Fall re 09 16 2015

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Fallguide

2015

The CurrenT newspapers norThwesT • GeorGeTown • FoGGy BoTTom • DuponT

By BRADY HOLTCurrent Staff Writer

Washington is a city filled with attractions that lure visitors from around the region, coun-try and world. Respected uni-

versities, cultural institutions, embassies, parks, nightlife spots — it’s easy to see how all could be the envy of many outsiders, driv-ing property values as local buyers and rent-ers compete to be close to the action. Yet it’s also common to hear D.C. resi-dents complain about the side effects of living near these amenities. At community meetings and on listservs, they bemoan the crowds of visitors who clog streets, make noise, take up parking spac-es and leave litter. A common refrain is that these disruptions detract from a neigh-borhood more than the positive effects enhance it, and some residents fear that their properties will lose value as a result. According to area Realtors, the results can vary widely, depending on the area of the city, the type of amenity and the home’s proximity to it. It’s not always easy to quantify, but they said sometimes there’s a benefit to property values, sometimes a reduction, and some-times no effect at all. Suzanne Des Marais, a Realtor with Keller Williams Capital Properties in Dupont Circle

and president of the Greater Capital Area Association of Real-tors, said many buy-ers are excited about “owning a piece of Washington.” “Having a land-

mark view, that’s something attractive that we can definitely market, and it’s particularly attractive at the higher end,” she said. One example she cited is the enhanced appeal of a small condo with a view of the Washington National Cathedral. Otherwise, said Des Marais, it’s the practi-cal amenities that are often the most signifi-cant. “My clients tend to be more focused on

shopping, restaurants, transportation,” she said. “If you have transportation you can get to many of those things.” And despite frequent community com-plaints about nightlife noise, Des Marais said many buyers do seek out hubs of late-night activity: “I have had buyers specifically shop for homes in areas close to particular nightlife zones, and others who are completely turned off by any proximity to bars.” In other cases, a thriving source of employment can also protect property values by ensuring that there will always be demand for housing in that area. Tom Daley of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, who also serves on the board of the Realtors associa-

Mixed effects seen from institutions

Brian Kapur/The CurrentNeighbors of American University, above, and Georgetown University, left, don’t always relish noise and crowds, but Realtors say such institutions can also help property values.

By BRADY HOLTCurrent Staff Writer

Historically, August is a slow month for D.C. home sales. Buyers are on vacation or at least

their minds are elsewhere, Realtors say, and the data support it: Sales fell 16 percent from July to August of this year. But even a slow month in Wash-ington beats a strong month nearly

anywhere else. “In August, our listings didn’t move quite as quickly and it took things a little bit longer to go under contract,” said Suzanne Des Marais, an agent with Keller Williams Capi-tal Properties in Dupont Circle and president of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors. She quickly added: “Meaning a couple weeks, not months.” According to data from RealEs-tate Business Intelligence and the

Realtors group, D.C. condos and houses spent a median of just 13 days on the market last month, with buyers paying an average of 99.1 percent of the original listing price. Nearly half of the homes on the market today are already under contract. There were 774 new list-ings last month and 686 closed sales. Year to date through August, the District’s median sales price stands at around $525,000 — a record

high — and single-family detached homes have had a median of nearly $764,000. All metrics comfortably beat the market performance from this time last year as well. Realtors said the situation has become familiar: More residents are flocking to the District and fewer are fleeing to the suburbs, leading to a seller’s market with tight sup-ply. Ron Sitrin of Long & Foster Real Estate in Friendship Heights said as young D.C. residents grow

their families, they increasingly try to find a bigger home nearby: “All they’re really doing is selling one unit to buy another unit, so they’re not adding inventory to the pot.” And as developers in close-in neighborhoods convert large row houses into condo buildings with small units, he said, “the demand for single-family homes is just going to get tighter and tighter and tighter.”

Realtors see continued strength in Northwest D.C. market as fall nears

New 16th Street home features parkside view, modern style and amenities

— Page RE3

Palisades Village House Tour to showcase neighborhood’s diverse architecture and history Oct. 17

— Page RE6

Chevy Chase home stands apart from its more traditional neighbors

— Page RE4

With long history in Washington, limited-equity cooperatives offer affordable option in D.C. market

— Page RE14

A roof with a view: Seven properties that show off the city below them

— Page RE16

Northwest traffic circles’ names, many in honor of Civil War heroes, generate debate over diversity

— Page RE20

INSIDE

See Market/Page RE22

See Institutions/Page RE21

RE2 Wednesday,sepTember16,2015 TheCurrenT

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The CurrenT ■ Fall real esTaTe Guide 2015 Wednesday, sepTember 16, 2015 RE3

A brand-new home, con-temporary design, dis-tinctive Washington address and view of

Rock Creek Park? It’s all part of the package at 7409 16th St. NW, where construction wrapped last month on a new five-bedroom.

The Shepherd Park house, on the market for $1,550,000, is one of two created out of the backyard of the corner property at 16th and Geranium streets NW. The second is still under construction, while 7409 went on the market a few weeks ago; 1545 Geranium is also for sale. At 7409, gleaming redwood trim catches the eye from the street, beckoning passersby up the front walk. There’s more shiny wood inside, where top-quality white oak covers the floors. Add in 10-foot ceilings, Smooth Stone Duron paint and marble touches throughout, and it adds up to a serene, modern space. The foyer connects to a powder room and coat closet on one side and a study on the other, the latter with large windows looking out across 16th Street and at the park. There’s also a wet bar tucked into a nook in the hallway here, so enter-tainers can offer guests a libation upon entry. The rest of the first floor is near-ly one big space, with a partial wall dividing the family room from the dining/living room. The vast kitch-en runs alongside both, anchored by a 13-by-21-foot marble-topped

island. The marble continues on the counters and backsplash, and there’s loads of storage space here, both in white cabinets that line the walls and chocolate-colored cabi-nets under the island. Appliances include a Frigidaire Gallery refrig-erator and upright freezer, Bosch dishwasher, microwave, oven and five-burner range (the last three on the island). The adjacent living spaces could be set up in any way desired, though the staging makes sense: breaking the larger front room into a sitting area and dining space, and using the larger rear portion as an ever-popular family room. This back space centers on a marble-sur-rounded Montego Bay gas fireplace and looks through vast windows (which feature throughout the home) into the back yard. Glass doors here lead outdoors to a small patio, grassy play space and stand-alone three-car garage. There’s more room for relaxing below. The home’s mostly carpeted

bottom floor features 9-foot ceil-ings, making it a truly usable level. There’s a den with a wet bar, a bed-room with its own bath, and a large recreation room with space for both a media zone and a play/billiards/lounge area. This floor also offers a second bathroom and a potential laundry room (appliances are on the top floor, but there are connections for more here). The uppermost level houses four more bedrooms, each with its own bath, as well as an open lounge

space on the landing. The large master looks out over the backyard and includes a walk-in closet/dress-ing room. The bathroom here — one of six full and one half in the house — features porcelain tiles, a double sink, an American Standard soaking tub and a glass-walled shower.

A laundry room with Whirlpool washer and dryer is accessed from the hallway on this floor. Across the way is a large closet that repeats in the same spot on each floor — a clever way to allow future owners to add an elevator. Developer Hashim Hassan includ-ed removable floors, making installation easy. The house at 7409 16th St. NW, with five bedrooms and six-and-a-half baths, is on the market for $1,550,000. For more information, contact Marlene Moss of Weichert, Realtors at 202-907-9663 or [email protected].

New parkside home offers contemporary look

Photos courtesy of Weichert, RealtorsLocated next to Rock Creek Park, this five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath house in Shepherd Park is priced at $1,550,000.

ON THE MARKET beth coPe

RE4 Wednesday, sepTember 16, 2015 The CurrenT ■ Fall real esTaTe Guide 2015

In the midst of the more tradi-tional Colonials and Cape Cods lining the streets of Chevy Chase, the new home

at 3411 McKinley St. NW stands out.

Designed by Schick Goldstein Architects, the modern home makes

a striking impression with its angled roofline, yellow stucco centerpiece and double height entryway, with a two-story glass window flanking the mahogany front door.

As it turns out, the asymmetrical roofline is actually three separate roofs, two of them pitched to book-end the flat roof at the center. And inside, the home’s design follows this arrangement, with its most functional spaces — stairs, hall-ways, bathrooms — at its center, and living spaces fanning out from there. The effect is a crisp, bright interior that feels remarkably urban for its suburb-like environment.

The never-lived-in 3,000-square-foot home, with four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, is fresh on the market for $1,900,000.

The architects who designed the house, husband-and-wife team Howard Goldstein and Jill Schick, also own the property. In 2008 they bought a large, unusually shaped lot

in Chevy Chase, building their own house on the land fronting Broad Branch Road and opting to develop the rest of the property — then a vacant, wooded space fronting McKinley — as a separate house.

Eight years later, their project is now complete. Even with the dis-tinctly modern look, Goldstein says the home was designed using mate-rials consistent with the neighbor-hood, including brick, wood and stucco.

Upon entering, there’s an imme-diate sense of openness, with a high-ceilinged foyer that expands into a main living area. The foyer also directly faces the central stair-

case, custom made with steel and wood. Unlike many stairways, this one is not an enclosed, dark space; its backdrop is a Kalwall-brand translucent fea-ture wall that welcomes sun-light into the entire house. The owners note that this two-sto-ry wall of glass is actually highly insulated, pro-tecting from draftiness. It’s also visible from the outside, giving a little glow to the property when nighttime hits.

