This home is located at 103 8th St, NE:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“This dazzling jewel speaks to the character/charm of this 1890’s Stately 3 story Victorian. From the cupola to the English bsmt. this richly endowed home gleams from western light & is blessed w delightful location, equal distance to Stanton & Lincoln Parks & short strolls to Eastern Mkt. or Union Station metros. Excellent spaces to entertain!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

The reader writes:

“Okay – What I am missing in this listing? Why is this place so cheap? There are some realtor notes that the say only kitchen is in the English basement, no yard, and no parking. But, truly, for that price I will add another kitchen and get over the lack of parking and yard.”

What do you guys think – is $489,500 for this 3 bed/2.5 bath the “best deal ever”? What do you think it’ll actually go for?


This home is located at 1730 Irving St, NW:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Charming Mt Pleasant Rowhome Lovingly Cared for by Longtime Owner Occupant. Separate Living & Dining Rooms. Sunny Eat In Kitchen w/ Wall of WIndows, SS Apps & Double Wall Oven Leads to Rear Deck & Tiered Landscaped Yard. Off St Parking. 3 Spacious Bedrooms & 1.5 Baths Up. Large Unfinished Basement w/ full bath, Laundry & Storage.”

You can find more info here and photos here.

I love this row of houses on Irving Street in Mt. Pleasant. Think this one’ll go for $649,555?


This home is located at 5 Grant Circle, NW:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Another total renovation by Urbiz! Federal porch-front overlooking green Grant Circle. Stunning open layout w/ all the bells & whistles. Gleaming HW floors, custom kitchen, shining new baths. Skylights & transoms brighten the upper level, private deck off master suite. LL offers an enormous family room/guest suite w/ full bath. Fenced yard, private parking.”

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

Well I waited a little too long to post this one. It’s already under contract in 8 days. But I’m still curious what folks think of the renovation. This 3 bed/2.5 bath was going for $550,000. Did someone get a good deal?


Voted one of the best real estate agents in DC by the Washington City Paper Readers’ Choice Poll in 2009, hipchickindc aka the not-so-hip Suzanne Des Marais is the Principal Broker (DC) for Urban Pace, LLC. She lives (and sells a lot of houses) in Bloomingdale, but works all over DC, with everyone from first time buyers to highly regarded developers. 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: 1103 Harvard St NW
Legal Subdivision: Columbia Heights
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Columbia Heights
Original List Price: $499,900.
List Price at Contract: $399,900.
Settled Price per Square Foot: $224.00
List Date: 11/16/2010
Days on Market: 70
Settled Sales Price: $320,000.
Settlement Date: 03/01/2011
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional

Original Good Deal or Not post is: hereThe listing can be seen: here. To see pics, open the listing link, click on the main pic and scroll through.

We looked at a unit from this condo association about a year and a half ago. The Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) can be seen here. This unit sold for $40,000. below that sale. The prices in this association appear to have come down in relation to several foreclosures in the past year. In any case, $224.00 per square foot for a renovated condo in this location, despite the siding, is a deal for someone who wants the amount of space. Typical price per square feet for updated condos in this area is more likely in the low $400’s/square foot.

Continues after the jump. (more…)


This condo is located at 2713 Ontario Rd, NW:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“FABULOUS VIEWS from HUGE PRIVATE Rooftop Deck! Contmp 3-lvl rowhome w/ panoramic views. TOTAL RENOVATION! Sunny LR has balcony w/ strs to deeded prkg-space below. Fabulous MBR w/ blt-in closet systm & BA w/ Jacuzi & walk-in shower. Remodeled Kit w/ grnit cntrs, SS appl & brkfst bar. Bamboo flrs, new enrgy effct sidig, non-VOC inter paint. Be the host w/ the most view on 4th of July!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

Thanks to a reader for sending, “It looks like the penthouse condo of one of your least favorite pop-ups is on the market”. This is my second least favorite pop up. Free PoP t-shirt to the first person who correctly guesses my least favorite pop up.

But back to this pop up penthouse – it’s yours for $769,000. Sound right for a 3 bed/2 bath with those views?


This home is located at 1675 31st St NW:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Stately Georgetown residence on one of the loveliest tree lined streets in the city – just south of Dumbarton Oaks. Grand principal rooms – 6 firepl – very recent & extensive renovations which include 3 separate new addtns. (Kitch/Fam Rm; Master Suite/Bath; cherry paneled Library), new priv. gardens, state of the art HVAC/cable. .. Enormous wine cellar, garage & driveway prkg. Exquisite property”

You can find more info here and photos here.

