It has been well over a year since I started complaining about 1617 New Jersey Avenue. And this weekend the contractor who has been the bane of many an evening after 7pm, had a woman on the deck and was showing her the work done on the house. I was out in the backyard taking advantage of the break in the weather to plant stuff. At that moment I had an insane desire to break out with a case of Tourette’s syndrome, but I held my tounge. I remember one Square 507 resident bragging about how ghetto and crazy she’d get when prospective buyers would come around if she didn’t like them.
But all this weekend I have been harboring a desire to express my discontent in a petty expression involving paint and my wall facing the offending house. I could paint a warning statement because I do question the quality and safety of something built in the dark. OR paint some creepy weird folk art on my wall. Right now I’m leaning towards creepy weird. But I’m going to need a ladder. And it’s going to have to get about 50F. Maybe by then I’ll be less pissed off.
Until then I’ll just keep calling the cops and harrassing the folks at DCRA about the deck built in the dark.
Update: Apparently the house is on the market as MLS number: DC5537167 for $650K. What gets me is the description
Newly renovated, finishing touches being completed (will be completed prior to settlement).
It’s taken forever just to do what they’ve been doing. The house has been renovating for the last 2 years or so. Let’s say any fool buying this thing needs to make sure that the work is completed the day before settlement. Oh, and hire the best inspector one can because the work is the contractor’s sloppy seconds. For the longest while the kitchen, the deck, a lot of the interior has been installed after 7pm, on the weekends, and on holidays. I suspect all after he’s done his real work.
Also I noticed that the owner is no longer getting the homestead deduction, something I pointed out to the tax office after another annoying round with the obnoxious contractor. That makes me a bit more happy.
Maybe I’ve been petty enough. Or maybe not. But in all I have kept it all legal. Forget the freezing temps, I’m going to see if permanent marker sticks to my wall. Me and a handful of sharpies.
You should be at least mildly happy to know that a google of “1617 New Jersey Avenue” returns one of your blog posts first. In this day and age of “Google Stalking” I would expect many buyers to google the address. I did when I bought a little over a year ago in Logan Circle. I didn’t find much except a resume for someone in one of the other condos, but any prospective buyer of this property will find some interesting information.
It felt really good to go out and draw a big eye on my wall facing the offending house. I just wish I had my red sharpie. Nail polish just doesn’t do it.
DIdn’t you used to have some kind of “Realtors on Crack” Award? Maybe it’s time to resurrect it. A competing nominee could be 1 N Street (a complete shell for 565k).
Does the shell have gold under it?
Yes, I used to say, with abandon that Realtors were on crack. But I came to accept that wickedly high prices in NW were here to stay.
1 N St NW is being advertized as a 6 bedroom 4 bath U turn it into condos kinda place. What’s the story with that place?
Please. When we bought our house (same street, similar house) it had “6” berooms, if you are willing to count closets as bedrooms. It is a regular rowhouse with a full basement (unfinished). It has a large carriage house in the back. It’s a regular rowhouse. Shortly after, 71 N Street went on the market for the same price, so Iguess that’s what the realtors have concluded about our street. I guess I should be happy about it, though I haven’t seen the offers pouring in yet. I note that neither house has central A/C.
First, I should say that I found this site by googling my New Jersey Avenue address about a year after I bought my house. I was surprised to find that my house had been the subject of an “In Shaw” review during the relatively brief period that it was on the market. I love my house, although Mari was right about some issues that she identified in her review (which were addressed prior to closing). I was very relieved that Mari concluded that my house was worth buying!
I run by 1 N Street a couple of times a week. It’s been on the market for months and obviously is grossly overpriced. What I find most amusing is that, despite the price, the seller has made absolutely no effort to give the place any “curb appeal” whatsoever (unless you’re into that “boarded-up crackhouse” look).