What Will Happen to DC’s Real World House?

• August 21, 2009

by Mark Wellborn

We have admitted in previous posts that the arrival of the Real World cast to DC was not our favorite piece of news this summer. However, considering that residential real estate is our beat, we have grown curious about one thing in particular related to the show:

What will become of the massive house that they live in after the show is over?

The 10,800 square-foot property on the corner of 20th Street and S Street in Dupont Circle is owned by Douglas Development, and its 2010 tax assessment put its value at about $5.69 million, according to RealWorldHouses.com. That assessment probably does not take into account the massive renovation that the property went through in order to get it “Real World” ready, though.

Inquiries to both Douglas Development and MTV were not immediately answered, but we were able to dig around and find out what has happened to past Real World homes. Of the properties used during the show’s run, nine are currently private residences, including the SoHo loft used in the show’s inaugural season in New York. Two spaces are now restaurants and the firehouse that was used to house the cast in the Boston series is now a non-profit.

The four-story brownstone housing the DC cast was formerly office space for a local architecture firm, but given its newfound fame we imagine that there is someone out there willing to put up the money to buy it and live there. With a tax assessment of $5.69 million, we think that the house cold fetch $6 million on the market later this year when the show ends. What do you think?

9 Comments

1. benji said at 11:27 am on Friday August 21, 2009:

   I have wondered the same thing! It’s too big (I think) for a private residence, so maybe three condo units?

1. Ed said at 1:11 pm on Friday August 21, 2009:

   Make sure to cite your sources, i.e. Realworldhouses.com

1. Brandon Green said at 1:15 pm on Friday August 21, 2009:

   Maybe it’ll get turned into a memorial to the show.

1. Mark Wellborn said at 1:43 pm on Friday August 21, 2009:

   Hey Ed,

   Oversight on our part. A reference was in our initial draft and we have added one in.

   Mark

1. Really said at 9:27 pm on Friday August 21, 2009:

   I think $6 million is low. With the fanfair that it has been getting I would say closer to 7.

1. Ed said at 9:54 pm on Friday August 21, 2009:

   I meant citing for the part about: “but we were able to find out what has happened to past Real World homes.”

1. Mary said at 5:50 pm on Saturday August 22, 2009:

   Someone wealthy will come along and buy the place, mark my words.

1. LookingtoBuy said at 12:06 pm on Monday August 24, 2009:

   At least one of the former properties is now a non-profit. Maybe someone will do something like that.

1. shadow said at 3:59 pm on Monday August 31, 2009:

   I personally would apply a discount on a house that has been used for a show like this—considering what the residents do in the house, plus the fact that you’ll get a lot of annoying gawkers loitering about taking photos, etc.  But I guess there are always suckers out there willing to pay a premium for a “famous” house.