Tonight at the Takoma Libary, the DC Public Library's Washingtoniana Division staff will be on hand to help you research the history of your DC home.
When: Tuesday, November 29, 7pm
Where: Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, 416 Cedar Street NW
I already know a little bit about my home's history. From the 1930s through the 60s, it was occupied by a man who published Jelly Roll Morton's music; when Morton lived in the District, he would occasionally take the streetcar up from U Street to hang out at my house. Alan Lomax has set foot in my house as well, a fact that pretty much blew me away when I found out about it. Moral of the story: it's worth researching your house's history, because the information you find could surprise you.
Showing posts with label houses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label houses. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
The state of Brightwood real estate - November 2011
Time for our monthly look at neighborhood home sales with realtor Eric Brooks...
Active properties on the market in October:
33 properties are for sale now
Ranging from $89,999 to $799,00
2 of these are foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales
Nov 2011 Active
Properties that went under contract in October:
25 homes are currently under contract
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $58,000 to $499,000
4 of these were foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales
Nov 2011 Under Contract
October sold numbers
Only one home sold in the month of October (1363 Rittenhouse Street NW). The asking price was $355K and the seller got that minus a seller subsidy of $9,400.
Note: It's highly unusual for just one home to be sold over the course of a month. I suspect that some of the foreclosures and short sales did not go to settlement due to issues that buyers may have had with these properties -- and that is why we have more houses under contract this month than normal. The market has been tough over the past six months, and rates seem to be staying in the low 4%. When the bulk of distressed properties are off the market, a true recovery will happen.
Nov 2011 Sold
Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.
Active properties on the market in October:
33 properties are for sale now
Ranging from $89,999 to $799,00
2 of these are foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales
Nov 2011 Active
Properties that went under contract in October:
25 homes are currently under contract
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $58,000 to $499,000
4 of these were foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales
Nov 2011 Under Contract
October sold numbers
Only one home sold in the month of October (1363 Rittenhouse Street NW). The asking price was $355K and the seller got that minus a seller subsidy of $9,400.
Note: It's highly unusual for just one home to be sold over the course of a month. I suspect that some of the foreclosures and short sales did not go to settlement due to issues that buyers may have had with these properties -- and that is why we have more houses under contract this month than normal. The market has been tough over the past six months, and rates seem to be staying in the low 4%. When the bulk of distressed properties are off the market, a true recovery will happen.
Nov 2011 Sold
Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The state of Brightwood real estate - October 2011
Time for our monthly update from realtor Eric Brooks!
September Active properties on the market:
40 homes are currently for sale
Ranging from $58,000 to $769,900
5 of these are foreclosed homes (up from 3 last month) and 5 are short sales
Active - Oct 2011
September Under-Contract properties
16 homes are currently under contract
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $150,000 to $499,000
5 are short sales (no foreclosures)
Under Contract - Oct 2011
September Sold numbers
8 homes sold in the month of September
Ranging from $69,500 to $519,900
1 was a foreclosed home and 1 was a short sale
Sold - Oct 2011
Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.
September Active properties on the market:
40 homes are currently for sale
Ranging from $58,000 to $769,900
5 of these are foreclosed homes (up from 3 last month) and 5 are short sales
Active - Oct 2011
September Under-Contract properties
16 homes are currently under contract
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $150,000 to $499,000
5 are short sales (no foreclosures)
Under Contract - Oct 2011
September Sold numbers
8 homes sold in the month of September
Ranging from $69,500 to $519,900
1 was a foreclosed home and 1 was a short sale
Sold - Oct 2011
Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The state of Brightwood real estate - September 2011
Realtor Eric Brooks, who wrote up an overview of Brightwood real estate for us back in May, is going to provide us with monthly snapshots of active, sold, and under-contract properties in the neighborhood. Here's the first installment, covering August 2011. I'll post them during the first week of each month (I'm a little late this first time around, due to the fact that I was out of town at the beginning of September). I hope this feature will be useful for current and future Brightwoodians!
August Active properties on the market:
39 homes were for sale as of September 1, 2011
Ranging from $62,000 to $619,900
3 of these are foreclosed homes and 4 are short sales
August Active Properties
August Under-Contract properties:
18 homes were under contract as of September 1
These homes should settle by the end of this month
Ranging from $150,000 to $519,900
3 of these were foreclosed homes and 6 are short sales
August 2011 Under Contract
August Sold numbers:
13 homes were sold in the month of August
Ranging from $160,000 to $610,000
Zero of these were foreclosed homes and 3 were short sales
August 2011 Sold
Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.
August Active properties on the market:
39 homes were for sale as of September 1, 2011
Ranging from $62,000 to $619,900
3 of these are foreclosed homes and 4 are short sales
August Active Properties
August Under-Contract properties:
18 homes were under contract as of September 1
These homes should settle by the end of this month
Ranging from $150,000 to $519,900
3 of these were foreclosed homes and 6 are short sales
August 2011 Under Contract
August Sold numbers:
13 homes were sold in the month of August
Ranging from $160,000 to $610,000
Zero of these were foreclosed homes and 3 were short sales
August 2011 Sold
Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.
