Wonderful floor plan, open kitchen, tall ceilings, skylights, fireplace, beautiful hardwood floors, built-in bookcases, two separate, unattached bedrooms, two full baths, washer/dryer in unit, a balcony overlooking beautiful city views, wood-burning fireplace, ample closet space, extra storage AND assigned parking! All of this in a highly desirable location in Dupont/Kalorama, walking distance to Metro, restaurants, shopping and the best of city living.

Click here for the VIRTUAL TOUR: http://www.homevisit.com/mlsTour?id=27996

Coveted corner unit with double-exposure floor-to-ceiling windows, tall ceilings, balcony & nearly 900 sqft of well-designed space, Scavolini cabinetry and Bosch appliances, custom tiles and modern fixtures in bath, spacious bedroom w/ ample closet space. PARKING! Truly a one-of-a-kind residence in DC’s trendy U St. neighborhood!
$475,000

Condo Fee: $498/month

Building amenities:
* Garage parking.
* Deck.
* Busboys & Poets cafe on retail level.

Neighborhood amenities:
* One block to U St. Cordoza Metro stop.
* Yes! Organic grocery store.
* CVS.
* Eatonville, Marvin, Ben’s Chili Bowl and a ton of other fantastic restaurants at your doorstep.
* Art galleries.
* Funky shops.
* Nightlife.

Click here for VIRTUAL TOUR: http://www.homevisit.com/mlsTour?id=42294

Feast your eyes on this beautifully designed apartment offering a generous layout with an open floor plan, modern kitchen and baths and a ton of closets and storage. Garage pkg! Park views from the balcony, stunning views from the roof deck, and exclusive community amenities in this class A, full-service building located in the midst of DC’s hottest neighborhoods!

$3,150/month

Interior amenities:
* Approx. 1,100 Sqft.
* Espresso floors and cabinetry.
* Auto/remote-controlled blinds in living room.
* Wall-unit with 46″ HDTV conveys.
* 2 separate bedroom suites with full baths.
* 2 walk-in closets plus coat closet.
* Berber carpet in bedrooms.
* Custom lighting throughout.
* Corner unit.
* Garage parking.
* Extra parking at additional $200/mo.

Building amenities:
* Luxury modern building built in 2008.
* Roof deck with grill, jacuzzi and pool. Breathtaking views!
* Community room for resident use or private events/parties.
* Library with wi-fi for exclusive use of residents.
* 24 hour front desk.
* Exclusive use of Vista Green Park.
* Discount to Results Gym for residents.

Neighborhood amenities:
* Walk to two Metro stops (Gallery Place/Chinatown & Mount Vernon Square)!!
* Safeway grocery store (on the 1st floor of bldg).
* Busboys & Poets, a fantastic restaurant, cafe, lounge with wi-fi (on the 1st floor of bldg).
* Taylor Gourmet, a deli serving up delicious sandwiches (on the 1st floor of bldg).
* Kushi, a high-end sushi restaurant/sake bar opening March 8th (on the 1st floor of bldg).
* 5th St. Hardware Store (on the 1st floor of bldg).
* Results Gym (on the 1st floor of bldg).
* Walk to shops, restaurants, movie theater, entertainment in both Chinatown/Penn Quarter and Mt. Vernon Square.
* Buddha Bar opening soon!

While there are neighborhoods within Baltimore that contain posh, Victorian era “brownstones”, most of the city is lined with carbon-copy attached row houses…no front porches, no awnings, just up and down brick facade, two-level residences made specifically to accommodate the masses of people who came there for the industrial jobs back in the day.  There are also a ton of warehouses, old, abandoned buildings from late 19th century, wonderful parks, cobble-stoned streets that lead to little hole in the wall neighborhood gems.  Baltimore is less transient than DC due to the same reason:  Blue-collar folks rarely had/have the luxury to move from place to place…as opposed to the Feds and diplomats who come in to DC on short assignments.  In short, Baltimore, with its smoke-stack past is clearly less polished, less refined, but offers so much in terms of an environment that caters to artists and musicians, the young and the .gov-less.

