Real Estate

(Was it a) Good Deal or Not? “bathrooms which will make your jaw drop” edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 605 Upshur St, NW:


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The flier says:

“Drop dead gorgeous renovation w/ all new windows, new furnace & CAC, gourmet kitchen w/ top of the line Energy Star appliances, ceramic bathrooms which will make your jaw drop, and beautiful new hardwood floors, decorator paint colors throughout, custom large deck on rear and 1 car garage w/ automatic opener. Extra loft/den area would make great office/playroom or exercise area!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

So people ask me how do I pick homes for GDoN and rental options. GDoN posts are homes that I usually pass during my walks. Exceptions are houses that are emailed to me by folks. Rental options I usually find via craigslist but sometimes requests are emailed to me as well. These are normally indicated by “reader request, owner request” etc. So don’t hesitate to email me with interesting homes/rentals you come across.

Anyway, I saw this house last weekend and thought it would still be for sale when I planned on posting it today. I was (happily) surprised to see that it was already under contract. I’ll admit, I didn’t think it was going to go for this asking price. But I do think think the renovation looks good. And since you guys are better at searching the archives of this site than I am, didn’t another renovated house on this block go for a similar price? What do you guys think of the reno? Are you surprised that the asking price of this 4 bed/3.5 bath was $575,000?

GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc – 136 North Carolina Ave SE

By Prince Of Petworth

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: 136 North Carolina Ave SE

Original List Price: $779,000.
List Price at Contract: $779,000.

List Date: 09/08/2010
Days on Market: 9
Settled Sales Price: $772,500.
Settlement Date: 10/12/2010
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No

Type Of Financing: Conventional with a first and second trust. A select few lenders are currently offering a 2nd trust. Typically, the borrower must have stellar credit and still puts 10% of their own cash down. This financing strategy can be used to avoid private mortgage insurance. It also may be a good choice for someone who is expecting a lump sum of cash or gets paid in bonuses and intends to pay the second trust off sooner rather than later.

Original GDoN is: here.

The Listing can be seen: here. To see the mouse on house tour, click the film strip icon.

Given that this property falls into the very narrow margin that is actually identified as the legal subdivision of Capitol Hill, and that you can practically look out the front door and see the Capitol Police standing on street corners, I think we can avoid the typical dispute of whether or not we all consider this Capitol Hill. This is quintessential Capitol Hill. Period.

No central air, pink subway tile bathroom, street parking, “finished” basement…no problem. It’s The Hill! Sold in 9 days. $772,500.

Hey, it does have some nice heart of pine floors, gorgeous unpainted wood doors and trim, a huge 2000+ square foot lot, LOVE the vestibule tile, and yes, it came with a hot tub.

Good Deal or Not? “Lots of Bang for your Bucks” Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This condo is located at 1651 Lamont St, NW:


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The flier says:

“MOVE IN READY!Lots of Bang for your Bucks. .. HdWd Flrs, Wd Burn FP, Built-in Shelves/Cabs, Sep Dining Area, Granite/SS Kit, Lge Mstr BR, W/ D, C/AC, Recessed Lts, Ceiling Fans, GARAGE PKG & Bike Storage. LOW Condo FEE, Pet Friendly, FHA APPROVED. 4 Blks to Columbia Hts Metro; Walk/Bike to Ad Morg/U St/RCPk. Buses (Metro Cntr, Dupont, Farragut), Farmers Mkt & Mt P Shops at Corner!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

This 2 bed/1 bath is going for $409,000 ($226.98 monthly fee) sound reasonable?

Good Deal or Not? “You will be mesmerized” edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 954 Florida Ave, NW:


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The flier says:

“Be Enticed By the Allure that is this cozy, newly renovated Townhome. You will be mesmerized by the State of the Art Kitchen appliances, beautiful hardwoods floors and luxurious bathrooms. Stepping out of your paradise you will find all the conveniences offered by the City, the “U” Street Corridor which offers shopping, eateries, Nearby Metro and night life alike. A True MUST SEE!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

I think this may be the first 1 bedroom row house I’ve ever seen. Do you think $379,999 sounds reasonable for this 1 bed/2 bath?

