Real Estate Expert Interview: UrbanTurf

UrbanTurf is increasingly the go-to publication for DC real estate watchers. From the best in newly listed properties to noteworthy market trends, co-founders Mark Wellborn and Will Smith are constantly revealing the pulse of DC’s real estate scene.

We chatted with Mark and Will about common apartment hunting mistakes, the no-smoking property trend, and neighborhoods they consider to be DC’s best kept secrets.

Thanks for joining us, Will and Mark. Tell us a little about UrbanTurf. When and why did you launch it? Who is your audience?

UrbanTurf is an online publication that covers residential real estate in the DC metro area. UrbanTurf was founded in late 2008 because we felt that a publication did not exist that provided the type of residential news that DC residents are really interested in. Every day we post four to five articles on a variety or real estate oriented topics that range from interesting trends going on in the area market to hand-picked properties that we think are great deals to profiles of specific neighborhoods or new condo and apartment projects. Our audience has grown from prospective home buyers and sellers, real estate agents and developers to include anyone that has an interest in what is going on in the DC residential real estate scene.

You recently wrote about the growing number of DC area apartment buildings that are banning smoking. What pros and cons should landlords take into account when considering a no-smoking policy?

Aside from the obvious con that you will immediately exclude smokers from renting in your building – which landlords may actually want – some prospective renters may object philosophically to the idea that they are prohibited from certain behavior within their own home, even if they themselves don’t smoke. Also, if a renter wants to have a party or has friends who smoke, they might feel that the rule could cramp their ability to play host.

All that said, I think the pros outweigh the cons. The amount of non-smokers who hate smoking and welcome a 100% smoke-free building is large. We’ve spoken with a fair amount of people who would even pay a premium to live in such a building.

One of UrbanTurf's regular features is "Neighborhood Profiles". Which neighborhoods do you consider to be DC's best kept secrets today?

Hillcrest in far Southeast near the Maryland border is a charming residential neighborhood with attractive single-family homes that are priced at levels almost unheard of within the city’s borders. It has a suburban feel, so having a car is necessary, but for a young family that wants a reasonable priced house in the city proper, Hillcrest is a hidden gem.

For a more urban option, the “neglected” quadrant of Southwest is affordable (by DC standards) and very well located. It doesn’t have much in the way of bar and restaurant options, but it has two Metro stops, a shiny new Safeway, and the waterfront, Nationals Park, and the Mall are all within walking distance. It’s a great neighborhood for people who like the idea of having the hustle and bustle a short ride away, but enjoy coming home to a quiet neighborhood. Also, there are very big plans afoot for redeveloping Southwest, though they will take years to come to fruition.

Which neighborhoods are you most interested in watching over the next 5 years?

Historic Anacostia, Brookland and Trinidad.

In your opinion, what are the biggest mistakes that renters make when apartment hunting?

Just like home buyers, renters are prone to think that regardless how good something is, something better is just around the corner. In today’s rental and home buying market, if something good comes along and you don’t jump on it, it will be gone before you have the chance to reconsider. The demand is just too high and the supply too low. So, if something that you really like comes along, don’t wait to sign on the dotted line.

Any noteworthy trends you're foreseeing in the DC rental market for the rest of 2010?

Assuming the economy continues to improve, rents are likely to increase a little over the next 12 to 24 months. A lot of the condo projects that converted to apartments when the real estate market hit the skids have spent the last couple years attracting tenants by offering aggressive incentives like a month or two of free rent. Many of those apartments have finally “leased up”, so landlords are no longer as desperate to find tenants. It’s not that rents will shoot up a lot, but the time for renters to get the very best deals has come and gone.

Read last month’s interview with Matt Rhoades and Luis Gomez of DC blog Borderstan.


Are you a local real estate expert interested in sharing insights and tips with thousands of renters, landlords, and other Urban Igloo followers? We’d love to interview for our blog and newsletter! Contact us today at info@urbanigloo.com.

Bozzuto’s Julie Smith on Smart Property Management

Responsible for a portfolio of more than 30,000 units in nearly 100 apartment communities on the East Coast, few know the ins and outs of property management better than Julie Smith. She is President of Bozzuto Management Company, named “Property Management Company of the Year” by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 2009.

We recently spoke with Julie about how to keep renters happy, the rise of ‘green’ apartment living, and questions to ask when apartment hunting.