Several features seen upon entrance repeat throughout the entire home, including hardwood oak floors, recessed LED lights, and

porcelain tiles in spaces like bathrooms. The architects also gave the home’s new owners some options for the future: Solar panels could be clipped easily upon the

south facing-roof, and a garage could be converted into an office, if the city’s zoning rules change as

expected.On the main floor, the spacious,

sunny living area could accommo-date a variety of furniture setups, including a formal living room and dining table.

Partially separated from this space by the “appliance wall” is the kitchen and sitting area in the back. Its rear wall is almost entirely glass, with a sliding door and windows looking out on the terraced back-yard.

The kitchen features granite countertops, custom wood cabinets, a distinctive white porcelain back-splash, and modern pendant lighting

Chevy Chase home offers modern feel

Photos courtesy of ttR Sotheby’s International RealtyThis four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home on McKinley Street NW in Chevy Chase is priced at $1,900,000.

ON THE MARKET katIe PeaRce

See McKinley/Page Re21

TheCurrenT Wednesday,sepTember16,2015RE5

Palisades, dC $1,295,000Stunning 1926 4BR, 3.5BA Bungalow loaded with original charm and two-story rear addition – great floor plan with open kitchen/family room, huge master suite, warm hardwood floors, private rear patio and yard/garden.Roby Thompson 202.255.2986 / 202.483.6300 (O)

WashingTOn, dC $1,750,000 2,550 SF 2BR, 2.5BA Penthouse encompasses its own wing, 3 exposures w/11 sets of French doors. Chef’s kitchen (Viking gas 6-burner, cherry cabs, granite). LR & adjacent DR create entertaining space w/expansive balcony. 2 gar space + extra storage.Peter locker 202.256.3356 / 202.364.1300 (O)

BeThesda, Md $998,000Beautiful 5-6BR, 3.5BA home with recent improvements and new appliances. Gourmet kitchen, 2 fireplaces, 2 decks. Large In-law suite (BR, BA, Rec Room). Whitman/Pile/Burning Tree Cluster. Close to I-270, I-495, Democracy Blvd & Old Georgetown Rd.Catherine sam 301.890.6913 / 202.944.8400 (O)

CaThedRal WesT, dC $965,000Glorious 2BR, 2BA Penthouse filled with light, space & style. Features 2,035 SF, large living and dining rooms, gourmet kitchen, laundry room, enclosed atrium and balcony, and garage parking. Full-service building includes year-round pool & saunas.Marge lee 202.253.4618 / 202.966.1400 (O)

KenT, dC $2,899,000 Touch of the Cape in DC – Immaculate & elegant 6BR, 6.5BA w/over 7,000 SF of stunning finished space situated on a prime ½ acre lot. Dream gourmet kit, grand entertaining spaces, custom tile, stone & woodwork, hwds + incredible outdoor spaces. Roby Thompson 202.255.2986 / 202.483.6300 (O)

duPOnT, dC $799,000Elegant & spacious 1,200 SF 2BR, 2BA flooded with SW light! Large living & dining w/hardwood floors, FP, updated gourmet kit w/granite & SS, bay-windowed MBR w/walk-in closet & classy bath, 2nd BR w/built-ins, W/D & best location in the city!Roby Thompson 202.255.2986 / 202.483.6300 (O)

WashingTOn, dC $1,050,000LOCATION & CHARM – Beautiful DC Chevy Chase Colonial with 4BR, 2BA features a brand new kitchen, great family room, deck, and finished basement. Blocks to Friendship Heights Metro and Shops.anne & laura emmett 301.466.2515 / 301.229.4000 (O)

WashingTOn, dC $320,000 The Harrison – contemporary building close to Friendship Heights Metro, Whole Foods & Chevy Chase Pavilion. Charming 1BR with high-end finishes and private patio flowing into community courtyard with stunning Zen-like fire & water features.Chevy Chase uptown Office 202.364.1300

MT. VeRnOn, dC $709,0001,200 SF, 2BR, 2.5BA Penthouse encompassing top 2 floors of classic rounded bay front. Open floor plan w/gourmet chef’s kit, living room w/FP & rounded dining area, private 300+ SF roof deck w/views! Low fee, blocks to Metro, shopping & more!Roby Thompson 202.255.2986 / 202.483.6300 (O)

CaThedRal heighTs, dC $695,000 Sophisticated 2BR, 2BA unit with airy renovated kitchen. Dining room opens to the living room. Open living room and solarium bring in lovely views. Washer/dryer permitted. Ornate crown moldings and parquet floors throughout.sarah howard 703.862.7181 / 202.944.8400 (O)

Van ness, dC $410,000 Spacious 1 bedroom at the elegant Ponce de Leon. Close to Van Ness Metro, Giant, CVS, Politics & Prose, dining & much more. Over 1,000 SF with large living room, huge separate dining room, kitchen with breakfast nook & Solarium. Pets OK!stan Watters 202.674.4081 / 202.363.9700 (O)

CaThedRal heighTs, dC $289,500Renovated 1BR at The Towers w/granite counters, new wood floors & huge balcony w/wooded view. Close to Glover Park, Cathedral Commons. Metro bus outside w/easy access to downtown, Georgetown & Friendship Hts. 24-hr desk, pool, tennis, parking avail.stan Watters 202.674.4081 / 202.363.9700 (O)

geRManTOWn, Md $305,000Spacious 3BR, 2.5BA renovated townhouse features brand-new carpeting, granite countertops, stove and dishwasher. Sep eat-in kitchen area w/walk-out to deck. Lower level w/spacious family room, walk-out patio and one-car garage.Friendship heights Office 301.652.2777

CaThedRal heighTs, dC $279,000Sunny 1BR move-in ready w/huge balcony, refin wood floors, updated kit/bath, granite counters. Close to Glover Park, Cathedral Commons. Metro bus outside. Easy access to downtown, Georgetown & Friendship Hts. 24-hr desk, pool, tennis, parking avail. stan Watters 202.674.4081 / 202.363.9700 (O)

Wesley heighTs, dC $220,000 Renovated studio apartment overlooking courtyard and pool. Updated kitchen and bath. Full-service building with doorman. Metro bus at door, convenient to shopping and restaurants nearby.

Kent Madsen 202.255.1739 / 202.363.1800 (O)

BeThesda, Md $949,000Brick 5 lev home on 10,185 SF lot in Heart of Springfield! East facing sun room addn with 3 walls of glass, heated tile flr & hi ceilg off DRM & kit w/views to landscaped “4 seasons garden!” Wood flrs, custom built-ins! Wood Acres-Whitman cluster! EZ access to all directions!Trudy surut 301.717.2566 / 301.229.4000 (O)

RE6 Wednesday, september 16, 2015 the Current ■ Fall real estate Guide 2015

By NATHANIEL KRESHCurrent Correspondent

A home on University Ter-race NW transports visi-tors across the Pacific. Cherry blossoms and a

traditional torii gate guard the entrance. Around the back, pebbles and boulders form a rock garden, mimicking a flowing river, and Jap-anese maples abound. Inside are shoji screens, a wedding kimono and a giant Chinese vase. This is the home of Gordon Kit and his dog Buddha, and it will be one of several open to visitors Oct. 17 as part of the third annual Pali-sades Village House Tour. The serene and Zen-like atmo-sphere, and the effort made to give the house an authentic Japanese feel, are not the only features that make Kit’s home stand out. The property is also intertwined with some important figures in D.C. his-tory. The house was built by Judge David Bazelon in the late 1950s, according to Kit. Bazelon was known as “a very famous federal appeals court judge who developed what’s called the ‘insanity defense,’” Kit said. The judge’s wife, Mickey Bazelon, had an inter-est in architecture and was responsi-

ble for much of home’s Japanese aesthetic. When it came time for Bazelons to sell the house, it transferred from one D.C. power broker to another. “He sold the house to George McGovern, who was senator from South Dakota,” said Kit. “McGov-ern lived in the house while he was running for president in 1972.” This history — along with the home’s architectural design — motivated Kit to offer his property for inclusion in the tour. Ticket sales will support the mis-sion of Palisades Village, an organi-

zation that helps seniors remain safely in their homes in the Berkley, Foxhall, Kent, Palisades, Spring Valley and Wesley Heights neigh-borhoods. The event has raised $34,650 in ticket sales over the last two years. “It’s a lot of rides, and also run-ning errands for people, or going to the grocery store for them if they need it,” said Sue Albright, a Pali-sades Village board member. “It’s also social and cultural interaction. We have a number of programs, lectures and tours. We’ve taken the group to have a docent tour of the

Supreme Court.” For Albright, the social activities are just as significant as any of the village’s other offerings. “An important thing for seniors, especially those living alone, is that they not be isolated,” she said. “We try to work on fostering that.“ That work in service of seniors inspired Kit and others to take part in the house tour. “I think it’s a great organiza-tion,” said Antonietta Corvasce, whose Chain Bridge Road NW home will also be featured next month. “I think they’re doing great work, and I believe in what they’re doing.” Corvasce and her husband pur-chased their home in 2001, enlisting architect Robert Gurney to com-pletely redo the interior. The home, originally designed by Chloethiel Smith, was featured in House Beau-tiful in 1951; after the redesign it reappeared in print in a 2007 issue of Architectural Digest. The project was a labor of love, Corvasce said, which makes her want to open her home to others. “People who are on this tour are really interested in architecture and design and have a real appreciation for that, and so I wanted to share my home with them,” she said. “We’re really happy here, and we

wanted to share it with people who will appreciate it.” The self-guided house tour will take place on Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $30 in advance, or $35 on the tour day itself, and must be picked up at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 4700 Whitehaven Parkway NW. “Your ticket is actually a bro-chure,” giving addresses, photos and blurbs for each house, said Albright. She said visitors can take the tour “however they want to do it, in any order.” At each stop, docents will guide visitors through the home, sharing the history and architectural details. For Kit’s home, that may involve a discussion of the tea ceremony the Japanese Embassy held in his home when it was still owned by Bazelon. For Corvasce’s, the conversation might touch on the living room’s wall of windows, where Corvasce enjoys her morning coffees against the serene natural backdrop. Beyond the houses, the event will also feature refreshments at St. David’s Episcopal Church at 5150 Macomb St. NW from 2 to 4 p.m., with music by the Cabin John Dix-ieland Band, according to a release. For details or to purchase tick-ets, visit palisadesvillage.org or call 202-244-3310.

