Michael Brown and Jim Graham want to drive the wealthy out of the city.

[Anonymous]

I do not think you are right. CC/DC is not more expensive. Check the prices. The houses south of Western Avenue tend to be less expensive than those north of Western Avenue. Check the stats. There obviously are some terrific houses in CC/DC, and some very nice large ones on Rittenhouse and Runnymede in particular. But the average house is simply more expensive in CC/MD, particularly CC Village, Town of CC, etc. First, public school, even at the high school level, is a real option in CC/Md. BCC has the IB program and has become an even better school that it used to be. Second, the govt services are better in CC/Md (trash services, snow removal, etc). One might question whether paying an extra $100K for a house makes sense, especially if private school is the chosen route. Third, I think the ho

[Anonymous]

Third, the Md houses tend to be larger, though there obviously are many exceptions, both ways.

[Anonymous]

LEt's not forget that businesses are no longer setting up shop in DC. Yes lobbying and law firms are still here but most of the consulting firms and other businesses are setting up shop in the burbs. I live in DC and drive out to Tysons and I'm surprised by the number of DC residents who do this "reverse" commute. There are enough to make it a real slow drive. Besides the high cost of rent in DC, DC is hostile to business, high taxes, draconian anti-business laws etc. In general these jobs tend to be the highest earning jobs, why live in DC is Tysons or Arlington is going to be your new HQ? It's easy to drive in to the city during the weekends and then go back to your neighborhood with good schools, low taxes, low crime. The city should be doing all it can to attract people not make them want to live outside. I'm surprised how short-sighted Michael Brown (who lives in CC-DC) is, considering how this will affect his neighbors. DC politicians, once again demonstrating why the District is the laughing stock of this tri-state region.

[Anonymous]

It is clear that dc is desirable to business. Check out the disparity in commercial rental rates.

Not only are people willing to pay a premium for homes but businesses are willing to pay a premium price per square foot as well.

Whatever your politics, the markets do not lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is clear that dc is desirable to business. Check out the disparity in commercial rental rates.

Wow. You must know nothing about how business or rents operate. You are not very business savvy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is clear that dc is desirable to business. Check out the disparity in commercial rental rates.

Not only are people willing to pay a premium for homes but businesses are willing to pay a premium price per square foot as well.

Whatever your politics, the markets do not lie.

There is no real premium for residential homes in DC. Bethesda, CC and parts of Potomac in Md and McLean are extremely expensive. As for commercial real estate, the premium is simply based on the fact that certain businesses, such as law firms, lobbying shops, trade associations, feel they must be in DC. Most businesses have no reason to be in DC. The tremendous growth in this region over the last 20 years has been in the burbs and distant burbs, not DC. DC, of course, has done better than most cities, but DC has not seen the tremendous growth seen in the burbs. Most businesses are not willing to pay a premium to be somewhere. In fact, the opposite. Real estate is a cost. Many Fortune 500 companies have left the big cities. NYC used to have many corporate headquarters. Now, it has few, except for the financial institutions. This region has attracted several large corporations in recent years, such as Hilton, SAIC and other big defense contractors. None of them, however, have set up shop in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is clear that dc is desirable to business. Check out the disparity in commercial rental rates.

Not only are people willing to pay a premium for homes but businesses are willing to pay a premium price per square foot as well.

Whatever your politics, the markets do not lie.

There is no real premium for residential homes in DC. Bethesda, CC and parts of Potomac in Md and McLean are extremely expensive. As for commercial real estate, the premium is simply based on the fact that certain businesses, such as law firms, lobbying shops, trade associations, feel they must be in DC. Most businesses have no reason to be in DC. The tremendous growth in this region over the last 20 years has been in the burbs and distant burbs, not DC. DC, of course, has done better than most cities, but DC has not seen the tremendous growth seen in the burbs. Most businesses are not willing to pay a premium to be somewhere. In fact, the opposite. Real estate is a cost. Many Fortune 500 companies have left the big cities. NYC used to have many corporate headquarters. Now, it has few, except for the financial institutions. This region has attracted several large corporations in recent years, such as Hilton, SAIC and other big defense contractors. None of them, however, have set up shop in DC.

1. There is a premium price per foot in DC. If you compare the same square footage in Georgetown and McLean and the same lot size, you know it's true. Sure, houses in McLean and Potomac are expensive, but do you know what 1/2 acre goes for in Georgetown? Do you know how many houses you would have to demolish to get it? And see what a 5,000 ft house goes for in a nice neighborhood in DC. Tell me that's the same as an equivalent home in Potomac. If you think the prices are the same, you are not comparing apples to apples.

2. DC's commercial real estate prices are higher than the suburbs. It is just a fact. It is also a fact that commercial rental rates in the district have gone up, bucking the national trend. If there is no reason to be in the district, then these companies would have to be morons to pay more when they could go to the suburbs. As for the comment that most businesses don't want to pay a premium, sure. But the District doesn't have enough land to serve "most" businesses. The only way to meet your definition of success is to annex a neighboring county. But given that its vacancy rate is lower than any neighboring jurisdiction, it's pretty clear that it has more than enough takers for what it is selling. If vacancies were double that of NoVA, you might have a point. But they aren't.

[Anonymous]

I would argue that the snow removal and trash removal services in DC are comparable or better than Montgomery County, at least during "snowmageddon", when I could get anywhere around DC, but had trouble getting to/around Chevy Chase and Bethesda. Forget the subdivisions in Potomac etc, they were a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is clear that dc is desirable to business. Check out the disparity in commercial rental rates.

Not only are people willing to pay a premium for homes but businesses are willing to pay a premium price per square foot as well.

