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In Washington D.C., the real estate market is clearly in the seller’s favor. Here, prices are rising and inventory is tight. Couple that with rising interest rates pushing more buyers off the fence, and this seller’s market makes it one that’s tricky for buyers to compete in.

But buyers can take several steps to improve their odds of landing their dream home. First, understand a seller’s specific terms such as a desire to move out quickly. Buyers who cater to sellers’ specific wishes have better chances of securing successful contracts.

Buyers in D.C.’s seller’s market can also add escalation clauses to their bid offers. That means that they can posit a lower bid but can reduce their chances of being outbid by adding in a clause that increases in…

Properties in Spring Valley in Washington D.C. are in the city’s hidden gem of a community, but it’s for the more elite crowd as the average price of a home here is $1.5 million.

North of Georgetown and Glover Park, properties in Spring Valley and its neighboring Wesley Heights have fewer restaurant and shopping options than in other parts of the district, but there are several noteworthy luxury spas here.

Among the more expensive listings for properties in Spring Valley, a $7.9 million home is on the market now at 4400 Garfield St. NW. It boasts nine bedrooms and 10 bathrooms with 8,815 square feet of living space on half an acre. This home is beautiful and in pristine condition.

Among other properties in the Spring Valley area, a French Country…

Homes in Takoma Park put homeowners just outside of the busy core of D.C., but close to a plethora of activities, restaurants and shops that are the jewels of city life.

Takoma Park is a very diverse community at the D.C.-Maryland border and is often called “Granola Park” because the community has a very active green movement. The Takoma Park farmer’s market on Laurel Avenue is very popular with the usual produce along with breads, pasture-raised meats and artisan cheese. It’s open Sundays year-round.

Many of the homes here are free standing, single family homes, from simple colonials to grand Victorians, and the area has been attracting an increasing number of young professionals and young families.

Listings here are slightly more affordable…

Bloomingdale real estate is increasingly in high demand as this up-and-coming neighborhood is proving ideal for young professionals and young families.

Bloomingdale real estate, located in a lesser known area of the district, is home to a hidden gem of a park in Crispus Atticus Park, which is tucked between V Street and U Street and maintained through volunteer work and donations. Bloomingdale real estate is an area just east of the hip U Street Corridor and is dominated by Victorian style row homes.

Many of the large Victorian homes here have been converted into condos, giving a variety of price points among Bloomingdale real estate. The Big Bear Café is near Bloomingdale real estate, as are the Rustik Tavern and the Boundary Stone. Howard…

The Rosa Condos are offering several new listings at 3430 Brown Street NW near 16th Street NW in the Mount Pleasant community. These are six, two-story condos, with a monthly co-op fee of only $273 to $294, price from about $660,000 to $739,000 in a very popular area in the District.

The Rosa Condos are three-bedroom, townhome-style units with three full baths – a total of 1,530 to 1,660 square feet of living space, depending on the model. They were newly converted and renovated this year. Each has a living room that’s about 14 feet by 16 feet, a kitchen of 10 feet by 13 feet and a dining room of 10 feet by 13 feet.

The Rosa Condos have open floor plans and boast luxury gourmet kitchens, complete with full marble islands, as well as balconies and,…

Yes, the housing market is showing signs of recovery nationwide. But in Washington D.C., sales are especially hot, making this market much more of a sellers’ market than a buyers’ market lately.

Demand is very high in Washington D.C., but the supply is just not there right now, says a recent Washington Post article titled “Washington area homes fly off the listings fast,” which said the market is the tightest it’s been since before the housing market bubble burst.  Buyers are snatching up homes in as little as nine days in this hot D.C. housing market.

The end result is that prices in the hot D.C. housing market are steadily increasing. Median housing prices in D.C. were $529,000 in June, according to RealEstate Business Intelligence, which is up…

Just north of Georgetown, homes in Glover Park seem to offer it all. These properties are very close to one of Washington D.C.’s more elite neighborhoods along the Potomac River as well as a good amount of restaurants and shops but also close to more serene park environments of Rock Creek Park and Glover Archibald Park.

From quiet nature or metro pizazz, homes in Glover Park abound with amenities. And the choices among homes in Glover Park are just as diverse as the neighborhood’s highlights. Real estate listings, which have been on the rise in recent months, range from smaller condos to single family homes as this neighborhood has a good balance of both.

On the very small side, a 413-square-foot, one-bedroom at 1711 35th Street NW lists for…

Properties in Brightwood and Shepherd Park enjoy close proximity to city living within a community that has a very suburban feel. Properties in Brightwood and Shepherd Park, which are at the northern tip of the Washington D.C., are also quite close to Rock Creek Park.

The majority of properties in Brightwood and Shepherd Park are detached, single-family homes and these listings are on the rise in recent months, according to RealEstate Business Intelligence. Because of their larger size, homes here are significantly more expensive than the smaller condo listings common in downtown Washington D.C. Many of these homes are older, remodeled homes but they are in superb condition.

For example, a five-bedroom, 3,734-square-foot home at 7573 lists for…

Washington D.C.’s Chinatown properties are in one of the city’s more eclectic neighborhoods, with flashing lights and that iconic and ornate “Friendship Archway” over H Street.

While Chinatown does have a good number of Asian eateries, this is an increasingly diverse pocket of the city and real estate here is in high demand. Chinatown properties are in a long-established developed area, so the majority of properties on the market are turnovers. But a few new projects are in the works, so home buyers or renters set on having a brand new space to break in may find some opportunities here, although they’re among the more expensive in the city.

Chinatown properties put residents quite close to the Verizon Center, which anchors the neighborhood.  The Spy…

Penthouses in Washington D.C. are rarer than the everyday condos, apartments or row homes that dominate today’s listings. But homebuyers can still find a few top-floor properties on the market.

Penthouses in Washington D.C. not only offer the standard luxury living common to penthouses everywhere, but many of them also have outstanding views of the Capitol or the Washington Monument. But these properties, not surprisingly, do not come cheap.

Many of the penthouses in D.C. are listed for well into the millions. For example, a three-bedroom, 3,890-square-foot condo in Georgetown lists for $5.7 million, boasting views of the Potomac River. Also in Georgetown, a three-bedroom, 4,200-square-foot penthouse at 3030 K Street lists for $5.5 million. This…