As high mortgage rates continued to shape the Washington real estate market, the upper echelon of homes sales hit new heights in 2023. A $13 million penthouse became the highest priced condo ever in the D.C. region and a D.C. property with links to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was scooped up for more than $12 million. And those weren’t even the top sale.
Washington, D.C
In case you’re wondering what $17 million will get you
The number of homes that sold for more than $1 million in the region declined from 2022 to 2023, according to ICE Mortgage Technology. But last year, luxury market listings went under contract faster — within two weeks for three of the top 10 listings, real estate leaders said.
“As you get closer into the city, even the higher priced homes are moving right now,” says Cara Pearlman, an executive vice president at Compass Realty. “There are people who weren’t transacting before because they weren’t sure what was going to happen with the economy. Now they realize that nothing’s changing substantially.”
Pearlman was the listing agent on the most expensive house sold in the D.C. area this year: an 11,000-square-foot Mediterranean villa, the residence for the Swedish ambassador for about 70 years.
She notes another trend among this year’s crop of highest transactions — embassy-related sales. “There are only so many people that need this scale of ultra-luxury homes,” Pearlman says.
Pearlman said she is seeing an uptick in the higher-end market. “It’s encouraging to see that they’re seeing that things have been the way they’ve been for a while, and they’re deciding to go ahead and move forward, purchasing their next residence or second residence,” she said. “It feels like maybe the wheels are getting unstuck.”
This isn’t everyone’s market but the rest of us can peruse this list of last year’s top sales, compiled with the help of Bright MLS, in ways as wistful, envious or spiteful as we please.
10
2860 Woodland Dr. NW, Washington, D.C.
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This D.C. mansion, built into a terraced hillside in 1927, was designed by architect George N. Ray, who crafted more than 50 homes in the area. Notable owners include a Treasury Department undersecretary, an ambassador to Switzerland and president of Washington National Bank, and Bill Frist, a former U.S. Senate majority leader. The stone manor, embellished with wisteria vines and adorned with five terraces, played host to such dinner guests as Elizabeth Taylor and Vincent Price. It was a filming location for the 1977 movie “The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover.”
List price: $9.75 million
Time on market: Three months
Listing agent: Robert Hryniewicki, Washington Fine Properties
9
8913 Holly Leaf Lane, Bethesda, Md.
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The only Maryland sale on the list belonged to former Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal, whose lavish mansion sold for almost a million under the asking price of $10 million after he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. The listing described an “elevated South Miami vibe,” with black ceiling accents and hand-laid Italian mosaic tile. The 2016 house has six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, and an elevator to traverse its 13,482 square feet. It also has an NBA-built regulation half-court, an arcade room, a tennis court with stadium lighting and parking for 14 vehicles. It was purchased by Dean Seavers, a businessman who served as president of of National Grid USA, in November.
Sale price: $9.185 million
Time on market: Two months
Listing agent: Andres Serafini, RLAH @properties
8
4620 Cathedral Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
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This six-bedroom, nine-bathroom house with a modern black-and-white facade was built in 2022 in a set of three adjacent houses. The lots, next to federally owned Battery Kemble Park, were prospected by developers for more than a decade before Bryce Arrowood, managing partner at Cliveden Group, figured out how to access the land: by buying a house at the end of Cathedral Avenue that bordered the lots, and building a private road. The transitional-style house has a floating staircase, wine cellar, exercise room, and ample outdoor space that includes a pool. The house was bought in January by TEWBDC, LLC, which has the same mailing address as ALS Finding a Cure, a service mark of the Leandro P. Rizzuto Foundation. The latter is a tax-exempt organization.
List price: $9.495 million
Sale price: $9.45 million
Time on market: Two and half months
Listing agent: Lee Arrowood, Compass Realty
7
3301 Fessenden St. NW, Washington, D.C.
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This Italian-villa-inspired estate with a limestone-domed foyer comes with a name of equal gravitas, dubbed by its builder Palazzo Della Felicita, or “Palace of Happiness.” With a twin grand staircase, library with wood walls and ceilings, movie theater, 5,000-bottle wine cellar, patio and garage for up to 11 cars, the 2019 Forest Hills neighborhood house was designed for entertaining. It should come as no shock, then, that it was bought by the Israeli embassy for Ambassador Michael Herzog in September – for about half a million under the original listing price.