Palisades house tour showcases history

Photos by Piers LambThe Chain Bridge Road home at left was twice featured in architectural maga-zines, and the Japanese-styled house of University Terrace, above, was owned by George McGovern during his presidential campaign. Both are part of the Oct. 17 Palisades VIllage House Tour.


By BETH COPEcurrent Staff Writer

When D.C. Realtor Jim Downing expanded his work to the Gulf Coast of

Florida, he found myriad differenc-es from Washington. Like client expectations. In St. Petersburg, “people are a little bit more like, ‘Oh yeah, For-mica’s fine, and I don’t really need stainless appliances.’ In D.C., it’s a lot more like, ‘I want this and this, and I want new.’” The reason is simple: reality. Washington’s hot real estate market drives high-end finishes, while the less-moneyed buyers in the greater Tampa Bay area mean “the stan-dard house is not granite and stain-less.” Asking agents who have worked both in Northwest D.C. and else-where about the differences is inter-esting: It yields both expected answers (prices!) and less-anticipat-ed details (acceptable counter top-pers). HGTV might have brought concepts like staging to living rooms throughout the country, but our real estate markets still reveal some regional differences. Allen Reiver of Metro DC Houses Team with Real Living at Home, who relocated a few months ago from the Hampton Roads area near Norfolk, Va., has found varied attitudes. In D.C., sellers are “in tune with what the market is demanding,” he explained. “You don’t have to coach them and convince them to do things as small as declutter, [add a] fresh coat of paint.” But in Hampton Roads, “they

would have a hard time swallow-ing” the need to spruce up a home before listing, he said. Downing, who works with Reiver at the Metro DC Houses Team with Real Living at Home, said the disparities are similar between Washington and mid-coast Florida (at least the inland part where he works; on-the-water prop-erties are a different story). In D.C., “the average consum-er is very sophis-ticated and very educated,” he said, noting that even the first-time buyers have more knowledge than your aver-age would-be homeowner else-where. “They’re young attorneys or they’re Hill staffers that kind of have this experience.” Downing said that disparity comes with both positives and neg-atives. Washingtonians often make quicker decisions and take bigger risks, in part because they typically have more money. “But sometimes in D.C. … they think they know a little bit more.” In some cases, they do. “If you have an attorney who’s a client, they know a ton — a lot more than I do about law — but they might not know exactly the proper [real estate] customs, or they might not be a real estate attorney.” And those customs and real estate laws can be tricky. In New York City, for instance, a lot of the work of buying and selling — find-ing properties, making offers — involves conversation, while Wash-ington takes a more formal

approach. Connie Carter of Washington Fine Properties, who splits her time between the two cities, said New York doesn’t have anything compa-rable to Washington’s Metropolitan Regional Information System, which lists all homes on the market. “There still is no organized system of putting out to all agents that something is available, to my knowledge,” she said. And she noted that Washingto-nians make offers via a contract and then negotiate on paper. “And so it’s kind of locked up in advance,” she said. “In New York, one would make an offer verbally and negoti-ate back and forth verbally until you had a deal.” The New York system can work faster, but “you don’t have as much control over your deal, and it can get fouled up or misunderstood or miscommunicated,” Carter said.

Approach, expectations set Washington apart

Connie Carter, above, and Allen Reiver are among area Realtors with professional experience in other markets.

See Realtors/Page Re22

202-320-6469 [email protected]

How much is my home really worth?

homeprice.smarthomeprice.com/


W.C. & A.N. Miller’s Chevy Chase OfficeCongratulates our Top Producers!

Kimberly Cestari Tamara Kucik

Maggie Simpson

McElroy-Rychlik Team

Lee Goldstein and Judy Glazer

Please welcome our Top Team recruit for 2015!

Michelle Munro/Michelle Buckman

Samantha Damato Traquel Butler

Susan Rao Ana MariaMenendez

Albert Elliott

Maureen Cullinane

Patricia Millar

Maggie Hudak

Bethany Metzroth

Rita Liptz

Kathleen Briese

Linda Herring

Bonnie Deady

Shari Silverstein

Jayna Kucik

Mike Sandifer

Cynthia Houser

Peggy Virostek

Scott Noyes

Joan Wheeler

Jerome Brown

Barbara Finkelstein

Jamie Fitzsimons

Mary Sunderland

Marcia Howard

Jane Kratovil

Stacey Kuzma

Phyllis Thomas

Marijke Jurgens-Dupree

Angela Wilson

George Kucik

Carter Cusick

Olga Shrestha

Dwight Pearson

Jim Cahill

Lauren Perry

Paul Carter

Jay Schlaffer

Clare Tock

Sheila Beasley

Shani Madden

Mintewab BulchaRebecca IsraelMarjorie Lee Mary Jane Molik/Dan Melman

Nathan B. CarnesBranch [email protected]

Chevy Chase • 202-966-14005518 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20015

For all of your real estate needs, visit:NathanCarnes.LNF.comJoin us on Facebook at:

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Griffin B. HollandAssistant Manager

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Wall Street Journal202-966-1400 Office

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4311 44th St NWSmartly renovated home in AU Park w 4 finished levels. 5BRs, 4FBs. Great corner lot w off-street pkng. 3 blocks to Tenley.

$965,000

NeW Li St iNg! 6151 31St St NWClassic front porch charmer in Chevy Chase. Eat-in kitchen, 3BRs, 2.5BAs. Deep, fenced lot w detached garage.

$835,000

NeW Li St iNg!

2020 12Th ST NW #706LiSt PRiCe: $689,000SOLD PRiCe: $730,5003 OFFeRS iN 8 DAYS!

SOLD!

5528 30Th ST NWLiSt PRiCe: $1,275,000SOLD PRiCe: $1,307,000

3 OFFeRS iN 7 DAYS!

SOLD!

6135 30Th ST NWLiSt PRiCe: $849,000SOLD PRiCe: $885,0003 OFFeRS iN 8 DAYS!

SOLD!

1346 OAK ST NW LiSt PRiCe: $899,000SOLD PRiCe: $985,0006 OFFeRS iN 6 DAYS!

SOLD!

3353 RUNNYMEDE PL NWLiSt PRiCe: $949,000

SOLD PRiCe: $1,010,0003 OFFeRS iN 9 DAYS!

SOLD!

2713 WOODLEY PL NWLiSt PRiCe: $1,125,000SOLD PRiCe: $1,125,000

‘0’ DAYS ON MARKet!

SOLD!

2717 RITTENhOUSE ST NWLiSt PRiCe: $879,0002 OFFeRS iN 9 DAYS!

UNDeR CONt R ACt!

6432 BARNABY ST NWLiSt PRiCe: $949,000SOLD PRiCe: $975,000

SOLD iN 6 DAYS!

SOLD!


By MARK LIEBERMANcurrent Staff Writer

Today, more than 3,000 D.C. residents live in buildings they col-lectively own with their neighbors under agreements known as “limit-ed-equity cooperatives.” These 80-plus buildings represent an example of a still-surviving strain of affordable housing at a time when the city has become known as one of the most expensive in America.

Limited-equity co-ops, or LECs, trace their history all the way back to the 1920s and ’30s in the District, when the eastern pop-ulation of Georgetown was majori-ty African-American. Toward the

end of this period, white upper-class liberals flocked to the neigh-borhood to work on President Roosevelt’s New Deal initiatives.

From there, a long trend of gen-trification — then popularly known as “Georgetown-ization” — swept across parts the city, con-tinuing for decades, according to research by University of the District of Columbia professor Amanda Huron. As the term became popularized in D.C., so did the fervor of support against the influx of upper-class people into lower-class neighborhoods.

In the District, this trend coin-cided in the 1970s with a critical period of democracy for the city. The first mayoral and city council

elections were held in 1973. The new leadership had a strong sense of the city’s majority of African-American residents, even as they were slowly losing ground in a housing market hostile to lower incomes.

By 1980, D.C. officials enacted several laws to combat this trend, most notably the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, which requires owners who want to sell their properties to provide all tenants with the first opportuni-ty to buy them for a reasonable price. This encouraged tenants to form cooperatives in order to leverage such purchases.

Limited-equity cooperatives are meant to offer a middle ground

between the stability of homeown-ership and the flexibility of rent-ing. Under such arrangements, each tenant individually purchases a share in the collective corpora-tion that owns the building — but they are free of many restrictions and higher initial investments that come with traditional mortgages. Typical LECs require an upfront fee of between $1,500 and $5,000, similar to a security deposit on a rental, according to Huron, who has conducted extensive research into cooperatives and their impact on the D.C. housing market.

The share owners sign a long-term lease and elect a board of directors, who make administrative decisions with input from the rest of the community.

