District of Columbia
District neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River received a boost from home buyers last year, with median home prices increasing by as much as 35 percent, according to a Washington Post analysis based on city sales records for single-family houses and townhouses.
Overall, the median sale price for homes in the District increased 7 percent in 2006 -- a marked slowdown compared with the median price increase of about 30 percent in 2005. Condominiums were not included in the statistics.
In Deanwood and the rest of Northeast Zip code 20019, the median home price increased 28 percent, to $231,250 -- the lowest price in the District.
In the east-of-the-river Southeast Zip codes of 20020, which includes Anacostia, and 20032, home to Congress Heights, median sale prices increased by 35 percent and 26 percent, respectively, to $269,114 and $243,500.
"These are areas that, in the past, have been underutilized, unknown and underdeveloped -- and yet they're so close to the downtown area, that they've been sort of like a secret," said Joel Martin, a real estate agent with Re/Max Allegiance who has sold D.C. property for 20 years. "They're still priced in a range that allows people to buy, rather than the above-$500,000 mark."
The lowest median home price west of the Anacostia River was in Zip code 20017 in Northeast, which includes Brookland. An 8 percent rise took the median to $360,000.
Some of the city's pricier neighborhoods saw a slight dip in median home price. The price in Zip code 20037, which includes Foggy Bottom, where there aren't many single-family houses or townhouses, dropped 12 percent to $650,000.
In Georgetown, Glover Park and other parts of Zip code 20007, the median price fell 1 percent, as it did in Zip code 20008, which includes Woodley Park and Cleveland Park. The median price for Zip code 20007 was $910,000; for Zip code 20008, $1,155,000.
Dupont Circle and the rest of Zip code 20036 continued to have the highest median sale price in the District, at $1,550,000, but again, there were just a handful of single-family or townhouse sales in that neighborhood, which is mostly condos.
More moderately priced homes in Northeast Zip code 20002, home to Trinidad, Eckington and the northern part of Capitol Hill, continued to appeal to buyers. That area had the second-highest number of sales, 636. The median home price rose 9 percent to $410,000.
Petworth, Brightwood Park and the rest of Zip code 20011 was also popular for its comparatively affordable homes. There were 645 sales with a median price of $404,000, up 8 percent.
"You can get a lot more house in Petworth than you can almost anywhere else in the city, except across the river," said Eileen Garner, a Coldwell Banker agent. "So you have some people cashing in their condos down in Dupont and buying out here where they have a very low mortgage because of what they earned on their condo. You also have first-time buyers that can actually get a house with three or four bedrooms in the low $400,000 range."
-- Julia Feldmeier, Washington Post Staff Writer
Overall, the median sale price for homes in the District increased 7 percent in 2006 -- a marked slowdown compared with the median price increase of about 30 percent in 2005. Condominiums were not included in the statistics.
In the east-of-the-river Southeast Zip codes of 20020, which includes Anacostia, and 20032, home to Congress Heights, median sale prices increased by 35 percent and 26 percent, respectively, to $269,114 and $243,500.
"These are areas that, in the past, have been underutilized, unknown and underdeveloped -- and yet they're so close to the downtown area, that they've been sort of like a secret," said Joel Martin, a real estate agent with Re/Max Allegiance who has sold D.C. property for 20 years. "They're still priced in a range that allows people to buy, rather than the above-$500,000 mark."
The lowest median home price west of the Anacostia River was in Zip code 20017 in Northeast, which includes Brookland. An 8 percent rise took the median to $360,000.
Some of the city's pricier neighborhoods saw a slight dip in median home price. The price in Zip code 20037, which includes Foggy Bottom, where there aren't many single-family houses or townhouses, dropped 12 percent to $650,000.
In Georgetown, Glover Park and other parts of Zip code 20007, the median price fell 1 percent, as it did in Zip code 20008, which includes Woodley Park and Cleveland Park. The median price for Zip code 20007 was $910,000; for Zip code 20008, $1,155,000.
Dupont Circle and the rest of Zip code 20036 continued to have the highest median sale price in the District, at $1,550,000, but again, there were just a handful of single-family or townhouse sales in that neighborhood, which is mostly condos.
More moderately priced homes in Northeast Zip code 20002, home to Trinidad, Eckington and the northern part of Capitol Hill, continued to appeal to buyers. That area had the second-highest number of sales, 636. The median home price rose 9 percent to $410,000.
Petworth, Brightwood Park and the rest of Zip code 20011 was also popular for its comparatively affordable homes. There were 645 sales with a median price of $404,000, up 8 percent.
"You can get a lot more house in Petworth than you can almost anywhere else in the city, except across the river," said Eileen Garner, a Coldwell Banker agent. "So you have some people cashing in their condos down in Dupont and buying out here where they have a very low mortgage because of what they earned on their condo. You also have first-time buyers that can actually get a house with three or four bedrooms in the low $400,000 range."
-- Julia Feldmeier, Washington Post Staff Writer
Housing Outlook 2007
The latest on the state of the Washington, D.C., residential real estate market.
How Much For That House?
What can you afford in today's market? We scan properties for sale in and around D.C.
SOURCE: Full-value transactions as reported by the District
MAP: Dan Keating and Nathaniel Vaughn Kelso - The Washington Post
© 2007 The Washington Post Company