List price: $9.95 million
Time on market: Under two weeks
Listing agent: Michael Rankin, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
6
1113 Langley Lane, McLean, Va.
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We’re getting into the eight-digits now! The many adornments of this 16,000-square-foot Western European-inspired mansion come from sources as diverse as the Oregon Trail (300 tons of fieldstone) and a French castle (an artist-signed fireplace built in 1900). The property is designed to accommodate as many as 160 guests, and boasts a sunlit entertainment room, circular wine cellar, hearth room, arched hallways, massive walk-in closets, two-story library with a spiral staircase and an indoor basketball court. Outside, a stone veranda overlooks the property’s 1¼ acres, designed by landscape architect Charles Owens. The mansion was bought in January by the thus-unidentified Earthly Castle LLC.
List price: $13.5 million
Sale price: $10.8 million
Time on market: Four months
Listing agent: William Thomas, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
5
2221 30th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
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This Beaux-Arts estate in Massachusetts Avenue Heights was built in 2008 as a showpiece of the late venture capitalist and major Republican donor Melvyn J. Estrin. The mansion hosted plenty of fundraisers for his candidates of choice, and for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Boasting 13,595 square feet and four stories, it has a heated motor court, several terraces, a heated swimming pool, reception foyer, library, wine room and parking for 14 vehicles. It will become a new official residence for the Irish ambassador, selling in December for more than $4,000,000 under the listing price.
List price: $16.5 million
Sale price: $12.25 million
Time on market: Three days
Listing agent: Charles Holzwarth Jr., Washington Fine Properties
4
601 Wharf St. SW #PH1, Washington, D.C.
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The most expensive new construction in 2023 — and priciest condo ever sold in the area — this record-breaking penthouse in the Wharf’s posh, futuristic Amaris was designed by the late Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. His other projects include Manhattan’s “pencil tower” at 432 Park Avenue, Tokyo International Forum and the Cleveland Museum of Art. The penthouse, which overlooks the buzzy entertainment district and the Washington Channel, has four bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a large terrace and three parking spaces. It sold in April. According to the Wall Street Journal, the buyer was a West Coaster who wanted an East Coast dwelling for family; they also purchased two boat slips at the Wharf.
List price: $12.5 million
Sale price: $12.762 million
Time on market: None (sold the day before listing appeared)
Listing agent: Michelle Giannini, Hoffman Realty
3
1163 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, Va.
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Located adjacent to former Kennedy family estate Hickory Hill in upper-crust Langley Farm, this 13,882-square-foot stone mansion has a handcrafted mahogany and glass front door, an antique limestone fireplace, coffered ceilings, custom chandeliers and a room labeled “morning bar.” Outside, the “edgeless” pool flows into a waterfall, fountains bubble and a built-in stone firepit comes with matching irremovable and hard-looking stone seating. The landscaped gardens encompass nearly two acres.
List price: $13.8 million
Sale price: $13.25 million
Time on market: Four months
Listing agent: Piper Yerks, Washington Fine Properties
2
3017, 3009, 3003 N St. NW, Washington, D.C.
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Speaking of the Kennedys, this combined estate includes a National Historic Landmark once owned by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Other notable past tenants include a World War I-era secretary of war, a Soviet spy and Yolande Fox, a former Miss America and Washington society magnate. The property, with 13 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms, was remodeled into one compound by late real estate proprietor David Hudgens, who had lived at 3017 N St. NW since 1997 — but its history extends to the 1700s, when it was built by Georgetown mayor Thomas Beall. Combined, the houses have more than 16,000 square feet of living space and include original fireplaces, a three-car garage, several terraces and a salon with hand-painted frescoes. It sold in November to an LLC named HistoryHouse Properties for nearly $6 million above asking price.
List price: $9.25 million
Sale price: $15.1 million
Time on market: Eight months
Listing agent: John Taylor, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
1
3900 Nebraska Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
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The priciest “house” sold in the D.C. area last year has more in common with commercial sales than residential. Built in 1925 for a wealthy newspaper publisher, this sprawling Mediterranean villa in American University Park was home to Swedish ambassador Karin Olofsdotter before she relocated to a “Scandi-cool” Georgetown abode. This sale marks the first time since the 1950s that the 6.7-acre property was on the market. It seems that D.C. ultra-luxury buyers have less use for such estates now — according to Pearlman, none of the roughly 13 offers were end users. Though the manor house is protected from major changed by a D.C. historic landmark designation, developers plan to build a luxury community reminiscent of Phillips Park on the rest of the property, Pearlman said. It sold to the Banks Development Co. in February.
