Would you buy on H Street?

[Anonymous]

As a DINK would you buy on H Street? There are a lot of condos available and relatively cheap (compared to U Street or Shaw or Logan Circle or Dupont).

I'm finding 3 bedrooms for less than the price of a much smaller 2 bedroom in my current neighborhood. o.O

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1301-H-St-NE-PH-7-Washington-DC-20002/2085949120_zpid/

[Anonymous]

As a DINK, definitely. It's a fun neighborhood that is close to transit. The schools are meh, so we left when our kids got to school age. If we didn't have kids, we would still live there.

[Anonymous]

I prefer to be closer to the metro. Also 13th and H is pretty close to the high-crime starburst intersection, and there aren't walkable amenties like parks that close by 13th and H. But if those things aren't important to you, and you like the extra space, sure!

[Anonymous]

Yes! That’s a good price.

[Anonymous]

I would visit and walk around on a weeknight at around 9pm and see what you think.

[Anonymous]

I recently bought a rowhouse in the vicinity. It's a fantastic neighborhood and it's only getting better. There is a lot of new residential construction planned for the Union Market area, and much of it is condos, so I could see that keeping appreciation for condos down slightly. But, on the flip side, you're starting from a lower base than in other hot parts of the city, so you're probably relatively protected value-wise. The amenities are really pretty great, as is the proximity to downtown.

I disagree with PP that in-bound schools are all bad, at least at the elementary and middle school level. Proximity to the Capitol Hill cluster also means more reasonable lottery options. High school is more up in the air, but that's still a long way off for us.

I'd buy again here in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently bought a rowhouse in the vicinity. It's a fantastic neighborhood and it's only getting better. There is a lot of new residential construction planned for the Union Market area, and much of it is condos, so I could see that keeping appreciation for condos down slightly. But, on the flip side, you're starting from a lower base than in other hot parts of the city, so you're probably relatively protected value-wise. The amenities are really pretty great, as is the proximity to downtown.

I disagree with PP that in-bound schools are all bad, at least at the elementary and middle school level. Proximity to the Capitol Hill cluster also means more reasonable lottery options. High school is more up in the air, but that's still a long way off for us.

I'd buy again here in a heartbeat.

Nobody should buy counting on lotterying in to a Hill school. That said, I'd have 0 qualms about sending a kid to Miner (likely zoned school for that address) for a few years at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently bought a rowhouse in the vicinity. It's a fantastic neighborhood and it's only getting better. There is a lot of new residential construction planned for the Union Market area, and much of it is condos, so I could see that keeping appreciation for condos down slightly. But, on the flip side, you're starting from a lower base than in other hot parts of the city, so you're probably relatively protected value-wise. The amenities are really pretty great, as is the proximity to downtown.

I disagree with PP that in-bound schools are all bad, at least at the elementary and middle school level. Proximity to the Capitol Hill cluster also means more reasonable lottery options. High school is more up in the air, but that's still a long way off for us.

I'd buy again here in a heartbeat.

Any links? The only thing I'm seeing is the Market right near Union Market but its basically a 1,000 apartments not condos. :-/

[Anonymous]

We were once DINKS living on the H Street corridor and LOVED it! Were able to buy a really cute TH within walking distance to the metro and it was fun to see all the new restaurants and amenities pop up. I'd pass on a condo because they don't appreciate at the same rate as a SFH/TH, but to each their own. Another consideration is that you may decide to hold on to the property when you transition out of dink-hood and turn it into an income property -- you'll have a lot more restrictions in a condo and may be unable to do it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were once DINKS living on the H Street corridor and LOVED it! Were able to buy a really cute TH within walking distance to the metro and it was fun to see all the new restaurants and amenities pop up. I'd pass on a condo because they don't appreciate at the same rate as a SFH/TH, but to each their own. Another consideration is that you may decide to hold on to the property when you transition out of dink-hood and turn it into an income property -- you'll have a lot more restrictions in a condo and may be unable to do it at all.

Did you keep your TH?

[Anonymous]

We rented for a few years before selling. You can avoid paying capital gains on the appreciation of the property if its your primary residence 2 out of the last 5 years. Rented it out at a profit until we bumped up against that deadline, sold it for a nice profit and didn't have to pay taxes on the difference between what we paid and what we sold it for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were once DINKS living on the H Street corridor and LOVED it! Were able to buy a really cute TH within walking distance to the metro and it was fun to see all the new restaurants and amenities pop up. I'd pass on a condo because they don't appreciate at the same rate as a SFH/TH, but to each their own. Another consideration is that you may decide to hold on to the property when you transition out of dink-hood and turn it into an income property -- you'll have a lot more restrictions in a condo and may be unable to do it at all.

Did you keep your TH?

Sorry - this was in response to your question: We rented for a few years before selling. You can avoid paying capital gains on the appreciation of the property if its your primary residence 2 out of the last 5 years. Rented it out at a profit until we bumped up against that deadline, sold it for a nice profit and didn't have to pay taxes on the difference between what we paid and what we sold it for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently bought a rowhouse in the vicinity. It's a fantastic neighborhood and it's only getting better. There is a lot of new residential construction planned for the Union Market area, and much of it is condos, so I could see that keeping appreciation for condos down slightly. But, on the flip side, you're starting from a lower base than in other hot parts of the city, so you're probably relatively protected value-wise. The amenities are really pretty great, as is the proximity to downtown.

I disagree with PP that in-bound schools are all bad, at least at the elementary and middle school level. Proximity to the Capitol Hill cluster also means more reasonable lottery options. High school is more up in the air, but that's still a long way off for us.

I'd buy again here in a heartbeat.

Any links? The only thing I'm seeing is the Market right near Union Market but its basically a 1,000 apartments not condos. :-/

Here's the most recent rundown of what's coming that I've seen. Still more apartments than condos, but quite a lot of both.

https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/rooftop-tennis-and-deafspace-design-the-union-market-rundown/15028

[Anonymous]

Not at 13th and H. Lower numbers, as a DINK, probably.

[Anonymous]

^^and I lived six blocks east of Union Station in grad school, absolutely loved it, rarely felt unsafe. But 13th and H is too close to random crap for my liking. We have friends who live not far from there and the DW has been across the street from two random shootings not far apart. No, thanks.