When you’re shopping for a home in the District, it pays to look beyond hot neighborhoods such as Logan Circle, Shaw and U Street. A budget limit of $400,000 means you can buy a smaller or unrenovated place in a sought-after neighborhood or find something larger and remodeled in a more off-the-radar community.
For example, shifting from 16th and U streets NW to 16th and U street SE means you can afford a renovated semidetached duplex instead of a tiny condo.
The duplex at 1637 U St. SE, priced at $399,000, has three levels with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 1,513 square feet of living space. Annual property taxes are $2,272. The house was originally listed at $434,900.
Built in 1910, the house includes a U-shaped kitchen with granite counters, stainless-steel appliances, 42-inch upper cabinets and a breakfast bar with pendant lights. The main level includes hardwood floors, tray ceilings in the living and dining rooms, crown moldings, wainscoting and recessed lighting. The three bedrooms are all upstairs, along with two full bathrooms. A powder room is on the main level. The basement is unfinished.
[Kipling House near Barracks Row is new condo with views of river, monuments]
The house doesn’t include a garage, but it has a front porch, a deck and a fenced back yard.
The house is being sold as-is, so buyers won’t be able to negotiate on any repairs, but it comes with a one-year home warranty to cover any required repairs during the first year of ownership.
Assigned schools are Ketcham Elementary, Kramer Middle and Anacostia High. Ketcham is rated above-average by GreatSchools.org; Kramer and Anacostia High are rated below-average based on test scores.
For a video of the house, click here.
For more information, call real estate agent Sharon L. Brown of Taylor Properties at 240-832-1326.
To pass on a tip or item, contact us at realestate@washpost.com and put “Town Square” in the subject line.