Real Estate

Good Deal or Not? Reader Request

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 139 Varnum St, NW.


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The flier says:

“What a deal!! Almost everything in this fully renovated home is BRAND NEW! HUGE corner unit w/ parking in rear! Renovations include new central HVAC, 1/2 BA & hrdwd floors added to main lvl, carpet on upper lvl, ceramic in all bthrms, nw cabinets, c-tops, appliances, all nw electrical wiring, plumbing, windows, roof, int & ext paint, lights (recessed in ktchen), vanities, ext doors & more.”

More info and photos found here.

The reader writes, “I hate the fact that it looks like they may have gutted all the original features that make Petworth rowhouses so great, but $330k for a renovated end unit rowhouse within a mile of the metro has to be a good deal, right?”.

I think there are some people in the community that may have a little more insight on this house than I do. Hopefully they’ll write in. But from what we know does $329,900 seem reasonable?

Good Deal or Not? Modern Renovation Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1362 Otis Place, NW.


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The flier says:

“Complete LEED Cert 2007 renovation, foundation to roof. Everything but brick shell & hdwd flrs new. Built by 3DG. Bamboo cabs, IceStone counters, recyc porcelain tile, cork flrs, high-eff lights, Toto toilets, HVAC sys, recycl cotton insul & low-VOC paint. Off street pkng, priv bkyd, deck & garden area. SS Energy Star appls, Jenn Air gas range/oven, Maytag fridge, D/W. Duravit sinks & cabs, Grohe fixts”

You can find more info and photos here.

It looks like they did some solid reno work here. I’m curious what you think about the both the outside and inside. It’s been on the market for 84 days and there’s only been a $20k reduction in price. Do you think it’s possible it’ll go for the asking price of $540,000?

Good Deal or Not? Reader Request

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1909 8th Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“Great price for a large home in U Street. Brick Row home 2 blocks f/metro & U street 3 bedroom 1 bath w/ basement. Large living and dining room VERY tall ceilings and lots of windows. Basement could be easily finished. Large rear deck and yard. Nice opportunity for someone to find a good deal in a good neighborhood.”

More info and photos found here.

I like the location but I’m a little hesitant because there is only one bathroom. What do you think – does $529,900 seem reasonable for a whole house at this location?

Good Deal or Not? Wed. Condo Porn Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This condo is located at 2017 Kalorama Rd NW.


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The flier says:

“Lovely 2-lvl 2BR condo with 2BA en suite in sought after Kalorama Triangle, w/ PARKING FOR ONE CAR, in boutique 4-unit rowhouse. Many windows, high ceilings, 2 wood-burning FPs, island kitchen, wood & terra cotta tile floors, private garden & w/ d in unit. 2 red line Metros just short walks away.”

You can find more info and a virtual tour here. I think it looks pretty sweet except for the mirrored wall. It was originally listed at $594,900 but is now on the market for $525,000 $499,000 – think that’s reasonable?

After the jump see the house I really wanted to show at 2218 Wyoming Ave for the Wed. porn edition but I couldn’t find any info. It is pretty sick. (more…)

HPAP Funding Controversy – Is It Funded or Not?

By Prince Of Petworth

Yeah, I hadn’t actually heard of HPAP either until I received a number of emails about it. From a reader:

“This is a pretty big deal- was only able to buy my condo here in Columbia Heights because of this amazing program. Housing prices locally might finally start to see some of the collapse in the rest of the country if this program disappears. Can you send out a note to people?

Basically, the concept of HPAP program is that if you meet certain low-income requirements, you can get up to $70,000 as a downpayment on a house, which never has any interest, you don’t have to start paying back for 5 years, and then have 40 years to pay back. I know, sounds too good to be true- but it’s not, I personally used the program. And they’re talking about eliminating it. Make them stop!”

You can read more and learn how to sign a petition after the jump.

Update: The Post is reporting that it actually has passed. Their story can be found here.

Update 2: From comments – “This is from Councilmember Barry’s office, regarding the conflicting post article about $50m being approved for HPAP.  It was wrong.  HPAP is indeed still frozen:

The report in the post story is wrong. I plan to reach to them for a correction. The 50 million (which is incorrect too) is for the Housing Production Trust Fund. The 11 million in HPAP funding is frozen per the action the Council the other week.  We exploring ways to restore the funding but nothing concrete has come about yet. The best bet for now is to direct residents to DHCD’s website via dc.gov, updates on the situation will posted there.”

