Obama Chicago Mansion Birdseye

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28 November 2008:

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5 June 2008

From USSearch.com:
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, 5046 GREENWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60615 2806 (773) 684-4809
MICHELLE OBAMA

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0611010273nov01,1,2852476.story
Chicago Tribune
From the Tribune archives: Rezko owns vacant lot next to Obama's home
By Ray Gibson and David Jackson | Tribune staff reporters
November 1, 2006
When Sen. Barack Obama decided to buy a stately $1.65 million home last year on Chicago's South Side, Antoin "Tony" Rezko and his wife wasted no time. The same day the Obamas closed on the house, the Rezkos closed on the purchase of the adjoining vacant lot, which once was the estate's lush side yard. In normal circumstances, the two real estate transactions probably wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. There is, after all, nothing illegal or untoward about an aggressive developer buying hot property next door to a rising political star. But these are not normal times for either Obama or Rezko, two longtime friends whose fortunes have taken sharp turns in opposite directions.
Illinois' junior U.S. senator has become a political star, riding a surge of popularity that has made him a top potential candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Rezko, meanwhile, has achieved notoriety of a different sort. In October, he pleaded not guilty to federal charges involving pay-to-play allegations that surround Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration. Now the hows and whys of a real estate deal, and a train of subsequent transactions, are raising questions about the relationship between the two men, as Obama struggles to distance himself from Rezko, and Rezko strives to stay out of prison.
Over the last 16 months, as they jointly worked to improve their side-by-side properties, the two men entered an ongoing series of personal financial arrangements. Because Rezko was widely reported to be under federal grand jury scrutiny, Obama said he was careful to ensure their transactions were ethical and proper.
"My working assumption was that as long as I operated in an open, up-front fashion, and all the T's were crossed and I's were dotted, that it wouldn't be an issue," Obama said. "If it was a neighbor I didn't know at all, would I have behaved any differently? I felt like the answer was no." Obama added: "Tony has been a supporter of mine since my first race for state Senate." And he said: "I haven't been involved with him in any legislative work whatsoever or any government activities of any sort."
For years, it's been Rezko's practice to befriend up-and-coming political figures, from Blagojevich to the godson of former County Board President John Stroger. Rezko often weaves those political friendships into business ventures. Rezko first reached out to Obama in about 1990 when the future senator made headlines as the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Rezko and two real estate partners called out of the blue to offer a job building inner-city homes.
"I said no, but I remained friendly with all three of them," Obama said. "All three of them remained great contributors of mine."
Over the years Rezko and Obama shared lunch "once or twice a year, although that's just an estimate," the senator said. As couples, the Rezkos and Obamas dined perhaps "two to four times ... in the time that I've known him."
One of Illinois' most prominent local Democratic fundraisers, Rezko and his companies donated at least $8,000 to Obama's state Senate campaigns and $11,500 to Obama's federal fund. (Obama has said he will divest those federal donations.) Rezko also hosted a 2003 event to boost Obama's campaign fund.
Obama and his wife were already flush with success when they went house hunting last year. Their combined income--bolstered by payments for his best-selling autobiography and advances for future books--topped $1.67 million. His wife, Michelle, had recently been promoted to a $316,962-a-year position as vice president at the University of Chicago Hospitals.
House has 4 fireplaces
They were drawn to a 96-year-old Georgian revival home that has four fireplaces, glass-door bookcases fashioned from Honduran mahogany, and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, according to real estate listings and an interview. The house and the adjoining yard--which is surveyed as a separate lot--are rimmed by 12-foot-tall evergreens. In the past, the two lots had been sold as a single estate. But in 2005, the owners listed the two parcels for sale separately.
Obama said his family's real estate broker brought the house to his wife's attention. He said he discussed the house with Rezko but isn't sure how Rezko began pursuing the adjacent lot. But Obama raised the possibility that he was the first to bring the lot to Rezko's attention. "I don't recall exactly what our conversations were or where I first learned, and I am not clear what the circumstances were where he made a decision that he was interested in the property," Obama said. "I may have mentioned to him the name of [a developer and] he may at that point have contacted that person. I'm not clear about that," Obama said. The neighborhood wasn't new to Rezko, whose companies had purchased numerous South Side properties. Obama said he and Rezko had no prior agreement about Rezko's plans for the garden parcel. "My understanding was that he was going to develop it," Obama said.
