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

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Those things have a warranty under DC law, generally 3-10 years.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here! I love that people are taking interest in this thread and posting different homes. If I can just make a minor request... I started this thread to focus on affordable (heh, "affordable") homes in this neighborhood, hence why my posts have been in the $700k-$800ish range. I don't mind people posting the $1-$2million homes, but I hate that it's bringing out the typical DCUM bickering. There are already sooo many threads that focus on criticizing neighborhood schools and people's choices about where to live. If we could focus on critiquing the individual homes instead, that would be great LOL.

In that vein....here are a couple of new listings going into the weekend.

2br/1.5ba for $584,000. It's a re-list, but the pics are nice and it's priced lower than a similar one nearby that's an obvious s*show, so I'm not sure what's up here.
https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/933-8th-St-NE-20002/home/9902280

3br/2.5ba for $879,000 two blocks from Lincoln Park:
https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/17-15th-St-SE-20003/home/9917324

Fair enough, OP. The 15th street house is interesting. I think it will go quickly, but isn't it a block away from the 7-11 at Independence? That corner has issues. It also seems priced close to where it sold in 2017... Looks nice though and the outdoor space is great.

Anonymous wrote:How about this one ? 12th and G St Northeast at 1.3 mi: https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/1231-G-St-NE-20002/home/10173981?utm_source=ios_share&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=text&utm_nooverride=1&utm_content=link

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2BR, 2.BA, 2000 sf, $790k:
https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/823-12th-St-NE-20002/home/9909727

That seems strangely reasonably priced for the square footage. And while some of it is dated, it doesn’t scream teardown, either. I have a hard time figuring out the layout, though, and I can’t see any pictures of the basement; a virtual tour of this one would be useful.

Thoughts?

I don't like when these super skinny houses get pop-ups. I know it feels like an easy way to add square footage, but it makes for a very odd living experience. It looks like this on has a bedroom on the second and third floors, with a small balcony off the third floor bedroom. It's just awkward.

Also, regarding the PP who said this is a questionable part of H Street, I would argue that the bigger issue is just the house's proximity to H. I don't find 12th any more or less dodgy than other blocks closer to Union Station. But I would not want to live in a house this close to H on any block. You will get a ton of foot traffic, a lot more noise, etc. Though at least this one will probably be a lot calmer than it was back with Horace & Dickies was still open. It was basically a parking lot from 4pm to 8pm every day.

Huh. I didn't even notice the pop-up the first time I looked at it, but you're right.

And I agree that 12th isn't worse than anywhere else on H.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2BR, 2.BA, 2000 sf, $790k:
https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/823-12th-St-NE-20002/home/9909727

That seems strangely reasonably priced for the square footage. And while some of it is dated, it doesn’t scream teardown, either. I have a hard time figuring out the layout, though, and I can’t see any pictures of the basement; a virtual tour of this one would be useful.

Thoughts?

I don't like when these super skinny houses get pop-ups. I know it feels like an easy way to add square footage, but it makes for a very odd living experience. It looks like this on has a bedroom on the second and third floors, with a small balcony off the third floor bedroom. It's just awkward.

Also, regarding the PP who said this is a questionable part of H Street, I would argue that the bigger issue is just the house's proximity to H. I don't find 12th any more or less dodgy than other blocks closer to Union Station. But I would not want to live in a house this close to H on any block. You will get a ton of foot traffic, a lot more noise, etc. Though at least this one will probably be a lot calmer than it was back with Horace & Dickies was still open. It was basically a parking lot from 4pm to 8pm every day.