Most LECs require an income close to 80 percent of the median income in the area. When a resi-dent eventually moves out, they sell their share in the corporation rather than their actual unit. The value they can obtain from selling their share is restricted, ensuring the overall arrangement is afford-able for the long term.

In a 2011 study of limited-equi-ty co-ops across the city, the Latino Development Corp. found 84 buildings and a total of 3,080 units.

The building at 1333 Peabody St. NW represents a typical exam-ple of a functioning LEC estab-lished in recent years. The Peabody Tenants Association joined up with the Mi Casa non-profit in 2006, and a little over a year later, the tenants successfully formed their co-op and purchased the building for $847,000, accord-ing to news reports. In 2011, Mi Casa helped tenants secure funds for new windows and other repairs.

Mi Casa is one of the housing providers in D.C. that emphasizes its speciality in LECs. As with the Peabody building, the nonprofit consults with tenant associations that are considering purchasing their buildings and helps guide them through the process, both before and after.

Mi Casa deputy director Elin Zurbrigg said the goal of maintain-ing this avenue of real estate is to ensure “that buildings can be pre-served as long-term quality afford-able housing.”

Buying into an LEC isn’t sig-nificantly different from buying into any other co-op, according to

Huron. As with traditional home-ownership, the setup is meant to encourage long-term investment. Residents have full control of the space they pay for, and they can also will the property to children or others.

Though establishing and main-taining the cooperatives can be challenging in terms of time and effort, Huron said the payoff can be quite rewarding.

“There’s a real community that gets built over the process of com-ing together to make this purchase happen,” Huron said.

LECs today look somewhat dif-ferent from how they used to be, even though the mechanisms by which people form them have remained largely consistent.

For one, more tenants today are seeking multiple bedrooms and larger units, which means that the overall number of available units under this model has decreased, Huron said.

And as property values have dramatically increased in D.C. over the last decade especially, the market for this type of housing has become more challenging.

Right now, the biggest concen-tration of limited-equity coopera-tives is in wards 1, 4 and 7, Huron said, partially because those areas have seen more persistent trends of gentrification recently.

Huron said the impetus rests with D.C. Council members and other officials to commit resources to developing more affordable housing options in a city pegged as one of the nation’s most expensive overall.

“The city needs to think more in terms of, what they’re doing with this co-op is … preserving affordable housing,” Huron said. “It’s actually much more cost-effective to preserve.”

Zurbrigg said she thinks LECs will continue to have a presence in the city as long as the economic climate permits.

“There are always tenants inter-ested in purchasing. There are real-ly incredible opportunities to pre-serve affordability,” Zurbrigg said. “Having the funding and having this unique law are both important tools for having continued long-term affordability and diversity of residents in the District.”

Staff writer Katie Pearce con-tributed to this report.

Limited-equity cooperatives offer affordable alternative for long-term housing

brian kapur/the currentThe building at 1333 Peabody St. NW is owned under a limited-equity cooperative developed with help from Mi Casa.


GEORGETOWN, DC BROKERAGE +1 202 333 1212

DOWNTOWN, DC BROKERAGE +1 202 234 3344

ttrsir.com©MMXV TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each Offi ce Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal housing opportunity. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Price and availability subject to change.

WEST END $2,495,000This spacious 2 BR+library/2.5 BA unit boasts 2,760 sq ft on one level, gorgeous wood � oors, 10’ ceilings, an expansive kitchen featuring marble counters and Poliform cabinets, and an adjacent breakfast/family room. Absolutely stunning master suite with sitting area, Poliform closets, and beautiful marble bath. Two garage parking spaces plus storage.JONATHAN TAYLOR +1 202 276 3344

CHEVY CHASE, DC $1,900,000Gorgeous contemporary designed by local architects Shich-Goldstein. Saturated with natural light, plus custom features and luxurious materials. Open � oor plan allows excellent � ow between living, dining and entertaining areas. Four bedroom, � nished lower level, rec room, and a direct walk-out to beautifully landscaped backyard and patio.SALLY MCLUCKIE +1 202 297 0300

BETHESDA, MD $1,595,000Gorgeous custom built Glen Echo Heights home, approx. 5,000 � nished sqft., 6 BR/5.5 BA on 4 � nished levels. Large rooms, high ceilings, kitchen with breakfast and family rooms, formal living and dining rooms, o� ce on the main level. Huge master suite. Lower level rec. room. 2-car garage and driveway. Lovely yard, beautiful wooded setting. JONATHAN TAYLOR +1 202 276 3344

OBSERVATORY CIRCLE $785,000Coming Soon: Simply lovely, very private 2 BR 2.5 BA home featuring stunning year-round views overlooking federal park. Gracious 1,550 sq ft home with formal DR, bay window with breakfast nook, large delightful balcony. Updated kitchen and baths. Garage parking and extra storage. Deluxe building with Olympic-style pool, guest parking, doorman, 24/7 front desk, � tness center. Small pets welcome.

DIANA HART +1 202 271 2717

McLEAN, VA $1,249,000Beautiful home located on McLean’s Gold Coast with over 4,000 sq ft of luxurious updates. Classic colonial with gourmet kitchen, granite, SubZero, breakfast room, formal living/dining rooms, built-ins, gleaming hardwoods, sunny balcony, 4 spacious bedrooms, 4.5 baths, garage, lower level in-law suite/grand dance � oor/custom bar, huge backyard with mature plantings. Merrywood on the Potomac is a gated community with a 12-acre private park.

ROBIN WAUGH +1 703 819 8809

GEORGETOWN $2,850,000 This newly constructed 3 BR and 3 BA townhouse was built with the highest level of detail by noted architect Rudi.d. Large windows, high ceilings, open European kitchen, spa baths, family room that opens to rear terrace, and garage parking.

JULIA DIAZ-ASPER +1 202 256 1887MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344

GEORGETOWN $2,495,000 This light-� lled, elegant Georgetown residence features four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, custom moldings, hardwood � oors, and attractive details.

MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344

GEORGETOWN $1,750,000 Stunning 2 BR / 2 BA plus den Georgetown waterfront condo at the award winning 3303 Water St building. Expansive C&O Canal views, unparalleled European � nishes, high ceilings, garage pkg, storage, 24/7 concierge, rooftop pool, terrace & � tness room.

GARY WICKS +1 202 486 8393

FOXHALL $849,000 Renovated, charming Tudor featuring beautiful hardwood � oors, recessed lighting, crown molding, a large open kitchen with stainless steel appli-ances and granite counters, and a powder room on the main level. Three bedrooms and one full bath upstairs, plus one bedroom with one full bath and recreation room on the lower level. Large rear deck and deep rear yard, with o� -street parking for one car.MAXWELL RABIN +1 202 669 7406

WESLEY HEIGHTS $3,295,000This stately colonial revival features an open plan kitchen and a 1st � oor family room.Master bedroom boasts a walk-in closet and an en-suite bath with a soaking tub and separate rain shower. Gallery with elegant French doors that open to a manicured garden designed by renowned Oehme, van Sweden & Associates. Includes � nished lower level and 2-car parking

MARY FOX +1 202 316 9631 MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344

GEORGETOWN $2,495,000Located on one of the best blocks in Georgetown, this timeless bay front residence a� ords high ceilings and elegant scale. Classic formal rooms with � replaces and wood � oors are present throughout. The table space kitchen opens to a family room overlooking the deep landscaped garden. The o� ering includes a spacious master suite and full lower level.

MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344

BERKLEY $1,895,000Expansive, classic Foxhall Crecents home with incredible 2-level terrace, including a swimming pool and fountains. Features formal living and dining rooms, walls of windows, and 3 � replaces. Totally updated modern kitchen with Miele and Subzero appliances. Spacious master suite with his-hers walk-in closets and adjacent dressing room/o� ce.JONATHAN TAYLOR +1 202 276 3344

CHEVY CHASE, DC $1,135,000Light-� lled four level townhouse with � exible living spaces. Three bedrooms, two full and two half baths with attached garage and additional reserved parking. Beautifully updated interior and professionally landscaped front/rear gardens. Close to major commuting routes and neighborhood amenities

including Rock Creek Park.KIM PRIVOR +1 202 368 1821

KENT $6,900Sunny classic Colonial on one of the prettiest streets in Palisades. This � ve bedroom four and a half bath home has a beautifully renovated cooks kitchen w/ breakfast room and large outdoor deck, spacious formal living room and dining room. This charming home has hardwood � oors on main & upper levels.