On a recent trip, I visited the local market, much like Capitol Hill’s Eastern Market, but, again, less refined but full of life and grit.  There are a ton of fish stands and from what I can tell, most can be cooked right then and there, to be consumed right then and there.  In Federal Hill, there are cutesy cafe’s, wine bars, trinket and thrift stores and great, multi-cultural cuisine.  In Fells Point, you get the pubs, the gorgeous harbor, beautiful streets with gas lamps juxtaposed with the original, manufacturing warehouses that have now been turned into luxury residences.  There’s also another neighborhood called Harbor East where you get restaurants galore, the harbor views AND Whole Foods!

My favorite place is the Visionary Art Museum (art made by the mentally ill), the pubs in Fells Point, and this one Asian restaurant (can’t remember the name but near Peabody Music Conservatory) where the owner is the only one who cooks for you and serves you.  No frills, but delicious!  Oh, and if you’ve watched the Food Network show “Ace of Cakes”, you know that Charm City Cakes is an amazing creative cake laboratory.  Sonar, a music venue is always serving up the hottest music names…more indi but that’s why it’s so good.  In fact, the whole town exudes an “indi” vibe which is why I like to go there to take a break from good ‘ole Washington, DC.

As far as real estate goes, the prices are a lot more favorable than what you get in DC.  You literally get double the space for the same price…or you can pay half of what you’re paying to get the same space.  Don’t be fooled, with Ritz Carlton residences and luxury “lofts” popping up, Baltimore is promising to be the next “it” place for posh living.  See this development for an example:

So, if you’re ever tired of DC, don’t go too far:  Baltimore really does live up to its nickname, Charm City.

3925 Davis Pl. NW  #205 1BR/1BA $1,650/month

1916 4th St. NE  #1  2BR/2BA  $2,350/month

Conventional, FHA, and cash financing were major sources of funds for purchase.  One thing I noted here was that there were 810 properties under contract for the month of October.  This is HUGE considering that there are only 575,000 residents in DC!  Wow!

Clearly, Washington, DC is experiencing a robust real estate market.  On top of the great rates and well-priced properties, buyers were inspired to move forward with their plans to purchase because of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit.  It has now been extended to the end of April 2010 which will help the market keep its momentum.

Check out the report and let us know if you have any questions about your neighborhood.  We’re happy to provide you with custom neighborhood reports. In the meantime, we hope that you find this information useful.

– Get your credit and finances in shape. If you want to take advantage of today’s low interest rates, you need to have a credit score above 760. The higher, the better. If your credit score is below 620, you’ll have trouble getting even an FHA loan.

– Know how much you can afford to spend before you shop. Getting pre-approved has never been more important. You’ll need documentation (W-2, tax returns, account statements, etc.), so get it together before you contact a lender. And shop around. Each lender sets its own fee schedule. Get the best deal by contacting four or five types of lenders.

– Know the neighborhood, and be comfortable with it before you buy a home there. Houses are great, but neighborhoods that are littered with foreclosures may be unstable for years. Spend time in the neighborhood before falling in love with a particular house.

– Interview at least three brokers before hiring one. This is the single biggest purchase of your life. You deserve to have the best representation. Interview at least three agents or brokers before hiring one. Ask questions about how many transaction sides they’ve closed, what price range they work in, who their typical customer is and what kind of technology they use. Hiring an agent is like being in a marriage. You want it to be good, supportive and productive.

– Read and understand all documents before signing them. I know loan documents are long and boring. So what? You’re committing to the next 15 to 30 years of your life (less if you refinance). Take the time and read your loan and purchase documents. Make sure you understand what they’re saying. Make sure the numbers match what you were promised. And if they don’t, speak up before you close — not after.

Remember, you have until the end of April to take advantage of the $8,000 credit.  So get to work!  Call us today to get a complimentary home-buying consultation.  Our agents are experienced in all facets of home buying and can help you make a sound decision.  Contact us today!

Legislators and industry experts expect that the credit will encourage buyers to move up their purchase plans.  Taxpayers can claim credit through April 30, 2010.
On November 6, 2009, President Obama signed the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act into law. This legislation extended the first-time homebuyer tax credit until April 30, 2010. It also increased the salary caps. Single buyers can now claim the full tax credit if they make under $125,000 per year. Married buyers can earn up to $225,000 per year and still receive the full credit. The tax credit starts to gradually phases out at higher income levels. The new legislation also extends to current homeowners. Any buyer who has owned and occupied their existing home for 5 out of the past 8 years can claim a $6,500 tax credit until the end of April.