The D.C. Neighborhood Spotlight provides the geographic location, location of shops and restaurants, public services, and real estate statistics for a specific neighborhood.

Georgetown, founded in 1751 by George Beall and George Gordon, is situated at the farthest point upstream ocean-going boats could navigate the Potomac River, and it grew as a trade port for goods being transferred to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. 200-year old buildings, cobblestone streets, and Georgetown University provide the neighborhood with an old-world charm. Specialty shops, boutiques, cafes, and some national chains make up most of Wisconsin Avenue NW and M Street NW. Georgetown housing consists of mostly beautiful row houses and some apartments in the form of English basements.

Location: North of the Potomac River; East of Palisades; South of Glover Park; West of Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle

Shops and Restaurants:Along Wisconsin Avenue NW and M Street NW

Neighborhood Services and Info

• Zip Codes: 2007
• Post Office: 3050 K Street NW (202-523-2405)
• Library: 24th and L Streets NW (202-724-8707)
• Public High Schools: School Without Walls (2130 G Street NW 202-724-4889); Duke Ellington School of the Arts (1698 35th Street NW 202-292-0123)
• Public Transportation: Metrorail (Foggy Bottom-GWU on the Blue and Orange Line at 23rd and I Street NW); Metrobus (30-36 Pennsylvania and Wisconsin Avenues, D1/D2 and D6 Q Street NW, G2 P Street NW for Westbound and O Street NW for Eastbound.)  
• Police Station: Second District Headquarters (3320 Idaho Avenue NW 202-282-0070)
• Ward: 2
• Website: www.georgetowndc.com

Georgetown Real Estate Statistics:

[February 07, 2007]

*DOMP=Days a property has been on the market.

Data gathered from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems and reflects statistics for properties only listed in the MLS

To learn more about DC Real Estate Stats read, ‘How to Use DC Real Estate Stats to Understand the Current Market.’

*All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed

Check out the local and national real estate trends and headlines that made the news this week.

The real estate headlines from the Washington Post, RealEstateJournal.com, CNN Money, and Bankrate.com dove into the following topics: appraisal trends, benefits of homeownership, property tax assesments, pending home sales, discounts on brand-new homes, sea-based living, $510 Million Trailer Park, and agent interview questions.

Washington Post

Appraisers Under Pressure to Inflate Values discusses the increasing trend of pressuring appraisers to over value properties in order for real estate deals to go through.

Tax Rules Vary in Sale of Rental Property is the last article in Benny Kass’ six-part series on the tax advantages of homeownership.

Dread on Arrival points out that property tax assesments are not always bad news. Many Washingtonians will open their property tax assessment notice to find they will owe less on property taxes as a result of the market correction. 

RealEstateJournal.com

Pending Home Sales Jump 4.9% in December credits the largst gain in over three years to one of the warmest Decembers on record in the midwest and northeast and favorable interest rates.

A Web Surfer’s Guide to Finding Discounts on Brand-New Homes outlines three ways to get the best deal on a new construction home:

1. Start with builder websites like Ryan Homes, Centex, and. Toll Brothers
2. Use new-home listing aggregators like Real Living and New Home Guide
3. Browse by keyword like “new home discounts”

CNN Money

Ocean Real Estate: The Next Big Boom? discusses the possibility of sea-based living in the future.

A $510 Million Trailer Park Cashes Out explains how residents of a Florida trailer are now millionaires on paper.

Bankrate

8 Questions to Ask Home Listing Agents provides sellers with interview questons for propspective agents:

1. Are you full-time or part-time?
2. How long have you been practicing?
3. What percentage of the homes have sold?
4. How will you find me buyers?
5. How accesible are you?
6. What awards have you won?
7. What geographical areas do you cover?
8. What’s your average market time?

To view more real estate news making local and national headlines, visit the Real Estate News page of the DC Real Estate Guide.

“As with any decision, people should use their resources.”

A real estate transaction is a transaction of choices: the selection of an agent, an asking price, an offer amount, etc. The choices I have selected to discuss today include the selection of a title company and a lender. With thousands of lender options and a handfull of title companies here in the Washington, DC area, what title company and lender should you use? 

As with any decision, people should use their resources. Your real estate agent, if chosen wisely, can be the best resource for all of your real estate needs. From painters to lenders and settlement companies, real estate agents know what companies are dedicated to great service. They know good and bad service professionals because they deal with real estate transactions on a daily basis.

