Are these H St. NE / Capitol Hill houses priced appropriately?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This [expanding a townhouse to two condos] won't even make a dent in housing density. I wouldn't pay almost million bucks to share a building. You are severely restricted with what you can do with it. Either way to each his own. Not my cup of tea at all, but whatever floats your boat.

In one sense, yes, adding a single unit doesn't change the overall density of the neighborhood or city. But on that lot, it literally doubles the density. Bit by bit....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot off the press! 4br/2.5ba Wardman for $875k. Original woodwork, gorgeous sunroom. I like that the kitchen is dated enough that I wouldn't feel wasteful redoing it to my taste (which isn't the standard flipper white/gray), but it's in good enough condition that I could live with it as is for years to come. At least one of the bedrooms is ridiculously tiny (a twin bed barely fits in the picture), but having a full attic makes up for it. I don't think I've ever seen an attic like this in a Wardman. I can't tell if the radiators are still functional or a decorative holdover, but I would keep them forever. The one main downside to this house is that it's right on K St, and there's a lot of traffic in this area.

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/327-K-St-NE-20002/home/9892477

That actually looks really good.

So, okay, everyone. Tell me what's wrong about this. (Just know that if you tell me that all the wood is dark and gloomy, I will ignore you. Well, not ignore you, but I'll know that your tastes and mine are very different.)

There aren't any photos of the backyard which make me wonder why not? Parking looks like a nightmare. The attic and its tiny staircase are adorable!

[Anonymous]

I just noticed that there's no AC. Any idea how much that costs to add to a rowhome?

[Anonymous]

K Street is pretty busy, so the location isn’t fantastic. But that’s a great house. We added central air to our very similar rowhouse a few blocks away and it cost around 11k 8 years ago. Worth every penny!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot off the press! 4br/2.5ba Wardman for $875k. Original woodwork, gorgeous sunroom. I like that the kitchen is dated enough that I wouldn't feel wasteful redoing it to my taste (which isn't the standard flipper white/gray), but it's in good enough condition that I could live with it as is for years to come. At least one of the bedrooms is ridiculously tiny (a twin bed barely fits in the picture), but having a full attic makes up for it. I don't think I've ever seen an attic like this in a Wardman. I can't tell if the radiators are still functional or a decorative holdover, but I would keep them forever. The one main downside to this house is that it's right on K St, and there's a lot of traffic in this area.

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/327-K-St-NE-20002/home/9892477

That actually looks really good.

So, okay, everyone. Tell me what's wrong about this. (Just know that if you tell me that all the wood is dark and gloomy, I will ignore you. Well, not ignore you, but I'll know that your tastes and mine are very different.)

The kitchen seems like maybe it was done cheaply, just judging from the photos.
Some of the other finishes seem like they were not done with an eye toward higher-income buyers (like the light fixtures in the basement). Also, I'm pretty sure it does not currently have central air, so if I were to buy it I would want to install a high-velocity system for sure.

Still, it seems like a pretty good deal in the current market. Similar houses have gone for $950-$1 million in the vicinity for the last year or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot off the press! 4br/2.5ba Wardman for $875k. Original woodwork, gorgeous sunroom. I like that the kitchen is dated enough that I wouldn't feel wasteful redoing it to my taste (which isn't the standard flipper white/gray), but it's in good enough condition that I could live with it as is for years to come. At least one of the bedrooms is ridiculously tiny (a twin bed barely fits in the picture), but having a full attic makes up for it. I don't think I've ever seen an attic like this in a Wardman. I can't tell if the radiators are still functional or a decorative holdover, but I would keep them forever. The one main downside to this house is that it's right on K St, and there's a lot of traffic in this area.

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/327-K-St-NE-20002/home/9892477

That actually looks really good.

So, okay, everyone. Tell me what's wrong about this. (Just know that if you tell me that all the wood is dark and gloomy, I will ignore you. Well, not ignore you, but I'll know that your tastes and mine are very different.)

