Archive for July, 2008
July 8, 2008
Image: Bloomingdale Farmers Market. Photo credit: Bloomingdale blog.
Recent Sweet Digs Posts
Loudoun County: 594
NW DC: Forest Hills “Bargain”
Monday: Mind Your Manors
July 8, 2008
I’ve posted several times since mid-spring that I could see that the market was beginning to move again. Foreclosures were being snapped up and properties that looked good and were priced right were selling within a matter of days. At times, I’m sure I sounded like I thought wishing it would make it so. But it’s obvious to me now that I wasn’t imagining things, and the proof is in the number 594.
There is no hidden meaning to 594; it’s the number of properties on the market in Leesburg’s 20176 zip as of today. But it’s significant because that number reached as high as 656 in May and stayed in that range for at least a month. I’ve been watching the zips I cover (20147, 20148, 20176) carefully since March (checking at least every other day), and mostly what I saw was that the numbers would drop after the weekend but then spike up past the previous Friday’s number by Thursday. Some weeks, there was no drop after the weekend at all. For a while, it seemed like one house would find a buyer, but three more properties for sale would take its place. Over the past few weeks, I’ve watched the numbers steadily decline but have waited to post my findings because I didn’t want to jump the gun. The fact that the numbers continue to go down even in July, which is typically one of the worst months to sell a home, is telling to me. I’m sure some of the decline is attributable to sellers taking their homes off the market, but I spend a lot of time driving around Eastern Loudoun and have been heartened by the number of “Sold” signs I’ve seen. Regardless of the reason(s), fewer properties on the market in Eastern Loudoun is definitely not a bad thing.
Just because I’ve focused on 20176 doesn’t mean that 20147 and 20148 also aren’t doing better. I found the decline in 20176 to be more noteworthy because 20176 has 2 to 3 times as many houses on the market as either of the other zips, the drop in properties for sale was more dramatic, and 20176 hadn’t been performing as well as the other 2 zips in terms of days on market and number of properties sold. I’m going to be analyzing sales stats next week for all 3 zips, and I’ll be interested to see how each performed. Be sure to check back.
Image: Aerial view of Leesburg. Photo courtesy of Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association.
July 7, 2008
Forest Hills, DC, means suburban-style living in the middle of the city. Nestled between Rock Creek Park and Connecticut Ave NW, north of Van Ness St, this is a place of large lawns, some winding streets, older and newer/rebuilt homes, the occasional embassy, and gently rolling terrain. Unlike most real suburbs, however, it has sidewalks, and you only have the illusion of being away from it all.
So, with all these assets, what can you get for under $1 million? Nothing. The average list price is closer to $2 million.
But I did spot one potential “bargain” out there. For $1.15 million you can grab this 1952, 5-bed/4.5 bath rambler at 4421 Linnean Ave NW. It is the cheapest house on the market in this neighborhood, with a woodsy location and maybe (??) decent bones. It was reduced by $200,000 in June and originally hit the market in December at almost $1.6 million.
The listing photos for this house are humorous. The first 14 of them show mostly trees. Then you’ll see a room with several windows overlooking those trees. By the way, this is Linnean Avenue, the dead-end portion of Linnean Drive that shoots off of Albemarle St. The house is at the end of the street, where forest pathways lead into Soapstone Valley, which leads to Rock Creek Park. The property is selling “as is” and has been on the market for more than 200 days.
For any Forest Hills renovation, beware: keeping up with the Jones’ in this neighborhood is no small undertaking. For example, Jones Family #1 might be buying the modern luxury home pictured below.
Located on the cul-de-sac of 2800 Chesterfield Pl NW, this architectural stand-out is surrounded by other equally interesting modern homes. It has 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths, over 400 windows, large spaces, goji screens and a gym. It is on a large property that backs to Broadbranch Rd, along Rock Creek Park. At $3,895,000 it still seems cheap compared to a couple of other Forest Hills home!
To see something more “moderate” in the Forest Hills mid-range, check out the 6 bed/5 bath Tudor home with a pool, at 4933 30th Pl NW. It is listed at $1,895,000. The location is great for those who need contact with civilization without getting in a car: walk to the famous Politics & Prose book store/cafe, Comet Pizza (brick-oven, thin-crust pies and ping-pong), CVS and several other handy places. Walk also to St. Paul’s nursery school, Auguste Montessori, and three public schools: Murch Elementary, Deal Junior High, and Woodrow Wilson High.