ALEXANDRA THOMAS +1 202 725 2545

OPEN HOUSE 9/20


Properties clockwise from the top

■ 1445 Swann St. NW The roof deck on this Dupont Circle row house is attached to an indoor space that could serve as a bedroom, office or lounge (and its refrigerator and ice maker make it particularly suited to the latter). Both are part of a recent four-level addition to the 1920 home, which has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths. $1,695,000; Warren Kluth, Long & Foster Realtors; 703-244-1111; [email protected] ■ 3303 Water St. NW Unit 8H When you buy a penthouse on the Georgetown waterfront, you expect a view — and this property delivers both inside and out. Unit 8H in this 11-year-old building features a nearly 1,500-square-foot roof terrace, along with three bedrooms, three baths and a den. And for more breathtaking vistas, the building also has a rooftop pool. $5,900,000; Jonnie Jamison, Beasley Real Estate LLC; 703-568-5085; [email protected] ■ 1234 Euclid St. NW The deck atop this Columbia Heights condo takes great advantage of the home’s hilly perch, offering views across the city. The entire 1910 row house — separated into two units — is for sale, featuring new finishes, exposed bricks and nest thermostats. The three-bedroom units are for sale together or separately; one has two full baths and one half, while the other has three full and one half. $2,000,000 for both; $1,150,00 and $1,050,000 individually; Ashok Bhagi, DMV Realty; 703-346-2293; [email protected] ■ 2101 Connecticut Ave. NW Unit 55 Four roof terraces top this 1928 condo building, which Realtor Sylvia Bergstrom calls “Kalorama’s answer to Park Avenue.” The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath Unit 55 fronts Connecticut Avenue and features a renovated kitchen and bathrooms. $1,875,000; Sylvia Bergstrom, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage; 202-262-3730; [email protected] ■ 1280 21st St. NW Unit 810 One can see all the way to the National Cathedral when standing on top of the St. George, a 1967 Dupont Circle condo building with a shared roof deck. Inside, a renovated one-bedroom has a new bath, updated granite kitchen and open floor plan. $399,000; Tony Cammarota, RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate; 703-408-0550; [email protected] ■ 3150 South St. NW Unit 2A The largest condo in the District offers more than 3,000 square feet of wraparound terraces and roof gardens — along with more than double that space inside. The unit is part of the 2000-built Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown, which includes hotel services and valet parking. $13,950,000; Christopher Ritzert, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty; 202-256-9241; [email protected]; Christie-Anne Weiss, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty; 202-256-0105; [email protected] ■ 1407 Ridgeview Way NW An indoor/outdoor fireplace makes for cozy evenings on this home’s roof deck as well as in a connected loft. And those are just some of the standout features in this award-winning 2012 Palisades town house, which offers a chef’s kitchen, an expansive master suite and an elevator. $2,098,000; Aaron G. Jeweler, Long & Foster Real Estate; 301-325-8569; [email protected] Compiled by Beth Cope ■ Photos courtesy of Realtors

A roof with a view: Enjoying D.C. from the top down


Read about the Abrams Finnell Group in the July 2015 Washingtonian Magazine article “99 Agents You Want on Your Side.” Call us to learn more about the powerful advantages of working with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty and the Abrams Finnell Group!

©MMXV TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s Internation-al Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with

permission. Each O� ce Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal housing opportunity. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Price and availability subject to change.

3223 Rittenhouse Street, NWSOLD

4718 Essex Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD BROUGHT THE BUYER

5517 41st Street, NWSOLD

4700 47th Street, NWBROUGHT THE BUYER

3808 Huntington Street, NWFOR SALE: $2,295,000

3027 Oregon Knolls Drive, NWFOR SALE: $1,139,000

3024 Porter Street, NW #301FOR SALE: $287,500

4812 Butterworth Place, NWSOLD

3612 Macomb Street, NWBROUGHT THE BUYER

2711 Ordway Street, NW #103UNDER CONTRACT

6321 Tone Court, Bethesda, MDSOLD

5528 30th Street, NWBROUGHT THE BUYER

3305 Runnymede Place, NWSOLD

1451 Belmont Road, NW #124SOLD

2650 39th Street NW #4BROUGHT THE BUYER

CHEVY CHASE, MD BROKERAGEttrsir.com | +1 301 967 3344

O U T S T A N D I N G R E S U L T S from the

A B R A M S F I N N E L L G R O U P

Ellen Abrams | [email protected] | +1 202 255 8219Anne-Marie Finnell | a¢ [email protected] | +1 202 329 7117

Courtney Abrams | [email protected] | +1 202 253 0109

THE ABRAMS FINNELL GROUP

FIRST OPEN HOUSE 9/20 1 - 4 PM


These sales are among those recorded from Aug. 17 through 28 by the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue and listed on its Real Property Sales Database.

SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSES■ 6432 BARNABY ST. in CHEVY CHASE. Sold to SHELLY M. HALL for $975,000.■ 1043 CECIL PLACE in GEORGETOWN. Sold to 1043 CECIL PLACE LLC for $837,000.■ 4056 CHANCERY COURT in BURLEITH. Sold to MELISSA S GLYNN for $1,300,000.■ 4719 CHESAPEAKE ST. in AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK. Sold to MATTHEW R.A. HEIMAN for $1,249,000.■ 1202 DECATUR ST. in 16TH STREET HEIGHTS. Sold to 1202 DECATUR STREET LLC for $452,613.■ 820 DELAFIELD PLACE in PETWORTH. Sold to A AND M HOMEBUYERS INC. for $334,000.■ 3107 DOGWOOD ST. in HAWTHORNE. Sold to CHRISTINE F. ALLAN for $839,000.■ 1408 EMERSON ST. in 16TH STREET HEIGHTS. Sold to BRIAN H. CALIS for $910,000.■ 1205 EMERSON ST. in 16TH STREET HEIGHTS. Sold to CARLOS LAGO for $670,000.■ 610 FARRAGUT ST. in PETWORTH. Sold to 610 VENTURES LLC for $399,999.■ 1330 1/2 FARRAGUT ST. in 16TH STREET HEIGHTS. Sold to PARK ROAD LLC for $365,000.■ 635 FARRAGUT ST. in PETWORTH. Sold to 635 VENTURES LLC for $466,000.■ 4406 FESSENDEN ST. in AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK. Sold to NICHOLAS G. STRYCHACZ for $780,000.■ 3010 FOXHALL ROAD in WESLEY HEIGHTS. Sold to JOHN J. MATTEO TRUSTEE for $3,400,000.■ 649 HAMILTON ST. in PETWORTH. Sold to FLOYD WHITE for $348,000.■ 1227 HAMILTON ST. in 16TH STREET HEIGHTS. Sold to MEGAN L. SAUNDERS for $855,000.

■ 5015 HAWTHORNE PLACE in KENT. Sold to COURTNEY B. PARKINSON for $1,199,000.■ 3101 HIGHLAND PLACE in CLEVELAND PARK. Sold to TAKATAKATAKA TRUST for $5,330,000.■ 1325 HOLLY ST. in SHEPHERD PARK. Sold to 1325 VENTURES LLC for $949,000.■ 4527 MACOMB ST. in WESLEY HEIGHTS. Sold to 4527 MACOMB LLC for $675,000.■ 4016 MANSION DRIVE in BURLEITH. Sold to ELISE G. LEFKOWITZ for $1,475,000.■ 4064 MANSION DRIVE in BURLEITH. Sold to TERRAMOUNT LLC for $1,499,000.■ 5311 NEBRASKA AVE. in CHEVY CHASE. Sold to JOSHUA N. WILLIAM for $875,000.■ 4122 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE. in PETWORTH. Sold to KATHERINE HOUSTON for $617,500.■ 3601 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE. in COLUMBIA HEIGHTS. Sold to MORGANE GUIRRIEC for $695,000.■ 1886 NEWTON ST. in MOUNT PLEASANT. Sold to MARIANNE N. MCKINNEY for $1,342,000.■ 527 OGLETHORPE ST. in BRIGHTWOOD. Sold to PAUL PERKINS for $669,900.■ 3128 OLIVER ST. in CHEVY CHASE. Sold to JAMES D. O’KEEFFE for $1,375,000.■ 4149 PARKGLEN COURT in BURLEITH. Sold to 4149 PARKGLEN LLC for $2,650,000.■ 1800 PLYMOUTH ST. in COLONIAL VILLAGE. Sold to BRUNOCLAY MANAGEMENT LLC for $900,000.■ 3320 QUEBEC PLACE in CLEVELAND PARK. Sold to MEHRAN ASADPOUR for $1,100,000.■ 1223 ROCK CREEK FORD ROAD in BRIGHTWOOD. Sold to DANVILLE HOMES LLC for $341,840.■ 4838 RODMAN ST. in SPRING VALLEY. Sold to ANDREW C. SHIPLEY for $1,050,000.■ 1321 SHERIDAN ST. in BRIGHTWOOD. Sold to PETER GRILLOT for $500,000.■ 710 SHERIDAN ST. in BRIGHTWOOD. Sold to CK HIL LLC for $365,000.■ 5309 SHERIER PLACE in PALISADES. Sold to KAMEN PIPEROV for $900,000.■ 519 TUCKERMAN ST. in BRIGHTWOOD. Sold to AZLC LLC for $290,850.

■ 3817 W ST. in GLOVER PARK. Sold to TYLER M. THOMPSON for $872,000.■ 4920 W ST. in BERKLEY. Sold to THEODORE N. NEMEROFF for $1,050,000. ■ 5514 13TH ST. in 16TH STREET HEIGHTS. Sold to SHAUGHN H. WHITE for $550,000.■ 6409 16TH ST. in BRIGHTWOOD. Sold to CHRISTOPHER R. LACKS for $881,250.■ 3224 18TH ST. in MOUNT PLEASANT. Sold to JUAN J. GUTIERREZ for $737,000.■ 3232 19TH ST. in MOUNT PLEASANT. Sold to DANIEL LIPTON for $1,055,000.■ 1412 28TH ST. in GEORGETOWN. Sold to MICHELE EVANS for $1,800,000.■ 1932 35TH ST. in BURLEITH. Sold to AMANDA L. DARVILL for $800,000.■ 4515 38TH ST. in WAKEFIELD. Sold to CASEY D. CRAIG for $920,000.■ 1405 44TH ST. in FOXHALL. Sold to AMIRALI P. HUDDA for $925,000.■ 4113 49TH ST. in SPRING VALLEY. Sold to NOAH A. KROLOFF for $1,122,500.