There aren't any photos of the backyard which make me wonder why not? Parking looks like a nightmare. The attic and its tiny staircase are adorable!

It has a deep backyard, but it abuts the Ava apartment building, so I don't think there is alley access or parking.

I live in the neighborhood and do not find street parking difficult at all. It may be different as you get closer to the newer apartment buildings, but I don't think this is as big a negative as many people would make it out to be.

[Anonymous]

Woah, so this 4 bd/3.5 bath house in the heart of the NE Hill (zoned for/right across the street from L-T) has been listed for 2 months and come down 20% (250K): https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/649-Morris-Pl-NE-20002/home/9898629. Under $1 million now? I wonder what's wrong with it or if they just got screwed by a greedy realtor originally asking $1.25 (which seems super high).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this thread mostly focuses on row homes, but this condo conversion has me very interested in other opinions:

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/1000-I-St-NE-20002/unit-1/home/171993771?utm_medium=share&utm_source=web_share&utm_campaign=copy

Looks a bit unusual, as I think the building is divided into a front and back unit (both four stories), instead of upper and lower. Based on the property details, it looks like the layout is:

- Terrace level: MIL suite (1 bed, 1 full bath, plus sitting room, separate entry)
- Main floor: living room, kitchen, 1/2 bath
- Second floor: 2 bedrooms, 1 full bath, laundry
- Third floor: Master suite with full bath, roof deck

So 4 bed, 3.5 bath, with roof deck, two entrances, and parking. That is a lot of stuff for 900k in that neighborhood! But the square footage is only 1800 and the photos don't appear to show the master suite? The description is for the entire building, which I think was on the market until the other unit sold separately, so it doesn't really help explain.

Has anyone been in this one who can clarify? I can't figure out if this is a deal or overpriced or just a weird anomaly.

I have so many issues with people that turn rowhouses into condos.

1. Why?
2. They want $899k which is comparable with what you can get for a SFH. It is not like it is much cheaper than a house you can own free and clear.
3. Looks like they added an ugly pop up on the back of the original home.
4. Since it is a condo you have to pay $248 in HOA fees. Also because it appears to be only 2 units I guarantee you will get f****d on an HOA board or whatever they do.

The entire point of buying a condo is because you can own something in a high-rise downtown with some decent community amenities. This completely defeats the purpose of a condo.

Hard disagree. I don't always like the condo conversions, but higher density housing is good. And this seems like a prime target for a conversion, because the original townhouse was really big (even before the pop-up, looks like close to 3000 square feet, which is huge for this neighborhood. Plus, since it's an end unit, you have the option of creating a side entrance for the back unit, which I think is what they did.

And in the end, you get two sizable homes (close to 2000 sq ft apiece), with parking and outdoor space, both for less than a million. That's a huge win for families looking for a place to live, it's good for the local schools. It seems like a win all around. This feels like a really good conversion and I kind of like that they went with the front/back configuration rather than top/bottom because when you do the latter, the bottom unit is basically a terrace apartment with some additional space and that just seems less appealing to me. This way they both have roof access and finished basements. It's about as close to a row home as you can get in one of these, and for 200k less than you'd probably pay if this was a SFH.

Oh, and those condo fees are absurdly low and likely just cover trash, water, and some building maintenance. A condo in a big downtown building will often carry fees of 1-2k because you are paying for door men, pools, exercise rooms, elevator maintenance, etc. This is going to be much lower maintenance and negotiating with on other owner doesn't sound that bad to me. You could actually spread some of the responsibility around.

Anyway, I haven't been in this one but I like it a lot more than a lot of the "condo alternatives" I see in this thread for nearly as much money and half the space.

Ok, but what happens when things go beyond "some building maintenance," like a new roof or new HVAC or whatever? Those low condo fees are going to leave you in a world of trouble, and then there's the good chance that the other person/people living in the building will not be agreeable. No thanks.