Lender

“Let your real estate agent know that you are in need of a lender, and they will gladly refer you to a trustworthy company with pretty good rates.”

Let your real estate agent know that you are in need of a lender, and they will gladly refer you to a trustworthy company with pretty good rates. As with anything in life, if the rates are too good to be true, they probably are not a reliable lender. Imagine all parties sitting at the settlement table, and the purchaser, who has used an online lender,  does not have the funds because the online lender dropped the ball. The deal is in danger of falling through. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you think.

If the purchaser has used a referred lender, the agent can speak to them directly if a problem arises. Because they have an established relationship, the referred lender will be more likely to jump through hoops if need be. A random lender or broker might not, and an online lender definately won’t.

I just closed on a real estate transaction last week and referred a great lender for the transaction, Greg Mullan of Bank of America. I knew I could count on him, and he would be a phone call away if a problem arose. By the way, Greg can be reached at (703) 914-7819 for any lending questions, and he can process loans all over the U.S.

Title Company

As with choosing a lender, purchasers in Washington, DC have the right to select the title company. Again, your agent will suggest some settlement companies they have been happy with in the past. I have used RGS Title, Settlement Pros, and Edmund J. Flynn (co-ops) in the past, and I have been very happy with the level of service they provided.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, working with companies and service professionals your agent suggests will increase the likeliness of a smooth and succesfull real estate transaction because all parties know everybody else will pull their weight. Real estate agents cannot receive referral fees from other service professionals because its illegal, so they refer people to them because of their dedication to great service.

Check out the local and national real estate trends and headlines that made the news this week.

The real estate headlines from the Washington Post, RealEstateJournal.com, CNN Money, and Bankrate.com dove into the following topics: Loudan County single-sale record, stricter lending practices, calculating tax on home sales, cancellation rates, pricey home markets, the changing demographics of homebuyers, easy upgrades appealing to homebuyers, and flipping.   

Washington Post

A Thoroughbred of a Price discusses the record-breaking sale of the Llangollen Farm in western Loudon County for a whopping $22 Million.

Stricter Standards Sought for Lenders, Brokers outlines the top priority of the House Financial Services Commitee this year:

“Enacting a nation wide lending-standards law designed to protect consumers from deceptive, unfair, and predatory lending practices.”

Complexity Adds Up in Figuring Tax on Home Sales is the fourth article in Benny Kass’ series on the tax advantages of homeownership.

RealEstateJournal.com

Builders Look for Housing to Recover in 2007 predicts that the cancellation rates (homebuyers backing out of sales contracts and forfeiting their down payment) should steady of by the 2nd quarter in 2007.

The Year of Listing Patiently points out that pricey homes (over $5 Million) also experienced a slow year.

CNN Money

Real Estate: Who’s Buying Now reveals the changing demographic of the average home buyer according to the National Association of Realtors

Small Projects That Payoff Big outlines five indoor upgrades ranging from easy to moderate designed to make your home more appealing to buyers:

• Tile the Floor
• Paint the Kitchen Cabinets
• Build Bookshelves
• Replace the Dining Room Overhead Fixture
• Add Glass Shower Doors

Bankrate

‘Flipping’ is Not Always a Dirty Word explains how the concept of flipping a house received the negative connotation it carries today.

*To view more real estate news making local and national headlines, please visit the Real Estate News page of The DC Real Estate Guide

If you are about to close on the sale or purchase of your property, you will need to let the utility companies know when you need the utilities transferred. If you don’t do this (from a sellers perspective), you will be paying for another parties utilities and your own. If you don’t do this (from a purchasers prospective), your utilities will get turned off once the sellers stop paying for their old utilities. So, when and how should do you transfer your utilities in Washington, D.C?

“When Shoud I Transfer the Utilities?” 

In Washington, D.C., you should transfer the utilities into or out of your name (for the purchase or sale respectively) on the date of settlement unless you plan on a rent back. A rent back being when the purchaser has allowed the seller to remain on the property for a specified amount of time after settlement, which is normally less than a week. If this is the case, have the utilities switched over on the day that the rent back ends (when the sellers move out.)

“How do I Transfer the Utilities?”

The three utilities you have to transfer include:

• Gas
• Electricity
• Water

Keep in mind, that owners of a condominium or a cooperative sometimes have some or all of their utilities included in the condo/coop fee. Your real estate agent or the property management company/coop board will have this information for you.

Click on the links below to the corresponding utility to request utility transfers online.  