On the schools issue, I know that many of the kids in Forest Hills and surrounding areas go to private schools. But many local children also go to the public schools, especially at the elementary level where parent involvement is very high. I know people who love Murch, and I know people who think Deal and Wilson are “good” although they often give caveats.
Whatever you have heard, if schools are an important part of your choice in a neighborhood, then talk to local parents (try contacting the PTA) and visit potential schools before making any major decision. Don’t just go by assumptions and general statistics. You may be surprised.
Cheers,
Allison
July 7, 2008
Each Monday, I’ll be featuring a standout property from a different zip code. Some weeks, it might be a standout purely because of its price; other weeks, it might be the architecture, lot, or interior decorating that catches my eye. Whatever my reason might be, I hope my fellow real estate junkies will enjoy having a peek inside some of these homes, even if it’s purely for entertainment purposes.
This week’s property is in North Arlington (zip: 22207), and I couldn’t have asked for a better property to kick off this series with. Not only does it feature a hefty price tag ($8.85 million), it is also noteworthy because of the eye-catching architecture (floor-to-ceiling windows, clean lines, beautiful archways), and spectacular views (the MLS comments accurately describe the “cascading rapids” of the Potomac). The house comprises 12,124 square feet and sits on almost 2 acres of waterfront land.
It’s located at 407 Chain Bridge Rd. and is only 10 minutes from DC. It’s been on the market since July 2007, and the price was reduced once (from $9.5 million). Be sure to check out the virtual tour, because the views are absolutely breathtaking. Happy viewing!
Recent Sweet Digs Posts
DC Links
Dulles Rail: Why Is Everybody Always Picking on Me?
Penn Quarter Wow: Impress Your Friends
Image: Sunrise on the Potomac, Arlington shore opposite Roosevelt Island. (Photo credit and description: Arlington Daily Photo)
July 4, 2008
- This editorial makes some credible points about Falls Church’s growth potential, even in the face of the current market correction. [Falls Church News Press]
- DCMud has a nice little interview with the architect who designed Senate Square in Capitol Hill and Onyx on First near the baseball stadium. (Link courtesy of The Triangle.)
- This WashingtonPost.com article should spell relief for home sellers who want to give a boost to a stale listing.
- Instead of letting foreclosures take charge of the County (a la Prince William), Fairfax County is attempting to take charge of the foreclosures. [Examiner.com]
- Pres. Bush broke ground in Bethesda for the new military medical center that will replace the tarnished Walter Reed. [Newsday]
Image: Aerial view of Falls Church.
Recent Sweet Digs Posts
Loudoun County Open Houses: 7/5 & 7/6
Loudoun County: Fourth Festivities
Fun with Fireworks
What You Get for the Money (Capitol Hill)
July 4, 2008
Due to the holiday weekend, the open house selection is fairly sparse. I’ve pulled out a few that are noteworthy, but click on the zip code to get the full list for each area.
20147
This property in Ashburn Farm is the least expensive single family home open this weekend.
20520 Deerwatch Pl
Price: $439,900
4 bd/2.5 ba; sq. ft. unavailable
Open: Sat. 7/5 from 12 to 3
20148
Brambleton is featuring both the least expensive (a condo) and the most expensive (a McMansion on more than 1/3 of an acre) open houses of the week.
Image: Part of Brambleton’s appeal is its newly built Town Center, which includes a state-of-the-art movie theatre. (Photo credit: Loudoun Times)
22664 Blue Elder Ter, #104
Price: $179,000
2 bd/2 ba; 848 sq. ft.
Open: Sun. 7/6 from 1 to 4
23077 Oglethorpe Ct
Price: $1,180,000
7 bd/6.5 ba; 7774 sq. ft.
Open: Sun. 7/6 from 1 to 4
20176
The only listed open house in all of 20176 this weekend is in Lansdowne.
43261 Overview Pl
Price: $1,150,000
5 bd/6 ba; Sq. ft. unavailable
Open: Sat. 7/5 & Sun. 7/6 from 1 to 5
July 3, 2008
One thing I love about living in Loudoun is that there is no shortage of fun things to do on the 4th of July. In the mood for a parade? Try Purcellville, Lovettsville, Round Hill or downtown Leesburg. If it’s fireworks you’re after, Leesburg’s show last year rivaled anything I’ve ever seen on the mall in DC (that’s no exaggeration – the show is phenomenal), and I can’t imagine that this year will be any different. Ashburn Village puts on a fireworks show over the waters of Lake Ashburn, and Lansdowne Resort puts on a private show for patrons of its hotel or restaurants.
