Motivated sellers

880 North Lake Shore Drive, 17th floor. 785-square-foot one bedroom, one bath: $275,000

Seller’s motivation When an art critic resorts to selling his Mies van der Rohe pad, you know something hasn’t gone according to plan. “I am so broke,” says Edward Lifson, former host of Chicago Public Radio’s Hello Beautiful! Lifson left Chicago two years ago, intending to move back, so he rented out his place. But he recently accepted an out-of-town fellowship, and then his renter lost her job and moved out. Now his beloved modernist gem sits expensively vacant while Lifson writes obits for NPR to fill the financial gap.

Best features Floor-to-ceiling windows, a remodeled kitchen and did we mention it’s a Mies? “It’s the first steel-and-glass residential high-rise in the world,” Lifson sighs.

Call Andrea Tucker at Sudler Sotheby’s International Realty, 312-706-2424.

NEXT>>

Where to buy in Chicago | Motivated sellers | Buying a foreclosure | What are foreclosures and short sales | I bought a foreclosure | The true costs of house fixes | Renter upgrade | A letter from your realtor | How to make a low offer | Real estate jargon redefined | Negotiate your rent | Photo gallery