CONDOS ■ 2611 ADAMS MILL ROAD Unit 103 in ADAMS MORGAN. Sold to LILLIAN A. WIRPSZA for $326,000.■ 2611 ADAMS MILL ROAD Unit 207 in ADAMS MORGAN. Sold to NIELS MARTENS for $302,500.■ 2630 ADAMS MILL ROAD Unit T03 in ADAMS MORGAN. Sold to YEVGENY GERMANOVICH for $352,500.■ 2630 ADAMS MILL ROAD Unit T04 in ADAMS MORGAN. Sold to ERIC JUDYCKI for $334,900.■ 1808 BELMONT ROAD Unit 1 in KALORAMA. Sold to BRITTANY M. PRICE for $415,000.■ 2032 BELMONT ROAD Unit 132 in KALORAMA. Sold to ISOKE SALAAM for $195,000.■ 2205 CALIFORNIA ST. Unit 202 in KALORAMA. Sold to CHRISTOPHER J. THOMAS TRUST for $1,000,000.■ 1812 CALVERT ST. Unit A in KALORAMA. Sold to JOHN TOUMANIOS for $780,000.■ 4600 CONNECTICUT AVE. Unit 923 in WAKEFIELD. Sold to EBEN BURNHAM-SNYDER for $515,000.■ 631 D ST. Unit 529 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to ADAM RIEMER for $444,000.■ 631 D ST. Unit 633 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to MICHAEL L. SARAFIN for $600,000.■ 4009 DAVIS PLACE Unit 202 in GLOVER PARK. Sold to JESSICA A. TVELIA for $515,000.■ 915 E ST. Unit 408 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to JENNIFER WECK for $460,000.

■ 915 E ST. Unit 1002 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to JORDAN H. GAUL IV for $407,000.■ 915 E ST. Unit 1112 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to LAURA PARK for $385,000.■ 4004 EDMUNDS ST. Unit 1 in GLOVER PARK. Sold to CAMPOS H. VILLALON for $570,000.■ 916 G ST. Unit 802 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to MAXWELL A. WOOD for $525,000.■ 700 JEFFERSON ST. Unit 401 in PETWORTH. Sold to BARBARA L. RODRIGUEZ for $300,000.■ 475 K ST. Unit 712 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to MICHAEL E. BAYROFF for $499,000.■ 475 K ST. Unit 1029 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to MICHAEL CONSTANTINIDES for $219,865.■ 1150 K ST. Unit 305 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to MATTHEW F. NOYES for $584,000.■ 2501 M ST. Unit 610 in WEST END. Sold to SHAMIM JAWAD for $625,000.■ 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 1004 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to MONICA CLARA ANGELICA CENTENO LAPPAS for $639,555.■ 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 1209 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to VYSHALI BELAGODU for $460,000.■ 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 614 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to ALISHA M. AVRIL for $280,000.■ 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 1312 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to RASHMI ANKAM for $395,000.■ 1727 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 212 in DUPONT CIRCLE. Sold to JOHN W. KATZ for $215,000.■ 4200 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 804 in WESLEY HEIGHTS. Sold to GEORGIA G. WERNER for $550,000.■ 4200 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 805 in WESLEY HEIGHTS. Sold to JUDITH F. TERRA for $1,390,296■ 4200 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. Unit 806 in WESLEY HEIGHTS. Sold to JUDITH F. TERRA for $1,390,296.■ 4301 MILITARY ROAD Unit 403 in CHEVY CHASE. Sold to AMER A. ALMUTAIRI for $960,000.■ 2101 N ST. Unit T4 in WEST END. Sold to MARIA S. LANDINI for $310,000.■ 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE. Unit 625 in DUPONT CIRCLE. Sold to BRENT E. JACKSON for $322,000.■ 3101 NEW MEXICO AVE. Unit 246 in WESLEY HEIGHTS. Sold to CAROLE A. BAILEY for $440,000.■ 701 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. Unit 1214 in DOWNTOWN. Sold to KHAI NGUYEN for $425,000.■ 3816 PORTER ST. Unit B398 in CLEVELAND PARK. Sold to WILLIAM MACMILLAN for $510,000.■ 3251 PROSPECT ST. Unit 312 in GEORGETOWN. Sold to SANANAND D. JOSHI for $825,000.■ 2500 Q ST. Unit 114 in GEORGETOWN. Sold to MICHAEL S CANTWELL for $399,999.■ 1809 RIGGS PLACE Unit 4 in DUPONT CIRCLE. Sold to MEI L. CHEN for $450,000.■ 3815 RODMAN ST. Unit D16 in CLEVELAND PARK. Sold to ADAM

ACKERMAN for $422,500.■ 1354 S ST in LOGAN CIRCLE. Sold to 1354 S STREET LLC for $800,000.■ 1 SCOTT CIRCLE Unit 815 in DUPONT CIRCLE. Sold to EVAN B. GARDNER for $229,900.■ 1413 T ST. Unit 404 in LOGAN CIRCLE. Sold to NATHAN SHEARER for $335,000.■ 1413 T ST. Unit 405 in LOGAN CIRCLE. Sold to CARMEN FACCIOLO III for $310,000.■ 1421 T ST. Unit 10 in LOGAN CIRCLE. Sold to CHARLES L. YOUNG for $680,000.■ 1741 T ST. Unit 404 in DUPONT CIRCLE. Sold to ANNA L. SUSSMAN for $435,000.■ 4000 TUNLAW ROAD Unit 529 in GLOVER PARK. Sold to ATAG INVESTMENT GROUP LLC for $169,900.■ 4000 TUNLAW ROAD Unit 814 in GLOVER PARK. Sold to RICKEY WILLIAMS JR. for $278,000.■ 1754 WILLARD ST. Unit 1 in ADAMS MORGAN. Sold to ERIK G. ODELSTIERNA for $603,500.■ 2111 WISCONSIN AVE. Unit 407 in GLOVER PARK. Sold to LOURDES ORTEGA for $555,000. ■ 2828 WISCONSIN AVE. Unit 300 in GLOVER PARK. Sold to ROGER A. NEWMAN for $725,000.■ 1617 12TH ST. Unit 2 in LOGAN CIRCLE. Sold to ALLYSON C. MINCBERG for $427,500.■ 1225 13TH ST. Unit 304 in LOGAN CIRCLE. Sold to LAURA E. BROOKOVER for $434,900.■ 1245 13TH ST. Unit 815 in LOGAN CIRCLE. Sold to MICHELLE LITTEKEN for $369,900.■ 1750 16TH ST. Unit 51 in DUPONT CIRCLE. Sold to TENGTENG XU for $685,000.■ 1545 18TH ST. Unit 403 in DUPONT CIRCLE. Sold to BETTY L. JONES for $372,000.■ 2456 20TH ST. Unit 305 in KALORAMA. Sold to SHANNON PRYOR for $375,000.■ 522 21ST ST. Unit 504 in FOGGY BOTTOM. Sold to HANNAH KIM for $234,000.■ 522 21ST ST. Unit 811 in FOGGY BOTTOM. Sold to CHRISTOPHER BRICK for $210,000.■ 1177 22ND ST. Unit 3M in WEST END. Sold to GLENN STEELE JR. for $1,700,000.■ 1177 22ND ST. Unit 7H in WEST END. Sold to FRANCIS A. NEWMAN for $1,575,000.■ 1111 23RD ST. Unit 4C in WEST END. Sold to TEHMINA KHAN for $1,675,000.■ 1111 23RD ST. Unit PH2D in WEST END. Sold to JURGEN C. KUTSCHER for $3,100,000.■ 1121 24TH ST. Unit 304 in WEST END. Sold to SEAN R. KAISER for $342,500.■ 3617 38TH ST. Unit 306 in CLEVELAND PARK. Sold to KARIM ZIA TRUSEE for $412,500.■ 3610 39TH ST. Unit F546 in CLEVELAND PARK. Sold to SHAKIRAH DEL CARMEN COSSENS GONZALEZ for $473,000.

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By SYDNEY COVITZcurrent correspondent

In 1791, Pierre Charles L’Enfant envisioned that his network of avenues would intersect at points that would

become centers of interest for Washington. However, the French architect couldn’t have predicted that those central points would transform into today’s iconic traffic circles — important historical sites that would help define D.C.’s neighborhoods for centuries to come. But even from its earliest days, the L’Enfant Plan for the city’s street grid called for memorials adorning the central public areas where the avenues met. The plan states that those sites would “admit

of statues, columns, obelisks, or any other ornament such as the different states shall may choose to erect,” in honor of individuals who made contributions that “were conspicu-ous in giving liberty and Indepen-dence to this country.” Though L’Enfant’s design was based largely upon these profound American ideals, critics have observed that the statues decorating many of Northwest’s roundabouts today fail to reflect the “liberty” and “Independence” of the city’s diverse populations, and instead represent a bygone era in which those regarded as the nation’s heroes were almost exclusively white men. In recent years, residents and politicians have begun to advocate for statues representing more diverse figures. Just last month, in