(more…)

Good Deal or Not? Reader Request

By Prince Of Petworth

This awesome house is located at 1016 T Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“MAJESTIC OPPORTUNITY! One of the few corner wonders left in U Street neighborhood. Fantastic Lot w fully detached architectural gem with very unique feat. incl spacious front. driveway/garage, cornice/tin, custom wood/strcase, plaster detail, soaring ceilings and much more! Need the right party to make this a showcase home. Estate Sale AS IS. Available for easy acquire/build financing. SPECIAL!”

More details and photos found here.

Looks like it might need a little work done but it is nice that it has a lot of the original details. So do you think $720,000 sounds reasonable?

Good Deal or Not? Fixer Upper Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This house is located at 1816 Irving St, NW.


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The flier says:

“LOCATION!LOCATION!!LOCATION!!! DON’T MISS THIS FIXER UPPER HOUSE IN SOUGHT AFTER MOUNT PLEASANT. HOUSE FEATURES FIREPLACE, REPLACED BOILER, REPLACED WATER HEATER AND HARDWOOD FL. THE HOUSE IS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED BETWEEN CLEVELND PARK AND COLUMBIA HEIGHTS METRO. HOUSE NEEDS SOME WORK BUT INSTANT EQUITY . SOLD AS-IS, HOME INSPECTION FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. READY FOR YOUR BUYER’S SPECIAL TOUCHES.”

More info but sadly no photos can be found here.

I know folks had asked me in the past to post some fixer uppers so I thought this would be a good one since it’s in a pretty desirable location. So without photos is possible to determine if $499,999 is a good deal or not based on location?

Good Deal or Not? Red Brick Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 2033 13th Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“Great opportunity for the savvy investor to reap the benefits of a tenant in place. Beautifully renovated 3 level brick row with all the bells and whistles. Main house 3 BR, 2/12 baths , open floor plan, cooks kitchen, breakfast area leading to a deck. Lower level unit is extremely high end featuring double vanity, jacuzzi tub, sept. shower. Lower level is vacant. Current rent is $3,600 monthly.”

More info and a bit of a dizzying virtual tour found here.

I remarked on this house before because I find the brick to be very striking. I also think this is one of the best locations in the city. However, I am very skeptical that the current rent for the lower level is $3,600, that seems insane to me, right? Or am I just out of the loop? So this home is on the market for $1,175,000 – any chance it’ll go for that?

Good Deal or Not? $60K Price Reduction Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 3578 13th Street, NW.


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The flier says:

“A must see! Columbia Heights Jewel. Victorian w/ English bsmt w/ sep. front and back entr. Eat-in kitch w/ island and bar, full height cabs, S/S applncs. 2 HVAC systems and 2 gas furnaces recently installed. MBR on 3rd flr Jacuzzi, walk-in shower w/ dbl heads, Orig. wood flrs, recessed lts, RENTAL UNIT in Bsmt w/ everything. 3 Blks to Metro. Closing help!”

More info and photos found here.

Pretty sick kitchen, yeah? I’m curious to know what you think about this house because of the price reduction. It was originally priced at $660,000 but is now available for $599,900. Do you think the new price is more realistic? What do you think about the kitchen?

Good Deal or Not? Wed. House Porn Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1745 U Street, NW. Ed. Note. Based on yesterday’s comments I have compromised with a small map.


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The flier says:

“FABULOUS newly constructed interior in gorgeous 4-LVL dormered Vict. Huge LEGAL 1BR rental. Epicenter of DUPONT-KALORAMA corridor. Beautiful HWFs, four OVERSIZED BRs (2 w/ baths ensuite), 3.5BAs main house. Chef’s kitchen for serious entertaining! PKG in rear! Fantastic value for modern design and fine workmanship!”

You can find more info and photos here.

I think you’ll like the photos. This is a much different style than some of the previous homes I’ve shown. I’m curious to know what you think of the photos and if you think it is remotely possible that this home will sell for $1,399,900?

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