All Posts in the ‘Real Estate - U Street’ Category

Good Deal or Not? “New Zen inspired Condos” Edition

March 16th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 19 Comments »

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These condos are located at 2029 13th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“New Zen inspired Condos in hot U St. location!!!! 1 bed/ 1 bath LARGE patio unit. Features included: high ceilings, hardwood floors, tons of windows, granite counter tops, breakfast bar, SS appliances, modern designed, sound system, walking closets patio. Bonus: parking availabe for sale. One block from Metro, Restaurants and Shops. Yes, FHA Aprroved.”

You can find more info and photos here.

Well the location of these condos are pretty amazing. Though this is the first time I’ve seen a converted rowhouse translate into 1 bedroom condos. Unit #2 is a 1 bed/1.5 bath going for $409,000 (with a $220 condo fee). And Unit #1 is also a 1 bed/1.5 bath going for $439,000 (with a $220 condo fee). What do you think of the units themselves? Either price sound reasonable?

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Pica Taco Coming to Old LZ Restaurant Space on Fla. Ave

March 11th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in Coming and Going, Real Estate - U Street | 7 Comments »

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Thanks to a reader for the heads up. LZ Middle East Restaurant closed back in early Jan.. Pica Taco has a current location at 1629 Columbia Road NW. We looked at it back in June ‘09. When I walked by there was still a bit of construction going on at the Florida Ave location.

Think the new spot will thrive given it’s somewhat tough location for a restaurant?

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Good Deal or Not? “Updated table space kitchen” Edition

March 8th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 24 Comments »

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This home is located at 2236 11th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Rare Opportunity in Logan/U Street. Bright and open detached two bedroom, open Den, two and a half bath townehome. Updated table space kitchen with stainless steel and granite, Oak hardwood floors, soaring ceilings, oversized windows, central air, large basement suitable for storage, rear deck/yard with 2 car parking. Just minutes Metro Green line, U street corridor, cafes and much more.”

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

I walk by this house all the time and have really been looking forward to getting to check it out (virtually). What do you think of the reno? Do you think $539,000 sounds reasonable for this 2 bed/2.5 bath? I think it may be important to note that there is also a vacant lot next door also for sale…

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Good Deal or Not? “no city noise” Edition (Reader Request)

February 25th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 17 Comments »

This condo is located at 2001 12th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Bright & spacious 2BR/2BA unit facing courtyard, no city noise! Maple hardwood flrs throughout, gas fireplace in living area, upgraded gourmet kitchen w/ granite counters & GE Profile SS appliances, 2 master suites w/ upgraded baths. Fitness ctr, party rm, roofdeck w/ great views, pet friendly, FHA Approved, includes pkg! Perfect location, less than a block to U ST metro, shops!”

You can find more info and photos here.

I do think this is a phenomenal location. Do you think $459,000 sounds reasonable for this 2 bedroom/2 bathroom? A 1 bedroom/1.5 bath just went under contract a floor below ( Unit 208) for $405,000.

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Good Deal or Not? House Porn Edition

February 11th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 13 Comments »

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This home is located at 1840 15th Street, NW:


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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.

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GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc

February 5th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in GDON revisited, Real Estate - U Street, hipchickindc | 9 Comments »

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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. Read Full Post

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Good Deal or Not? Renovated Kitchen but only 1 Bathroom Edition

February 4th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - Shaw, Real Estate - U Street | 20 Comments »

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This home is located at 968 Florida Ave, NW:


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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?

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Good Deal or Not? Weekly Wed. House Porn Edition

February 3rd, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in Real Estate - U Street | 30 Comments »

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This condo is located at 1454 Belmont Street, NW:


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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.

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GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc

January 29th, 2010 | By Prince Of Petworth in GDON revisited, Real Estate - U Street, hipchickindc | 11 Comments »

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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.)

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Good Deal or Not? Bonus House Porn Edition

December 28th, 2009 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 15 Comments »

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Since we didn’t have any house porn last week I thought I’d start the week this good looking house located at 1925 15th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Wonderfully renovated beauty – offers modern living & flexibility – as a grand 5 bed/3.5 ba home on 3 luxury levels or as a 3 bed/2.5 ba home on 2 levels + sep metered 2 bed/1 bath legal CofO rental in LL (could get $2000+ mo). Meticulously redone, dramatic dual stairways, entertain size open spaces, custom doors & details, 5 FPs, open spaces, 2 car secure parking!”

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

What do you think of the renovation itself? Think it can go for the asking price of $1,175,000 (dropped from $1,249,000)?

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Good Deal or Not? “East Facing Unit” Condo Edition

December 18th, 2009 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 15 Comments »

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This condo is located at 1418 W Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“East facing unit. SQFT per Tax Record. Large, open Living & Dining rooms w/ space for home office. Gourmet kitchen with dark granite counters. Spacious Bedroom, W/ D in unit, hardwoods + plush carpet. 3 blocks – U St METRO. RENTAL PKG AVAIL. Seller reserves right to accept/reject all offers.”

