Building Types

These are the five types of homes most commonly found in Chicago & the surrounding suburbs. The perfect building type for you will depend on your lifestyle!

• 2- or 3-flat: A condo building that contains 2-3 units

• Low-Rise or Mid-Rise: A condo building with less than 6 floors

• High-Rise: A condo building with more than 6 floors

• Townhome: A home that shares a wall with another home

• Single Family Home: A free-standing home

Keep in mind HOA fees: these change per building (often correlated with the number of units) and are an extra monthly expense.

The types of inventory you’re interested in may drive your neighborhood or suburb choices — for example, there are not too many single-family homes in Chicago’s River North! However, plenty of neighborhoods offer a healthy mix of building types.