Real Estate

Good Deal or Not? “Mahogany entrance door” Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This condo is located at 3365 18th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Absolute luxury! Mahogany entrance door, Brazilian cherry floors, granite counters, turreted master bedroom, three full spa baths with jetted tubs & vessel sinks. Enjoy cozy seating in the charming bay front nooks on 2 levels. Outdoor space on 2 decks. Built-in shelves in bedrooms provide well-planned storage. PARKING! Walk to Mt. Pleasant, Adams Morgan, Col Hgts METRO, MORE!”

You can find more info and photos here.

This is for those who enjoyed the Mt. Pleasant PoPtrekker. What do you think about his condo? I seriously didn’t think it was going to be that nice from looking at the outside. Do you think this 3 bed/3bath will go for $675,000?

GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc

By Prince Of Petworth

In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia, 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 Properties: 1613 Harvard St NW

Original List Price: $198,900.-$503,900.

List Price at Contract: $198,900.-$503,900.

List Date: 1/21/2010

Days on Market: 13-77

Settled Sales Price: Not available yet

Settlement Date: Not available yet

Seller Subsidy: Not available yet

Bank Owned?: NO

Type Of Financing: Building may be FHA eligible but certain percentage of units must sell first

Original GDoN Post is: here.

Listings are: here.

Website for building is: here.

Ok, let’s get a few things out of the way first.

1. This is an unusual Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) because the units in this building have not gone to settlement yet. I had the opportunity to tour the building with clients last weekend and thought it was way worth revisiting. Don’t worry. I’ll Re-re-visit after they start going to settlement.
2. I am a huge fan of anything in Best Addresses. If you’re not familiar with the book, go take a peek next time you’re in a local DC bookstore. Best Addresses by James M. Goode. Your real estate agent probably owns a copy.
3. Although the company that I am affiliated with represents the developers of many new construction projects in DC, we have absolutely nothing to do with this one. I just happen to really like it.

The Embassy is located on Harvard St NW, just west of 16th Street. Built in 1924, the building opened for rentals in 1925. One of the fascinating aspects of Best Addresses is the perspective of time frames in the real estate development history of DC. The time span of 1919-1931 is referred to as “The Boom Period”, with a significant number of luxury apartments and co-ops built during that era. (The following years of 1932-1945 are described as “Tightening the Belt”). Continues after the jump. (more…)

Good Deal or Not? Former Judging Homes Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1250 KEARNEY St, NE:


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The flier says:

“Got modern?. move to Brookland, Washington DC Elegant modern house built in 2005 by architect-owner. Lots of natural light, loft-like open spaces, eco-friendly, solar heating, polished concrete floors and hardwoods. Best block in Brookland, close to Metro and stores, close to Capitol Hill and Logan Circle. Great privacy, front concrete patio and huge lawn backyard with treehouse and custom shed.”

You can find more info and a few photos here.

We judged this house here.

Lots of readers have been sending me this link. It is def. a cool looking house. Think they can get the asking price of $879,000?

Good Deal or Not? Weekly Wed. House Porn – Delayed Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This mansion is located at 1827 Phelps Place, NW:


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The flier says:

“Kalorama’s best buy. Oozes charm & elegance, w/ great light & fine arch. details. Renovated & updated tastefully. Cook’s kitchen, 5BR/5.5 BA, private terrace off kitchen & roof deck w/ wet bar, juliette balconies on 3 lvls, entry level perfect for au pair/in-law suite. Walk to Metro, restaurants, shops. Parking.”

You can find more info and photos here and a virtual tour here.

Again, sorry for the tech problems lately. I was obviously unable to post this yesterday. But when I was close to completely losing my mind I was able to keep my sanity by reading all the emails sent to me pleading for the house porn. Well it may not have saved my sanity but it made me smile. Now, I may be drunk at the moment, but I love some of you guys!

This isn’t the most insane house porn we’ve looked at but still pretty sweet. Any fans? It’s yours for $1,895,000.

Good Deal or Not? “Modern Renov 3 level main home” Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1418 Rhode Island Ave, NW:


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The flier says:

“Modern Renov 3 level main home + Legal Studio Apt rents for $950/mo, Month – Month Lease. Dramatic 2 story living room w/ wall of windows & wood burning fireplace open to Updated Kit. 2 BR, 2BA & Skylight + Den w/ W/ D. New Carpet up, Newly Refinished HDWDs main flr. Garage PKG + Driveway PKG! PRIVATE low maintenance deck. Great Entertaining Space. seller reserves right to accept/reject all offers”

You can find more info here and a virtual tour here.

This is definitely a bit more modern than we usually look at but I’m glad to finally take a look inside. I know the past people have not been big fans of the curb cuts out front but what do you think of the inside? Does $869,555 sound realistic?

March Home/Condo Sales in PoPville

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks again to DC realtor Kevin Wood for compiling this list of home/condo sales for zip codes – 20011, 20010, 20009, 20005, 20003, 20002, and 20001. Click below on “March 2010 Sales” for the full list in pdf format.  If I’m missing a zipcode you’d like just let me know.

March 2010 Sales

On a side note, the $8,000 tax credit ends April 30th – do you think that is going to significantly effect home prices/sales?

Good Deal or Not? “Total Renovation” Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1019 Otis Place, NW.

The flier says:

“Total renovation of a fine Victorian by OC Dev. 4 levels including legal income unit. Top level features master suite and roof deck. Open floor plan and top of the line finishes including Bosch appliances, hardwood floors, vessel sinks, granite, marble. .. 2 car garage.”

You can find more info and

Good Deal or Not? “4 storey 1915 Classic” (Reader Request)

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 2359 Ashmead Place, NW:


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The flier says:

“Handsome 4 storey 1915 Classic awaiting thoughtful, period repair & renovation. 3 levels have large ourdoor areas plus a prvt. garden. 5-6 abdrms. Garage onsite +1 pking. Desirable location: Kalorama.”

More info and photos found here.

The reader writes:

“Long time reader, first time emailer here – thought this would be a good candidate for your Good Deal or Not section. Those porches are incredible. My guess is the property gets grabbed by condo developers, but my wish is that it gets rehabbed to its former glory. Would like to hear what others think.”

Wow there are some amazing bones in this house. But like previous houses that needed some work – I wonder how much (moderate) renovations would cost. Any guesses? Do you think the current asking price of $845,000 sounds reasonable?

GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc

By Prince Of Petworth

In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia, 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 Properties: 129 U St NE

Original List Price: $229,900.

List Price at Contract: $229,900.

List Date: 12/10/2009

Days on Market: 14

Settled Sales Price: $255,000.

Settlement Date: 02/22/2010

Seller Subsidy: $10,200.

Bank Owned?: YES

Type Of Financing: FHA…looks like a 203(k), since the loan amount is significantly above the sale price

Original GDoN Post is: here.

Listing is: here.

In a city where finding a condo priced under $300,000. is a challenge, there are still several neighborhoods where an entire house can be had in that price range. Eckington, located directly east of Bloomingdale, across North Capitol Street, is one of those spots. Toward the north end of the neighborhood, the houses tend toward three bedroom porch front rowhomes built in the early 1900s. The southern part of the neighborhood has both porch front homes, as well as large bay front Victorian rowhomes. Continues after the jump. (more…)

Real Estate Flier Fail

By Prince Of Petworth

At first glance it looks completely normal. But on closer inspection you can see that the captions got a bit messed up. Here’s one hell of a guest bedroom:

And my favorite is the Dining Room:

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