Wow, I’m digging the library/study. What’s your favorite part. This 5 bed/6 bath is yours for $6,200,000.

And since we’ve done two in a row from Georgetown let me add a bonus one from Chevy Chase for those looking for a more modern look:

This wild one is located at 2318 Ashboro Dr in Chevy Chase, MD. You can find more info here and photos here.

How ’bout that pool? It’s yours for (a relative bargain in comparison to the one above) $1,795,000.


This home is located at 403 E St, NE:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Super combo of location, space & value! Tall, handsome bayfront offering 3 levels of fun, flexible living! 2-3 BR, 2 newer BA, & a terrific open kitchen w/ lots of options for hanging out & dining. Cute private patio right off the kitchen! Warm wood flrs thru-out, CAC, & W/ D on BR level. Home Warranty provided. Great location near Stanton Park, Union Station, & Metro!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

We recently looked at one of these styles for a house of the day a few weeks ago. I’m just gonna say it – I would buy this one. Do you guys see a flaw that I’m missing? Are the floors/rooms really small or something? I bet this sells in a month unless I’m missing something. (I’ll make sure hipchickindc revisits this one after the sale.)

This 3 bed/2 bath is going for $549,000.


This home is located at 1873 Monroe St, NW:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Gracious 1915 gem, w/ classic Mt P frt porch, gently reno’d and beautifully cared for 30+yrs. Newer roof, appliances, HWH, CAC. Lovely orig hdwds in spacious LR/DR rooms & upper floor. The flow fr frt porch to rear garden provides wonderful entertaining/living space. Lg updated K features window seat overlooking rear garden. LL w/ sep in-law suite. NOTE DNC items in disclos!”

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

This 4 bed/2.5 bath is going for $749,950 – sound realistic? What’d you think of the house itself? And perhaps more importantly – what the hell does “DNC items in disclos” mean?


This home is located at 3902 Kansas Ave, NW:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Simply gorgous! Open to the E, S & W, light just pours in! Charm still in tact, this TH is completely renovated. Gorgeous frml living & dining rooms, expansive kitch w/ cherry cabs, ss appls & Silestone counters. Flex layout w/ 3BR up+lg office-add 3rd ba here. Rec rm+br space+full ba down. Entertain on the back patio w/ huge yard. METRO, YES!ORGANIC, RSTRNTS, CAFES, BARS just blocks away. GARAGE prkg”

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

What do you think of the reno? This 4 bed/2.5 bath is going for $595,000. Sound realistic? If not, what do you think it’ll go for?


Voted one of the best real estate agents in DC by the Washington City Paper Readers’ Choice Poll in 2009, hipchickindc aka the not-so-hip Suzanne Des Marais is the Principal Broker (DC) for Urban Pace, LLC. She lives (and sells a lot of houses) in Bloomingdale, but works all over DC, with everyone from first time buyers to highly regarded developers. 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: 2820 34th St NW
Legal Subdivision: Observatory Circle
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Observatory Circle

Original List Price: $1,649,000.
List Price at Contract: $1,595,000.
List Date: 12/13/2010
Days on Market: 59
Settled Sales Price: $1,570,000.
Settlement Date: 03/16/2011
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional

Original Good Deal or Not post is: here

The listing can be seen: here. Virtual tour can be found here.

I hate to tell you this, but if you’re still waiting for real estate prices to hit bottom in DC before you seriously consider buying a place, you kind of missed the boat. The DC real estate market has been getting awesome press lately and as long as Congress doesn’t mess around too much too fast with financing reforms, we’re going to stay solid. Given that interest rates are on the way up, demand is strong, and inventory is tight, I predict that we’ll see a very competitive Spring market for buyers.

It’s been a while since we re-visited any of the Good Deal or Not (GDoN) house porn posts. It should be noted that it is not because they are not selling. The seven figure sales, sometimes referred to as “Upper Bracket”, in DC are doing quite well. In 2009, DC saw 59 condos and 362 fee simple homes sell over $1,000,000. In 2010, those numbers increased to 86 condos and 449 fee simple sales over $1,000,000.

Continues after the jump. (more…)


View More Stories