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 an Associate Broker with Urban Pace. 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: 223 11th St SE
Legal Subdivision: Capitol Hill
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Capitol Hill
Original List Price: $1,278,999.
List Price at Contract: $1,199,500.

List Date: 06/20/2010
Days on Market: 125
Settled Sales Price: $1,195,000.
Settlement Date: 11/19/2010
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Veterans Administration (VA) loan

Original GDoN is: here.

The Listing from before the renovation and the recent sale of the renovated property can be seen: here. To see pics of each listing open the listing link, click on the main pic, and scroll through.

In the original Good Deal or Not (GDoN) post, the listing agent’s remarks for this property note that the house had been “vacant for thirty years”. You can see some images of the home in its un-renovated state on the link to the listing above. What is truly amazing to me is not so much the transformation of this particular home, but that it makes me think how compared to, say, ten years ago, the number of houses throughout the District of Columbia that have been vacant for many years has been so drastically reduced.

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This home is located at 409 1st St, SE:


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The flier says:

“Location is Capitol with this turnkey gem! All that DC buzz surrounded by the quaint Hill village = PERFECTION. Surprisingly LG 2 BR/2.5BA. Sep DR, spacious LR & deep private back patio/yard make entertaining a snap. 2 FP to light up your autumn. GO GREEN!Steps to Cap South Metro, House buildings, Capitol, Eastern Mkt, Barracks Row, everything that matters!”

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

Maybe because we’re close to Thanksgiving – I thought it said Turkey edition… Anyway, regular readers know, I’ve always been intrigued by these “mini-rowhouses”. What do you guys think of this one?

Does $689,900 sound right for this 2 bed/2.5 bath?


This house is located at 1331 Park Rd, NW:


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The flier says:

“STUNNING TURN OF THE CENTURY VICTORIAN. .. WELL-KNOWN COLUMBIA HTS LANDMARK now for sale!! Start Showing Sat. ,1pm 11/27;call first! 4 finished levesl; 6 BR, 31/2 BAs, 5 fpls, gourmet kit. Exquisite Architectural Details: wooden staircase, turrets, exterior tilework. Laundry in sep rm off kit, rental unit/inlaw suite w/ 2 sep entrances, off st pkg 2-3 cars. Giant, Target, Best Buy, Wash. Sports, METRO!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

Awesome! This was one of my first ever ‘houses of the day’ way way back in the day. So psyched to be able to take a peek inside. What do you think?

This 7 bed/3.5 bath is yours for $1,150,000.


This home is located at 2021 Klingle Road, NW:


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The flier says:

“Unique opp. to own this beautifully updated 1870’s Queen Anne Victorian farmhouse on Rosemont Triangle in Mt. Pleasant. Enjoy tree lined views of Rock Creek Park from your wraparound porch and upstairs veranda. Light filled formal dining rm, lvng rm w gas frplce, kitchen w heated flrs, master suite w sep shwr, & spa tub. All perched on 6200 sq ft lot! Tons of space for entertaining or gardening.”

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

What do you think of the house itself? This 3 bed/2.5 bath is going for $850,000 – sound realistic?


This condo conversion is located at 1322 Kenyon St, NW:


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The flier says:

“One of four all new 1500+ square foot townhouse style 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath condos! 2 blocks to metro & all of the shops! Stunning finishes, gleaming hardwood floors, huge rooms, top shelf gourmet kitchen, crown moldings, wonderful built-ins, fireplace, huge private roofdeck, deck, custom tile limestone baths and 3.5% down avail. . The best priced 2 bedroom Penthouse in NW DC!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

This property was actually a pre-renovation good deal or not? post back in Oct. ’09 (it was going for $875,000). This 2 bed/2.5 penthouse is going for $650,000 ($230.69 condo fee). Does that sound like a realistic price?

For the curious – Unit 1 is on the market for $499,900.

Here’s what the property looked like pre-reno and pre-pop up in Oct. ’09:



Photos courtesy of Lynn Erskine

“Dear PoP,

We are selling our beautiful row house after 17 years of happy ownership. We’d love to sell to someone who appreciates the unique and vibrant U Street community. Sale price: $1,050,000.

Description: 1890s brick row house with hardwood floors, lots of exposed brick, central AC, enclosed flagstone patio and one parking space. The house has two units: The 1st floor apartment has two bedrooms, kitchen, living room, fireplace, and interior access to the basement. (These tenants may be interested in staying after the house is sold.) The 2nd unit, on the second and third floors, has 4 bedrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room, two bathrooms and two fireplaces.

Please contact me for more details at: [email protected]

This home is located at 1315 T St, NW:


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You can see a couple more shots below and some more here.

Does $1,050,000 sound right?


This home is located at 937 N St, NW:


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The flier says:

“REDUCED $100K-BEST DEAL!! Restored w/ antiques one of a kind 1860s home w/ huge addition. 4 bdrms/4 ba & fam rm. Gourmet kitchen with honed granite counter top that seats 4.Front & Back staircase. Swing backyard space w/ custom Mahogany doors and 2 CAR PARKING!. Brick/Stucco Wall. Historic Naylor Ct. Heart pine antique flooring. Luxury Baths. MTV Sq/Convention Ctr Metro.”

You can find more info here and photos here.

What do you think of the home itself. Think it’ll go for the new asking price of $1,099,999?

For those looking for a bit of a cheaper option – across the street at 940 N St, NW there is a 2 bed/2 bath going for $519,000.


This home is located at 1367 Perry Place, NW:


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The flier says:

“A new beautiful renovation in Columbia Heights – steps from Tivoli Square shopping and restaurants. 3 bdrm (2 master suties) and 3 full bath with finished basement. Bamboo flooring, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, maple cabinets, marble bathrooms and many more amenities.”

You can find more info here and a mouse on house tour here.

What do you think of the renovation? Does $569,900 sound right for this 3 bed/3 bath home?


This home is located at 1702 Lamont St, NW:


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The flier says:

“”Nantucket in the city” – stunning, elegant 1909 Georgian-style home filled w/ original details. Gracious reception hallw with paneled staircase, bay-front living room, formal dining room, extra-large table-space kitchen, 5 bedrooms + den, 2 upgraded baths, sophisticated 3rd floor master suite with wet bar, 2 rear porches, full basement, CAC, period mantels, huge skylight, walk to everything.”

You can find more info here and photos here.

They had me at “sophisticated 3rd floor master suite with wet bar”…

What do you guys think? $879,000 sound reasonable for this 5 bed/2 bath?


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 an Associate Broker with Urban Pace. 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: 1860 Upshur St NW
Legal Subdivision: Crestwood
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Crestwood
Original List Price: $895,000.
List Price at Contract: $799,000.
List Date: 04/26/2010
Days on Market: 149
Settled Sales Price: $795,000.
Settlement Date: 11/08/2010
Seller Subsidy: $250.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional

Original GDoN is: here.

The Listing can be seen: here. Here is the virtual tour.

I’ve been working on a listing in Crestwood since early Spring (currently under contract), and I have to say that I am surprised that more buyers on the hunt for a detached single family house do not include Crestwood in their searches. Sandwiched between Rock Creek Park and 16th Street NW, Crestwood is an enclave of handsome and often unique properties surrounded by parkland, yet with easy access to downtown. Recent sales in Crestwood have included the house built by Giant Foods powerhouse Izzy Cohen, as well as the home that the prolific Crestwood developer, Paul Stone, built for himself in 1938. Those listings can be seen here.

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