It was "already a stretch" to buy the house, Obama said, so the vacant lot was not affordable for his family. The Obamas bought the house in June 2005 for $1.65 million--some $300,000 less than the asking price--and secured a $1.32 million mortgage from Northern Trust.
Rezko's wife, Rita, bought the adjoining lot the same day, paying the full $625,000 asking price with the help of a $500,000 mortgage from Mutual Bank of Harvey. The Rezkos declined to comment for this article.
The Obamas wanted a fence between the parcels. They hired an attorney and architects within a month of their purchase to seek guidance about the fence from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Michelle Obama had served on the commission from 1998 to March 2005, and she contacted the staff about the fence. On July 15, 2005, a city landmarks deputy commissioner, Brian Goeken, sent a long e-mail to Michelle Obama saying he had gone out one evening to look at the house. He listed suggestions for obtaining a permit for the fence. Goeken declined to comment for this article.
Over the next six months, the Obamas' architect had several conversations with city officials about whether to relocate portions of the existing fence or build a new, compatible one. Architect Wil Taubert said in an interview that he dealt only with the Obamas. "I knew somebody owned the corner but I never asked who it was," Taubert said. Though the Obamas laid the groundwork, Rezko agreed to build and pay for the $14,000 fence that runs along their property line.
Fence required by city
Obama said Rezko paid for the fence because a city ordinance compelled Rezko to fence the line between his vacant lot and their house. He added that both men agreed there were broader reasons for a fence.
"I had had a conversation with him in which I indicated that it probably was important for us to have a separation of the properties because the property was all one piece, it wasn't really demarcated, and I did think that it was important for there not to be any perception whatsoever that somehow I was having any use of their property," Obama said.
"Partly because Michelle had already been on Landmarks, partly because we're well-known neighbors ... I felt it was important to make sure that all the T's were crossed and I's were dotted in terms of compliance with landmarks," he said. "I thought it would be embarrassing if somehow whatever fence was erected didn't comply." Obama said he funded the architectural and legal work because "if somebody walked by, they would assume that it was on my property and so it was important from my perspective that it be done right." Obama said he didn't know exactly how much he spent on the architectural, landscaping and legal work that enabled Rezko to acquire a fence permit in January 2006. "My suspicion is that it would probably be a couple of thousand dollars. On the architectural side it might be more," he said. "I think legal fees were a couple thousand."
To preserve the aesthetic balance, Obama also wanted to put some space between his house and the proposed fence, so he personally asked Tony Rezko if they would sell a portion of their lot without restricting their ability to build in the future. "I told them if you can spare another 5 or 10 feet, I'd be happy to purchase it from you," Obama said. "They came back and said they could sell us up to 10 feet." Using a standard formula, Obama's appraiser estimated the 1,500-square-foot portion at a market value of $40,500. But Obama felt it would be fair to pay the Rezkos $104,500, or a sixth of their original $625,000 purchase price, because he was acquiring a sixth of their land. The sale closed in January 2006.
That month, the fabricator hired by Rezko began building the fence, which sits immediately on top of the property line. Five months later, in May, Advance Welding & Construction sent one of Rezko's companies a $14,300 invoice that stated, "All work is completed." Obama said he and his family have never used the Rezko yard--even for a brief picnic or Frisbee game. But Obama said he pays his landscaper to mow Rezko's 7,500-square-foot yard. A person can't enter the Rezko lot from the street--but Obama's groundskeeper gets in through the gate that opens from Obama's lot.
Service mows both lawns
"Right now my landscaper who comes and does all my work, I have asked him to go ahead and mow the lawn on the other side," Obama said. "My intention was to have the landscaper figure out some pro-rata cost for that mowing and send that bill to Rezko," Obama said. "I just haven't had time to do it." The lawn-mowing bill that he plans to send Rezko "can't be more than three or four hundred, a thousand dollars," Obama added.
The bill for the new fence has yet to be paid, according to Advance President Raymond Oshana and Michael Sreenan, an attorney who represented the Rezkos in transactions pertaining to the fence and garden lot. That may be because Tony Rezko is embroiled in debt and business difficulties as well as legal trouble. The federal charges against Rezko include allegations that he defrauded a lender to keep one business venture afloat.
But the garden lot may yet be developed. Sreenan and a Rezko company accountant in October formed a corporation that Sreenan said will try to purchase the lot from Rita Rezko and build there. While no sale has taken place, "We're hoping to move ahead on development," Sreenan said. It was premature to discuss details, Sreenan said, but one thing was sure about this potential venture: "It will be entirely separate from Mr. Rezko."

