In 2009 when Dan and Shannon Wasiolek put their two Chicago condos on the market, they had high hopes of quickly selling them and finding a new home somewhere in a near western suburb with urban appeal, great amenities and stellar schools. After sitting on the market for about eight months, the condos finally sold but the couple “lost their shirts” in the transaction. After an exhaustive search for a new place to call home, the Wasioleks hit the jackpot in River Forest.
Dan and Shannon were able to recoup the money they had lost in the condo deals when they purchased a 1950s ranch-style home on the 1400 block of Bonnie Brae, a short sale property which had been sitting vacant for three years and in need of heavy remodeling. The couple scored a deal for well under $500,000.
The median price for a single-family home in River Forest, according to local real estate agent Andy Gagliardo of Gagliardo Realty, is between $400,000 and $600,000.
“We decided that there were some good properties available from people who needed to get rid of their homes,” says Shannon, 32, who notes that she and husband Dan, 35, had unsuccessfully bid on a different short sale property in River Forest prior to the one on Bonnie Brae. She says it took seven months to finalize the Bonnie Brae transaction.
The large lot also presented the opportunity to more than double the couple’s initial investment and hire a design-and-build firm — Downers Grove-based Oakley Home Builders.
“Basically, we bought an existing house that had been vacant for three years in the current location and tore it down and rebuilt it into something we wanted.”
Finding a contractor
Shannon, who works for Google in Chicago, says she used the popular search engine to gather a short list of local design-and-build firms. For both parties, the yearlong partnership paid off.
In November 2011, Oakley Home Builders constructed an architecturally styled “craftsman/European designed” house for the Wasioleks. The project received the 2011 Key Award from the Home Builder’s Association of Greater Chicago. The award recognizes excellence in housing design, architecture, interior merchandising, remodeling and landscaping.
The accolade, says co-owner Steve Sobjowiak, is prestigious, and one his company has received for the last three consecutive years.
“From the day we broke ground to the day the Wasioleks moved in, it was seven months,” he adds. “The Village of River Forest was very impressed with our process and subcontractors, and actually, they were shocked. They told us they had had guys who have gotten permits and are going on two to three years now to build a house here. The only thing I was not aware of was how much sand is in the soil in the area. So we had to do some bracing to keep the sand at bay.”
Taking the tour
The end result is an architectural gem spanning 5,000-square feet and fielding an abundance of luxurious amenities, as well as an overall design that is constructed and laid out exactly to the Wasiolek’s specifications.
In addition, their new cape style “estate” was delivered to them a month ahead of schedule, and without any hiccups, says Shannon.
Inside her house is an open floor plan with seamless lines that unfurl a great room with a twinkling chandelier, a side-entry mudroom, as well as several other unique features, including a second floor laundry, a play room, and a wine cellar with a wine tasting area, a wet bar, and an exercise room. Also built-in is an attached sunroom and a state-of-the-art theater room.
From the regal wooden front door is entry into a large airy and bright living space. The top-of-the-line kitchen features high level culinary outfitting, and includes a pantry and eating area. On the first floor is also a bathroom and office.
“I spared no expense on the kitchen, because it is where I spend most of my time,” says Shannon.
Up a staircase, which is strategically located at the back of the house, are five bedrooms, two baths, a laundry room and a balcony off the master bedroom overlooking the couple’s side yard and new neighborhood.
In addition, Sobjowiak says his firm employed a few conservational initiatives via the salvaging of several existing trees on the property, and incorporated green technologies by installing Energy Star-rated appliances and HVAC equipment. A few more measures included subcontractors blowing fiber insulation into the walls and installing high energy efficient windows and doors.
“This house is really a reflection of the same design as what my husband and I drew on a piece of paper, as far as the layout of the house would be,” explains Shannon. “Quite frankly, the deal about River Forest is that you get a really good school system, and a great neighborhood with great amenities. That was equally important to us, so we were willing to pay a little more for our house.
“In this market now, specifically, your home is still an asset, but not like it used to be, so you have to think through it more than how you can sell it in five years and make your money back, because it is not like that anymore.”