Property Brothers Good Luck Charm?

We watch a lot of home improvement shows. We’ve been watching them for many years. One day my husband clipped a photo of Property Brothers and taped it to the lamp next to where I used to have morning coffee. I didn’t notice it until he brought it to my attention! So when we put our two Capitol Hill condo units up for sale in February, I wanted to keep the token posted for “good luck.” Typically units in our building sell within 60 days but oftentimes immediately because of the proximity to all the congressional buildings. With the first open house, we got a full price offer for one unit, and two more on the other. After two weeks of back and forth discussion about two dogs, the board rejected the potential buyer because of it. We were very disheartened and we lost two weeks of being on the market. The other offers fell through as well because they wanted to rent the unit - which was also rejected. So we were back to square one. We got another offer shortly thereafter for one unit, but the buyer had several contingencies. We decreased the price on the other unit and had an immediate taker. It was a roller coaster ride and we are closing in on the settlement for the second unit. There are still a few hurdles to cross but at least we can see the finish line. It’s hard to believe we put the units on the market mid February, and moved to our new house on April 5. I can’t say the property brothers good luck charm had anything to do with it. But I kept the token just for the heck of it. 

SOLD! In One Day

Real estate is crazy around here. Our son and his family sold their Capitol Hill townhouse in one day - to people who lived across the street. It’s like homes are tracked very closely like vultures looking for prey. It really doesn’t matter what season it is either. Whenever a condo in our building is on the market it is scooped up within the month, but oftentimes within a week. So it wasn’t surprising to see the hoards of potential buyers coming through during the open house two days ago to see a unit on our floor that was just listed. It was non stop traffic. I always watch the listings and turnover on Capitol Hill, and have an even greater interest in our building in the event we ever decide to move. It gives us an idea on pricing and interest. Where there were several links to the property on the internet on Sunday, only two remained yesterday and one of them said the property was no longer listed. I knew it had already sold. So today when I checked on the status it said contract pending. I think the asking price was well below what it could have been, but we are not surprised that it sold in a day. I’m just hoping we get some quiet neighbors. Another unit is going up for sale in the very near future. Both of these vacancies were related to the owners moving to other states. I have a feeling the other one will sell just as quick! 

How About a Garage for $73,000 on the Barracks Row Heritage Trail?

We get the Hill Rag every month to learn about the goings on in the neighborhood. One of the sections we look at is the real estate activity. It is not uncommon to see million dollar plus homes routinely bought and sold on Capitol Hill. But two of the line items this month took us aback and we had to look twice. There were two garages sold on G Street SE to the tune of $70,000 plus each! This was so odd, we needed to actually take a look at where this place was. We understand that parking is a premium around here, but this was outlandish! So we headed on out on our morning walk and took a different path to reach this destination. Walking along G street, you need to turn off on to an alley and wind around to a row of garages in a very odd location. And there they were- two "active" garage spaces with a sign not to block them. It was dreadful walking around there in the daylight. I can only imagine how it must be at night. If the walls could talk, I am certain a lot of interesting things must have happened around here. I think I would prefer reading about it than actually living anywhere near it. I'd love to know who would purchase this space, and why? Any ideas? It's on the Barracks Row Heritage Trail - but there must be more to it. 

Real Estate in the Neighborhood - Sold!

There is a lot of construction going on around us - particularly near Nationals Stadium. When we first moved here, that area was non existent for housing options - not that we were interested.  There was not a large supply of condos anywhere in the neighborhood, and what was available were a few converted apartments. It's worked out well for us but it's hard to believe what we have gone through compared to living in a single family home in the Midwest. There are only a few one bedroom options in our building, a lot of studios, and frequent transient customers. So when one of the larger units on the fifth floor came on the market a week ago, we watched with interest to see if the competitive market of all the new buildings with all the services and modern amenities might hinder the sale of the charming old architecture on Capitol Hill. It takes a peculiar person to want to live in an 1890's building compared to a brand new high rise for a host of reasons. It seems things haven't quite changed when I saw the pending sale notice go up in less than a week. My husband and I have explored other options in and around the neighborhood but can't seem to make a move away from the street we currently call home. I really think it boils down to location and certainly not convenience. But it's nice to know other folks feel the same way. 

The Prettiest House on the Block is up for Sale - Oops! It's Sold!

We knew it was coming. But when we saw the for sale sign go up on Friday, I knew it wouldn't take long - and it didn't. We moved here a few years ago from Wisconsin to live - coincidentally - on the same block as our son, daughter in law and then two year old grandson. It was with a great deal of excitement that on a visit to DC our then pregnant daughter in law showed us the new house they just purchased right before our son was sent off to his first deployment. The neighborhood has changed a lot in the eight years since we moved, and unfortunately will be changing even more when they move on to Virginia, not hardly just down the street. The house was mentioned in Urban Turf, complete with a koi pond out front. It was transformed in to a beautiful place, made only better by the people who lived In it. The house, and our grandson, were the inspiration for some of my art, and the subject and illustrations for my three children's books. My husband was very involved with grandson activities, and was known in the neighborhood as grandpa, not doctor! So when we walked by the sold sign today it was sort of sad, but life goes on. It's always harder for the ones left behind.