Comp and Circumstance: DC Versus Rome

• February 18th 2011

by Rebecca Ortega

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Comp and Circumstance presents two “for-sale” homes of roughly similar prices and compares the pros and cons of each. This week, Comp and Circumstance contributor Rebecca Ortega headed to Rome to see how far a million dollars goes in the Italian city versus DC.

See all our past Comp and Circumstance features here.

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1,077 Square-Foot Unit on Via delle Fornaci in Rome

Like DC, well-located real estate in Rome, Italy does not come cheap. In fact, this 1,077 square-foot unit in Rome is listed for almost the same price as a Logan Circle house (see below). The Via delle Fornaci listing is located in the mostly residential neighborhood of Gianicolo, surrounded by park grounds and minutes away from both Vatican City and the hip neighborhood of Trastevere. The listing consists of one large room, but the kitchen and dining area feel separate from the living and bedroom areas, a luxury afforded due to the unit’s square footage.

One of the unit’s selling features is a framed view of the St Peter’s Basilica from one of the living room windows. The view of the dome inspired a bathtub positioned under the window so the owner can relax and take in the scenery. The bathroom is also quite large and includes an open, free standing shower and enough room for additional storage. However spacious, this is a $1,089,000 efficiency apartment, which can comfortably house one person or possibly a couple. It is a high price to pay for one room, whatever the city.

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Logan Circle Townhouse With Rental Unit

Located three blocks from Logan Circle, 1534 15th Street NW is in what many would consider to be one of DC’s prime areas. The three-level house has a one-bedroom, one-bath basement rental unit that could likely bring in close to $2,000 to help offset the mortgage. There is a narrow living room on the first floor of the main house, leading back to a large, renovated, eat-in kitchen. The second floor includes a sitting room and half bath, and up on the third floor is a large master bedroom, the main house’s only full bathroom and a smaller second bedroom. The home has two fireplaces and a valuable two-car off-street parking strip. The rental unit makes this an affordable option for those that might initially balk at the $1 million+ price tag.

Photo courtesy of HomeVisit

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Tell us in the comments which of these two properties you feel is the better buy at over $1M.

	Via delle Fornaci, Rome, Italy	1534 15th Street NW, Washington, DC
Bedrooms	0	Three
Bathrooms	One	2.5
Pros	Views of St Peter’s Basilica, large bathroom, open and modern design, close to public transportation and away from tourist traps	Renovated eat-in kitchen, rental unit for extra income, off-street parking for two cars, close to local nightlife and shopping
Cons	Only one room	Narrow rooms, only one full bathroom in the main house
Price	Approximately $1.089 million (exchange rate varies)	$1.099 million
Neighborhood	Gianicolot	Logan Circle
Links	Via delle Fornaci	1534 15th Street NW

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/comp_and_circumstance_dc_versus_rome/3016.