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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

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. [/quote]

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.

[b]Oh, and those condo fees are absurdly low and likely just cover trash, water, and some building maintenance.[/b] 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.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

Those things have a warranty under DC law, generally 3-10 years. [/quote]

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