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Housing price growth in the DC Metro region reached a double-digit percentage increase in December 2012 compared with a year prior, though month-to-month price trends declined a bit, according to data from Real Estate Business Intelligence.

In December 2012, the median housing price of a sold home was $359,000, up 10.5% from December 2011, but down 3.0% from November 2012, when the average median sales housing price in D.C. Metro was $370,000. The number of homes sold in D.C. Metro in December – 3,323 units – also increased year-over-year by 4.9% but declined 6.6% from November.

The housing price growth in D.C. Metro included all housing types: the median price rose 12.9% year-over year for a single-family home, 10.4%for a condo and 8.3% for a…

Park Morton development in Columbia Heights, per the Park Morton Redevelopment Initiative Plan approved in 2008, includes projects from developers Park Morton Development Partners, Landex Development and the Warrenton Group.

The $170 million Park Morton development in Columbia Heights project, which first broke ground in 2010, includes more than 500 residential units, 40,000-square-feet of retail, a 10,000-square-foot park and a 4,000-square-foot community center, according to the D.C. Planning and Economic Development Department. More than 200 of the residential units in Park Morton development in Columbia Heights are affordable housing, as one of the primary goals of the initiative is to beef up D.C.’s affordable housing stock through integrating…

The D.C. $5,000 first time homebuyer tax credit was not renewed for 2012 tax year, meaning new homeowners debating whether to buy this year lost that incentive to purchase a home. However, this year’s low interest rate climate still offers new homebuyers the same encouraging mortgage environment as established homeowners looking for a new purchase.

The D.C. $5,000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit has been offered to D.C. residents for the past 15 years to help make home buying more affordable. But this year, the D.C. $5,000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit was not included in the American Taxpayer Relief Act that President Obama signed recently. The credit began in 1997 and had been renewed each year since. But now, anyone who purchased their homes in…

Washington D.C. was the most popular places to move in 2012, according to a migration study conducted by United Van Lines LLC, a St. Louis-based moving company.

It’s the fifth year in a row that Washington D.C. has been the most popular place to move in the annual study. This year, following D.C., Oregon, Nevada, North Carolina and South Carolina were the most popular places to move in that order. The study is based on all the moves going into and out of states and the District. Those with 55% or more moves in, like the District, are dubbed “high inbound.”

D.C. may be the nation’s most popular place to move because of its strong economy and healthier employment rate, United Van Lines suggests.  The District’s unemployment rate ticked up recently, but…

Condos near U Street Metro Station are attracting more and more younger professionals as the Northwest District area undergoes a revitalization with new development.

Former home to Duke Ellington, the U Street Corridor is a community rich in African American history, although now the area is becoming more diverse. Condos near U Street Metro include the 2020 Lofts, an eight-story building built in 2005 with at least one 2BR, 2BA condo on the market for $849,900. That 1,257-square-foot condo boasts a private wrap-around balcony and hot tub among other amenities. 2020 Lofts condos are just one block from the U Street Metro Station.

Other condos listed near U Street Metro Station include another 2BR condo at 1830 11th Street NW, which is priced at…

Relocating to Capitol Hill is easy for professionals new to the District because the area is ripe with rental options and properties in a range of price brackets.

Capitol Hill, the community just east of the Capitol building, attracts many new residents relocating from other parts of the country who may be moving to the District permanently or temporarily, say for legislative sessions.

Those who’re relocating to Capitol Hill should know that living in the District is not cheap.  Rents and housing prices are some of the highest in the country. But Capitol Hill is among the more “affordable” communities here. People relocating to Capitol Hill can find properties like a $312,000, 1BR, 525-square-foot home at 337 Maryland Avenue NE or a $225,000,…

Luxury homes in Arlington, many of which are perched along the banks of the Potomac River, are among the more breathtaking properties in the Washington D.C. area.

Arlington, a northern Virginia community just over the Potomac from Georgetown, boasts luxury homes of all types on the market: from massive 12,000-square-foot mansions to smaller upscale condos. Arlington County borders Alexandria, Virg., and Fairfax County.

Unlike the District, which is widespread with high density housing, Arlington’s high density housing is centered around its Metro stops. Meaning luxury homes in Arlington further from the Metro stops often have more land space than the District’s luxury homes.

In 2010, Arlington had about 91,000 residences, according to U.S. Census…

Developments coming to Fort Totten and Riggs Park areas, including another D.C. Walmart, are forging ahead after developer JBG Cos secured a permit last month for excavation, grading and sheeting, and shoring for Fort Totten Square, at 300 Riggs Road.

Aside from the anchor Walmart store, developments coming to Fort Totten and Riggs Park areas will include about 110,000 square feet of retail and 350 apartments. Another project at 77 H. Street NW by JBG and Walmart will also feature 300 apartments and the mega retailer. The other Walmart in the District broke ground late last year at 5929 Georgia Avenue NW.

The Fort Totten area’s developments also welcomed the District’s first Costco, a 154,000-square-foot facility at Dakota Crossing, at Market Street…

Real estate near the U.S. State Department on C Street in NW Washington D.C. likely houses many of the young professionals who have spent their undergraduate years dreaming of a job in the Harry S. Truman Building. The U.S. State Department was voted the fourth-most desirable place to work by undergraduates in 2009, BusinessWeek reports.

Real estate near the U.S. State Department, including areas in Foggy Bottom and downtown, is ideal for these younger employees because it includes a wide variety of condos and apartments. Real estate near the U.S. State Department is on par with District property prices as still among the more highly priced in the nation. But savvy real estate hunters can find likely properties a bit lower priced than in Georgetown or…

Luxury homes in Capitol Hill are attracting more and more young professionals and young families for the neighborhood walkability without the late-night party scene. Unlike the mansions in Georgetown and Bethesda, luxury homes in Capitol Hill usually list in the form of smaller scale condos or townhomes.

Take the Residences at St. Monica’s at 1340 Massachusetts Avenue SE. These nine uber modern condos, many of which have original stain glass and wood beams, are located in a redeveloped and unconsecrated sanctuary established in the 1909. Senate Square Towers apartments, which start at $2,330 for a 1BR, offer luxury homes for renters in Capitol Hill. Luxury amenities include a rooftop pool, an indoor entertainment and business center and first-rate…