Your team at Bozzuto has a reputation for world-class customer service in the apartment market. What advice do you have for DC area landlords and property managers on keeping renters happy?

First and foremost, we believe that it is our responsibility to provide a friendly and enjoyable living environment for the residents who live in our buildings. So having property teams that are engaged, committed, creative, enthusiastic and willing to go the extra mile to ensure that all of our residents are cared for is most important in keeping residents happy. Prompt, professional and competent service is key and also expected, in any building. Home is a very personal thing and each resident is unique in what they value and what they need. So taking the time to get to know our residents and to understand what is important to them wins a lot of loyalty at the end of the day.

Bisnow reported recently that you're hiring a lot of new college grads in order to better connect with tenants in their 20s. What unique needs do Gen Y renters have?

Over 90% of our new hires are recent graduates and they do understand what is important to their peers. We have found that the Gen Y renters value quality, understand design and style, are very social and enjoy getting to know their neighbors so connecting residents is more important than ever. They are tech-savvy and are connected 24/7 so we need to be as well. They are also very interested in giving back to their communities and value measures taken to conserve resources.

What questions should DC apartment hunters ask landlords to ensure they find a well-managed property?

It is important to understand the service policies regarding general and emergency maintenance requests. They should know what other services and amenities will be available to them. It would be useful to take the time to meet all of the staff members who will be serving them. They need to understand the lease requirements and should feel comfortable asking for clarification if there is something in the agreement that they do not understand. It would beneficial to speak with a few other residents about their experience in the building. They also might want to spend a little time using an amenity like the fitness center or the pool to get a sense of how the community lives. They might also ask what the occupancy and resident retention rates area. Our business is a customer retention business and repeat customers typically are happy ones!

Your West End and Crystal City properties have been getting a lot of buzz for their focus on green living. Do you see sustainable design as a trend that's catching on in the DC apartment market? Is it important to renters?

Green living is important to renters and it is a movement that is becoming more prevalent in apartment living. Healthy living is also very important to our renters. So whether a new building is LEED certified or an existing community is simply taking measures to conserve resources and educate their residents on sustainability, there is perceived value in the opportunity to participate in the process and we are finding that renters across the spectrum are aware and engaged in becoming more Green!

Any other interesting trends you're seeing these days in the DC rental market?
I think that the most widespread trend is in technology. We are seeing an increasing use of technology in all aspects of property operations. We are using mobile applications for marketing apartments, we are using I-Pads in our presentations, we are using Resident Portals as a convenient vehicle for providing service to our residents and social networking sites to keep everyone informed. It is one of the most interesting and fast-moving trends in our industry today.

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Read last month’s interview with Jim Abdo, CEO of Abdo Development.

Are you a local real estate expert interested in sharing insights and tips with thousands of renters, landlords, and other Urban Igloo followers? We’d love to interview for our blog and newsletter! Contact us today at info@urbanigloo.com.

Press on the New Igloo

Last week was the official opening of our first retail location at 1808 Eye Street, across from the Farragut West metro.

So far the news has been picked up by Yahoo! News, Realty News Now, MultifamilyBiz, Potomac Tech Wire, PRWeb, and a number of other publications and blogs. Please stop by our new igloo next time you're in the area!

May Rent Check

Check out the latest issue of our monthly newsletter, "Rent Check." And if you haven't subscribed yet, sign up for it here so you can stay up to date on DC neighborhoods and real estate trends.

Neighborhood Expert Interview: Borderstan

The first time you heard someone say “Borderstan,” chances are you were confused but also didn’t forget the name. Matt Rhoades and Luis Gomez coined the highly sticky term in 2008, and later launched a blog to cover this crossroads of several DC neighborhoods. Since then, Borderstan has evolved into a valuable community resource, addressing everything from crime to real estate developments to the area’s cultural events.

Thanks for joining us, Matt and Luis. First, let's get our geography straight. Your blog refers to Borderstan as the "crossroads of Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and U Street neighborhoods." What are the actual borders of Borderstan?

We created the borders for our blog coverage -- they mean nothing in terms of official city boundaries for neighborhoods. The northern boundary is Florida Avenue, the western boundary a small stretch of Connecticut Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue is on the south and 9th Street NW is the eastern boundary. Here they are on a Google Map.

Borderstan is certainly catchier than most neighborhood names. When and how did you come up with it? And why did you start the blog?