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Source
The home of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as seen Wednesday, July 11, 2007, in Chicago. Obama currently resides in Hyde Park, a prominent neighborhood on Chicago's South Side that has a history of influential residents. In many ways, the Democratic presidential candidate is the epitome of the place he calls home: a mix of black and white who are wealthy, well educated and liberal leaning.
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Michelle Obama, at home

[Image]
A secret service agent stands at the gate at the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
[Image]
Secret Service agents stand guard outside the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

[Image]
A female secret service agent introduces herself to Chicago Police outside the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
[Image]
Two secret service agents talk through a gate at the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

[Image]
Two secret service agents look at a pedestrian as he passes the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
[Image]
Security officials walk down a driveway to the rear of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's home Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Daily Mail reporter Peter Hitchens outside Obama's Chicago home.

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Source
This corner lot formerly owned by Antoin "Tony" Rezko's wife, Rita, is next door to the home (right) of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood. (Tribune photo by Milbert O. Brown / March 6, 2008)

Obama Chicago Mansion

Birdseye

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=41.802674~-87.599501&style=a&lvl=19&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=11400545&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
The domed structure across the street is the KAM Isaiah Israel Temple, the oldest synagogue in Chicago, formed in 1847.

Looking North

Looking West

Looking South

Looking East

From USSearch.com: BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, 5046 GREENWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60615 2806 (773) 684-4809 MICHELLE OBAMA
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0611010273nov01,1,2852476.story Chicago Tribune From the Tribune archives: Rezko owns vacant lot next to Obama's home By Ray Gibson and David Jackson \| Tribune staff reporters November 1, 2006 When Sen. Barack Obama decided to buy a stately $1.65 million home last year on Chicago's South Side, Antoin "Tony" Rezko and his wife wasted no time. The same day the Obamas closed on the house, the Rezkos closed on the purchase of the adjoining vacant lot, which once was the estate's lush side yard. In normal circumstances, the two real estate transactions probably wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. There is, after all, nothing illegal or untoward about an aggressive developer buying hot property next door to a rising political star. But these are not normal times for either Obama or Rezko, two longtime friends whose fortunes have taken sharp turns in opposite directions. Illinois' junior U.S. senator has become a political star, riding a surge of popularity that has made him a top potential candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Rezko, meanwhile, has achieved notoriety of a different sort. In October, he pleaded not guilty to federal charges involving pay-to-play allegations that surround Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration. Now the hows and whys of a real estate deal, and a train of subsequent transactions, are raising questions about the relationship between the two men, as Obama struggles to distance himself from Rezko, and Rezko strives to stay out of prison. Over the last 16 months, as they jointly worked to improve their side-by-side properties, the two men entered an ongoing series of personal financial arrangements. Because Rezko was widely reported to be under federal grand jury scrutiny, Obama said he was careful to ensure their transactions were ethical and proper. "My working assumption was that as long as I operated in an open, up-front fashion, and all the T's were crossed and I's were dotted, that it wouldn't be an issue," Obama said. "If it was a neighbor I didn't know at all, would I have behaved any differently? I felt like the answer was no." Obama added: "Tony has been a supporter of mine since my first race for state Senate." And he said: "I haven't been involved with him in any legislative work whatsoever or any government activities of any sort." For years, it's been Rezko's practice to befriend up-and-coming political figures, from Blagojevich to the godson of former County Board President John Stroger. Rezko often weaves those political friendships into business