Real Estate

“Unique barely begins to describe this one of a kind Grixdale Farms estate”

By Prince Of Petworth


via realtor.com

“Dear PoPville,

This listing is way outside of the DMV but thought readers would enjoy a look at “Lion Gate Estate”. Like our mom’s always told us, “You have to look inside to see what really counts”.

Oh My God. hahaha

The listing says:
via realtor.com

“Unique barely begins to describe this one of a kind Grixdale Farms estate. Every aspect of “Lion Gate Estate” has been articulated with painstaking attention to detail and mind blowing decorative flair. Too many custom features to list! Highlights include heated swimming pool with outdoor shower and cabana. Custom two car garage with hand painted automotive murals. Finished basement with billiard room and entertainment area. Fenced in yard with fountains and statuary. Sale includes full contents of the house, including Kohler Campbell baby grand player piano, mint condition Frigidaire kitchen appliances c. 1950. One of a kind custom built 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Sedan, One of a kind custom built 1974 Lincoln Mark IV Coupe, Custom pool table, countless automotive relics and artifacts. Once in a lifetime offering. 48 hours notice and proof of funds mandatory for showings. Property sold AS IS, BATVAI. Only shown on sunny days.”

You can, and absolutely MUST, see more photos here. 450 W Grixdale, Detroit, MI is yours for $550,000.

“Not all condos are equal, though.” Sold in 5 Days for $885,000

By Prince Of Petworth

Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) is a weekly post that reviews the settled sales data of a recent individual real estate transaction in the District of Columbia. Each post is intended as a case study and a snapshot of the real estate market at a particular moment in time. GDoN-R generally posts on Friday in the late morning.

GDoN-R has been written exclusively for PoPville since 2009 by Suzanne Des Marais. Suzanne is a practicing Realtor with Compass. 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 and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 405 O St NW #2
Legal Subdivision: Old City #2
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Old City #2
Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 3 Parking: Street Ownership: Condo Monthly fee: $284.94
Living Square Footage per Listing: 1690 square feet
Original List Price: $849,900. List Price at Contract: $849,900.
List Date: 1/19/2018 Days on Market: 5
Settled Sales Price: $885,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settled Price per Square Foot: $524.
Settlement Date: 2/28/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

Last week, GDoN-R reported on the sale of a duplex condo in Columbia Heights/Park View that settled with a $503. price per square foot. The subject property of this post is also an upper duplex condo in NW DC, located further south and east (in Shaw near the O Street Market Development) in relation to last week’s, and sold at $524. per square foot. While it might not seem like much of a difference, that extra $20. or so per square foot can mean a few tens of thousands of dollars to the Seller. (more…)

“Honest opinion…Am I overpaying for this place?”

By Prince Of Petworth


1436 A Street, NE via Redfin

“Dear PoPville,

Honest opinion…Am I overpaying for this place? I am kinda freaking out and would love your opinion.”

The Redfin listing for 1436 S Street, NE says:

“Beautifully appointed home near Lincoln Park. Features 3 bedrooms/2 baths, marble & stainless kitchen open to dining rm, new windows, original pine floors, new deck with projection screen for outdoor movie night, paved garden, family rm in basement, wet bar, storage galore & more. Near Capitol Hill & H St entertainment & shopping, Metro & Capital Bikeshare. Make this your forever home!”

You can see more photos here.

This 3 bed/2 bath was listed at $979,000.

Sold in 100 Days – 777 Morton Street, NW #1A

By Prince Of Petworth

Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) is a weekly post that reviews the settled sales data of a recent individual real estate transaction in the District of Columbia. Each post is intended as a case study and a snapshot of the real estate market at a particular moment in time. GDoN-R generally posts on Friday in the late morning.

GDoN-R has been written exclusively for PoPville since 2009 by Suzanne Des Marais. Suzanne is a practicing Realtor with Compass. 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 and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 777 Morton St NW #1A
Legal Subdivision: Columbia Heights
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Columbia Heights
Bedrooms: 2 Baths: 2.5 Parking: Assigned Ownership: Condo
Living Square Footage per Listing: 1520 square feet
Original List Price: $899,000. List Price at Contract: $849,000.
List Date: 10/22/2017 Days on Market: 100
Settled Sales Price: $785,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settled Price per Square Foot (adjusted for parking): $503.
Settlement Date: 3/01/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

PoPville reported on the plans to develop Morton Street Mews back in 2014. As commenters to that 2014 post mention, the original church was designed by architect William Sidney Pittman. The church and parking lot became the recent condo ownership development, of three buildings of 24 two and three level units, designed by GPS Designs and developed by OPaL LLC. (more…)

“Trump effect? The end of D.C. real estate as we know it? Not exactly.”

By Prince Of Petworth

Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) is a weekly post that reviews the settled sales data of a recent individual real estate transaction in the District of Columbia. Each post is intended as a case study and a snapshot of the real estate market at a particular moment in time. GDoN-R generally posts on Friday in the late morning.

