Real Estate

Good Deal or Not? “A Beast of a House” edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 807 10th St, NE:


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The flier says:

“A Beast of a House with the Heart of a Home. Calculate the $ per sq ft on this place, count the southern side windows, add up the bedrooms, and you’ll have numbers you can take to the bank. Rare find: Completely updated with retention of traditional and graceful original layout, gleaming heart-pine flooring and beautiful tin-ceilings. If you need space, parking, bsmnt, under $500k, this is it!”

You can find more info and photos here.

Does $498,750 sound reasonable for this 4 bed/2bath?

Interestingly the Redfin listing for a virtual tour sends you to a different nearby home (on accident, I assume). That home is at 1225 I St, NE and is also going for $498,750. You can see the virtual tour here. Which house do you like better?

Chateaux Animaux becoming Nooshi Asian Restaurant and Sushi Bar on Barracks Row

By Prince Of Petworth

This is pretty big news if you live near Barracks Row. A recent liquor license application states that the building currently housing Chateaux Animaux at 524 8th St, SE will become Nooshi:

“Fusion Asian Restaurant and Sushi Bar. No entertainment provided. Seating and total capacity is 160.”

There is currently a Nooshi Restaurant at 1120 19 th Street, NW. It’s Web site says:

“Nooshi is showcased along with the country cooking of Southeast Asia and decor of a mix of furniture and artifacts from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. Stepping into this epicurean Asian retreat in the downtown district will transport you into the world of Eastern exotica.

The menu with a wide selection of regional Asian dishes as well as mouthwatering sushi is among the finest served in the District of Columbia area. Dishes are inventively light, low in fat, visually arresting and vividly flavored. Each dish is expertly prepared by the talented, skillful and innovative chefs using the freshest and top quality ingredients.”

You can see their menus here.

And apparently there will actually be two restaurants coming to this space. In addition to Nooshi, ANC Norm reports:

“On the first floor will be another Moby Dick’s House of Kabob restaurant, an addition to a chain of 15 restaurants in the Washington area, including places in Georgetown and Dupont Circle.”

Do think these restaurants will be a good addition to Barracks Row or will you miss Chateaux Animaux?

Good Deal or Not? “100% renovated” edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 23 Randolph Place, NW:


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The flier says:

“STUNNING RENOVATION w/ offstreet Parking for 2! 100% renovated! Beautiful custom kitchen w/ Marble Ctps, designer cabinets, & millwork. Exposed brick, Oak hdwd flrs throughout, large windows. 13′ Master ceilings w/ exposed brick. Custom Bthrm w/ glass shelves & marble tile. New Roof, New Windows, New HVAC, New Plumbing, New Electric. CITY JUST INSTALLED BRAND NEW BRICK PAVER SIDEWALK & PLANTERS”

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

So what do you think of the renovation itself? Does $474,985 sound reasonable for this 3 bed/1.5 bath house?

Good Deal or Not – “custom designed Boffi kitchen” edition (Realtor Request)

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1642 21st St, NW:


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The flier says:

“Currently feat. in Home & Design Magazine, this historic Rowhouse matches clean lines and simplicity with modern comfort. Home feat. a custom designed Boffi kitchen w/ high-end appliances, rear patio, parking, 3BR, and 2.5BA in upper unit, & LL efficiency unit. Both units included in sales price. This is a 2-unit condo-Listed as Fee Simple for information purposes only. Short walk to Dupont Metro”

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

Normally I decline realtor requests but I was intrigued by the Home & Design Magazine article then I was blown away by the virtual tour and there you have it. It’s interesting that the home was split into 2 units (you get both). Given that do you think it’ll go for $1,875,000?

GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc – 1224 Orren St NE

By Prince Of Petworth

Featured Property: 1224 Orren St NE
Original List Price: $299,000.
List Price at Contract: $299,000.
List Date: 07/10/2010
Days on Market: 3
Settled Sales Price: $320,000.
Settlement Date: 09/16/2010
Seller Subsidy: $5000.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional

Original GDoN is: here.

The Listing can be seen: here. To see pics, after opening the listing link, click on the main pic and scroll through.

At only three days on the market and substantially over list price, clearly somebody saw the value of an entire updated house with a basement and parking. Given that the property sold over list, it is likely that there was more than one interested party.

