Wow, this is very sad news. Polly’s was located at 1342 U Street, NW and was one of the first “new” cafes/restaurants to go into U Street. Just in from a reader:
“Tried to go to Polly’s this weekend — turns out they have closed! Tragedy! Do you have any information on this terrible, terrible occurrence?”
And it is confirmed on their Web site:
“Polly’s has closed.
We miss you already.
Check back here soon for a personal note…”
This is really shocking news.
From Neal Becton of Som Records:
“Neal Becton is calling all shovelers to come down to the Black Cat today and help us dig out some more space in front of the club so we can have a dealer unloading area for the record fair tomorrow. Merci!
Right now there are two four foot wide paths from the sidewalk to the Cat. In the next few hours (and once some customers leave the shop) I’m going to hollow out one or two more. Would love a little help so we could clear the whole thing.”
This home is located at 1840 15th Street, NW:
The flier says:
“Spectacular top to bottom renovation of Federal home. Feat. incl an elegant foyer entrance, LR w/ decorative FP/Mantle, a sep. DR, a fab. gourmet KT w/ ss appliances, granite counters & handsome cabinets & a brkfst nook & PR The second level has a MS, MBA and w/ in closet, two extra BRS and hall BA. Finished lower level suite . Priv, bricked yard & 2/Pk spaces. New systems, wood flrs, high ceilings.”
You can find more info here and a virtual tour here.
I was curious about this house because we looked at it as a GDoN Back in Dec. ’08 before it was renovated. How do you think the renovations came out? I’m digging the kitchen. It’s yours for $1,195,000.
This apartment is located at 14th and W Streets, NW:
The Craigslist ad says:
“* 2 BR 1.5 Bath
* 2 blocks from U Street Metro (yellow/green line), half a block to organic market, CVS, U Street restaurants and bars
* Entire top floor of 4-unit rowhouse.
* $2,300/month
* Furnished
* All granite countertops
* Water/Gas/Sewer included.
* Central AC/heat – all electric, monthly power not included (avg $70/month)
* 1.5 year-old appliances: Washer/dryer, dishwasher, microwave
* TV and DVD player included.
* DirecTV w/HD DVR installed and active upon request, monthly rate not included.
* DSL/Wifi installed, monthly rate not included.”
The owner would like to know your thoughts on the price?
In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia, and as a real estate salesperson in Maryland. 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 Properties: 1704 U St NW #E
Original List Price: $425,000.
List Price at Contract: $425,000.
List Date: 11/20/2009
Days on Market: 31
Settled Sales Price: $408,000.
Settlement Date: 1/29/2010
Seller Subsidy: $8000.
Bank Owned?: No
Type Of Financing: Conventional with $88,000. down payment
Original GDoN Post is: here.
Recent Listing is: here.
I haven’t profiled a condo in a while, so here’s a look at Victoria Court. This property, which was built in 1981, has a total of 12 units and 6 deeded parking spaces. (Deeded parking spaces are favorable in urban markets, where they can theoretically be sold independent of a residential unit.) Located in the vicinity of Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and the U Street Corridor, this two bedroom, duplex unit features an updated kitchen, a fireplace, and both a patio and a balcony. This unit did not include a parking space with the sale.
A sales history for Victoria Court exists in the multiple listing system for sales since 1996. I’ve compiled the sales history ordered from lowest sales price to highest, with date of sale shown at the right side of the report, which can be seen here. There is some discrepancy on the data, particularly in the year built date, which is odd since all of the tax records clearly state the date built as 1981.
I’d like to make note that one of the reasons I started including type of financing and amount of down payment is because in previous Good Deal or Not (GDoN) comments, there has clearly been a range of understanding of current financing options. We’ve seen significant changes in the lending industry guidelines over the past couple of years, particularly in terms of higher down payment requirements for conventional loans, the disappearance of second trusts used as a financing strategy to avoid mortgage insurance, the increase in the use of FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans, and the resurgence of the requirement for private mortgage insurance. Continues after the jump. (more…)
This home is located at 968 Florida Ave, NW:
The flier says:
“Two bedroom, one bathroom row home is located on Florida Ave only three blocks north of the U St. Metro. Features include: A renovated kitchen and bath, granite countertops, stainless steal appliances, hardwood floors, great light, exposed brick, high ceilings, central air conditioning, ceiling fans, washer/dryer, and outdoor space. Outdoor space may be converted into parking for a compact vehicle”
You can find more info and photos here.
Wow, the photos look much nicer than I originally anticipated. That’s a hell of a backyard too. Do you like the renovations? Does $399,900 sound reasonable?
This condo is located at 1454 Belmont Street, NW:
The flier says:
“Dramatic 40′ wall of glass giving a 180 * view of the city from Cap Dome to Wash Monument. Master BR Suite w/ Den + 2 more BRs. Open floor pl w/ HWF. Upgraded recessed lighting & sound system valued at over $30G. Gourmet Kit w/ huge marble penisula and wine fridge. Two balconies to view 4th of July. Garage parking. Two plasma TVs convey & sound sys that has zoned contols. .. This is must see unit.”
More info and photos found here.
Do you like the open floor plan? I’m loving all the windows. It’s yours for $1,095,000.
This apartment is located at 1323 Clifton Street NW:
The Craigslist ad says:
“Beautiful 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo available for one year lease in a recently renovated upscale building. Security features include an alarm monitoring system and video entry.
The unit is lightly furnished with a couch and two chairs in the living room, and tv; dresser and queen bed in the bedroom. It features ample storage and a balcony overlooking the courtyard. There is also access to a small roof deck.
There are hardwood floors in the living spaces and carpet in the bedroom. The contemporary kitchen features marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a dishwasher. There is also a washer/dryer in the unit.”
More photos here. Does $1600 sound reasonable?
In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia, and as a real estate salesperson in Maryland. 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 Properties: 1901 12th St NW
Original List Price: $645,000.
List Price at Contract: $645,000.
List Date: 11/02/2009
Days on Market: 10
Settled Sales Price: $650,000.
Settlement Date: 12/11/2009
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Bank Owned?: No
Type Of Financing: Conventional
Original GDoN Post is: here.
Recent Listing is: here. Virtual tour is here.
This was not a typical Good Deal or Not (GDoN) post in that it was already under contract by the time it was profiled. Given that it ultimately sold a tad over list price, it’s likely that there was more than one interested party. Listing agent Charlie Gaynor with City Houses notes that the property was renovated between 2000-2009, which suggests that it was an owner-occupant renovation rather than an investor rehab. I work with some great developers, so I certainly don’t dis all investor rehabs, but generally speaking, someone who is living in the property tends to invest a bit more on some of the finishes and appliances (note the sexy new steam dryer.)
The property was purchased last in 1999 for $113,000. with a $3000. credit towards closing costs. Ten years and a lot of work later, this relatively small end unit property with parking but no basement garnered a price reflective of significant changes in the neighborhood. For those of you left wondering how it compares to other recent sales in the neighborhood, here is a list of active listings, current pending sales, and settled sales within the past six months, within 1/3 mile from the subject property. (Note that active listings are in the first page or so. To see the settled sales prices, go to the later pages.)
We talked about increased rates almost a year ago. But there were a few press releases about these new meters. Do you think these are better than the big green ones?