GDoN-R has been written exclusively for PoPville since 2009 by Suzanne Des Marais. Suzanne is a practicing Realtor with Compass. 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 and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 2430 Wyoming Ave NW
Legal Subdivision: Kalorama
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Kalorama
Bedrooms: 6 Baths: 7.5 Basement: Fully Finished Parking: Detached Front Loading Garage Ownership: Fee Simple
House Living Square Footage per Listing: 6770 square feet
Original List Price: $9,975,000. List Price at Contract: $9,975,000.
List Date: 9/26/2017 Days on Market: 141
Settled Sales Price: $9,000,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 2/28/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

In 2017, there were a total of 18 residential properties that changed hands and settled for over five million dollars. All properties sold over $5M in DC last year were located in the Northwest quadrant. Two of these sales were of condo units (one at $6.5M and the other at $8.4M).

Trump effect? The end of DC real estate as we know it? Not exactly. (more…)

Sold in 16 Days – “Something(s) about this property struck a nerve with commenters”

By Prince Of Petworth

Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) is a weekly post that reviews the settled sales data of a recent individual real estate transaction in the District of Columbia. Each post is intended as a case study and a snapshot of the real estate market at a particular moment in time. GDoN-R generally posts on Friday in the late morning.

GDoN-R has been written exclusively for PoPville since 2009 by Suzanne Des Marais. Suzanne is a practicing Realtor with Compass. 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 and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1337 Rittenhouse St, NW
Legal Subdivision: Brightwood
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Brightwood
Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 3.5 Basement: Partially Finished Parking: Garage Ownership: Fee Simple
House Living Square Footage per Listing: 1957 square feet
Original List Price: $743,000. List Price at Contract: $720,000.
List Date: 1/4/2018 Days on Market: 16
Settled Sales Price: $730,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 2/20/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

Something(s) about this property struck a nerve with commenters, as the original Good Deal or Not (GDoN) post attracted 62 comments. Many of the comments were in relation to the design of the renovation, which was not brand, brand new, but done in 2016. (more…)

“As a longtime home inspector, I write to bring to your attention a number of realtor practices I have encountered that violate agent obligations”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user brunofish

“Dear PoPville,

I filed a complaint with the DC and Maryland Real Estate Commission which I thought might be of interest to you and your readers.”

Honorable Josephine Ricks – Chair, 02-18-18
District of Columbia Real Estate Commission
DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Occupational and Professional Licensing
1100 4th St., Southwest Suite 500E
Washington DC 20024

My name is James Delgado. As a longtime home inspector, I write to bring to your attention a number of realtor practices I have encountered that violate agent obligations to “protect and promote the interests of their client” and “avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, or concealment of pertinent facts relating to the property or transaction” (Article 1 and Article 2 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of REALTORS). The realtor practices I have witnessed are listed below: (more…)

Sold in Four Days – 1909 8th Street, NW

By Prince Of Petworth



Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) is a weekly post that reviews the settled sales data of a recent individual real estate transaction in the District of Columbia. Each post is intended as a case study and a snapshot of the real estate market at a particular moment in time. GDoN-R generally posts on Friday in the late morning.

GDoN-R has been written exclusively for PoPville since 2009 by Suzanne Des Marais. Suzanne is a practicing Realtor with Compass. 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 and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1909 8th St NW
Legal Subdivision: Old City #2
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Shaw
Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 2 Basement: Connecting Stairway, Partial Parking: Street Ownership: Fee Simple
House Living Square Footage per Tax Record: 1464 square feet
Original List Price: $810,000. List Price at Contract: $810,000.
List Date: 1/8/2018 Days on Market: 4
Settled Sales Price: $855,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 2/09/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

The next door neighbor to the subject property sold in January 2017 for $835,116. It was a very similar house, with an unfinished basement, radiator heat (which home inspectors generally like for being efficient), but with one less bathroom and a less updated kitchen. These homes are close to the Shaw/Howard Metro, and even closer to U Street (Brixton, Glen’s Garden Market, Nellie’s, Warby Parker, etc.) (more…)

Sold in Six Days

By Prince Of Petworth

Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) is a weekly post that reviews the settled sales data of a recent individual real estate transaction in the District of Columbia. Each post is intended as a case study and a snapshot of the real estate market at a particular moment in time. GDoN-R generally posts on Friday in the late morning.

GDoN-R has been written exclusively for PoPville since 2009 by Suzanne Des Marais. Suzanne is a practicing Realtor with Compass. 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 and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1242 K Street, SE
Legal Subdivision: Old City #1
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Capitol Hill
Bedrooms: 2 Baths: 1.5 Basement: No Parking: Street Ownership: Fee Simple
House Living Square Footage per Tax Record: 804 square feet
Original List Price: $598,500. List Price at Contract: $598,500.
List Date: 1/4/2018 Days on Market: 6
Settled Sales Price: $627,500.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 1/31/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

The house next door, at 1240 K St SE, was the subject of a GDoN-Revisited post last Fall. Of similar size and scale, that home was not as recently updated as the subject property, and settled at $596,000. The property apparently attracted a lot of interest, as it escalated $7000. above the list price. (more…)

View More Stories