Several of us were sitting in our living room about 2 years ago and we were talking about how 15th Street NW is the dividing line between two Police Districts, two ANCs and two official DC neighborhoods. For example, the west side of 15th is Dupont Circle and the east side is Logan Circle. I will take credit for the name! The blog started out as a public safety and crime blog and grew from there. I call it the "accidental blog."

What are the best things about living in Borderstan?

Walkability to anything you need or even desire on a daily basis -- grocery stores, restaurants, hardware stores, galleries, wine shops, dry cleaners, two dog parks, veterinarians. It is not unusual for us to leave the car parked all weekend. In turn, this means that we run into many people we know on the streets, so it is a great place to live for social interaction. And since we have a dog, we have met many more people that way. Lots of dogs in Borderstan.

What are the housing options for someone who wants to move to Borderstan?

Housing prices have gone up dramatically in 10 years and substantially in the last five years. For example, a one bedroom condo that would have gone for $150,000 or in 2000 will now go for $400,000 plus. However, in the past two to three years they have leveled off -- we never really had the declines that they did in the DC suburbs. There are many one-bedroom apartments for rent or purchase due to the high number of young single people. Single-family homes are untouchable for anything less than probably $800,000. In addition, there are lots of rental options in the area, both one- and two-bedroom units.

You cover neighborhood crime frequently on your blog. What crime trends have you seen over the last few years?

Crime is down, definitely. However, the newly revitalized commercial strips continue to be magnets for robbers and muggers. Overall, the situation is better. But, more people on the streets at all hours mean more targets. I think a lot of young people who grew up in the suburbs don't always understand the rules of downtown city living when they first come here. They tend to be a bit too carefree in terms of watching out for themselves, especially late at night.

You also have quite a few posts related to dogs. How pet-friendly is Borderstan?

Borderstan is a very pet friendly place. We have met many of our neighbors and made new friends from walking our dog. There are two dog parks -- one at 17th and S NW and another one at 11th and R NW.

What are the biggest changes or additions coming to Borderstan in the months or years ahead?

I think the big story is the continuing real estate development on 14th Street between P and W Streets. The entire west side of 14th Street between S and Swann is going to be demolished in September; new condos and first-floor retail is going in there. Room & Board will soon open at the southwest corner of 14th and T Streets, which will really change that intersection, I think. Of course, there is also the mega project at the southwest corner of 14th and U Streets -- that will be an amazing transformation of the entire intersection.

Please share some of your neighborhood favorites:

- Favorite bar or place to get a drink: Nellie's Sports Bar, Mova, Stoney's, Cafe Saint-Ex

- Favorite upscale restaurant: Rice

- Favorite cheap restaurant: El Paraiso at 14th and T NW, Pasha Bistro on 17th NW, Commissary, Stoney's (both on 1400 block of P Street NW)

- Favorite coffee shops: Java House at 17th and Q and Steam Cafe at 17th and R

- Favorite quick pizza: Manny and Olga's on 14th (it always arrives within 30 minutes)

- Favorite area to walk around: The entire 14th Street corridor from P up past U Street NW.

- Favorite (other) DC blog: 14th & You, City Paper City Desk blog, Free in DC, One Bite At A Time

Thanks Matt and Luis! And congrats on the just-completed redesign of your site. It looks great!

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Read last month’s interview on Southwest DC with William Rich of “Southwest…The Little Quadrant that Could” blog.

Are you a blogger or leader in your neighborhood? Share your expertise with thousands of DC area readers of our newsletter and blog. Contact us today at info@urbanigloo.com.

Renewing DC, One Development at a Time: An Interview with Jim Abdo

For the last couple decades, Jim Abdo and his Abdo Development group have offered a unique perspective on real estate and the role it plays in the community. Taking on projects in areas of the city that many see as undesirable addresses, Abdo is doing more than erecting buildings—he is building neighborhoods and communities. In this interview, he talks to us about responsible development, his ever-growing project roster, and more.

Thank you for joining us, Jim. Your company is widely recognized as a leader in the renewal of Washington’s historic districts, such as Logan Circle and 14th Street. How do your developments turn such areas into sought-after addresses?