discussions about a potential Marion Barry statue at the Wilson Building, developers and activists suggested that it’s time to update the District’s references. “We’ve got statues of people that don’t even like black folks,” proclaimed activist Al-Malik Farra-khan, according to an August article in the Washington City Paper. Prominent developer Herb Miller, in the same article, is quoted stating that the city has enough statues of “dead generals on horses.” The most commonly memorial-ized figures at Northwest D.C. cir-cles are Civil War generals, for whom eight of the circles are named; other circles were named for their surrounding neighbor-hoods, as in Kalorama and Tenley-town. Of the District’s 34 total traffic circles, Northwest is home to 22: Anna J. Cooper, Blair, Chevy Chase, Dupont, Grant, Juárez, Kal-orama, Logan, Observatory, Peace, Pinehurst, Plymouth, Scott, Sheri-dan, Sherman, Tenley, Thomas, Thompson, Ward, Washington, Wesley and Westmoreland. Logan, Scott, Thomas and Dupont circles were all included in L’Enfant’s original plan for the city, delineated as simple squares or tri-angles that remained largely unde-veloped for 70 years. However, as historian Paul K. Williams describes in his book “The Neighborhoods of Logan, Scott, and Thomas Circles,” the Civil War brought an influx of groups to these areas looking for residences, including troops, freed slaves, Northern black soldiers and other citizens seeking wartime employment. One prominent Civil War figure who lived in Washington then was Gen. John A. Logan, also a U.S. senator from Illinois. His address at the time was 4 Iowa Circle NW. Fifteen years after his death in 1886, a statue of Logan sitting proudly on a horse was installed at the center of this circle, incorporat-ing carvings of Logan receiving his post from President Chester A. Arthur. In 1930, Iowa Circle itself was renamed LOGAN CIRCLE. According to Williams, Logan Circle was home to an array of prominent residents through the 20th century. These included Bel-ford and Marjorie Lawson, who

lived in a modest but elegant apart-ment at 8 Logan Circle NW from 1938 to 1958. Belford was a Civil Rights lawyer and the first black man to play varsity football at Uni-versity of Michigan. Marjorie was appointed by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to serve on the D.C. juvenile court, making her the city’s first black female judge. The later half of the century brought a period of decline to Logan Circle, after race riots flood-ed the city in 1968. The damaged homes were eventually rebuilt, and the area began to turn around, a process that cul-minated in the redevelopment of the last two decades. Further downtown, THOMAS CIRCLE began its existence as a dilapidated area with small wood-frame structures gracing its edges, Williams writes. Largely unnoticed by the general population of Wash-ington, the area was virtually non-existent and uninhabited until the Civil War. In 1879, a statue honoring Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas — who was responsible for the Union’s vic-tory at Mill Springs in Kentucky — was unveiled in a ceremony featur-ing the area’s newly acquired elec-tricity. The image of Thomas on his horse and the elegant landscape of the sculpted gardens were illumi-nated by an array of electric lights, powered by a 13th Street saw mill. Two blocks northwest along Massachusetts Avenue NW is SCOTT CIRCLE. Situated at the edge of the L’Enfant city, the circle was named for Gen. Winfield Scott, a Mexican-American War hero who also fought in the Civil War. The circle’s original statue of Gen. Scott on a horse was unveiled in 1874, according to Williams. Though Scott rode a mare into battle, his family wanted his horse in the stat-ue depicted as a stallion. During the 1870s, a number of high-ranking government officials resided around Scott Circle, includ-ing Secretary of the Treasury Wil-liam Windom and Washington Post founder Stilson Hutchins. While living at Scott Circle, Hutchins

donated funds to add a statue of fel-low New Hampshire native Daniel Webster to the circle. Webster had a long and illustri-ous career on Washington. He was a senator, a two-time secretary of state, and the defender of the right of his alma mater — Dartmouth College — to remain a private insti-tution instead of a state-owned school in the landmark 1819 Supreme Court case of Dartmouth College v. Woodward. In 1898, Hutchins got congressional approv-al for the creation of Webster’s stat-ue, which was unveiled two years

later atop a patch of grass next to Scott Circle.

Also just off to the side of Scott Circle is a statue of Samuel Hahnemann — the German

physician who developed homeopa-thy and discovered the “Law of Similars.” The discovery revealed that diseases can be cured by drugs that produce similar symptoms when injected into humans.

The creation of Hahnemann’s statue was quite controversial. According to Williams, some did not want to memorialize Hahne-mann in the nation’s capital because he was not American and had never visited the United States. Continuing along Massachusetts Avenue, the original Pacific Circle was renamed in 1882 for yet anoth-er high-ranking Civil War official: Samuel Francis Dupont, an admiral in the U.S. Navy. Williams writes that in 1922, Dupont’s family decided to move the bronze statue to a park in their hometown of Wilmington, Del., and donated funds to create a marble fountain in Dupont’s honor to serve as a replacement. Though the neighborhood sur-rounding DUPONT CIRCLE was originally established by upper-mid-dle-class Victorians, by the 1960s the area had transformed into a haven for the counterculture move-ment, with a number of protest marches taking place at the circle itself. On May 6, 1971, Vietnam War protesters blocked traffic holding

D.C.’s iconic traffic circles inspire debates about diversity

brian kapur/the currentDupont and Logan circles are named for Civil War heroes; the fountain at Chevy Chase Circle, below, honors avowed racist Francis Newlands.

See Circles/Page Re22

The CurrenT ■ Fall real esTaTe Guide 2015 Wednesday, sepTember 16, 2015 RE21

hovering above the central island. High-end appliances here include a Fisher & Paykel fridge, and a Bosch cooktop and dishwasher.

The attached sitting area is a cozy space anchored by a granite-surround fireplace with a direct vent. A television could be placed directly above the fireplace, and a couch or other seating would make this a natural spot to lounge.

The first floor also includes a half-bath, a coat room and, down a few stairs, entry to a one-car garage. The exterior door of that garage is made of aluminum and frosted glass, contributing to the contempo-rary facade.

Upstairs are the home’s four bedrooms, each of nearly identical size. The master suite is enlarged, though, by its hallway entrance, pri-vate bathroom, walk-in closet and a nook that would be ideal for a bureau. The bathroom here show-cases marble countertops and wall tiles, double sinks and a line of win-dows high enough to provide priva-cy. The shower is enclosed with fra-meless glass.

A second full bathroom on this level comes with a deep tub with a patterned white porcelain tile back-

drop. Outdoors, the property features

manicured landscaping in its vari-ous yard spaces, at the front, back and side of the home. The backyard is a fenced area with a terrace immediately behind the kitchen, and a tiered higher level with grass that could be transformed into a garden.

Indoors again, the home’s lowest level effectively functions as an English basement, with a separate side entrance, a large room that could be closed off as a bedroom, and a private full bath.

Though the house is located along a quiet, wooded stretch of McKinley Street, it’s also within walking distance of a number of amenities.

Just a few blocks away is Chevy Chase’s main drag of restaurants and shops along Connecticut Ave-nue NW, and Broad Branch Market and Lafayette Elementary School are around the corner.

Located at 3411 McKinley St. NW, this listing with four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths is priced at $1,900,000. For more information, contact Sally McLuckie of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 202-297-0300 or [email protected].

MCKINLEY: Modern styleFrom Page RE4

tion, cited Georgetown as a notable example in Northwest.

“From a real estate perspective, I think it’s always good to have lots of beds and heads, and Georgetown having a university and a hospital is a great healthy indicator for a real estate market,” said Daley. “The neighbors may not love it, but the university is always going to be there and that’s going to retain a demand for housing there.”

Joe Himali, principal broker for Best Address Real Estate, said the effects of a popular institution are most likely to be negative in an otherwise quiet part of the city, but even there properties will be in demand — as long as they’re buff-ered from direct impacts.

“If you’re right on the target, right on the bull’s-eye, you’re prob-ably not loving it,” said Himali, cit-ing examples such as the main entrance to the National Zoo or a main gate to American University. But after a couple of blocks, he said, “you’ve got the positives but not the negatives.”

Those positives can include the side benefits of living near a large institution. “When there’s major employment, it brings the restau-rants and the dry cleaners and other amenities that people enjoy,” Himali said.

In some cases, he said, a Realtor can also guide a buyer who has unrealistic expectations of peace and quiet. “You said you wanted to be within two blocks of Metro — hello, this is what it’s like to live

two blocks from Metro,” he said. Realtors said some institutions, such as a nearby embassy, are rare-ly even relevant. “I probably wouldn’t even mention it,” said Des Marais. “It’s not an amenity to somebody — an amenity is some-thing they could use.” Himali said that the embassy-rich area of Sheridan-Kalorama has an appeal that extends beyond the advantages and disadvantages of having a large foreign mission presence, except perhaps for some cachet benefiting the neighbor-hood’s condos. He also noted that a relatively high number of homes there aren’t the owners’ primary residences. Realtors also said one factor that’s kept some unpleasant impacts from influencing property values in Northwest D.C. is that demand often exceeds supply for the most desirable neighborhoods, Daley said, citing the Atlantic Plumbing apartment project at 8th and V streets NW that’s within sight of Howard University Hospi-tal. “I would think in a static kind of market people would say, ‘Do I really want to live next to a hospi-tal?’” said Daley. “But the market is so hot and so aggressive, they want to be in these neighborhoods, and if it’s not ideal, that’s OK.” On the other hand, even if the market cools, emerging neighbor-hoods are more likely to feel the pain than long-established ones, he said. “Georgetown is Georgetown,” Daley said. “Those are things that are never going to change.”