More info found here and a virtual tour found here.

I have a serious question – what is considered the best direction to have for a condo? East? West? So I think this is a good looking condo but the major detraction, to me, is that it sits right next to a gas station. How much discount (if any) do you think there should be for being directly next to a gas station? Does $399,555 sound reasonable for this 1 bed/1 bath?

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Good Deal or Not? Another Mini “historic rowhouse” Edition

December 17th, 2009 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 32 Comments »

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This home is located at 1416 T Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“Very Lovely historic rowhouse with deep yard and basement located in the U Street Corridor. Spacious living and dining rooms, beautiful hardwood floors, exposed brick, cozy fireplace and modern kitchen all leading to private patio and one car parking. Above are two bedrooms and two baths with claw tub and Mexican tile, washer and dryer.”

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

I don’t know what it is about these mini row houses but I always seem to be attracted to them. The location on this one is pretty killer. What do you think of the home itself? Does $719,000 sound reasonable for this 2 bed/2 bath?

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Good Deal or Not? “Amazing Potential” Edition

December 15th, 2009 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 38 Comments »

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This home is located at 1424 Florida Ave, NW:


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The flier says:

“Prop. Sold “AS IS. Amazing Potential!Very livable but needs work. Original Period Floor Plan! Many period details largely intact, wood flrs, high ceilings, marble fpl. , mantels & original molding, Double Lr. Potential Eng. basement unit. Steps from Metro, U St Corridor. Beautiful Floor plan for the Purist At Heart!”

More info and photos found here.

Well from the photos this house looks pretty sweet already. I’m curious what work is needed. What do you think of the home itself. I think this location is stellar. Does $529,900 sound reasonable for this 3 bed/2 bath?

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GDoN Revisited by Hipchickindc

December 11th, 2009 | By Prince Of Petworth in GDON revisited, Real Estate - U Street, hipchickindc | 3 Comments »

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In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia and Virginia, 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 Property: 1923 12th St NW

Original List Price: $917,000.

List Price at Contract: $775,000.

List Date: Originally listed in 08/08. The listing information from that time suggests that the original agent may have been the owner (or one of the owners). In March of 2009, it was re-listed at $775,000. with Chuck Burger of Coldwell Banker (Chuck listed 1016 T St NW, which was featured recently).

Days on Market: 281

Settled Sales Price: $690,000.

Settlement Date
: 11/02/2009

Seller Subsidy
: $0.

Bank Owned?: No. Tax records indicate that the property was owned by an investor (non-owner occupant).

Type Of Financing
: Conventional with $267,000. down payment

Original GDoN Post is
: here.

Recent Listing is: here.

In response to the original Good Deal or Not (GDoN) post, several readers gave thumbs up for the location and size of the property. It was tough to get a grasp on this one as it is both an unusual structure for downtown DC, and there were no interior photos. The most recent listing stated “Definite fixer upper but worth it”.

When the property was first put on the market back in August of 2008, the listing comment makes reference that the pricing came from the tax assessment provided by the District government. In looking into the tax assessment history, it is startling to observe that, as recently as 2007, the Office of Tax and Revenue went with a valuation of $192,970. Upon closer look, there appears to have been a miscalculation, as the value of the structure at that time was at $321,160. with the land value at $58,220. for a total of $379,380. In 2008, when the District budget started to look a little tight, the land valuation alone shot up to a whopping $505,220. for the 2736 square foot lot. The Seller wisely put the property on the market and appears to have escaped the $10. per $100. of assessed value that was then associated with vacant property. The recent tax record shows the tax rate calculated at the regular residential $.85 per $100. of assessed value. Assuming the property, which was in need of fixing up, was vacant, at the then (2008/part of 2009) vacant rate, the property taxes would have been $91,700. per year. Actively listing a property was one exemption that owners had from the vacant tax rate.

Several commenters on the GDoN post noted the unusual style of the building. I don’t know how it was originally configured, but the tax record suggests that at some point it had been divided into four separate dwelling units. The recent listing suggested that it was being marketed as a single family residence.

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Good Deal or Not? Well, It’s Under Contract but I’m Still Curious What you Think Edition

December 3rd, 2009 | By Prince Of Petworth in Good Deal or Not?, Real Estate - U Street | 19 Comments »

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This home is located at 1901 12th Street, NW:


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The flier says:

“This cottage on the corner is a gem inside & outside with wrap around yard w/ room to garden, entertain & park 2 cars. Inside is a contemporary, open floorplan w/ light wood floors throughout. Renovated between 2000-2006: roof, stucco, slab, HVAC, elec, windows, baths, kitchen & floors. End unit: wonderful light from 3 exposures. 1 block to U St. and Metro.”

More info found here and a virtual tour found here.

Well, I generally don’t like to show homes under contract but this one, I think, is particularly awesome. What do you think of the home itself? While the location is fantastic, I am curious what you think about the price since it is only a 2 bed/1.5 bath going for $645,000.

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