Georgetown

Georgetown and the West End have top sales

The most expensive condo to sell in the District during April 2011 was in Georgetown at the Residences at Harbourside, located at 2900 K Street NW #606, Washington, DC.  This 3 BR / 4.5 BA, 4,337 SF condo also includes three parking spaces.  The selling price was $3.325M / $767 SF which was 94% of asking price.

Congratulations to Sandy Haffler of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage for closing the most expensive condo sale in the District in April 2011.

Honorable mention for the 2nd most expensive DC condo sold in April 2011 was in the West End at 22 West, located at 1177 22nd Street NW #6A, Washington, DC. This 2 BR / 3 BA, 1,501 SF condo includes two parking spaces.  The selling price was $1.3M /

Cecil Place which runs a mere block in Georgetown between Grace Street and Water Street ranks at the top of the list of charming DC streets.  Adding to the enchantment and reminiscent of San Francisco, the grade of Cecil is very steep and traffic flows one way downhill towards Water Street

The west side of Cecil Place is dominated by the Papermill Condo development and the east side is home to 12 historic row houses. These quaint row houses date back to the late 19th century when Georgetown was an industrial neighborhood and home to many of the District's tradesmen.

Currently, one Cecil Place row house is listed for sale.  It features a renovated kitchen, fireplace and a rear courtyard.   This three level,  2 BR / 1.5 BA  row house is listed for

Washingtonians who have chosen to live on Q Street in the District enjoy some of the finest property in the entire city.   This venerable east-west corridor which runs from Eckington in the east through Shaw, Logan Circle, Dupont Circle, Georgetown before terminating in the Palisades.  Much of Q Street runs one-way in the easterly direction and it is not continuous through the Georgetown University campus.

Q Street in Georgetown traverses both the East and West Villages, home to some grand homes including historic Cooke's Row.  Condo developments in Georgetown include Sheridan Garage, Gateway Georgetown and Lyons Mill Condos.

After crossing over Rock Creek Park via the historic Dumbarton Bridge with its iconic buffalo sculptures, Q Street continues

While the Potomac River flows several miles through DC, condos in the District with views of the river are hard to find and command huge price tags.

A significant portion of the Potomac's shoreline borders the Potomac Park and the Tidal Basin where there are no residential neighborhoods.  The river does front residential neighborhoods in Foggy Bottom and Georgetown.  In Georgetown, the elevated Whitehurst Freeway further obstructs views of the the Potomac from many condos.  All this ads up to very few vantage points in the city with residential river views.

Yes, Potomac view are rare, but there are a few buildings with amazing Potomac views.  Included in this list are buildings where the majority of the condos have a view, omitted are buildings where

Georgetown and The West End Have Top Luxury Sales

 The most expensive condo to sell in the District during February 2011 was in Georgetown at 3303 Water, located at 3303 Water Street, NW #E-3 Washington, DC.  This 2 BR / 2 BA, 1,702 SF condo also includes two parking spaces and extra storage.  The selling price was $1.496M / $879 SF which was 100% of asking price.

Congratulations to Theresa Maggie Rhodes of WC & AN Miller Realtors for closing the most expensive condo sale in the District in February 2011.

Honorable mention for the 2nd most expensive DC condo sold in February 2011 was in the West End at 22 West, located at 1177 22nd Street NW #5B, Washington, DC. This 2 BR / 2 BA, 1,480 SF condo includes private storage and two parking spaces. 

The WBJ reports on a flaw in the DC Property Assessment Database where properties in the District constructed prior to 1877 are classified by default as being constructed in 1900.  1877 was the first year that building permits were required in the District, so records for properties built earlier than this are not readily available.

Being an analytical type, I wanted to look at some MLS data to validate the extent of this database flaw.  Here are the number of active properties listed for sale or rent that were constructed in the years 1898 - 1902:

While 1900 was a great year for America and Washington,

One of the best luxury condos in the District is currently listed for sale at the Residences at Harbourside.  Marketed as the Crown of Georgetown, the Residences at Harbourside share the banks of the Potomac with prestigious institutions including the Swedish Embassy, Watergate and the Kennedy Center.

The Residences at Harbourside consists of six penthouse condos located on the top floor of 2900 K Street.  This 130,000 SF Class A mixed-use building  was completed in 2008 by Lano Armada.

The condo units at the Residences at Harbourside offer breath-taking views and high-end finishes including Brazilian walnut flooring, Carrera marble baths, Poliform built-ins and Miele appliances.  Residences at Harbourside amenities include private elevators, concierge

Only 70 lucky Washingtonians get to call 3303 Water their home......and with three units currently on the market you could too!  3303 Water is one of those WOW buildings that everyone just falls in love with on their first visit.  There are many things to like about 3303 Water including the amazing views, luxury finishes, history of the C & O Canal and who's who list of owners.

3303 Water residents enjoy exercising at the roof-top fitness center or along the C & O Canal....sunning by the rooftop pool.....walking two blocks to M Street or heading over to a performance at the Kennedy Center.  For those who like to get the most out of life, it is challenging to top this location in the Greater Washington area.

With 24-hour concierge service, a doorman and

Georgetown and Dupont Circle Top DC Luxury Market

The most expensive condo to sell in the District during December 2010 was in Georgetown at The Residences at the Ritz Carleton, located at 3150 South Street #1A, Washington, DC.  This 3 BR / 5.5 BA, 3,319 SF condo also includes a parking space, private terrace and balcony. The selling price was $3M / $904 SF which was 92% of the asking price.

Congratulations to selling Realtor Mark McFadden of Washington Fine Properties, LLC for closing the most expensive condo sale in the District in December 2010.

Honorable mention for the 2nd most expensive DC condo sold in December 2010 was in Dupont Circle at Dumbarton Place, located at 1414 22nd Street #64 Washington, DC.  This 2 BR / 2.5 BA, 2,247 SF condo

The results of a recent survey on home design trends by the American Institute of Architects reads like a play book for recent DC new construction. It is refreshing to see several of the trends that we all appreciate about the DC market becoming more prevalent across the nation.  Community design trends that are gaining in popularity include infill development, access to public transportation, mixed-use facilities, and dedicated open space. 

Here in the District, it is easy to trace the development that followed the extension of Metro lines throughout the city.  The vast swaths of vacant land created by the 1968 riots provided a critical mass of infill space that have allowed for neighborhood transforming development in the Columbia Heights and U