I live in a condo conversion with very low fees, and the way it works for us is that we all made a "capital investment" into the escrow fund when we bought in the building. I'm in a three unit conversion, and I think we all put up 3k when we bought (it's been a while). So we started out with almost 10k in the condo fund and have never touched that. We actually raised fees a very small amount (about $20/mo per unit) a few years ago so that we could hire a landscaper to come out three times a year and do clean up, planting, etc.

My experience has been really good. I like that when we do have maintenance issues, the cost is allocated across multiple households, so it never feels particularly onerous. We had to replace part of the roof membrane a couple years back, but insurance paid for most of it (wind damage). And HVAC would be covered by individual owners because we all have a separate HVAC unit. We did get a deal from our maintenance guy because he can service all three at once, so he cut a percentage off his annual maintenance fee. We actually worked out a similar deal with some house cleaners -- all three units hired the same service, so they gave us a 15% discount since they can do them all on the same day and it saves them a ton on travel time.

You could get a terrible co-owner. But in a building with only one or two other owners, people usually seem pretty invested in getting along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woah, so this 4 bd/3.5 bath house in the heart of the NE Hill (zoned for/right across the street from L-T) has been listed for 2 months and come down 20% (250K): https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/649-Morris-Pl-NE-20002/home/9898629. Under $1 million now? I wonder what's wrong with it or if they just got screwed by a greedy realtor originally asking $1.25 (which seems super high).

$1 million for 1582 sqft still seems a like a lot.

Also, I'm not sure whether being right across from L-T is a feature or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woah, so this 4 bd/3.5 bath house in the heart of the NE Hill (zoned for/right across the street from L-T) has been listed for 2 months and come down 20% (250K): https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/649-Morris-Pl-NE-20002/home/9898629. Under $1 million now? I wonder what's wrong with it or if they just got screwed by a greedy realtor originally asking $1.25 (which seems super high).

$1 million for 1582 sqft still seems a like a lot.

Also, I'm not sure whether being right across from L-T is a feature or not.

I commented up thread. This house was perfect for me back when I started looking but 1.25 was absurd given that similar homes with an in-law suite were listed as 1.05 to 1.17. Bedrooms are tiny (should really be a 3 bedroom) but otherwise a good house. I really think the list price did them in. If anything they should pull and relist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woah, so this 4 bd/3.5 bath house in the heart of the NE Hill (zoned for/right across the street from L-T) has been listed for 2 months and come down 20% (250K): https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/649-Morris-Pl-NE-20002/home/9898629. Under $1 million now? I wonder what's wrong with it or if they just got screwed by a greedy realtor originally asking $1.25 (which seems super high).

$1 million for 1582 sqft still seems a like a lot.

Also, I'm not sure whether being right across from L-T is a feature or not.

1582 sq ft isn’t counting the English basement; most Hill houses list that sq footage. It’s the same 2200-2500 sq ft house as every other Hill rowhouse, just on the 2200 end of that spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woah, so this 4 bd/3.5 bath house in the heart of the NE Hill (zoned for/right across the street from L-T) has been listed for 2 months and come down 20% (250K): https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/649-Morris-Pl-NE-20002/home/9898629. Under $1 million now? I wonder what's wrong with it or if they just got screwed by a greedy realtor originally asking $1.25 (which seems super high).

$1 million for 1582 sqft still seems a like a lot.

Also, I'm not sure whether being right across from L-T is a feature or not.

So, I was just describing the school zone/location there, because both matter a lot on the Hill. Macro location is a big plus. Steps to the WF block of H. Close to Union Station. Pretty close (<20 min to both Eastern Market and Union Market). Micro location is... eh. It’s not a great block. Lots of shady characters hanging out and smoking pot right opposite the school gates recently. But the park means tons of sunlight and the excellent playground should be attractive for families. Also, the fact it’s opposite a school means you will get police response if anything too and goes down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woah, so this 4 bd/3.5 bath house in the heart of the NE Hill (zoned for/right across the street from L-T) has been listed for 2 months and come down 20% (250K): https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/649-Morris-Pl-NE-20002/home/9898629. Under $1 million now? I wonder what's wrong with it or if they just got screwed by a greedy realtor originally asking $1.25 (which seems super high).