Gas

Washington Gas

For purchasers: Washington Gas

For Sellers: Washington Gas

Electricity

Pepco

Water

DC Water and Sewage Authority

Note: If you don’t want to bother with the different utility companies, White Fence, offers a service for a premium that allows you to do it all from their site.

The D.C. Neighborhood Spotlight provides the geographic location, location of shops and restaurants, public services, and real estate statistics for a specific neighborhood.

Originally known as Jenkins Hill, Capitol Hill is the home of The US Capitol Building, The Supreme Court, and The Library of Congress. Located within walking distance to five metro stations (Union Station-Red Line, Capitol South-Blue and Orange Lines, Eastern Market-Blue and Orange Lines, and Stadium-Armory-Blue and Orange Lines,) residents have quick, affordable access to the rest of the city. Eastern Market, one of the cities only remaining public markets, can be found at 7th Street and North Carolina Avenue SE. It has been in continuous operation since 1873, and its Market Lunch boasts the best crab cakes in DC. Most of the 19th and 20th century townhouses located  “on the hill” are just steps from one of the many corner shops found here.

Location: East of the US Capitol Building; South of the H Street Corridor; North of the Washington Navy Yard and Southwest/Southeast Freeway; West of the Anacostia River

Shops and Restaurants: Union Station on Massachusetts Avenue; Pennsylvania and 8th Street SE

Neighborhood Services and Info

• Zip Codes: 20002, 20003
• Post Office: Postal Square (2 Massachusetts Avenue NE); Southeast Station (7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE); Union Station Shops  
• Library: Northeast (330 7th Street NE 202-698-3298); Southeast (403 7th Street SE 202-698-3377)
• Public High Schools: Eastern (1700 East Capitol Street NE 202-698-4500
• Public Transportation:
• Police Station:First District Substation (5th and E Streets SE 202-727-4660
• Ward:6
• Website: http://www.capitolhill.org

Capitol Hill Real Estate Statistics:

[January 24, 2007]

*DOMP=Days a property has been on the market.

Data gathered from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems and reflects statistics for properties only listed in the MLS

To learn more about DC Real Estate Stats read, ‘How to Use DC Real Estate Stats to Understand the Current Market.’

*All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed

Have you ever mulled over stacks of color options only to realize you picked the wrong color several coats too late for that room in your place? I have a hard time putting on matching socks in the morning, let alone picking out the color scheme of a room. Not to worry, there is a paint preview tool I learned about through the RealCentralVA blog designed help people preview what rooms would look like with thousands of different colors. Visit the Personal Color Viewer on the Benjamin Moore site to upload photos of your rooms and apply paint schemes that will help prevent you from making those mistakes before its too late.

Check out the local and national real estate trends and headlines that made the news this week.

The real estate headlines from the Washington Post, RealEstateJournal.com, CNN Money, and Bankrate.com dove into the following topics: D.C. planning commission, new appraisal models, 2007 market forecast and gauging housing trends, the risk of candles in homes, second-home markets, winter preparedness, and tips for successful closings.

Washington Post

A New DC Planning Commission May Just Trigger More Turf Battles discusses the creation of a citizen-based D.C. planning commission to take care of certain parts of the city not controlled by the federal government.

Traditional Appraisers in High-Tech Battle compares the traditional method of appraising (interior and exterior inspections, market conditions, and the recent selling prices of comparable prices) with the contoversial Automated Valuation Model, also know as AVM’s, which pools vast quantities of public information about properties to appraise them.

RealEstateJournal.com

Sales of New and Existing Homes Will Continue their Slide in 2007 discusses some theories on the ramifications of investors puling out of the housing market.

Rising Use of Candles in Homes Fuels Safety Concerns weighs in on what the National Fire Protection Association is doing to prevent house fires from the use of candles

CNNMoney.com

Second-Home Markets:Where People are Buying Overseas lists the top seven up-and-coming second-homes markets in the world:

1. The Bay Islands of Honduras
2. Belize
3. Panama
4. South coast of Mexico
5. Croatia
6. Languedoc, France
7. Turkey

Preparing your Home for Big Breezes provides readers with 4 ways to protect homes from cold weather

1. Know whats covered
2. Protect your pipes
3. Get the right de-icer 
4. Prepare your car

Condo Prices Reveal Housing Trends discusses how comparing condo prices might be the best way to gauge the direction of the housing market.

