nov 2009Complete
Replace open existing three story wood porch per plans
- Permit - porch construction Jan 2007
Replace exist 3 story open wood rear porch and stairs.
- Permit - porch construction Aug 2006
Replace existing 3 story open wood porch in rear - same size & location & alterations to existing rooftop deck per architectural drawings
Chicago Department of Buildings
Safety and environment
FEMA natural hazard risk
Very Low
Highest for this area: cold wave. These drive insurance cost here.
FEMA National Risk Index, census tract
Leaking fuel tanks
9 within 1,650 ft
Nearest: Advocate Healthcare, 836 West Nelson Street (800 ft), open. 2 still open. Ask whether groundwater or soil vapor testing was done.
EPA UST Finder, leaking underground storage tank releases
Toxic release facility
3,150 ft
Culinary Foods Inc and 3 more within a mile. Reports chemical releases to air, water or land to EPA each year.
EPA Toxics Release Inventory
Radon potential
Moderate
Average indoor levels of 2 to 4 pCi/L. EPA still suggests testing ground-floor and basement units.
EPA and USGS Geologic Radon Potential Map
Nearest public schools
1,950 ft
Harriet Tubman Elem School (1,950 ft), Alcott Elem School (2,350 ft), Nettelhorst Elem School (2,400 ft). Confirm the assigned school with the district.
U.S. Department of Education, NCES
Sinkhole-prone ground
Limestone karst
The bedrock here (dolostone (dolomite), Silurian) can dissolve and open sinkholes. Ask for a geotechnical report and check whether sinkhole coverage is in the insurance policy.
USGS Karst in the United States (OFR 2014-1156)
Conforming loan limit 2026
$832,750
Cook County. Mortgages up to this amount qualify for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pricing. Above it, the loan is a jumbo with stricter terms.
FHFA Conforming Loan Limit Values, one-unit
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Who lives and works in Chicago
Trading floors, logistics and the deepest architecture stock in America
Chicago carries a full corporate economy at a price the coasts do not match. Neighborhoods are distinct and walkable, two and three flats are everywhere, and the Loop still sets the commute for finance, law and consulting.
- $71,673
- median household income
- 18.9%
- residents aged 25 to 34
- 45%
- households that own their home
What pays the bills
- Finance and trading
- Logistics and rail
- Law and consulting
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
Who anchors the economy
CME Group · Boeing suppliers · University of Chicago · Northwestern Medicine · United Airlines
The market is shaped around
- Young professionals
- Families buying space
- Two and three flat owners
More on West Oakdale Avenue
All addressesViewing recommendations
What's worth checking in person before deciding.
- Test water pressure and temperature at the tap, in the bathroom and kitchen, for at least a minute.
- Ask specifically where you'd park: is there paid city parking, who currently holds it, what the permit costs, and how long the waitlist is.
- Look at the stairwell (cleanliness, smell) and the association's notice board: unpaid dues, conflicts, recent decisions.
- Schedule a viewing on a weekday too, between 6:00 and 7:30 PM, the window when the building is busiest: neighbors, parking, elevator.
- Knock on a neighboring door and ask two things: what bothers them most often, and what work is planned for the building.
- Ask for the latest maintenance bill from a winter month, not a summer one: that's where the real cost of living there shows up.
Neighborhood recommendations are derived from public OpenStreetMap data and may be incomplete. Checking in person is still what matters most.