Coming to Rosslyn, The Height of Luxury
So what do Arlington and Las Vegas have in common, you ask? More »
Real Estate Mailbag
Q DEAR BOB: My fiance and I plan to buy a home together after selling our current residences for capital gains exceeding the $250,000 exemptions for each. If we put ourselves on each other's title and file a joint tax return, can we take advantage of the $500,000 married exemption per property and avoid capital gains tax? More »
In Donaldson Run, Gathering Around The Stream
Ned Rhodes, president of the Donaldson Run civic association, zeroed in on what has drawn many residents to the wooded, hilly, 960-home North Arlington community. "We're passionate about open space that will never be developed," he said. More »
On 'Holy Ground,' A New Set of Choices
Sister Ellen Carr had a real estate headache that required more than five years of planning and $2.5 million in fundraising to resolve. Her order of nuns owned an old 50,000-square-foot convent and former school on 11 acres of land perched on a hill overlooking Baltimore. The setting was lovely,... More »
Familiar Faces, Distant Owners
Oliver T. Carr Jr., Charles E. Smith and John E. "Chip" Akridge III put their names on companies that represented homegrown money and enterprise in Washington commercial real estate. · Construction will start this summer on an $80 million facility near College Park for the National Oceanic and... More »
'Boomtown' May Finally Have Its Boom
Mr. Major's Barber Shop, across Route 175 from Fort Meade, bustles with customers, perhaps a sign of things to come in a run-down retail strip that's been known for decades as "Boomtown." More »
3 Virginia Exurbs Near Top of U.S. in Growth
The Washington area's powerful economy has pushed out suburban sprawl so far that two semirural counties south of Fredericksburg have become bustling commuter frontiers that rank for the first time among the fastest-growing communities in the nation. More »
Real Estate Mailbag
Q: DEAR BOB: I have decided to sell my home so I can afford to move to a nice nearby assisted-living residence. My two-bedroom home, built in 1938, has become a bit run-down. However, it is in a good neighborhood where most homes have been remodeled or rebuilt. More »
A Good Accountant, a Real Estate Investor's Ally
Q: I own a four-unit rental building and am trying to understand the tax rules so that I can prepare my tax return. I would prefer to use one of the tax services on the Internet, rather than pay for an accountant. Can you provide me with the basics? More »
Guard Against Carbon Monoxide
When you think of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, you might think of fires or mine accidents. But the deadly gas can also be an everyday threat. More »
Search for Value Led to Severn
Two years ago, when Lorraine Emond walked into the red brick Colonial house in Fourwinds, a then-new subdivision in Severn in Anne Arundel County, her first thought was that the place was perfect -- the windows were huge, flooding the living room with sun, the floor plan was open and the rooms were... More »
Woodsy Worlds Away From the City
Six months ago, Eneida Somarriba rediscovered the moon when her family moved to Carderock Springs. More »
Boom Pushed Ownership Beyond Reach of Many, Study Finds
The recent housing boom moved prices beyond the means of average folks, new research shows. More »
Bigger Houses Bring Big and Costly Energy Problems
SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite higher natural gas, electricity and heating oil prices, consumers continue undaunted in their quest for bigger homes with features such as five bedrooms and three-car garages. With location on home buyers' minds, energy-efficient features may be an afterthought as the... More »
On Edge of Va. Sprawl, Labels Crumble, New Lives Thrive
In one sense, it is easy to explain where Gail and Brent Heppner live. Their new house is off Exit 110 of Interstate 95, a solid 70 miles south of the District, beyond so many subdivisions and fast-food clusters, past the giant, circular sign heralding Potomac Mills mall, then farms with billboards... More »
MetroWest Development Is Approved In Fairfax
Fairfax County agreed last night to let a developer replace a neighborhood of 65 single-family homes at the Vienna Metro station with a massive complex of mid- and high-rise towers that could transform the way people live, commute and work in Washington's largest suburb. More »
Real Estate Mailbag
Q: DEAR BOB: I am a real estate broker with an opportunity to obtain a listing on a beautiful house. But there is one problem. The seller says her boyfriend moved out about 15 years ago and she hasn't heard from him since. More »
Selling House to Children With Intent to Forgive Debt Can Lead to Tax Problems
Q: We purchased our house in the early 1980s for $50,000. It is now worth more than $700,000. More »
In Manhattan, Finding Home Sweet Wall Street
David Gustamante, a Manhattan lawyer, spent a couple of days this month touring apartments on Wall Street. Last week, he signed a lease. More »
Howard University's Jewel of a Neighbor
It started out in the 1870s as an exclusive whites-only community, but LeDroit Park has always been linked to Howard University, the historically black college that borders the neighborhood. More »
Whose H Street Is It, Anyway?
Bernard Gibson had a simple wish: to open a Cluck-U Chicken in the H Street neighborhood where his grandparents have lived for decades. Bound and determined, he held two jobs to squirrel away the cash: He owned a carwash and worked as a mechanic for the city. Last year, after selling the carwash,... More »
Is Reliance on Real Estate a Crack in the Foundation?
The U.S. economy is more dependent on housing than it has been in a half-century, as the sector fuels consumer spending and has accounted for nearly three-quarters of the nation's job growth in the past five years. More »
Real Estate Mailbag
Q: DEAR BOB: My wife and I own a two-thirds interest in a nice house with a pool. The other one-third belongs to the occupant, who is not taking care of the property, is on food stamps, and is not likely to repay us or buy us out. How can we sell our interest in this house without a partition lawsuit? More »
Agents' 'Acronyisms' Still Remain In Online Age
MILWAUKEE -- Charming house here, as U can C: the U has a BICC, a BIBC and even a FPLC. More »