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: 1815 9th Street, NW
Legal Subdivision: Old City #2
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: U Street-Shaw
Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 2.5 Parking: Note in listing: “Other” Ownership: Fee Simple
House Square Footage per Tax Record: 1746
Original List Price: $775,000. List Price at Contract: $775,000.
List Date: 12/15/2017 Days on Market: 6
Settled Sales Price: $781,219.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 1/9/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

This week’s subject property is a small scale rowhome with a burgundy bathroom, near the Shaw/Howard University Metro.

Inventory of active listings in this neighborhood is notoriously tight, with consistently about 1.3 months worth of supply (the amount of time it would take based upon the current pace of the market to absorb the current amount of inventory). With six months of inventory considered a balanced market, this limited supply generally works in favor of sellers.

Demand does not appear to be waning, as the 20001 zip code saw more than a 14% increase in the number of homes sold in 2017 versus 2016. District-wide, the number of units sold increased by 8.56% in 2017 compared to 2016. (more…)


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 MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems), which is the local multiple listing system and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1636 13th St NW
Legal Subdivision: Old City #2
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Logan Circle
Bedrooms: 2 Baths: 2 Parking: Street Ownership: Fee Simple
House Square Footage per Listing: 1300
Original List Price: $999,000. List Price at Contract: $945,000.
List Date: 9/28/2017 Days on Market: 54
Settled Sales Price: $935,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 1/5/2018
Transaction type: Standard
Original GDoN post can be seen: here.
The original listing can be seen here: here.

This Logan Circle townhome makes efficient use of a very small (360 square feet per tax record) lot. The very vertical fee simple house has a bedroom each on the main and top levels, and the kitchen is below grade, where it likely was when originally built. We used to see a lot more of these around, but the kitchens often get moved up to make room for rental units. The lower level kitchen is/was sometimes seen in homes based on shallow lots.

In poking around through the old MRIS listings for this property, I came across a very intriguing comment in the agent remarks from when it was on the market in 2000. Paul Sliwka, still very active in DC real estate and now the Broker for Central Properties on V St, wrote “SPECTACULAR, FRESH, CONTEMPORARY RENOVATION OF “BANISHMENT HOUSE”(SEE FARM REMARKS)”. (more…)


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 MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems), which is the local multiple listing system and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 2871 Audubon Terrace, NW
Legal Subdivision: Forest Hills
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Forest Hills
Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 4.5 Parking: Garage, Driveway Ownership: Fee Simple
Lot Square Footage per Listing: 21,440 square feet (~1/2 acre)
House Square Footage per Listing: 4650
Original List Price: $2,895,000. List Price at Contract: $2,895,000.
List Date: 10/27/2017 Days on Market: 12
Settled Sales Price: $2,800,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 1/5/2018
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

As much as the DC real estate market is driven by desire for central urban locations close to restaurants, yoga studios, and Metro, there is something to be said for being surrounded by views of the Park and a private half acre forest of land, not to mention having your own Japanese-inspired foot bridge. And all this within a fourteen minute walk to civilization and the Van Ness/UDC Metro station. (more…)


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 MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems), which is the local multiple listing system and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 104 Peabody St NE
Legal Subdivision: Takoma Park
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Takoma
Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 3.5 Parking: Attached Garage Ownership: Fee Simple
HOA monthly fee: $118. Square footage per listing: 3157 square feet
Original List Price: $899,900. List Price at Contract: $899,900.
List Date: 10/12/2017 Days on Market: 22
Settled Sales Price: $900,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 12/29/2017
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

PoPville first covered The Hampshires in 2012 as construction was getting started. Within relatively close proximity to Fort Totten and Takoma Park Metros, the community built by Comstock, is within a Homeowners Association (HOA) and includes 37 detached homes and 73 townhomes. Monthly fees in fee simple (non-condo) HOAs tend to include general exterior maintenance of common landscaping, snow plowing, etc. (more…)


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 MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems), which is the local multiple listing system and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1314 W St NW #B
Legal Subdivision: Old City #2
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Old City #2
Bedrooms: 2 Baths: 1.5 Parking: Paved Driveway Ownership: Condo
Living space square footage: 706 square feet
Original List Price: $549,000. List Price at Contract: $549,000.
List Date: 11/20/2017 Days on Market: 7
Settled Sales Price: $549,000.
Seller Subsidy: $1000.
Settlement Date: 12/22/2017
Price per Settled Square Foot (adjusted for parking): $733.
Transaction type: Standard
Original GDoN post can be seen: here.
The original listing can be seen here: here.

Repurposed as condos in 2005, this U Street Corridor conversion pre-dated the significant PN Hoffman warehouse and new construction development of Union Row, around the corner on 14th Street, by two years. This block of W Street includes several small scale (2-4 units) condo associations in formerly single family large scale Victorians. (more…)


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 MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems), which is the local multiple listing system and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 3912 New Hampshire Ave, NW
Legal Subdivision: Petworth
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Petworth
Bedrooms: 11 Baths: 4 Parking: Driveway/Off Street Ownership: Fee Simple
Lot size: 1860 square feet
Original List Price: $699,000. List Price at Contract: $699,000.
List Date: 11/9/2017 Days on Market: 7
Settled Sales Price: $810,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 12/14/2017
Transaction type: Standard
Original GDoN post can be seen: here.
The original listing can be seen here: here.

Eleven bedroom houses are not a regular thing in DC, especially not rowhouses. (more…)


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 MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems), which is the local multiple listing system and/or Smartcharts by Showingtime. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1883 3rd St, NW
Legal Subdivision: Ledroit Park
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Ledroit Park
Bedrooms: 6 Baths: 4.5 Parking: Garage, Driveway Ownership: Fee Simple
Lot size: 6215 square feet
Original List Price: $1,795,000. List Price at Contract: $1,795,000.
List Date: 11/2/2017 Days on Market: 6
Settled Sales Price: $1,855,000.
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Settlement Date: 12/8/2017
Transaction type: Standard

Original GDoN post can be seen: here.

The original listing can be seen here: here.

The earliest recorded sale available in the multiple listing system (online records only go back to the mid 1990’s) for this property was in 1998.

Two decades ago, the Anna J. Cooper Circle in historic LeDroit Park, upon which this grand home sits, was a very different place. At the time, a few houses down, Anna Cooper’s own architecturally impressive detached home sat vacant, as did many properties in the immediate area. These are old, very large homes, that are expensive to keep up and many, over time, fell into deep disrepair. (The Anna J. Cooper home was renovated around a decade ago by a developer as his own home.)

That 1998 listing? (more…)


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