When we are working in transitional and emerging neighborhoods, we typically look for characteristics that indicate that a neighborhood is ready for revitalization. These factors include a quality stock of existing historic buildings and a neighborhood fabric that lends itself to quality urban revitalization -- the sense that the "bones" of a neighborhood are there, but we just need to restore some key buildings or fill in some parcels or blocks to complete the sense of place. Also, we need to get the sense that the existing residents and businesses of the neighborhood are eager for and embrace change. Once we are comfortable with the neighborhood and its potential, we study the site and its context very carefully to design a development that fits into and complements the existing neighborhood. This means respecting the historic character of an existing building (in an adaptive reuse project) and the character of the surrounding neighborhood. We don't try to change a neighborhood into something it doesn't want to be or is not capable of being. We also try to "build above the market", meaning that we build to a level of quality that matches what we believe the neighborhood can become rather than what it may be today.

Can you give us an update on your New York Ave. project? What's finished? What's in the works?

The New York Avenue project is currently on hold while the economic recovery is underway. It was a bold and ambitious plan -- essentially creating an entirely new city within the city with significant upfront infrastructure improvements -- that will need a few more years of economic stability before it can be financed and built.

There's also a lot of buzz about your Brookland project, slated to begin construction in 2011. What drew you to Brookland and what are the most exciting parts of this project?

Basically all the fundamental characteristics I described above are present in the Brookland and Edgewood neighborhoods, and then some. First, Brookland and Edgewood are wonderful existing neighborhoods with a strong sense of community, beautiful architecture, and a real desire among residents to embrace positive change. We also have a terrific neighbor with CUA (and the many other institutions of higher learning) that brings 24-hr activity and energy and a built-in market for our development, not to mention the Washington Hospital Center which is just a few blocks away. We also have a Metro station at our doorstep. The "bones" are there and we saw a real opportunity to bring a missing piece of the puzzle with a development that will effectively connect the University with the neighborhood. It’s a very rare opportunity where you have a street like Monroe Street that probably could have (or should have) become a retail main street, but due to a number of factors, did not realize that potential. We really see ourselves almost as facilitators, helping the properties along Monroe become what they always should have been -- a center of activity and commerce for the neighborhood and the University.

Also, what amenities and/or enhancements do you think need to be added to H Street to make it as vibrant in the daytime as it is in the evening?

Many of the things that need to happen are already happening. There is the amazing Atlas Theater and the significant entertainment district that has developed around that anchor. Our development at Senate Square and Landmark Lofts has brought a significant amount of new residents to the corridor. Now, the city is completing the streetscape project and installing the streetcar lines. All of this will continue to build on itself and the corridor will continue to redevelop into a vibrant 24-hour street, much like (if not better than) 14th Street.

What other DC neighborhoods do you think have big revival potential that have not yet been recognized?

Its exciting to see what's been happening in the Ballpark District and Anacostia and there are still real opportunities and potential there, especially as the economy continues to improve. I continue to feel that the NY Avenue corridor has amazing potential and there is a real opportunity to improve the gateway to Washington from the east and north. The eastern end of Capitol Hill, especially with the Hill East site and whatever eventually happens with RFK Stadium offers some really good opportunities as well.

Many of our readers are renters. In your opinion, what DC neighborhoods give renters the best bang for the buck today?

It depends what a renter is looking for and what their needs are. If you are a renter on a tight budget, perhaps look at places that are outside of or on the edges of some of the more well-known neighborhoods. In these types of places, you typically can get more for your money, especially in terms of the size of the apartment or house. So instead of the heart of Capitol Hill, perhaps look at the northern or eastern edges of the Hill. Instead of the Ballpark District, look at SW DC. Instead of the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor, look at Columbia Pike. Instead of Bethesda, look at Silver Spring. Each of these alternative places offer more house for the money without giving up too much in the way of urban amenity and lifestyle.

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Are you a local real estate expert interested in sharing insights and tips with thousands of renters, landlords, and other Urban Igloo followers? We’d love to interview for our blog and newsletter! Contact us today at info@urbanigloo.com.

All Opinions Are Local

Last week the Washington Post announced a new blog network to be hosted on their site called All Opinions Are Local. From their announcement: "A group of independent bloggers from around the region have agreed to come together in this space to share their thoughts and insights on important local issues. Some of what they provide will be original to this blog, some of it will be excerpted from postings on their home sites ..."

The inaugural members are: David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington, Kenny Burns of Maryland Politics Today, Paige Winfield Cunningham of Old Dominion Watchdog, Peter Galuszka of Bacon's Rebellion, Dan Malouff of BeyondDC, Christopher 'Topher' Mathews of The Georgetown Metropolitan and Sommer Mathis of DCist.

We'll keep an eye on it. Thanks to Borderstan for the heads up.