Real Estate

Good Deal or Not? 1915 Classic Row House Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1838 Monroe Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Historic integrity joins tasteful updates in this 1915 classic row on quiet strt. 3BR, 1.5BA (. 5Ba on main flr), covered fr prch, inlaid prqt flrs, wd brng frpl, pkt drs, updated kit w/ granite cntrs/new gas range & d/w, brkfst rm at rear, new bath w/ dbl vanity. Reces lts, 2nd flr balc/deck, full bsmnt frnt & rear entrs, fenced rear garden. Sold “as is” but w/ HMS Warranty”

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

I think the folks who like old school details are gonna love this one. Like a few other recent GDoN posts this one also has some sweet floors. One of the few negatives I can see folks bringing up is the fact that it only has 1.5 bathrooms. So do you think $599,000 sounds reasonable?

Good Deal or Not? Mt. Rainier Edition (Reader Request)

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 3814 33rd Street, Mt. Rainier, MD:


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The flier says:

“Charmingly renovated 3BR,2BA home on a quiet street in irresistible & convenient Mount Rainier. EZ access to Metrobus & Metro. High ceilings, great light, hardwoods throughout, large kitchen w/stainless & granite and breakfast room/den, formal DR w/gas fp, bright living room, 3 nicely sized bedrooms, 2 renovated full baths, CAC, W/D, offstreet pkng, large & flat yard.”

More info and photos found here.

A reader writes:

“Hey, I was out in Mt. Rainier the other day and never considered the area when looking for housing, but it’s really quite nice. Anyway, I stumbled across this property when reading through Urban Turf and thought it might make for a good GDON considering Mt. Ranier never comes up.”

I don’t know much about Mt. Rainier but I hear that it is welcoming to artists. Since it’s just over the DC border I’d be interested to hear what folks think about this one. Does $279,000 sound reasonable? Any fans of Mt. Rainier in general?

Good Deal or Not? Traditional Brick Fixer Upper Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 3615 10th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Just Reduced! Contract fell thru and back on the market. Traditional brick fixer upper RH on a quiet residential street featuring rear yard accessable by alley, rear entrances to main level, basement, attractive hardwood floors. 3 blocks to Metro. Heat, water, electric & appliances are functional. This is an estate sale, not short sale or bank owned. FHA or conventional ok.”

More info and photos found here.

As far as fixer uppers are concerned this one looks to have good bones. Any guesses on the cost to fix it up? Given that does $310,000 sound reasonable for this 3 bed/2 bath?

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 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: 2905 Sherman Ave NW

Original List Price: $345,000.

List Price at Contract: $325,000.

List Date: 06/27/2009

Days on Market: 88

Settled Sales Price: $315,000.

Settlement Date:  10/22/2009

Seller Subsidy:  $12,600.

Bank Owned?: No

Type Of Financing: FHA loan with a loan amount of $303,975., so maybe these folks financed the upfront MIP (as noted in comments as a possibility in last week’s GDoN-R)

Original GDoN Post is:  Here

Recent Listing is: Here .  To see pics, click on the main picture after opening the link.

Perusing the original Good Deal or Not (GDoN) post of this property, it struck me that an overwhelming majority called “good deal”.  Frequent GDoN readers know that this, indeed, is a rarity.  That was at the original list price of $345,000., so $315,000. plus $12,600. toward closing costs should look pretty sweet.  For reference, recently converted condos down the street (the last one I listed at 2608 Sherman, 2BR, nicely upgraded and staged, sold in May 2009 for $299,990. with a $7500. subsidy) are selling in a similar price range.

Some mentioned that Sherman is a busy street to be on, and for sure, that was the major objection I heard when I had my client’s condo on the market.  The lot size is a mere 869, but includes a bit of outdoor space.  Love it or hate it, as one reader mentioned, the new owners should never have trouble giving directions to their very yellow house.  I admire the listing agent’s optimism in noting that one of the conveniences of the property is that it is “close to Schools”.

The recent Seller purchased the property back in January 2009 when it was a foreclosure.  The listing from that time period shows that it was priced at $189,000., and settled at $180,000.  It was purchased with cash.

Good Deal or Not? Weekly Wed. House Porn Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 2651 Woodley Road, NW:


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The flier says:

“First time on market in 25 years, rarely avail. detached Wardman, truly spectacular home, located in the heart of Woodley Park, retains its old world charm, but is thoughtfully renovated for today’s life style. Renov Kitch/family room with top of the line appliances, spacious deck, 5 CAR PARKING.”