ventures. Rezko first reached out to Obama in about 1990 when the future senator made headlines as the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Rezko and two real estate partners called out of the blue to offer a job building inner-city homes. "I said no, but I remained friendly with all three of them," Obama said. "All three of them remained great contributors of mine." Over the years Rezko and Obama shared lunch "once or twice a year, although that's just an estimate," the senator said. As couples, the Rezkos and Obamas dined perhaps "two to four times ... in the time that I've known him." One of Illinois' most prominent local Democratic fundraisers, Rezko and his companies donated at least $8,000 to Obama's state Senate campaigns and $11,500 to Obama's federal fund. (Obama has said he will divest those federal donations.) Rezko also hosted a 2003 event to boost Obama's campaign fund. Obama and his wife were already flush with success when they went house hunting last year. Their combined income--bolstered by payments for his best-selling autobiography and advances for future books--topped $1.67 million. His wife, Michelle, had recently been promoted to a $316,962-a-year position as vice president at the University of Chicago Hospitals. House has 4 fireplaces They were drawn to a 96-year-old Georgian revival home that has four fireplaces, glass-door bookcases fashioned from Honduran mahogany, and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, according to real estate listings and an interview. The house and the adjoining yard--which is surveyed as a separate lot--are rimmed by 12-foot-tall evergreens. In the past, the two lots had been sold as a single estate. But in 2005, the owners listed the two parcels for sale separately. Obama said his family's real estate broker brought the house to his wife's attention. He said he discussed the house with Rezko but isn't sure how Rezko began pursuing the adjacent lot. But Obama raised the possibility that he was the first to bring the lot to Rezko's attention. "I don't recall exactly what our conversations were or where I first learned, and I am not clear what the circumstances were where he made a decision that he was interested in the property," Obama said. "I may have mentioned to him the name of [a developer and] he may at that point have contacted that person. I'm not clear about that," Obama said. The neighborhood wasn't new to Rezko, whose companies had purchased numerous South Side properties. Obama said he and Rezko had no prior agreement about Rezko's plans for the garden parcel. "My understanding was that he was going to develop it," Obama said. It was "already a stretch" to buy the house, Obama said, so the vacant lot was not affordable for his family. The Obamas bought the house in June 2005 for $1.65 million--some $300,000 less than the asking price--and secured a $1.32 million mortgage from Northern Trust. Rezko's wife, Rita, bought the adjoining lot the same day, paying the full $625,000 asking price with the help of a $500,000 mortgage from Mutual Bank of Harvey. The Rezkos declined to comment for this article. The Obamas wanted a fence between the parcels. They hired an attorney and architects within a month of their purchase to seek guidance about the fence from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Michelle Obama had served on the commission from 1998 to March 2005, and she contacted the staff about the fence. On July 15, 2005, a city landmarks deputy commissioner, Brian Goeken, sent a long e-mail to Michelle Obama saying he had gone out one evening to look at the house. He listed suggestions for obtaining a permit for the fence. Goeken declined to comment for this article. Over the next six months, the Obamas' architect had several conversations with city officials about whether to relocate portions of the existing fence or build a new, compatible one. Architect Wil Taubert said in an interview that he dealt only with the Obamas. "I knew somebody owned the corner but I never asked who it was," Taubert said. Though the Obamas laid the groundwork, Rezko agreed to build and pay for the $14,000 fence that runs along their property line. Fence required by city Obama said Rezko paid for the fence because a city ordinance compelled Rezko to fence the line between his vacant lot and their house. He added that both men agreed there were broader reasons for a fence. "I had had a conversation with him in which I indicated that it probably was important for us to have a separation of the properties because the property was all one piece, it wasn't really demarcated, and I did think that it was important for there not to be any perception whatsoever that somehow I was having any use of their property," Obama said. "Partly because Michelle had already been on Landmarks, partly because we're well-known neighbors ... I felt it was important