photo by freddyjinkins

We’ve never talked about this subject before though someone brought it up under a different context in a previous discussion so I thought it’d be worth exploring. There was a pretty interesting article written on the subject by the Post back in May of 2007. According to the article to lift the restrictions:

“To do so would require the support of Congress, which created the Height Act nearly a century ago to restrict virtually all of Washington’s tallest buildings to a height of 130 feet.”

So what do you think would housing become more reasonbly priced if the restrictions were lifted? Would DC stop losing companies that move to VA or MD? Would it kill the look of the city? Which side do you support?


Props, of course, go to Som Records on 14th Street.

Ed. Note: Som Records has recently become an advertiser on PoP.  The selection of album cover of the week is in no way influenced by their advertising.  I simply love their selection of album covers.  As always reader submitted album covers are not only accepted they are encouraged.


1640 Florida Ave NW

In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia and Virginia, and as a real estate salesperson in Maryland. Unless specifically noted, neither she nor the company that she is affiliated with represented any of the parties or were directly involved in the transaction reported below. Unless otherwise noted, the source of information is Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), which is the local multiple listing system. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1640 Florida Ave NW

List Price at Time of Contract: $598,000.

Original List Price: $649,000.

List Date: Listed 9/12/08 but withdrawn and re-listed at lower price

Total Days on Market: 50 (Only 8 Days on the market at $598,000.)

Settled Sales Price: $590,000. (Net less subsidy-$585,000.)

Settlement Date: 11/20/2008

Seller Subsidy: $5000.

Bank Owned?: No

This property was a recent PoP Good Deal or Not (GDoN) on October 9th, 2008, when the list price was $625,000. Despite it being a relatively small property, comments were generally positive, with many citing the location as attractive.
Public records indicate that the last acquisition of the property was in 2001 for $290,000., so even though it didn’t sell at the top of the market, it was apparently a strong investment.

Recent comparable sales in the immediate location, as well as the final listing for this property (last one, be sure to click the filmstrip icon at top left to see nice virtual tour) can be seen here:

http://matrix.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Email.aspx?ID=28436512178
Looks like a good deal to me, particularly in relation to 1612 V St NW, which did not have parking or central a/c (although it did have a partial unfinished basement while 1640 Florida is basement-less) and sold at $600,000.

 


Lots of good entries this week. Winner and runner up please email me directly so I can you get you your t-shirts.

The winner from 14stbulletz:

“We do alliteration and shades…paint sold elsewhere.”

Runner up is from 20something:

“It was in the weeks before we went out of business that we began to discuss the possibility that our “reverse psychology advertising” may not have worked as well as we had hoped.”


Upper 14th Street was a treasure trove for me this week. This one is pretty sweet, yeah? Check out how there is an “open” sign right in the middle. Sadly, I didn’t go in to see what type of store this is. Anyone from North Country recognize it?


Like I said, for some reason, blue doors get me every time.


I always find this big stand alone houses between rowhouses to be unusual. I’m betting there are some amazing original details inside here.


This house down in Shaw has been in this state for quite a while. But I always thought it seemed like an unusual renovation. Thumbs up or down?


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