I was happy to profile this property simply because this is one of those areas that has not been visited much in the course of Good Deal or Not (GDoN). Over the years, I’ve owned a property in Trinidad and represented clients for more than ten four-unit buildings in the neighborhood. Just like many other parts of the city, Trinidad has seen values head up and then back down, but it has generally not returned to early 2000 prices of sub-$100k.

While I haven’t personally lived in Trinidad, I have definitely had the experience of living in a gritty urban neighborhood because I could get the kind of space I wanted for what I could afford at the time. When people say that there are no affordable neighborhoods left in DC, they are often keeping their options somewhat limited.

For those who might be curious about what is currently available for sale in Trinidad, here are residential listings and here are multi-unit buildings.

Good Deal or Not? “office with a Murphy bed” edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This house is located at 1111 V St, NW:


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The flier says:

“Welcome to this spectacular renovated home with grand open spaces. The living room has a beautiful bay window and a gas FP, separate dining area, wonderful gourmet kitchen with SS appl. , granite counter tops and a small breakfast area. There is a master bedroom suite, a 2nd bedroom/office with a Murphy bed and a W/ D. It has been freshly painted inside & out and new carpet just installed.”

You can find more info here and photos here.

I’m an admitted sucker for bay windows but what do you think of the house itself? It was originally going for $639,900 but is now on the market for $599,900. Does that sound reasonable for this 2 bed/2 bath?

Good Deal or Not? Weekly Wed. House Porn edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This condo is located at 3303 Water St, NW:


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The flier says:

“Featured in Washington’s “SPACES” magazine. Outstanding high floor condominium, endless walls of windows provide streaming light & dramatic sweeping views of Potomac River & skyline. Incredible kitchen with island & stainless steel counters & appliances. Generously proportioned rooms & custom features offer serenity to the owner. 2-car parking, pool, 3 roof decks. Not to be missed.”

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

How does this one rank for condo porn? This 3 bed/3.5 bath condo is yours for $4,750,000 (monthly condo fee $3,824).

Good Deal or Not? “new copper water line out to meter” (Reader Request)

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 748 Princeton Place, NW:


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The flier says:

“Total Renovation, 2 blocks from metro. New roof, new plumbing, electrical, drywall. .. attached garage, huge deck, gourmet kitchen, gas fireplace, tray ceilings, master bedroom w20 ft ceiling, 6″ bamboo flooring, new copper water line out to meter, 3 large bedrooms upstairs, one block from new CVS and restaurants. .. a must see.”

You can find more info here and photos here.

The reader writes, “I’m curious to hear what your readers think about this one. Yet another case of “flip yellow”!”

What do you guys think of the reno itself? Does $598,000 sound reasonable for this 3 bed/3.5 bath?

Good Deal or Not? “lots of natural light” edition (reader request)

By Prince Of Petworth

This house is located at 505 Allison St, NW:


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The flier says:

“Gorgeous property, Open floor plan with lots of natural light; newly renovated; updated kitchen with modern cabinets, top of the line appliances; all new bathrooms; gorgeous master with bath and walk in closet; hardwood floors throughout; spacious basement with separate entrance; large den; breakfast area; large main level sitting room; beautiful deck with barbecue/ car park space; Petworth Metro”

You can find more info here and photos here.

What do you guys think of the renovation? The reader writes that this property had been vacant for 2 years. Do you think $489,000 sounds reasonable for this 4 bed/3.5 bath?

GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc – 70 Rhode Island Ave NW #401

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: 70 Rhode Island Ave NW #401
Original List Price: $324,900.
List Price at Contract: $299,000.
List Date: 03/18/2010
Days on Market: 96

Settled Sales Price: $265,000.

Settled Price Per Square Foot: $345 No Parking Included
Settlement Date: 09/03/2010
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional through NACA

Original GDoN is: here.

The Listing can be seen: here. To see pics, after opening the listing link, click on the main pic and scroll through.

Prior to 2003, there was a grand total of one building of condominium ownership in all of Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park, at 5 Rhode Island Ave NW. This Good Deal or Not (GDoN) condo is located at 70 Rhode Island Avenue NW, and was one of three buildings developed as condos to come to fruition that year. All three had been rental apartments up to that point. Originally marketed as “The Ember”, residents swiftly revised this ominous moniker to “The Providence”. (The building at the corner of T St NW and 1st NW, where Rustik is coming in, was known as “The Green Ember” and was condo’ed during the same era.) The entire building had been gutted and renovated in 2002-2003. Each unit includes a gas fireplace, and even the small units typically have an open feel to them.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

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