Image: Leesburg’s 2007 July 4th parade. Photo credit.
For more information about celebrations in Loudoun, click here, here or here. I’ve included a few highlights below (event descriptions were pulled from WashingtonPost.com).
Have a happy and safe Independence Day!
IDA LEE CELEBRATION: A parade down King Street will start at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Ida Lee Park, 50 Ida Lee Dr., Leesburg, and head to Fairfax and South King streets. The Reverend Hookems band and Marna and Macy will perform beginning at 7 p.m. at Ida Lee Park; gates open at 6 p.m. There will be a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. Food will be available for purchase. No pets, glass bottles, personal fireworks or alcohol will be permitted. Free. Information, 703-777-1368; cancellation line, 703-737-7166. http://www.idalee.org.
PURCELLVILLE CELEBRATION: The Pride of Purcellville parade will start at noon tomorrow at Emerick Elementary School, 440 S. Nursery Ave., and end at Loudoun Valley High School, 340 N. Maple Ave. Rides, booths and food will be available for purchase, and there will be entertainment at the high school from 1 to 6 p.m. Free. 540-338-7421. http://www.prideofpurcellville.org. Musical entertainment and Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers from 6:15 to 9 p.m.; fireworks display will start at dusk at Franklin Park, Business Route 7, between Purcellville and Round Hill. $5, per vehicle. 540-338-7603.
OLD-FASHIONED FOURTH: A festival from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow in Sterling will feature nature activities, crafts, face-painting, pony rides, hayrides, games, tours of Lanesville Ordinary and a reptile show at Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Rd. Enter the park at Loudoun Park Lane. Food will be available for purchase. $5 a carload. 571-258-3700.
July 3, 2008
Image: Fireworks over the Potomac. Photo credit.
If you haven’t already made plans for the 4th, be sure to check out WashingtonPost.com’s round-up of festivities. If you’re house hunting, attending events like these in your target neighborhood(s) is a fantastic opportunity to get a feel for the community and your potential neighbors. If you’re interested in DC events in specific neighborhoods, click on the links in the “Blogs We Like” section on the right of this page; they are excellent sources of information for that sort of thing, as well as other goings-on in the areas they cover.
Happy Independence Day!
DC (Partial List; full list here. All event descriptions pulled from the Post.)
NATIONAL ARCHIVES– 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Activities include a presentation of colors by the Continental Color Guard, a performance by the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry (the Old Guard) Fife and Drum Corps, keynote remarks by U.S. Archivist Allen Weinstein, and a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence by Riley Temple of the Foundation for the National Archives. 202-357-5000. Click here for more information, including activities for kids.
SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL– 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Learn about the Kingdom of Bhutan, the 50th anniversary of NASA, and experience the music, food and wine of Texas. Events include art exhibits; performances by musicians, dancers and storytellers; and demonstrations by craftspeople. The Mall, between 7th and 14th streets SW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://www.folklife.si.edu.
FAIRFAX COUNTY
(Partial list; full list here.)
MOUNT VERNON: AN AMERICAN CELEBRATION– Patriotic music by the National Concert Band of America, military reenactments by the First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line, a wreath-laying by the Sons of the American Revolution at Washington’s tomb, where visitors are invited to place a carnation and enjoy Happy Birthday America cake. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Alexandria. $13; seniors, $12; children ages 6-11, $6; children 5 and younger, free. 703-780-2000 or http://www.mountvernon.org.
FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL– Rides, games, an antique car show, live entertainment, crafters, community organizations and food, beginning at 11 a.m. Watch a laser light show with graphic images and music, 9:15 p.m., Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St. SE, Vienna. Free. 703-255-6360. More information is available here.
CELEBRATION AND FIREWORKS– Family fun, featuring games, races, craft activities, bingo, live entertainment and fireworks. Hot dogs, hamburgers, funnel cake and cotton candy for sale. 6:30-10:30 p.m.; fireworks start at 9:30 p.m., Bready Park, adjacent to the Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon. Free admission; parking is also available at Herndon Middle School, 901 Locust St. and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 750 Peachtree St. 703-787-7300. Click here for details.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
(Partial List; full list here.)
