Urban Igloo: Rent Check
January 2010 (Vol. 3)
DC Apartment Trends
Neighborhood Interview
Featured Property
What Customers Are Saying
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Greetings!
 Rick Gersten
The start of 2010 has been very busy for Urban Igloo, in particular on our website.  We recently streamlined our property search tool to make it easier to find apartments and houses that meet your criteria.  Just last week, we introduced a web-based property form to make it faster and simpler for landlords to post their rentals on our site.  And we're excited to announce the launch of Urban Igloo's blog.

Through our blog and this newsletter, we bring you insights and tips from experts on real estate and neighborhoods in the DC area.  In this issue of Rent Check, we share two great interviews: one with DC residential real estate expert Grant Montgomery of Delta Associates, and another with Columbia Heights blogger Andrew Wiseman.  We hope these will be just the start of many useful conversations with local authorities in the months ahead.  And don't forget to check out our Featured Property of the month to get the scoop on a newly-renovated rental property in DC's Southwest Waterfront.

- Rick Gersten, Founder and Managing Partner
DC Apartment Trends, Part I: For LandlordsGrant Montgomery
Urban Igloo recently caught up with Grant Montgomery, VP at Delta Associates, an authority on DC area real estate trends.  Grant heads up Delta's apartment practice, which just last week released its much-anticipated 2009 year-end report on the local rental market.  He was kind enough to talk with us and share highlights of Delta's findings, along with insider tips.  

In Part I of our interview - for landlords - Grant tells us why the DC apartment market is better than most people think, when it's going to start turning from a renter's market to a landlord's market, and what landlords should focus on for the next 12 to 18 months.

Read Part I of our interview with Grant ...
Neighborhood Expert Interview: Columbia HeightsColumbia Heights photo
In an effort to become a key resource for DC neighborhood information, Urban Igloo is launching a series of interviews with local experts - bloggers, community association leaders, listserv moderators, and others with unique, on-the-ground insights and tips.  For our inaugural interview, we are excited to chat with Andrew Wiseman, author of the New Columbia Heights blog.

In this interview, Andrew tells us what makes Columbia Heights unique, describes the local crowd, discusses the impact of Target and Best Buy, and shares his favorite neighborhood restaurants, bars, shops, and more.
 
Read the full interview with Andrew ...
Featured Property: At the Southwest Waterfront metroSW Waterfront apartments
Located in the dynamic Southwest Waterfront area, tree-lined streets and a private courtyard make this property a green escape in the middle of a bustling part of the city.

This newly remodeled building offers a tremendous value including stainless steel appliances, enormous walk-in closets, free parking, and a fitness center.  It is located next to the Waterfront metro stop and is walking distance to the newly rebuilt Arena Stage, the baseball district, the National Mall, and the Maine Avenue fish market.  If you are a boating enthusiast, you'll love being near DC's only members-only boat club, the Carefree Boat Club.

The property is also adjacent to the brand new Waterfront Station development, home to retail outlets, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and much more.  Mitchell Schear, President of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, told Urban Igloo that "during 2010, Waterfront Station will begin to take shape as a dynamic urban center at Metro, connecting workers, shoppers, theatre-goers, commuters and neighborhood residents.  Not only will it re-open 4th Street to connect the neighborhood to the city, it will be a new Main Street, with public spaces and neighborhood retail (including a new Safeway, CVS, cafes, and more)."

Learn about the 1BRs and 2BRs available at this property.

What Customers Are Saying
"Urban Igloo has been very helpful in increasing traffic to our properties and helping to fill vacancies.  We especially appreciate the pay for performance model."

- Matt B., The JBG Companies

"When I relocated from the west coast, I had a great experience working with the Urban Igloo team. They took all the stress out of researching and visiting potential apartments. I appreciated their follow-up and the company proved very valuable."

- Mashari P., Renter, Washington, D.C.
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