INSTITUTIONS: Effects mixedFrom Page RE1


cardboard signs with the words: “Traffic courtesy of Richard Nixon” scrawled in black ink. As Williams describes, protesters camped out at Dupont Circle, sleeping on the grass around the fountain until police officers came to arrest them. Other protests supported reduc-ing workplace discrimination for those who were openly homosexu-al. On Jan. 22, 1978, gay rights activists Frank Kameny and Jim Zais led a candlelit march up Con-necticut Avenue NW to protest Florida Citrus Commission spokes-person Anita Bryant — an activist against gay rights issues — and her appearance before the National Religious Broadcasters Convention at the Hilton Hotel. Though the Dupont protesters were peaceful, confrontations with police were fre-quent, and properties surrounding the circle were often destroyed or damaged in conflicts with the authorities. Williams credits residents’ civic involvement with revitalizing the area surrounding the circle in recent decades, but even amid the chang-es, the Dupont neighborhood has remained home to one of the largest gay communities in the city. This June, nearly every store window displayed a rainbow flag when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage rights. Perhaps the most controversial monument in the city right now is the Newlands Memorial Fountain, built in 1933 at CHEVY CHASE CIRCLE. As historian Al Kilborne describes in “Woodley and its Resi-dents,” Francis Newlands was a prominent developer — now known for white supremacist views — who moved to Washington in 1893 with the large fortune he inherited after marrying the daugh-ter of a real estate and silver tycoon. While here, Newlands represented Nevada in both houses of Congress and bought and developed an enor-mous amount of land. Newlands single-handedly creat-ed Chevy Chase by buying a vast portion of land approximately six miles from downtown. Kilborne writes that “Newlands oversaw the

construction of Connecticut Ave-nue” and intended for it to run directly northwest from downtown D.C. to Chevy Chase. However, when a farmer who owned property on the planned route raised the price of his land, Newlands created Chevy Chase Circle — which changed the avenue’s angle to avoid that farmer’s property. Characterized by Kilborne as “the ultimate string puller,” New-lands also supplied funds to create Rock Creek Park — which he hoped would serve as a buffer against the “undesirable elements” he wanted to keep away from white affluence. Additionally, Newlands sponsored a constitutional amend-ment that would strip everyone but white males of the right to vote. In recent years, criticisms of Newlands’ racist stances have led some Chevy Chase residents and community leaders, including sev-eral advisory neighborhood com-missioners, to call for the fountain to be renamed. Breaking tradition from most of the circle’s namesakes, two North-west circles pay homage to the Dis-trict’s true contemporary diversity. In LeDroit Park, the Anna J. Coo-per Circle, which has no statue, was named for an influential black femi-nist. Meanwhile, Juárez Circle in Foggy Bottom features a statue of the 26th president of Mexico, Beni-to Juárez. According to the Historic American Buildings Survey, this statue was given to D.C. as a gift from the Mexican government. At Chevy Chase Circle, as con-troversy over the Newlands memo-rial has continued, suggestions for a new namesake have included Fred-erick Douglass or his son, and Fanny Muriel Jackson Coppin, who was born as a slave and became an educator and civil rights activist. While some are arguing that the iconic statues gracing the District’s traffic circles should be updated to represent more diversity, and that the nation’s capital should not memorialize figures like Newlands, others have noted that those name-sakes accurately reflect the prevail-ing perceptions at the times the memorials were dedicated. Chang-ing them, they claim, would be attempting to rewrite history.

CIRCLES: Diversity and historyFrom Page RE20

Los Angeles, too, takes a differ-ent approach to closing a deal. There, what D.C. Realtors call “set-tlement” is dubbed “escrow,” and it doesn’t involve a face-to-face meet-ing like it does here. “It was a very, very unique and different way to do business. And I didn’t like it at first,” said Ty Hre-ben of Beasley Real Estate, who transitioned from D.C. to L.A. and then back again. “Now, coming back … sometimes it’s a little jar-ring because I’m thinking, why do we need to do this?” Hreben also noted a couple other major differences between Los Angeles and Washington real estate: pools and schools. Pools are more desirable out West because their year-round use makes them less extraneous. And while good schools are a driver in many markets, many well-off Angelenos prioritize prox-imity to their chosen private institu-

tion, rather than a public school. “Particularly in those higher brackets, it’s all about the private school where the kids are going to go,” he said. “Just because of the traffic being so bad in L.A., they would want to be closer.” Downing said while Floridians might OK Formica, they wiggle less on outdoor amenities that mat-ter less in Washington. “I’ve never been convinced that a pool home in the D.C. area really affected the value. You know, because some people look at a pool as a hassle,” he said. “Whereas in Florida, when you want a pool, you want a pool.” In D.C. as anywhere, most everything comes down to price. Hreben says L.A. isn’t much more expensive, but New York, Hampton Roads and St. Petersburg can be distinctly different. Carter said the “range of prices at the high end in New York are staggering.” The curbed.com website notes that New York’s top price record was

smashed at the end of 2014 by a penthouse that went for $100.5 mil-lion, while The Washington Post puts D.C.’s highest 2014/2015 sale thus far at a paltry $16.1 million (not counting the $20 million Pat-terson Mansion, which a developer is converting into furnished rental “micro-unit” apartments). Meanwhile, comparing the Nor-folk area to Washington, Reiver says the latter is “almost double the price.” And Downing notes that houses in his part of Florida can be had for $50,000. “It’s a great market for, I think, investors to come in and buy a house. … If you have $100,000, you can buy something and renovate it.” Does it all add up to an easier or harder job elsewhere? Depends. But one thing’s for sure: Moving out of a city has its perks. “I haven’t gotten a parking ticket since I’ve been down here,” Down-ing said of Florida. “Whereas D.C. if I’m getting one a week it’s good.”

REALTORS: Agents see differences with other marketsFrom Page RE10

With relatively few houses and condos available — 713 across D.C. as of yesterday morning, according to Sitrin — buyers should be prepared to move quickly when they find a property that appeals to them, and to be patient if someone else is faster still, Realtors said. “Given that inventory’s low, three to nine months is not a long [wait] time for someone coming into the market wanting something specific,” said Tom Daley of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. “Inevitably almost every buyer starts a little slow and misses one or two deals, and by the third or fourth deal they’re more competitive than I am.”

Sellers, meanwhile, should be sure to invest in staging their homes and should price them for upward bidding. “The majori-ty of houses are selling in less than two weeks, so if it’s sitting there more than the norm it’s one of two things — price or condi-tion,” Daley said. While all of the Realtors interviewed for this article were confident in the strength of the current market in D.C., opinions were mixed as to whether demand might ease a bit in the coming months and years. One con-cern cited was a potential rise in interest rates, which have stayed comfortably below 5 percent of late; Des Marais also said there’s sometimes uncertainty around presidential elections that makes some people put off

buying a home in D.C. Keene Taylor Jr. with the Taylor Agostino Group at Long & Foster Real Estate expects to see values grow at roughly 5 to 7 percent per year — generally in line with historical norms over the past 30 years, rather than the explosive pace seen in recent years. “That’s a very safe, sustainable, prudent rate of increase for everybody, so that’s a good thing,” he said. And in the near future, Taylor said even the most sought-after homes may stay closer to their original listing price: “I don’t think the large bid-ups that we saw in the spring are as likely to occur this fall.” Lindsay Reishman, D.C. region president for Compass in Dupont Circle, said he sees

the status quo changing only when supply outpaces demand — which he does not expect anytime soon, at least not in close-in walkable neighborhoods. “So far everything that gets built seems to have a home,” he said. “People want to live downtown. D.C. just keeps getting better and better, and neighborhoods continue to have more and more to offer that helps to support the prices going up.” Daley said the market remains strong all across Northwest. “Everything seems to be on fire,” he said. “There doesn’t seem to be a neighborhood that people don’t want to get to.” Staff writer Chris Kain contributed to this report.

MARKET: Local Realtors see continued high demand, tight inventory in NorthwestFrom Page RE1


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McLean Gardens, DC $399,900

Brett West 202.744.0576

This large, sunny 1-bedroom #UrbanCastle fea-tures sharp updates throughout AND 2nd story loft. Easy access to retail; nightlife.


Our 2015 Top Producers

Marjorie Dick Stuart240-731-8079

Michael Seay; PresidentW.C. & A.N. Miller A Long & Foster Co.202.362.1300 (O)301.980.1939 (C)

Becky Harris301-792-4010

Cleveland Park, DC Under ContractClassic Cleveland Park bungalow w/3 BRs plus loft/bedroom with cathedral ceilings, skylights, huge open kitchen, original woodwork, lovely front porch, back deck & patio and off street parking.

Bethesda, DC SOLDSold and listed in Sumner Village, a hidden treasure in the Washington area of unique apartment buildings on 28 acres. Close to Crescent Trail & Shops at Sumner. Becky is resident & realtor of Sumner Village.

Alexandria, VA $889,900Classic Colonial features an open floor plan w/2 story foyer, 9’+ ceilings, front porch, 5 BRs, 4.5 BAs, stone FP, granite countertops, maple cabinetry, hwd flooring, huge MBR w/sitting area, large basement & 2 car garage.

Spring Valley, DC $1,825,000Renovated by Jim Gibson, House expanded with Complete Basement, Terrific Floor Plan, Center Island Kitchen/Breakfast & Family Room, Incredible Master Suite, 5/6 Bedrooms, 5 full & 2 half Baths, Lower Level Theater/Media Area

Capitol Hill, DC $1,099,000Bright & spacious 3 BR, 2.5 BA home, with an ideal blend of modern amenities and historic charm. Original hwd floors & trim throughout, 2 FPs, a gourmet kit, generous backyard w/pkg.

Derwood, MD SOLDBeautiful 4BR/3.5BA Colonial in Derwood Station on quiet Cul-de-Sac. Renovated kit w/granite, SS, HWFs, w-t-w carpet, DR, family room w/FP den/study, built-ins, skylights, recessed lights, sep laundry room, full basement w/wet bar, workshop, deck. 2 car attached garage.

Silvana & Alex Dias202-258-8256

Benjamin Tessler202-494-3111

Sina Mollaan202-270-7462

Kathy Purchase202-441-8850

Fall re 09 16 2015

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Transcript of Fall re 09 16 2015