List price: $19.5 million
Sale price: $17.3 million
Time on market: Four months
Listing agent: Cara Pearlman, Compass Realty
Washington, D.C
BXP Headquarters Shift Highlights Tenant Strategy And Washington DC Portfolio Choices
- BXP (NYSE:BXP) is relocating its regional headquarters to make room for major tenant the Washington Commanders in Foggy Bottom.
- The company is moving into a newly renovated downtown Washington, DC office building as part of this shift.
- The relocation aligns with recent leasing activity and capital deployment in the DC market.
For investors watching NYSE:BXP, this move ties directly to how the company is using its portfolio to support active leasing and tenant relationships. The stock last closed at $59.46, with a 15.0% return over the past 30 days and a 1.7% return over the past week, while the return over the past 5 years is a 27.4% decline. These mixed signals highlight why operational updates like this relocation can matter alongside price performance.
The decision to prioritize space for an NFL franchise tenant and occupy a freshly renovated downtown asset provides additional context on how BXP is positioning its DC footprint. As more details emerge on leasing terms, occupancy, and future capital plans around these properties, investors can use this event as another data point when assessing how the company is managing growth and risk in a key office market.
Stay updated on the most important news stories for BXP by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on BXP.
3 things going right for BXP that this headline doesn’t cover.
This headquarters move sits at the intersection of BXP’s tenant strategy and its capital deployment in Washington, DC. By giving the Washington Commanders a larger footprint in Foggy Bottom and shifting its own team into a recently refurbished, US$25 million downtown building, BXP is effectively using its portfolio as a tool to secure and retain high profile tenants. That matters for a company whose first quarter 2026 revenue of US$872.15 million and net income of US$101.58 million depend heavily on occupancy and long term leases. It also aligns with management’s comments about portfolio performance contributing to an increased full year 2026 EPS guidance range of US$2.15 to US$2.29 per diluted share, where gains on sales and operating trends both play a role.
How This Fits Into The BXP Narrative
- The relocation supports the narrative catalyst around a flight to quality, as BXP is concentrating activity in well located, premier DC assets that can appeal to blue chip tenants such as the Commanders.
- At the same time, shifting internal space and accommodating a large tenant concentrates exposure in a single market and property cluster, which could challenge assumptions about diversification and leasing flexibility if demand softens.
- This news adds detail on how BXP is using headquarters space as part of broader leasing negotiations, a nuance that may not be fully reflected in narrative discussions focused on development projects and capital recycling.
Knowing what a company is worth starts with understanding its story.
Check out one of the top narratives in the Simply Wall St Community for BXP to help decide what it’s worth to you.
The Risks and Rewards Investors Should Consider
- ⚠️ Higher tenant concentration in a single NFL franchise could increase earnings sensitivity to one lease, especially if sector headwinds or usage changes affect long term space needs.
- ⚠️ The move comes against a backdrop where analysts have flagged occupancy pressure and interest coverage as key risks, so additional capital tied to renovations and relocations may constrain flexibility if conditions tighten.
- 🎁 Hosting the Commanders in Foggy Bottom may support occupancy and brand appeal across nearby properties, which can help leasing in a competitive office market.
- 🎁 Moving into a newly renovated downtown office can signal confidence in DC as a core market and help BXP’s own staff operate closer to tenants and development activity.
What To Watch Going Forward
From here, keep an eye on leasing metrics and disclosed terms around the Commanders’ space, including remaining lease length, rent levels, and any associated capital commitments. It is also worth watching how occupancy and cash flow from the renovated downtown building show up in future quarterly results, alongside the company’s EPS guidance for 2026 of US$2.15 to US$2.29 per diluted share. Any commentary on additional relocations, asset sales, or redevelopment plans in DC will help you judge whether this move is part of a broader repositioning of the portfolio or a one off response to a single tenant opportunity.