More info found here and a virtual tour found here.

Wow. This home is pretty bad ass. What’s your favorite part? It’s yours for $1,999,000.

Good Deal or Not? Reader Request

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1317 Wallach Place, NW:


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The flier says:

“STATELY & WELL MAINTAINED 3BR/1.5BA BAY-FRONT TH FEATURES LARGE ROOM PROPORTIONS, 2 DECORATIVE F/P’S, AMPLE NATURAL LIGHT W/ 7 SOUTH FACING WINDOWS, 10+’ CEILS, ORIGINAL MOLDINGS, HWF’S THROUGHOUT + GATED REAR YARD W/ PKG FOR 1-2 CARS. IDEAL U STREET/LOGAN CIRCLE LOCATION, STEPS TO RESTAURANTS, NIGHTLIFE, GALLERIES AND METRO.”

More info found here and a virtual tour found here.

The reader writes:

“Here’s one I think your readers will have a field day with. Just wow.”

I think the reader is referring to the paint choices and decorating. It definitely has a consistent style. Do you dig it? This 3 bed/1.5 bath is going for $820,000.

Good Deal or Not? Owner Request

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1519 12th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Located on a tree-lined street just 2 blocks from Logan Circle, this 1870’s row home has been tastefully renovated to include modern conveniences while maintaining its historic charm. The home is located in the 14th Street Historic District and includes original features such as random-width heart pine floors, curved hallway walls, vintage mantels, pocket doors and six-panel floor to ceiling windows in the living room.

The home boasts a true Chef’s kitchen with 30″ Professional Dual-Fuel Range and 36″ vent hood. The kitchen opens up to a two-story family room with skylights that fill the home with light. Entertain guests in the formal dining room or step outside to enjoy the large private patio.

The master suite includes a fireplace and attached bathroom with a whirlpool tub and double vanities. The upper level also includes a second bedroom and full bath. A den overlooks the family room and could be used as a 3rd bedroom or office.

The off-street parking space and separate laundry/storage room create the final touch of urban convenience.”

More info found here and a virtual tour found here.

The owner writes:

“We *really* love the house, but we need more space and are planning to buy a larger house with an in-law suite with my (retired) dad…we’re in the process of trying to work out a deal on an old GDON (from this past summer) in Columbia Heights (we bought our current house in 2001…since then, it seems we’ve been priced out of Logan and will be moving uptown a bit).”

Well that is a good looking house. What do you guys think of the house? Does $799,900 sounds reasonable?

GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc

By Prince Of Petworth

Featured Property: 203 Morgan St NW

Original List Price: $499,000.

List Price at Contract: $459,900.

List Date: 5/15/2009

Days on Market: 130

Settled Sales Price: $457,500.

Settlement Date:  10/27/2009

Seller Subsidy:  $3,000.

Bank Owned?: No

Type Of Financing: FHA loan which would indicate a minimum of a 3.5% down payment (listing states loan amount of $449,213., which I suspect is incorrect).

Original GDoN Post is:   Here.

Recent Listing is:  Here. To see pics, click on the main picture after opening the link.

Last week I revisited a property just north of Dunbar High School. This one is a short distance south of Dunbar, on a quiet one way street that is tucked just off of New Jersey Avenue, seconds (if you hit the lights right) from the third street tunnel. I was sent a heads up about this property closing by one of my own clients, who settled on a property on the same block a couple of weeks ago, for which he is planning to do extensive renovation. Continues after the jump. (more…)

Good Deal or Not? Multiple Reader Request

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 734 Rock Creek Church Road, NW:


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The flier says:

“Beautifully renovated 1910 townhome on a quiet street just one block from Georgia Ave/Petworth Metro/Shopping Ctr. Main level entry with artfully exposed brick, LR w/ fire-place, elegant dining, btfl kitchen. Second level 3BRs, ldry rm, 3rd level light-flooded master BR-Suite w/sitting area, study, his/hers closets, dbl vanity and jet tub, lwr lvl 2BR aptmt with Cert. of Occupancy,rent $1500/month”

More info and photos found here. I’ve received the most emails requesting a GDoN for this house. It does look pretty nice, but most who’ve written think the price may be a bit high. What do you guys think of the home itself? Do you think $724,900 is realistic?

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