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Outdoor movie festivals in DC are a summer tradition. Perhaps the most famous and well-attended with 15,000 people per movie is Screen on the Green. But DC is also fortunate to have NoMa Summer Screen, Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Movies, and U Street Outdoor Movies as well.

Screen on the Green is a free outdoor summer movie festival in DC held on the National Mall between 7th and 12th Streets. Residents and tourists bring blankets and picnics to the lawn to watch classic films on Monday nights on a huge 20 foot by 40 foot screen. Movies start at sunset (8:30 or 9 PM). But even though the flicks don’t start until dusk, people start to arrive at 5 PM to secure their lawn space. This year, Screen on the Green kicks off with the 1982 classic, E.T. the…

Play DC is a new plan to rejuvenate playgrounds in the city. Mayor Vincent Gray has allotted $35 million in 2013 and $4 million in 2014 to the effort, which is a partnership between the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the Department of General Services (DGS).

As part of Play DC, 32 playgrounds will be renovated by October 2013. There are currently 24 playgrounds under construction in all eight wards. Wards 3 and 4 both have the most park improvement projects with five each.

The initial renovations aren’t your run-of-the-mill slides and swings; they are exciting, themed spaces specially chosen for each neighborhood. In the wooded Takoma Park Playground (300 Van Buren Street, NW), the new play structure is modeled after a tree house.  The…

DC home prices hit a record high this year with a median sales price of $460,000 in the city. That’s the highest median sales price ever in the District of Columbia and a 13.6% increase from last year according to RealEstate Business Intelligence.

Home prices in Northern Virginia experienced an even steeper increase between March 2012 and March 2013. Alexandria City prices rose 24.4% to a median of $487,500, and home prices in Falls Church City were up 37.7% to $631,000. Only one jurisdiction in the report experienced a decrease in median sales price; Fairfax City median prices decreased by 11.5%.

You might think that DC home prices are scaring buyers away, but it’s just the opposite! The rates of home sales are the highest we’ve seen in eight years…

Capitol Riverfront development will continue since the DC Council recently approved funding to move DC Water facilities out of their current location at 1st and O Streets in Southeast DC. Mayor Vincent Gray proposed $9 million for the project, while the Economic Development Committee of the DC Council recommended $1 million. But the final vote allocates $6 million to DC Water relocation in 2014.

After DC Water moves out of its prime location near the Capitol Riverfront, Forest City Washington will redevelop the property as part of The Yards. Forest City Washington has had their eye on the DC Water site since they started negotiations for the land in 2006. The plan for those 4 acres is to expand The Yards with 400 residential units and retail.

The…

A new apartment project in Barney Circle is moving forward. Plans call to replace the existing used car lot at 1550 Pennsylvania Avenue SE with an 81-unit apartment building. The site is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue with Barney Circle in the Hill East neighborhood of DC.

The 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue is currently home to three-story row houses, and the new apartment project in Barney Circle will follow suit with three stories on the northern portion of the new building. The apartment building will eventually rise to five stories as it approaches Barney Circle, which is the maximum height allowed in the zone.

The penthouse of the new apartment project in Barney Circle will include common roof terraces and a party room. Unit sizes…

Donald Trump plans to build a new luxury hotel at the Old Post Office Pavilion. The historic building, one of the tallest in the District, was erected in 1889 and is owned by the federal government. Its location at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol, has been coveted by developers for years.  

Trump plans to spend $200 million to preserve the historic exterior facade while transforming the building into Trump International Hotel, Old Post Office, Washington, DC -- a 261-room destination hotel with conference facilities, a spa, and three restaurants. He will target guests at the highest end of the market, who currently rent rooms at about $700 per night. 

The new hotel will also provide a revenue stream for the federal…

DC transfer and recordation tax is due to the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) Recorder of Deeds during the sale of residential property in the city. This tax is part of various closing costs such as lender charges, settlement fees, title insurance, escrow reserves, pre-paid interest, and real estate tax. But generally, the DC transfer and recordation tax is the highest of all closing cost line items.

In DC, deed transfer tax is generally paid by the seller, while the buyer covers deed recordation tax.  These tax amounts are calculated based on the purchase price of the home. If the sale is $399,999 or less, then the DC transfer and recordation tax rate is 1.1%. Sales of $400,000 and above are taxed at the rate of 1.45%. For example, if you bought a…

A new National Public Radio (NPR) building in DC opened on April 15. NPR moved its world headquarters from 635 Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest to a new location in the NoMa neighborhood at 1111 North Capitol Street in Northeast DC. NoMa is a redevelopment zone north of Capitol Hill and Union station.

The project, designed by Hickok Cole Architects, cost $201 million. The NPR building is a new seven story building connected to a refurbished warehouse that was originally built in 1926. The design also includes an open, two-story newsroom with 18 video screens for collaboration between news, music, programming and digital staff. Plus, the building is environmentally friendly, earning a LEED Gold certification. Eco-friendly features include a green roof,…

Many new condo projects are coming to Adams Morgan. Some are currently under construction and others are still in the planning phases.

The Champlain Street development is still in the planning phases with delivery expected in the spring of 2014. This project will turn a vacant lot into a building with 40 condominium units. The units in this project will range in size from 500 to 900 square feet, and prices will start in the high $200s and rise into the high $500s.

The Euclid Street project is another one of the new condo projects in Adams Morgan that will replace a corner market. The development includes 19 units in one, two, and two-bedroom plus den layouts. All units feature hardwood flooring, walk-in closets, gourmet kitchens, and designer…

Soon there were be four new condo projects in Shaw -- P Street Residences, P Street Row, 926 N Street, and CityMarket at O.

P Street Residences is a new 65 to 70 unit condo project planned for P and 7th Streets, Northwest, in the Shaw neighborhood. The building will be four stories with a partially raised garage. Units will range from 510 to about 850 square feet. Since this project is still in the planning stages, there is no delivery date yet.

P Street Row is a condo development under construction in Shaw at 751 P Street in Northwest. The project is designed to look like a row of six townhomes of various colors to blend with the historic facade of the neighborhood. This project includes 12 two-level luxury condos, and half of those will be…