Whatever your politics, the markets do not lie.

There is no real premium for residential homes in DC. Bethesda, CC and parts of Potomac in Md and McLean are extremely expensive. As for commercial real estate, the premium is simply based on the fact that certain businesses, such as law firms, lobbying shops, trade associations, feel they must be in DC. Most businesses have no reason to be in DC. The tremendous growth in this region over the last 20 years has been in the burbs and distant burbs, not DC. DC, of course, has done better than most cities, but DC has not seen the tremendous growth seen in the burbs. Most businesses are not willing to pay a premium to be somewhere. In fact, the opposite. Real estate is a cost. Many Fortune 500 companies have left the big cities. NYC used to have many corporate headquarters. Now, it has few, except for the financial institutions. This region has attracted several large corporations in recent years, such as Hilton, SAIC and other big defense contractors. None of them, however, have set up shop in DC.

1. There is a premium price per foot in DC. If you compare the same square footage in Georgetown and McLean and the same lot size, you know it's true. Sure, houses in McLean and Potomac are expensive, but do you know what 1/2 acre goes for in Georgetown? Do you know how many houses you would have to demolish to get it? And see what a 5,000 ft house goes for in a nice neighborhood in DC. Tell me that's the same as an equivalent home in Potomac. If you think the prices are the same, you are not comparing apples to apples.

2. DC's commercial real estate prices are higher than the suburbs. It is just a fact. It is also a fact that commercial rental rates in the district have gone up, bucking the national trend. If there is no reason to be in the district, then these companies would have to be morons to pay more when they could go to the suburbs. As for the comment that most businesses don't want to pay a premium, sure. But the District doesn't have enough land to serve "most" businesses. The only way to meet your definition of success is to annex a neighboring county. But given that its vacancy rate is lower than any neighboring jurisdiction, it's pretty clear that it has more than enough takers for what it is selling. If vacancies were double that of NoVA, you might have a point. But they aren't.

And there you make our point. While lobbyists and other firms that need very close access to DC are still downtown the firms that higher a lot more people (consultants) are all in the burbs. More people are now seeing their workplace being moved out of DC to NoVa. Add the hostile attitude of DC towards business (highest business taxes, redundant regulations, slow moving govt etc) DC is less and less an attractive. I see many DC plates out in Tysons because KPMG or PW moved them out there. People want to live close to work. Couple that with horrible schools and well we have a slow bleed. DC should be doing all it can to ATTRACT new residents. Getting rid of Fenty wasn't a good start.

[Anonymous]

Guess who is forcing up the price of office space in DC? Yep it's not the private sector it's the government. Crowding out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/17/AR2010101702501.html?wprss=rss_metro/dc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Guess who is forcing up the price of office space in DC? Yep it's not the private sector it's the government. Crowding out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/17/AR2010101702501.html?wprss=rss_metro/dc

Doesn't matter. The private sector is still renting at the same prices. That means they value the location enough to pay an extra $10-12 per foot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is clear that dc is desirable to business. Check out the disparity in commercial rental rates.

Not only are people willing to pay a premium for homes but businesses are willing to pay a premium price per square foot as well.

Whatever your politics, the markets do not lie.

There is no real premium for residential homes in DC. Bethesda, CC and parts of Potomac in Md and McLean are extremely expensive. As for commercial real estate, the premium is simply based on the fact that certain businesses, such as law firms, lobbying shops, trade associations, feel they must be in DC. Most businesses have no reason to be in DC. The tremendous growth in this region over the last 20 years has been in the burbs and distant burbs, not DC. DC, of course, has done better than most cities, but DC has not seen the tremendous growth seen in the burbs. Most businesses are not willing to pay a premium to be somewhere. In fact, the opposite. Real estate is a cost. Many Fortune 500 companies have left the big cities. NYC used to have many corporate headquarters. Now, it has few, except for the financial institutions. This region has attracted several large corporations in recent years, such as Hilton, SAIC and other big defense contractors. None of them, however, have set up shop in DC.

1. There is a premium price per foot in DC. If you compare the same square footage in Georgetown and McLean and the same lot size, you know it's true. Sure, houses in McLean and Potomac are expensive, but do you know what 1/2 acre goes for in Georgetown? Do you know how many houses you would have to demolish to get it? And see what a 5,000 ft house goes for in a nice neighborhood in DC. Tell me that's the same as an equivalent home in Potomac. If you think the prices are the same, you are not comparing apples to apples.

2. DC's commercial real estate prices are higher than the suburbs. It is just a fact. It is also a fact that commercial rental rates in the district have gone up, bucking the national trend. If there is no reason to be in the district, then these companies would have to be morons to pay more when they could go to the suburbs. As for the comment that most businesses don't want to pay a premium, sure. But the District doesn't have enough land to serve "most" businesses. The only way to meet your definition of success is to annex a neighboring county. But given that its vacancy rate is lower than any neighboring jurisdiction, it's pretty clear that it has more than enough takers for what it is selling. If vacancies were double that of NoVA, you might have a point. But they aren't.

And there you make our point. While lobbyists and other firms that need very close access to DC are still downtown the firms that higher a lot more people (consultants) are all in the burbs. More people are now seeing their workplace being moved out of DC to NoVa. Add the hostile attitude of DC towards business (highest business taxes, redundant regulations, slow moving govt etc) DC is less and less an attractive. I see many DC plates out in Tysons because KPMG or PW moved them out there. People want to live close to work. Couple that with horrible schools and well we have a slow bleed. DC should be doing all it can to ATTRACT new residents. Getting rid of Fenty wasn't a good start.

I can see that McKinsey, Deloitte, KPMG all have offices in the District.