PriceSpotter: Price Reveal – Villa/Lodge?

5 10 2007

Your weekly chance to take a stab at real estate appraisal.

This spectacular custom-built masterpiece was created by acclaimed Builder Clemens Construction and weighs in at just over 16,000 sq ft. But you already knew that, now that all the guesses are in… its time for the big reveal… all this can be yours for $9,500,000 (that would be about a $37,000 a month mortgage if you’re interested)





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2 10 2007

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Everything on New Buildings, Contruction, Destruction, Planning, Real Estate, GossipDevelopment, and more! 

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Sunset over Washington

2 10 2007

From the right perspective, even the massive mechanical monotony of construction equipment takes on a peaceful look at sunset (I know you like that alliteration).

So Washington… where’s your favorite place to watch a sunset in the DC Area?

[Photo Flickr: Grundelpuck] 





PriceSpotter: Villa/Lodge?

2 10 2007

Your weekly chance to take a stab at real estate appraisal. Submit your guesses in the comments and closest guess gets the pricespotter crown for the week.

What is this exactly? This is a house with an identity crisis, part European villa, part mountain lodge. Can’t imagine the neighbors were to happy to see this huge 16,000 sq ft. monstrosity go up, but now it’s yours for the bidding. Do the neighborhood a favor and make this the most expensive teardown in the area.

The Big Reveal and bragging rights for the closest guess will be this Friday afternoon.

Another picture (with a zebra rug) and all the specs after the jump

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Metro Tunnel

1 10 2007

As the hundreds of thousands of us who commute everyday on metro take our daily flight down escalators and elevators, we often loose sight of the fact that our metro is in fact just an underground tunnel. Someone had to have dug the hole which we so swiftly, or not so swiftly, travel day in and day out.

This photo circa 1988, shows light pouring through an opening from above onto underground construction equipment. The green glow provides an interesting counterpoint to the light from above.

With the clean lines of our metro system and seem-less integration into our downtown area, many people can go from condo to office building without ever going outside and though Metro doesn’t go everywhere, the thought that went into construction was truly impressive![Photo Paul A. Souders/CORBIS]





Monumental Construction

1 10 2007

In a town full of monuments we often take for granted the major effort that went into building these massive structures. Many modern advances in construction were not available when some of the most impressive, and grand in scale memorials were built.

The Lincoln Memorial’s architect Henry Bacon and sculptor Daniel Chester French employed hundreds of men and huge systems of pulleys to construct the building with its distinctive architectural acents modeled on a Greek Doric temple.

When you realize the effort it took to build some of these structures it really makes you appreciate their scale.





PriceSpotter: Price Reveal – Ex Vice-Presidential Palace

28 09 2007

Your weekly chance to take a stab at real estate appraisal.

Well the results are in for the nice little 8 bedroom, 6.5 bath from NW DC… and the listed price for this old stomping ground of old vice presidents….   $4,495,000 well done with the guesses!





Lionsgate Bethesda

28 09 2007

Situated on the corner of Old Georgetown Rd & Woodmont Ave and still under construction the Lionsgate Condos sit in wait.

Since the market slow down, the builders have slowed the pace of the build-out in order to save on costs. This slowing down of construction is becoming a prevalent method builders are employing to stretch out when new buildings come to market.

It is understandable that builders with multiple new properties in an area would want to delay bringing properties to market, however this practice leaves those who bought into developments early in the lurch. The other method some area condos are using is converting the unsold units to rentals until the market bounces back. Has anyone noticed other developments in the area who are using the “slowdown” or ”apartment conversion” technique? 

If you’re into that type of thing, a construction photo from Monday right after the jump…

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The Willard

27 09 2007

Built in 1903 The Willard InterContinental Hotel right along Pennsylvania Ave has hosted everything from  Inaugural Balls to Heads of State. But more importantly, the Mint Julep is thought to have been invented at the hotel’s Bar.

It was one of the most prestigious hotels in Washington during the first part of the 20th century, however it fell on hard times after World War II and was eventually shuttered. In danger of demolition, the hotel was extensively renovated and enlarged by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates from 1979-1986 adding the InterContinental to its name.

With views of the White House, Washington Monument, and Capital it is situated at the cross roads of our Nations Capital. Which is probably why plans for Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations took shape when he held meetings in the hotel’s lobby in 1916. We guess they had to meet in the lobby because even back then they couldn’t afford the high conference meeting room rates. Calvin Coolidge lived at the hotel for a month in 1923 while Warren G. Harding’s widow vacated the White House.





Famous “for DC” Homes

27 09 2007

Most people only think of an airport when they hear Dulles, but the airport was of course named for a man, and that man was John Foster Dulles the Secretary of State under Eisenhower. Dulles spent most of his years in DC living in NW DC on Dumbarton Ave. It’s a very nice looking house, and with a two car garage, its much nicer than where our current Secretary of State lives.

 

Dulles wasn’t the only famous for DC person to live in the house… after the jump a White House connection and a little more history on Dulles…

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