Bankrate.com

Secrets to Simultaneous Real Estate Closings provides readers with 5 tips for success closings:

1. Specify terms
2. Select date carefully
3. Have a plan B
4. Be an early bird
5. Line up your money

To view more real estate news making local and national headlines, click here

One of my favorite aspects of Washington, D.C. real estate is the variety of housing styles found all over the city. The hard part is being able to identify these styles by their name, so I searched high and low for definitions, characteristics, and examples of many of the housing styles that influence the real estate in our nation’s capital.

Georgian

A symmetrical 2 or 3 story brick house with typically five windows across the the second story. Georgian House Example

Federal

Slightly more decorative than the Georgian style, the Federal style offers more swags, garlands, and elliptical windows. They often have a decorative crown or roof over the front door, and many of them have a palladian window on the second story above the front door or directly above the door. Federal House Example

Craftsman

A simple house with overhanging eaves, low-slung gabled roof, and front porches framed by pedestal-like tapered columns. Stucco, wood, and stone are often used as materials. Craftsman House Example

Cape Cod

A square or rectangular house with one or one and a half stories, a steep roof, and clapboard siding or brick. They often have dormers and shutters. Cape Cod Example

Colonial

A rectangular symmetrical house with a center hall and bedrooms on the second floor. The windows are usually double hung and have equally sized panes of glass. They often feature double or single wings with garage. Colonial House Example

Victorian

A Victorian house often has three stories, round or octagonal towers, and a wraparound porch. The style incorporates brackets, spindles, and patterned shingles. Victorian House Example

Queen Anne

A house typically with steep crossed-gabled roofs, vertical windows and towers. Multiple porches, balconies, and chimneys with ornate trim are also characteristic of this style. Queen Anne House Example

Rambler

A single story house with all living areas on the same level. The style is commonly known as the ranch style. Rambler House Example

Contemporary

Odd size, large windows, and multiple building materials are often characteristics of this style. Contemporary House Example

High Rise Condominium

A multi-story building with elevator access to units. High Rise Condominium Example

Low Rise Condominium

A cluster of attached units in buildings four stories or less. Low Rise Condo Example

Split Level

A style where the first floor is built about halfway between the basement and the second floor, with the second floor being directly above the basement. Split Level House Example

Townhouse

A house in a row of dwellings sharing common walls. They are also known as row houses. Townhouse Example

Conclusion

Washington, D.C. is a beautiful city, and its properties are no different. If you find yourself bored on a sunny day, get out there and see if you can identify some of the styles that influence D.C. properties. Hint: some houses might have multiple answers.

The D.C. Neighborhood Spotlight provides the geographic location, location of shops and restaurants, public services, and real estate statistics for a specific neighborhood.

Brookland, named after the Colonel Jehiel Brooks family estate, is known for all of the religious institutions that surround it. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (shown above,) Catholic University, Trinity College, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center surround this Northeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood. Served by the Brookland-CUA Metrorail Station, residents are only a 10-minute ride downtown. Col. Brooks’ Tavern and Kelly’s Ellis Island Pub offer residents a place to grab a drink and a bite to eat, and 12th Street NE provides the neighborhood with a strip of pharmacies, hardware stores and eateries. Architecturally, Brookland has every style found in D.C., including Victorians, bungalows, Queen Annes, and Georgians.

Location:North of Eckington; East of Catholic University; South of Michigan Park; West of Mount Rainier, MD

Shops and Restaurants:Along 12th Street NE and Monroe Street NE

Neighborhood Services and Info

• Zip Codes: 20017 and 20018
• Post Office:Brookland Station (12th and Monroe NE)
• Library: Woodridge Regional Library (18th St and Rhode Island Avenue NE)
• Public High Schools: Moore Academy (1001 Monroe St NE)
• Public Transportation:Metrorail (Brookland-CUA Station off of Michigan Avenue;) Metrobus (H2-H6 serving Michigan Avenue; R4 Serving Michigan Avenue; G8 serving Monroe Street)
• Police Station: Fifth District Headquarters 1805 Bladensburg Road NE (202) 576-7005
• Ward:5
• Website: Historic Brookland

Brookland Real Estate Statistics:

[January 16, 2007]

*DOMP=Days a property has been on the market.

Data gathered from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems and reflects statistics for properties only listed in the MLS

To learn more about DC Real Estate Stats read, ‘How to Use DC Real Estate Stats to Understand the Current Market.’

*All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed