This house is located at 1806 Monroe Street, NW


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The flier says:

“This light filled 3 level Folk Victorian nestled in historic Mt. Pleasant offers an expansive kitchen with dual fuel Thermador range w/ center grill, stainless steel appl. , grand dining room for entertaining, high ceilings, orig. hardwood floor, two fireplaces w/ orig. marble surround, sauna, basement efficiency, lots of original details and so much more. Filled with charm this one is a Must See!”

More info and photos found here.

I’m curious to know what you think of the house itself – both the inside and outside. What exactly is a “folk victorian” anyway?

I probably could of made this a house porn edition as it’s going for $1,250,000. Think that’s reasonable?


This home is located at 1601 8th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“This is an excellent opportunity to buy a huge property on a corner lot in historic Shaw. Property is in solid condition and is a very attractive investment. It had been leased most recently for $3,200 per month (6.5% Cap Rate at asking). Finished basement. Blocks to local restaurants, Logan Circle and downtown.”

More info but sadly no photos can be found here.

It’s obviously a tough call without photos but this does seem like a big house with lots of potential. Does $595,000 sound reasonable?


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. The source of information is Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), which is the local multiple listing system. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

In a recent edition of Good Deal or Not, there seemed to be some interest in having some follow up as properties sell (or not). I took a moment to go back as far as the beginning of October 2008. From that time to 12/10/08, the Prince has featured an impressive total of fifty eight actual listings and one FSBO (for sale by owner) that was not in the regional multiple listings system.

Out of fifty eight listings, only one has settled (which I’ll provide more info on in a sec). Here’s what happened to the rest so far:

  • 39 remain active
  • 6 are under contract
  • 1 is temporarily off the market
  • 10 are withdrawn
  • 1 is expired

The details can be found <a href =http://matrixreports2.mris.com/MatrixReportServer/CMAOutput/35904/CMA_Summary_Detail2225.PDF> here.
Sooooo, which one sold?

919 Euclid St NW, is a renovated 3 bedroom 2 full bath townhome with covered parking. It was on the market for a grand total of 8 days (very nice). It was listed for $425,000. and settled for the magic number of $417,000. with a subsidy from the Seller in the amount of $11,917. It closed on October 30th, 2008 with FHA financing, which means that an owner occupant purchased it.

$417,000. really is the magic number because it’s the upper limit for conforming loan pricing. Over that amount, one starts to get into the territory called “high conforming”, up to $729,000. Over $729,000., at least until December 31st, 2008, after which it will change to $624,000., one enters the really scary neighborhood of jumbo loan pricing.

I noticed that the property had only recently changed hands prior to this sale. In July, it had been purchased for $226,000.

I’ve included both the recent sale and the July sale listings <a href=http://matrix.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Email.aspx?ID=28123365172> here</a>. To see before and after pics, click the camera icon to the top left of each listing.


This condo is located at 1457 Park Road, NW.


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The flier says:

“LOCATION!!!!!This is a good opportunity to invest in DC, One and a half blocks from Columbia Heights metro station, DC USA Mall is on the corner, Stores: like Target, Best Buy, Banks, Tivoli Square, Restorants and many more. Building is under Capital improvements throughout common areas.”

You can find more info but no photos here.

There are actually two units going for the same price in this building #204 and #509. Both are studio apartments and both have been reduced $10k. Do you think $159,900 is a reasonable price?


This home is located at 783 Irving Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“Wouldn’t you like to own this cozy 2 level townhome in Columbia Heights?Close to everything, these units boast 1,400 sqft+ of new construction living space that teems w/ natural light. Designed for modern living w/ spacious interiors, backyard decks, & parking.”

More info and photos found here.

We once spoke about this house because it was odd that the shutters were missing from the left hand side. But other than that it turned out pretty good. What do you think of the home itself? It seems the house has been split into two units – “Now taking reservations on both Unit 1 & 2. Unit 1:$434,500/Unit 2:$449,500”. Do those prices sound reasonable?


This home is located at 456 N Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“BANK OWNED. Walking distance to the metro. Minutes away from the Verizon Center/China Town. Shopping, Townhome was reonvated in 2006,newr windows, washer/dryer, Kitchen cabinetS, appliances, cermaic floorsa and hardwood floors. This is a Winner.”

You can find more info and photos here.

This 2 bedroom 1.5 bathroom is going for $265,200. Sound reasonable?


This home is located at 1307 T Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“Spacious, two level, unique loft-style duplex. Bright southern exposure, 2BRSs (incl MBS with fireplace). Open granite, SS KI, soaring ceilings, oversized windows, hardwood floors lux BAs and exposed brick all leading to private deck, off-street gated parking.”

You can find more info and a virtual tour here.

We once spoke about this home a while back because I was intrigued with the row of small windows above the door.

Do you think there is any chance this 2 bedroom 2 bathroom will get the asking price of $729,000? More importantly what do you think of the house itself?


This condo is located at 1101 Fairmont Street, NW:


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The owner has a Web site that says:

“This condo is in excellent condition. It is perfectly located in Columbia Heights on a pretty, quiet street with plenty of street parking. The building is just steps from the Columbia Heights Metro stop and the new Columbia Heights retail development (Target, Bestbuy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Washington Sports Club, Marshalls, Staples, and More) and plenty of other area nightlife, restaurants, shops. The building is also an easy downhill walk to the U Street Metro and Corridor with plenty of additional shopping and nightlife. Short walk also to Adams Morgan. This condo is right in the center of it all!”

More details and photos can be found here.

It seems the condo has been on the market since at least July 20th (when the Web site was created). It’s a two bedroom two bathroom going for $465,000. What do you think is a realistic price for a ground floor condo at this location?


This home is located at 1221 T Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“Attached two story row house near desirable 13th & U St location. Existing upstairs layout is 3BR/1BA with plans available for new 2BR+Study/2BA layout. LR, full DR & kitchen downstairs. Front porch, entry hall, tall clgs, garage with alley access. Needs renovation but adjacent renovated house recently sold for just under $1M. U St/Cardozo Metro (green/yellow lines) & Starbucks nearby.”

More info and oddly a photo of the metro can be found here.

The description and the photo of the metro doesn’t instill a lot of confidence with the inside of the house but the location is pretty sweet. Given the fact that it will probably need some work does $645,000 sound reasonable?


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