May 14, 2008

$50,000 Parking Spot in Dupont

If you want to buy a place in or around Dupont Circle then you might have to choose between an extra bedroom (or any bedroom) and a parking spot.  A piece of land just big enough for your gas guzzler now goes for $40-$50k. At least that’s under $400 per sqft, not quite as much as the average for condos!

I understand why. When I used to live in Dupont (without a designated parking spot) I had to search endlessly for a place to rest my VW. I also had to budget a certain amount for inevitable parking tickets. Zipcar didn’t exist then and Vespa was uncommon here. Despite these more recent innovations, I think it has gotten worse — so definitely take this into consideration if you are planning to move to this area. I also think we need to push for creative solutions to ease the situation. Here are one resident’s ideas from the Greater Greater Washington Web site. 

If you do want to buy a parking spot to go along with that new condo you’re planning to get, there are two spaces listed in the MLS at the moment : one at 1501 Swann St. NW and the other at 1210 R St. NW close to Logan Circle. You might also try Craig’s List.

On the subject of condos, my favorite listing at the moment is a dramatic, original, historic, renovated, large, 2-bedroom penthouse that has been on the market for about 6 weeks. It is at 1720 S St. NW and is going for $649,500, down from $675,000. The monthly fee is $381.

I would also want to check out the 2-bedroom unit on sale for $549,000 in a 113-year-old apartment building on Q St NW. It’s probably a rare find, aesthetically speaking. Unfortunately, there are no interior pictures on the MLS listing. Other similar buildings from that era have high ceilings and beautiful details. But watch out! The monthly fee is a whopping $698, enough to rival some of the new luxury condos that may have more amenities.

Cheers,
Allison

Photo credit: Akseabird via Creative Commons