Good Deal or Not? “Renovated Jewelbox Rowhouse” edition (Owner Request)

By Prince Of Petworth

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This home is located at 540 Hobart Place, NW:


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The flier says:

“Renovated Jewelbox Rowhouse :: Condo Alternative! 2 bedrooms and 1 full bathroom located 6 blocks to the Columbia Heights METRO. Gorgeous kitchen with Stainless Steel Appliances, Porcelanosa tile and breakfast bar. Open floor plan includes warm hardwood floors. Two true bedrooms up plus a spacious full bathroom with skylight.”

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

Wow, I’m digging the kitchen. What do you think of the renovation? Does $310,555 sound reasonable for this 2 bed/1 bath row house?

Good Deal or Not? “brand new bamboo flooring” edition (Reader Request)

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 934 Quincy St, NW:


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The flier says:

“Gorgeous renovation in Columbia Heights. This large row home has brand new bamboo flooring, Bosh stainless steel appliances, marble bathrooms and private parking w/ a deck in rear. 3 bdrms, 3.5 bath and a fully finished basement. Check out the virtual tour for photos!”

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

This 3 bed/3.5 bath is going for $624,900. Do you think it’ll go for that?

GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc – 1731 1st St NW #2

By Prince Of Petworth

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: 1731 1st St NW #2

Legal Subdivision: Eckington
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: LeDroit Park (LeDroit Park is actually north of Rhode Island Ave. It used to be common to advertise this spot as LeDroit because it was considered a more recognized neighborhood. In recent years, however, Bloomingdale has become increasingly familiar).

Original List Price: $495,000.
List Price at Contract: $495,000.

List Date: 07/07/2010
Days on Market: 6

Settled Sales Price: $495,000.

Settled Price Per Square Foot: no tax record yet & no sq footage listed
Settlement Date: 09/03/2010
Seller Subsidy: $15,000.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional

Original GDoN is: here.

The Listings for both units 1 (under contract) and unit 2 (settled sale profiled) can be seen: here. To see pics, after opening the listing link, click on the film strip icon to see the virtual tour.

I make it no secret that Bloomingdale is my favorite ‘hood in DC. Given that we’re at the lowest level of active listing inventory in the neighborhood since I’ve been tracking stats for over nine years, it looks like a lot of people are in agreement.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Gallery Inn for Sale

By Prince Of Petworth

The Gallery Inn is located at 1850 Florida Ave NW. Thanks to a reader for sending in the tip that Gallery Inn had recently hit the market. It’s going for $2,100,000 and the remarks are:

“Profitable Hotel/Inn with 8% CAP Rate, Charming all brick hotel at the busy corner of 19th and Florida in Adams Morgan, just a few short blocks from Dupont Circle and metro. 8 Units, upper floor units feature lofts, Perfect for Owner/Operator or Investor, Existing SBA financing is assumable, Leaseback Possible.”

It seems like lots of bed and breakfasts have been going for sale lately.

The reader thought it would be interesting to ask where people’s favorite Bed & Breakfasts / Inns / Hostels are in DC. We looked at some of your favorite B & Bs back in April ’08. For those who missed that conversation – do you have any favorites for friends and family to stay at while visiting DC?

Good Deal or Not? “Lots of period charm” edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1730 V St, NW:


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The flier says:

“Single family house currently configured as two units. Lots of period charm. 2008 roof, updated main kit w/ granite & stainless. Juliet deck off master br suite. 2nd BR up. Sep. DR up. 1st floor has one bedroom, table space kit. Rear garden. Upstairs tenants on month to month, leaving end of Oct. By appointment only weekdays with limited times. New baby.”

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

I’ve always loved this strip of houses and have featured many houses and doors of the day so I’m happy to get a peek inside. This home is going for $709,000 and nearby 1734 V St, NW is going for $879,000 ( mouse on house tour here). Which one do you like better?

Mt. Pleasant’s Famed ‘Pig House’ has Sold

By Prince Of Petworth

If intangible arts is reading this I hope he is sitting down. He is the only one I know who was as mesmerized by these pigs as I am. They are located at 1864 Monroe St, NW.

As I was making my regular rounds in Mt. Pleasant I was stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed the for sale sign was under contract. (Listing price was $835,000, for the curious you can see lot of photos of the interior here.)

So the only question I have is – will the new owners keep these beloved pigs? Or will they go the way of the knights…?

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