Friday, July 8, 2011
LEDC presents gentrification tour of Brightwood Park and Columbia Heights, Monday 7/11
From the Latino Economic Development Corporation:
Reality Tour to Show Results of Gentrification and Community Organizing in Columbia Heights and Brightwood Park
On Monday, July 11th, residents of Columbia Heights and Brightwood Park will open their homes to share stories of their struggles to preserve affordable housing in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Washington, D.C. is the only city in the country with a unique law (the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, or TOPA) that gives tenants the right to determine what happens to their apartment building when it is for sale. The Before and After Neighborhood Tour will visit four multi-family buildings (two where residents utilized TOPA to buy their buildings and convert them into affordable cooperatives, and two apartment buildings where tenants are trying to purchase) to meet with residents and hear their unique stories. DC’s tenant purchase program is one of the major focuses of this year’s Fourth Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall, on Saturday, July 16th at 2:30 pm at First Trinity Lutheran Church (309 E St NW, near Judiciary Square).
WHAT: Before and After Neighborhood Tour
BEFORE: Hear from tenants who live in run-down apartment buildings that are for sale and who are organizing to prevent their displacement in gentrifying neighborhoods.
AFTER: See newly renovated, affordable housing co-ops where long-term neighborhood residents are now owners!
WHERE:
1st stop: 710 Jefferson St NW
2nd stop: Brightwood Gardens Cooperative – 941 Longfellow St NW
3rd stop: 1333 Euclid St NW
4th stop: Quest Cooperative – 1428 Euclid St NW
WHEN: Monday, July 11th, 5 to 7 PM
Meet at 710 Jefferson St NW at 5 pm; we’ll walk to 941 Longfellow St NW (2 blocks),
then drive to 1333 Euclid St NW (or meet there at 6 PM), then walk to 1428 Euclid St NW (1 block).
WHO: Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), Save Our Safety Net, 710 Jefferson St NW Tenants’ Association, Brightwood Gardens Cooperative Association, 1333 Euclid St NW Tenants’ Association, Quest Cooperative Association
Reality Tour to Show Results of Gentrification and Community Organizing in Columbia Heights and Brightwood Park
On Monday, July 11th, residents of Columbia Heights and Brightwood Park will open their homes to share stories of their struggles to preserve affordable housing in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Washington, D.C. is the only city in the country with a unique law (the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, or TOPA) that gives tenants the right to determine what happens to their apartment building when it is for sale. The Before and After Neighborhood Tour will visit four multi-family buildings (two where residents utilized TOPA to buy their buildings and convert them into affordable cooperatives, and two apartment buildings where tenants are trying to purchase) to meet with residents and hear their unique stories. DC’s tenant purchase program is one of the major focuses of this year’s Fourth Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall, on Saturday, July 16th at 2:30 pm at First Trinity Lutheran Church (309 E St NW, near Judiciary Square).
WHAT: Before and After Neighborhood Tour
BEFORE: Hear from tenants who live in run-down apartment buildings that are for sale and who are organizing to prevent their displacement in gentrifying neighborhoods.
AFTER: See newly renovated, affordable housing co-ops where long-term neighborhood residents are now owners!
WHERE:
1st stop: 710 Jefferson St NW
2nd stop: Brightwood Gardens Cooperative – 941 Longfellow St NW
3rd stop: 1333 Euclid St NW
4th stop: Quest Cooperative – 1428 Euclid St NW
WHEN: Monday, July 11th, 5 to 7 PM
Meet at 710 Jefferson St NW at 5 pm; we’ll walk to 941 Longfellow St NW (2 blocks),
then drive to 1333 Euclid St NW (or meet there at 6 PM), then walk to 1428 Euclid St NW (1 block).
WHO: Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), Save Our Safety Net, 710 Jefferson St NW Tenants’ Association, Brightwood Gardens Cooperative Association, 1333 Euclid St NW Tenants’ Association, Quest Cooperative Association
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The state of Brightwood real estate, by Eric Brooks
Recent renovation, 900 block of Sheridan Street NW
Eric Brooks is a realtor with a lot of experience working in Brightwood and the surrounding neighborhoods. He stopped by to share some of his observations about real estate trends in our area.
Everyone knows the real estate mantra "location, location, location". But unfortunately foreclosures have been another reality over the past few years. Well, there is some recent good news that I’d like to share: for the first time in many months, there are no foreclosed townhomes or detached homes ‘active' on the market in Brightwood.
In communities that have had many foreclosures, sale prices for all properties are affected. When a homeowner leaves a property in foreclosure, the property is often damaged in some way – examples include missing appliances or water damage. Most loans used by buyers require a property to be in “livable condition”, meaning that foreclosed properties can often only be bought by cash investors - normally at 10 to 15% below market price. This leads the surrounding community into a downward trend, as each sold property is used as a comparable for future buyers.
Brightwood residents who are keeping an eye on real estate in the neighborhood may have noticed fewer investors and more first-time buyers visiting open houses of late. This could be an indication that the tide is changing, and foreclosures are drying up, which will lead to a more normal market. While this does not mean things are going to improve overnight, I think it shows a solid stabilization of the market, and may give buyers more confidence to buy in the neighborhood. Sellers in Brightwood have seen a steady drop in prices since 2007, so the start of a leveling-out of pricing may be seen by owners as a “big win”.
Interest rates continue to hover in the mid 4% range, but there are some changes for FHA buyers on the horizon that buyers need to discuss with their lender. Here is a more detailed look at the current numbers for 2011:
January through April "Sold Properties" numbers:
- 27 homes sold ranging from $177,000 to $699,000
- 6 of these were foreclosed homes and 1 was a short sale
- 4 condos sold during this same time period, all below $300,000
- 27 homes are for sale ranging from $150,000 to $640,000
- 4 Shorts sales, 3 on Sheridan Street and 1 on 8th Street
- 22 condos are on the market from $69,000 to $300,000 (1 is a foreclosure and 3 are short sales)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)