New to DC and trying to figure out where you actually want to live.
I work with people moving into the District, most of them buying for the first time. Before we look at a single place, we figure out what your money does in each neighborhood and what the commute really costs you.
Where you are right now
Moving to DC
You took a job here, or you are about to. You have heard of maybe four neighborhoods and every one of them costs something different. We start with a map and your budget, not with listings.
Start with a callBuying your first place
You have the income and you are not sure what else you need. We go through what you can actually qualify for, what assistance exists for DC buyers, and what the real number looks like at closing.
See what you qualify forSelling
You bought a condo a few years ago and you are moving on. I will tell you what it is worth today, what it would take to get more, and whether the timing works in your favor.
Get a price opinionQuestions people ask me before they are ready to call.
You do not have to be ready to buy to ask any of these. Most people who reach out are six to twelve months away.
How much do I actually need saved?
Less than most people assume, and more than the three percent number you see online. Down payment is only part of it. You also have closing costs, an inspection, an appraisal, and the reserves a lender wants to see in your account.
The honest answer depends on the price range and the loan. That is a fifteen minute conversation with a lender, and I can point you to one before you commit to anything.
Which part of DC should I be looking at?
That depends on what you are optimizing for and it is worth being honest with yourself about it. Walkable and close to everything means a smaller condo and a higher price per square foot. More space usually means further out on the same Metro line and a longer morning.
Condo fees are the piece people miss. Two units at the same price can be several hundred dollars a month apart once you factor them in, and that difference changes what you qualify for.
Is there help with the down payment in DC?
Yes. The District runs assistance programs for buyers, and there are separate options tied to certain professions and employers.
Be careful here. Some companies market themselves in a way that makes them sound like government programs when they are not. I will tell you which is which, and every program has income limits and purchase price limits you need to confirm with an approved lender before you count on it.
What does it cost me to work with you as a buyer?
We sign a buyer agreement that spells out my compensation in writing before we tour anything. How it gets paid varies by deal, and in some cases the seller covers it. You will see the number and agree to it before it matters.
Nothing about that is standard or automatic anymore, so ask any agent you talk to for it in writing.
How fast do I need to move when I find something?
Faster than you want to, and slower than an agent pushing you will say. Good units in the popular buildings go in a weekend. A place that has sat for forty days is a different conversation entirely.
The pressure is real but it is not evenly distributed, and knowing which situation you are in is most of the job.
I am not buying for another year. Is it too early?
No. That is the best time to start. A year gives you room to fix credit, save, and learn the neighborhoods without a deadline pushing you into something you settle for.
Things to read before you talk to anyone.
These are the breakdowns I walk clients through anyway. You can go through them on your own first.
Where I work.
I am licensed in Washington DC and I work across the District. If you are looking at a neighborhood I do not know well, I will tell you that instead of guessing.
- Foggy Bottom and the West End
- NoMa and Union Market
- Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights
- Capitol Hill and Kingman Park
- Shaw and Bloomingdale
- H Street and Trinidad
- Petworth and Brightwood
- Navy Yard and Capitol Riverfront
- Southwest Waterfront
- Brookland and Edgewood
- Eckington and Truxton Circle
- Anacostia and Hill East
I am Logan.
I am a licensed agent in Washington DC and I work with buyers across the District. Most of my clients are in their twenties and thirties, buying their first place, and moving here from somewhere else.
That group gets underserved. The market moves fast, the terminology is deliberately confusing, and plenty of agents would rather you not slow down and ask questions. I would rather you ask them. If the answer is that you should wait a year, I will tell you that, even though it is not what an agent is supposed to say.
I am also finishing a graduate degree in real assets at Georgetown, which mostly means I spend a lot of time thinking about why housing in this city costs what it does.
Not ready to talk to an agent yet.
Most people who end up buying with me first spent months reading and doing nothing, because talking to an agent feels like committing to something.
So here is the thing I would have told you on a call, written down. No call required and nothing gets sold to you.
- What the money actually needs to look like, past the down payment
- DC assistance programs, what they cover and who qualifies
- Condo fees and why two units at the same price are not the same price
- What to fix in the twelve months before you apply
- The questions to ask any agent before you sign with them
Tell me where to send it
Name, email, and number. I send the file, and I text only if you ask me something. If you are a year out, that is the right time to read this.
Nothing is sold or shared. Reply stop to any message and it ends there.
Start with a conversation.
Twenty minutes on the phone. We go through where you are, what you are working with, and what the next step actually is. If that step is not buying yet, I will say so.