$1 million for 1582 sqft still seems a like a lot.

Also, I'm not sure whether being right across from L-T is a feature or not.

So, I was just describing the school zone/location there, because both matter a lot on the Hill. Macro location is a big plus. Steps to the WF block of H. Close to Union Station. Pretty close (<20 min to both Eastern Market and Union Market). Micro location is... eh. It’s not a great block. Lots of shady characters hanging out and smoking pot right opposite the school gates recently. But the park means tons of sunlight and the excellent playground should be attractive for families. Also, the fact it’s opposite a school means you will get police response if anything too and goes down.

I live a block away, I haven't noticed anything about that block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot off the press! 4br/2.5ba Wardman for $875k. Original woodwork, gorgeous sunroom. I like that the kitchen is dated enough that I wouldn't feel wasteful redoing it to my taste (which isn't the standard flipper white/gray), but it's in good enough condition that I could live with it as is for years to come. At least one of the bedrooms is ridiculously tiny (a twin bed barely fits in the picture), but having a full attic makes up for it. I don't think I've ever seen an attic like this in a Wardman. I can't tell if the radiators are still functional or a decorative holdover, but I would keep them forever. The one main downside to this house is that it's right on K St, and there's a lot of traffic in this area.

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/327-K-St-NE-20002/home/9892477

That actually looks really good.

So, okay, everyone. Tell me what's wrong about this. (Just know that if you tell me that all the wood is dark and gloomy, I will ignore you. Well, not ignore you, but I'll know that your tastes and mine are very different.)

There aren't any photos of the backyard which make me wonder why not? Parking looks like a nightmare. The attic and its tiny staircase are adorable!

It has a deep backyard, but it abuts the Ava apartment building, so I don't think there is alley access or parking.

I live in the neighborhood and do not find street parking difficult at all. It may be different as you get closer to the newer apartment buildings, but I don't think this is as big a negative as many people would make it out to be.

Street parking in this neighborhood really is block by block. If you don't mind having to circle and walk 4-5 blocks, sure, you should always be able to find parking eventually. This house in particular is in a not ideal location. It's on a part of K Street that had parking removed to create a bike lane, and it's next to two wildly popular restaurants, which means constant visitors taking up available spots (when they bother to park at all instead of putting on their hazard blinkers in the middle of the road). Although there doesn't appear to be a parking pad, the alley on that block is quite large, so you could probably get away with temporarily parking in it long enough to run in groceries or whatever.

FWIW, the front of the house looks really really nice (walked by but didn't tour, so no intel on the back yard status). If I didn't already live in the neighborhood, I'd seriously consider putting in an offer. I think it will go over list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woah, so this 4 bd/3.5 bath house in the heart of the NE Hill (zoned for/right across the street from L-T) has been listed for 2 months and come down 20% (250K): https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/649-Morris-Pl-NE-20002/home/9898629. Under $1 million now? I wonder what's wrong with it or if they just got screwed by a greedy realtor originally asking $1.25 (which seems super high).

$1 million for 1582 sqft still seems a like a lot.

Also, I'm not sure whether being right across from L-T is a feature or not.

So, I was just describing the school zone/location there, because both matter a lot on the Hill. Macro location is a big plus. Steps to the WF block of H. Close to Union Station. Pretty close (<20 min to both Eastern Market and Union Market). Micro location is... eh. It’s not a great block. Lots of shady characters hanging out and smoking pot right opposite the school gates recently. But the park means tons of sunlight and the excellent playground should be attractive for families. Also, the fact it’s opposite a school means you will get police response if anything too and goes down.

I live a block away, I haven't noticed anything about that block.

Really? You haven't noticed the big group of guys who hang out right in front of the playground gates smoking pot? Check it out at 6 pmish on a Friday. It's gotten a little better again now that the playground is more in use. As I said, I think the school location will stop it from ever becoming a big issue (police will step in), but it's definitely a minor QoL issue for residents of the street.