Thought on this Congress Heights home

[Anonymous]

I know the neighborhood isn't the best, but my commute to NASA wouldn't be bad. Should I consider this home? Will this area ever change like H street, Trinidad etc.?


https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/217-Atlantic-St-SE-20032/home/10169267

[Anonymous]

Cute, but it’s a flip. Speaking as someone who bought a flip when I was young and clueless, I’d warn you that flippers spend money on cosmetics, not things like systems and insulation that could cost you huge money down the road.

I am generally bullish on DC real estate, but think Congress Heights lacks the proximity and architecture that caused neighborhoods like Shaw and Logan to boom.

[Anonymous]

It’s going to take awhile to turn over. What about the Rt1 corridor?

[Anonymous]

I would much rather live in Cheverly or Hyattsville.

[Anonymous]

And...that is not really Congress Heights. This area is not safe. Visit during the day. I would not advise visiting at night.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think the interior reflects the house. It seems like trendy cheap.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't live there in a million years, but I gotta say, the design is much nicer than most flips.

But yeah, look into Cheverly, Riverdale, Hyattsville, or even Greenbelt.

[Anonymous]

Way too far out to get the kind of ROI you are talking about (using H Street, Trinidad) as a contrast. The appeal of central neighborhoods is that they are very attractive to young professionals in DC. That's what has driven the gentrification in Logan, Shaw, near NE, even Brookland. It's people in their 30s who have money (lawyers, consultants, some feds, other white collar professionals) who want proximity to work and bars/restaurants. They are willing to live in neighborhoods with more crime or mediocre schools because walkability, short commute, and nightlife are bigger sells. Then some stay when they have kids, and the neighborhood starts to look more appealing to families, and it builds from there.

Congress Heights is a suburb. In order to attract that demographic of young professionals with money, you need proximity to their workplaces and places where they like to socialize. CH has neither (car commute in congested area, no nightlife at all nearby. No go.

That house is actually overpriced, TBH.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I should have specified NASA headquarters not Goddard.

Thanks for all the feedback!

[Anonymous]

I live near NASA HQ and know someone who used to live near the place you're looking at. You can look at crime maps--that's one of the areas of DC that has the most gun crime. Not that there isn't any in SW, or Northwest for that matter!

I would not count on much quick appreciation that far from the metro. If you want to live East of the River, I'd look at something like https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/910-Savannah-St-SE-20032/home/10164166 or https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/1922-Valley-Ter-SE-20032/home/10162460, or go into MD like https://www.redfin.com/MD/Hillcrest-Heights/2407-Fairhill-Dr-20746/home/10628675

If you want to live closer to NASA something like this could be great if you can make the co-op fee work https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington-D-C/359-O-St-SW-20024/home/174939986 (it does include property taxes and utilities so that helps, and I bet you can get it for under list). Or there are a lot of 2-bedroom condos and co-ops if that works for you.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, pp!

[Anonymous]

OP here, the house in contingent. Wow!

[Anonymous]

I will say this.

Developers and the city are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into Congress Heights and another billion dollars into Anacostia down the hill.

With what is coming at St E's and throughout that part of the city, in another 5 years, it will look completely different.

I don't think this particular house was worth what it was asking right now, but for the long haul, I don't think these are bad places to look into living.