to make sure that all the T's were crossed and I's were dotted in terms of compliance with landmarks," he said. "I thought it would be embarrassing if somehow whatever fence was erected didn't comply." Obama said he funded the architectural and legal work because "if somebody walked by, they would assume that it was on my property and so it was important from my perspective that it be done right." Obama said he didn't know exactly how much he spent on the architectural, landscaping and legal work that enabled Rezko to acquire a fence permit in January 2006. "My suspicion is that it would probably be a couple of thousand dollars. On the architectural side it might be more," he said. "I think legal fees were a couple thousand." To preserve the aesthetic balance, Obama also wanted to put some space between his house and the proposed fence, so he personally asked Tony Rezko if they would sell a portion of their lot without restricting their ability to build in the future. "I told them if you can spare another 5 or 10 feet, I'd be happy to purchase it from you," Obama said. "They came back and said they could sell us up to 10 feet." Using a standard formula, Obama's appraiser estimated the 1,500-square-foot portion at a market value of $40,500. But Obama felt it would be fair to pay the Rezkos $104,500, or a sixth of their original $625,000 purchase price, because he was acquiring a sixth of their land. The sale closed in January 2006. That month, the fabricator hired by Rezko began building the fence, which sits immediately on top of the property line. Five months later, in May, Advance Welding & Construction sent one of Rezko's companies a $14,300 invoice that stated, "All work is completed." Obama said he and his family have never used the Rezko yard--even for a brief picnic or Frisbee game. But Obama said he pays his landscaper to mow Rezko's 7,500-square-foot yard. A person can't enter the Rezko lot from the street--but Obama's groundskeeper gets in through the gate that opens from Obama's lot. Service mows both lawns "Right now my landscaper who comes and does all my work, I have asked him to go ahead and mow the lawn on the other side," Obama said. "My intention was to have the landscaper figure out some pro-rata cost for that mowing and send that bill to Rezko," Obama said. "I just haven't had time to do it." The lawn-mowing bill that he plans to send Rezko "can't be more than three or four hundred, a thousand dollars," Obama added. The bill for the new fence has yet to be paid, according to Advance President Raymond Oshana and Michael Sreenan, an attorney who represented the Rezkos in transactions pertaining to the fence and garden lot. That may be because Tony Rezko is embroiled in debt and business difficulties as well as legal trouble. The federal charges against Rezko include allegations that he defrauded a lender to keep one business venture afloat. But the garden lot may yet be developed. Sreenan and a Rezko company accountant in October formed a corporation that Sreenan said will try to purchase the lot from Rita Rezko and build there. While no sale has taken place, "We're hoping to move ahead on development," Sreenan said. It was premature to discuss details, Sreenan said, but one thing was sure about this potential venture: "It will be entirely separate from Mr. Rezko."
Source The home of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as seen Wednesday, July 11, 2007, in Chicago. Obama currently resides in Hyde Park, a prominent neighborhood on Chicago's South Side that has a history of influential residents. In many ways, the Democratic presidential candidate is the epitome of the place he calls home: a mix of black and white who are wealthy, well educated and liberal leaning.	Source Michelle Obama, at home
A secret service agent stands at the gate at the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)	Secret Service agents stand guard outside the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A female secret service agent introduces herself to Chicago Police outside the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)	Two secret service agents talk through a gate at the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Two secret service agents look at a pedestrian as he passes the home of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)	Security officials walk down a driveway to the rear of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's home Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The Secret Service said Thursday that Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Source Daily Mail reporter Peter Hitchens outside Obama's Chicago home.	Source This corner lot formerly owned by Antoin "Tony" Rezko's wife, Rita, is next door to the home (right) of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood. (Tribune photo by Milbert O. Brown / March 6, 2008)