GAITHERSBURG BIG BANG WEEKEND– July 3-7. Concerts July 3 and 5-7 at the City Hall Concert Pavilion, 31 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg. Visit http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov for schedule.
ROCKVILLE– 7 p.m. July 4. The Fugitive Brass Quintet, RedLine band and the Rockville Concert Band perform. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Montgomery College Rockville campus, 51 Mannakee St., Rockville. Parking available at all campus parking lots, but expect a wait of up to an hour to exit after the fireworks. Blankets and chairs welcome, but no barbecuing or alcohol permitted. Free. No rain date. 240-314-8620, 240-314-5022 or http://www.rockvillemd.gov/events.
TAKOMA PARK PARADE AND FIREWORKS– 10 a.m. July 4. Takoma Park’s 119th Independence Day celebration begins with a parade at Carroll and Ethan Allan avenues. A concert by Bele Bele Rhythm Collective and the Takoma Park Community Band starts at 7:30 p.m.; fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Takoma Park Middle School, 7611 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 301-270-6876, 301-565-0190 or http://www.takomapark4th.org.
Recent Sweet Digs Posts
NW Reductions of the Week
See Palisades Spirit on 4th of July
July 3, 2008
I looked over all the reductions from the last three days and these Petworth and Columbia Heights homes stood out in terms of the large percentage reduction. They seem to have motivated sellers ….
In Petworth:
3923 New Hampshire Ave NW – $275,000, down from $334,000 – 3 bed/2 bath colonial row house. This is an estate sale that has been sitting for almost a year. It is by far the deepest of 6th reductions, indicating the sellers are ready to offload it. At this price, it is only $101/sqft.
In Columbia Heights:
1113-F Harvard St NW – $479,000, down from $575,000, with 34 days on the market. It is a 2-bed/2.5 bath row house condo built in 1986. The condo fee of $225 does not cover much. Parking at an annual fee of $200.
Also nearby and interesting:
Three units out of four in the fully converted, very nice row house at 1317 Harvard St NW have reduced in price. The reductions are not huge but I really like the high-end renovation so I have included them. Two units have 2 bed/2 bath, and the third describes the second bedroom as a bed/den. They now range in price from $445,000 down to $379,000. Parking sold separately. Monthly fee is under $200. They have been on the market for about 6 weeks.
Cheers,
Allison
Photo: a shadow of my future self, Creative Commons license
July 2, 2008
Forget the fireworks on the Mall. If you live in or near Palisades, the Palisades 4th of July Parade is the place to be for Independence Day. And if you are not from there but missing the feeling of community and small town, then join the fun.
Palisades stretches along the Potomac between Key Bridge and Chain Bridge. Visually, it has charm galore. South of MacArthur Blvd there are Victorian and federal-style frame houses, old farm houses, cottages, and rebuilt arts and crafts houses line small streets. The smaller homes are sadly disappearing and it has become quite expensive. North of MacArthur Blvd are more brick homes and traditional colonials as the area transitions into Kent. Residents can walk to local businesses along MacArthur Blvd.
The one thing I truly don’t like is the frequent airplane noise. It seems incongruous with the sleepy, leafy feel of the place. Some people don’t seem to mind it, so I guess I am more sensitive!
Things to know:
- single family homes range in price from $800,000 – $2,000,000.
- condos along MacArthur Blvd and closer to Foxhall range from $140,000 to $400,000.
- Palisades Citizens Association is nearly 100 years old and has a good Web site.
- Francis Scott Key Elementary School (public) was recently renovated from top to bottom.
- a new Farmer’s Market is open Sundays, 9-1, on 49th Place at U Street.
- go fishing or canoeing at nearby Fletcher’s Boat House.
- good restaurants on MacAurthur Blvd include Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant.
- random trivia: this is where some Washingtonians built their summer homes in the late 19th century.
If you do go to the parade, you might think you’re being transported back to 1962. People line the streets with their lawn chairs. Then anyone, everyone, and their dogs, pass along as part of the parade, from marching bands, to kids pulling wagons, to politicians, and old-time cars.
Bring a cup to collect candy. And don’t miss the Bolivian dancers who bring up the rear, keeping up the energy despite the heat and their heavy costumes. At the end, follow the crowd to Palisades Park for free watermelon and hot dogs, Moon Bounce, and more.
Cheers,
Allison
Photo: Carly&Art, Creative Commons license
