Homes for Sale in Washington D.C.

Washington DC has a very varied real estate market with areas of single-family homes, many row homes (terraced), and many condominiums.  There are even a number of cooperatives – though far fewer than in New York City.  One of the most notable features of the City is the height limit for buildings, which results in a low “Old European City” type of skyline.  It also means many of the downtown condos all top out around the same 12 to 15 stories tall.  There are many beautiful parks including theRock Creek Park, which is the largest urban park in the USA.  Two Rivers run through the area making waterfront experiences a real opportunity; the Potomac River on the southern border and the Anacostia River bisects the Northeast and Southeast sides.  Since the down market of the 1990’s and the return to financial health of the City; real estate has seen large increases in values across the area and affordability for lower-income residents has become a major issue.  Entire neighborhoods have been almost totally redeveloped, especially in parts of Southwest and Southeast D.C.   When I arrived her in 1977 it still have remnants of the sleepy southern city it often resembled until the 60’s.  Since around 2000 the changes have been amazing, though not everyone has benefited equally from the newfound wealth.  Real Estate, however, has certainly been a profitable investment in recent years and it was one of the few areas of the country that did not see a significant downturn in property values in the Great Recession of 2007-12.

Brief History:

The signing of the Residence Act on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country’s East Coast. The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any state. The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, which included the pre-existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria. Named in honor of President George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital. In 1846, Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia; in 1871, it created a single municipal government for the remaining portion of the District.

Washington had an estimated population of 681,170 as of July 2016. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city’s population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington metropolitan area, of which the District is the principal city, has a population of over 6 million, the sixth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country.

The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations.

A locally elected mayor and a 13‑member council have governed the District since 1973. However, the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. D.C. residents elect a non-voting, at-large congressional delegate to the House of Representatives, but the District has no representation in the Senate. The District receives three electoral votes in presidential elections as permitted by the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961.

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