To ensure you’re always in the loop on how the latest news impacts the investment narrative for BXP, head to the
community page for BXP to never miss an update on the top community narratives.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data
and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your
financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data.
Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Valuation is complex, but we’re here to simplify it.
Discover if BXP might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.
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Washington, D.C
Candidates for mayor and D.C. congressional delegate outline vision for District’s future
By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
The Washington Informer teamed up with the D.C. Democratic Party (DC Dems), the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ), the Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC) and the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) to host a debate for delegate and mayoral candidates in D.C. on May 2.
The debate covered critical issues, including housing affordability and displacement, education outcomes and economic equity.
Mayoral candidates debate how to balance growth with equity
The mayoral candidates included Councilman Vincent Orange, Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George, Gary Goodweather, Rini Sampath, and former at-large Councilman Kenyan R. McDuffie.
Each drew clear distinction on how to balance economic growth with equity, particularly when it comes to housing education and access to opportunity for D.C. residents.
On economic policy and business investment, candidates debated whether the city’s challenges stem from revenue or how funds are managed. Sampath emphasized the need to grow the tax base by supporting businesses, arguing that social programs depend on economic strength.
“We need to be attracting businesses to Washington,” said Sampath. “We need to make sure it’s easier for them to thrive.”
Goodweather pointed to inefficiencies in city spending, proposing the creation of an equity map to track investments in D.C. residents and businesses.
“We’ve increased our budget 70 percent over the past seven years. Our economy is down 8.5 percent,” said Goodweather. “We need to take a look at the budget and double down on the services that are working. For the ones that aren’t, we need to reallocate those dollars somewhere else.”
Lewis George framed economic growth and affordability as interconnected, arguing that stabilizing residents ultimately benefits businesses.
“What we do is we set up a system in which we allow people to be able to afford to live here,” said Lewis George. “When people can afford child care, housing, groceries and utilities that means those people are going to patronize our businesses.”
Education also emerged as a key issue. All candidates said they would keep mayoral control over D.C. Public Schools.
McDuffie emphasized improving the quality of schools and workforce pathways.
“We’re going to address overcrowded schools West of the park by making better quality schools East of the park,” said McDuffie. “We’re going to make sure we focus on early literacy, trades and apprenticeships for our middle school students— giving them early access to jobs that are being created in projects across the District.”
Lewis George highlighted the need for stronger oversight and student engagement, particularly around attendance.
“I will also be addressing chronic absenteeism because if our students aren’t in school, we can’t close the literacy and math gap at all,” said Lewis George.
Orange proposed making the University of the District of Columbia tuition-free and doubled down on greater investment in workforce development for students.
“I will make sure that every agency in the District of Columbia has a paid youth apprenticeship program upon graduation from high school to make sure that our young people have health benefits, retirement benefits and entry level jobs and they will grow with the District of Columbia,” said Orange.
On housing and displacement, particularly around the planned redevelopment of the RFK Stadium site, candidates offered competing visions for ensuring longtime residents can remain in their communities.
Orange called for deeper affordability thresholds and community input.
“I’m not talking about 80 percent of the area median income, I’m down at 40 or 50 percent of the area median income,” said Orange.
Sampath stressed the need for stronger planning and renter protections, noting that of the 6,000 homes being developed under the project, only 30 percent are affordable.
“We need to make sure we’re protecting our renters rights in that region,” said Sampath. “Under my administration, we will have an equity plan that names exactly how we will do that.”

Delegate hopefuls outline priorities for statehood, housing and economy
D.C. delegate candidates are vying to succeed longtime D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who announced her retirement in January after more than three decades in Congress.
They include: Kinney Zalesne, former White House fellow, Councilman Robert White, Trent Holbrook, former senior legislative counsel to Norton; Greg Jaczko, former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and Councilwoman Brooke Pinto.
On the question of D.C. statehood, White and Holbrook argued that it’s the right moment to finally push the decades-long effort across the finish line.
“People are hungry for a leader that can direct our energy and resources. I’m going to be that leader and build on top of what Congresswoman Norton did,” said White. “This is our time to get statehood.”
Zalesne, meanwhile, emphasized that advancing D.C.’s priorities will require broadening the city’s coalition of political allies and rethinking its economic strategy.
“We need to rethink our economy,” said Zalesne. “That wasn’t true for most of her leadership, but it is now because we’ve had a full frontal assault on our economy by this administration, and we need someone with business experience.”
Pinto also focused on economic transformation, particularly as it relates to adapting to emerging industries.
“I think the biggest difference we need to lean into is accepting new industries to come here,” said Pinto. “We are in an AI revolution, and if we don’t get this right and properly regulate it to keep residents safe, we’re going to miss the boat and wish we had done it sooner.”
On housing affordability, candidates largely agreed the crisis requires both federal intervention and local accountability. White argued for expanding federal involvement through land transfers to the District to support affordable housing development. Holbrook proposed reviving and adjusting a first-time homebuyers tax credit and increasing funding for public housing vouchers.
Jaczko emphasized expanding access to credit and restoring programs aimed at helping first-time buyers.
“One of the programs that’s been severely decimated by the Trump administration is an opportunity for alternative credit programs to allow people who may not have significant credit history to afford a home and to buy a home,” said Jaczko. “That’s an area that I will specifically focus on working to reestablish that program.”
Pinto highlighted her “Breaking Ground D.C.” plan, which includes repealing the federal Height Act and building housing above transit corridors and making rent tax-deductible.
Job displacement and the future of the federal workforce also emerged as a central concern, particularly amid federal layoffs and broader workforce reductions affecting Black and low-income communities.
Pinto argued that the next delegate must focus on both protecting federal workers and helping them transition into new careers.
“It is imperative that our congressional delegate is strong on supporting our federal workforce and on helping people upskill and learn other skills to be part of the economy in other places if they have lost their job,” said Pinto.
Zalense tied these shifts to the erosion of the Black middle class in D.C.
“The DOGE program was not about efficiency. We know that. It was about destroying the Black middle class, and we have got to take that personally,” said Zalense. “We have got to be outraged, and we’ve got to fight for those jobs to come back in a Democratic administration.
Washington, D.C
Weekend weather in the DC Area: A little bit of everything
WASHINGTON (7News) — If you’ve got plans around D.C., Maryland, or Northern Virginia this weekend, you’ll want to stay flexible.
The forecast brings a mix of warm temperatures, sunshine, and a few rounds of showers and storms—especially Saturday and late Sunday.
Here’s a simple, hour-by-hour style breakdown so you can plan ahead.
Saturday: Warm Front, Clouds, and Spotty Storms
Morning (6 AM – 12 PM)
Mostly cloudy to start
A few early showers possible, especially toward the MD/PA border
Temperatures climbing through the 60s into the low 70s
What’s happening: A warm front is lifting north, bringing in milder air.
Afternoon (12 PM – 5 PM)
Highs reach the mid-70s
Clouds may break at times
Scattered showers and thunderstorms develop
Storm window: 2 PM – 7 PM
About a 50% chance of rain
Severe risk is low, but not zero
Possible:
Brief heavy downpours
Gusty winds
Maybe even small hail in isolated spots
Good news: Not everyone sees rain—but keep an eye on the sky.
Evening & Night (After 7 PM)
Storm chances linger early, then fade
Skies turn partly cloudy overnight
Lows drop to the mid-50s
Winds become light
Most of the night should be quiet and comfortable.
Sunday: The Pick of the Weekend
Morning
Dry and pleasant
A mix of sun and clouds early
Afternoon
Sunny and warmer
Highs in the low 80s
Light southwest breeze
This is your best outdoor day—great for parks, brunch, or yard work.
Sunday Night (After Midnight)
Clouds increase
Showers likely after midnight (70% chance)
Lows in the mid-50s
Winds shift from the north
Rain becomes more steady and widespread overnight
Looking Ahead (Late Sunday into Monday)
A cold front approaches from the northwest
Best chance for rain: Sunday night → Monday morning
Rainfall totals:
Generally 0.10″ to 0.25″
Locally higher in spots
Storms are possible, but:
Limited instability
Severe weather risk remains low
Weekend Planning Tips
Saturday:
Keep plans flexible—have a backup indoor option in the afternoon
Sunday:
Get outside early—it’s the best weather window
Sunday night:
Expect rain if you’re out late or traveling
The Big Picture
This weekend is part of a warming trend, with temperatures climbing from the 70s into the 80s. But with that warmth comes multiple chances for showers and storms, especially as weather fronts move through the region.
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