ButlerCook Real Estate

The couple had been scouring for a new home for months and didn't think they'd find "the one" in Colonial Village/North Portal Estates of all places - a verdant, little known gem of a neighborhood in Northwest Washington DC that borders the Maryland line. Then they walked into 1790 Verbena NW.

Every house they walked through previously had the same problem: Either the layout worked but the kitchen was stuck in 1988, or the finishes were nice but the space felt cramped.

Then their agent sent over the listing at 1790 Verbena St NW in Colonial Village/North Portal Estates. Mid-century. Built in '59. "Redone in 2022," the notes said.

They walked in the front door and the first thing they noticed was the light. Open kitchen, dining space, living area with an electric fireplace, all of it leading straight out to a 14-foot deck and a backyard big enough for the dog to actually run.

Three bedrooms on the main level. Primary with its own renovated ensuite. Two more bedrooms down the hall, updated bath between them.

Then they went downstairs.

They weren't expecting much from a basement in a '59 build. They were wrong.

Full den with a wood-burning fireplace. A fourth bedroom. A full bath. And — this is the part that got their attention — a second, separate kitchen with its own washer/dryer and outside access.

"That's not a basement. That's an income unit."

They stood in that lower level for a while doing the math. In-laws staying long-term. A tenant covering part of the mortgage. A grown kid who needs their own door someday. All of it, already built.

No HOA. Attached garage. Storage everywhere — the kind of storage you stop noticing you need until you have it.

This could be you.

**1790 Verbena St NW, Washington, DC 20012**
4 Beds | 3 Baths | 2,672 Sq Ft | $1,275,900 ($224K price improvement)
Colonial Village / North Portal Estates

Listing agent: LaCrisha Butler, ButlerCook Real Estate — (202) 422-6100
See below for full details & photos: https://www.homes.com/property/1790-verbena-st-nw-washington-dc/9c5tsb2wcrl0h/
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https://www.homes.com/property/1790-verbena-st-nw-washington-dc/9c5tsb2wcrl0h/

1790 Verbena St Nw, Washington, DC 20012 - For Sale Listed for sale at $1299900. Huge price improvement. Fabulous redo of this mid-century modern two-level home in North Portal Estates/Colonial Village...

https://www.homes.com/news/chicago-sanctuary-turned-showpiece-hits-market-for-6-5-million/444425660/?utm_content=A+former+Chicago+church+t&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_source=instagram

Chicago sanctuary turned showpiece hits market for $6.5 million - Homes.com News Key takeawaysAn early 1900s church in Chicago that was converted into a residence is on the market for $6.5 million.The Roscoe Village neighborhood

https://www.homes.com/property/7746-16th-st-nw-washington-dc/t65y2clqe15s6/?l=53hb36z2g1pwh

Last night, in the latest chapter of my real estate life, a local wanderer thought the fastest way to acquire a multi-million-dollar estate was to simply treat a $2 million listing like a walk-in closet — in a neighborhood full of Ring cameras and observant neighbors.
The seller had called because the man, who had attempted to get into the house twice this week, was back. As if "Checking If the Back Door is Unlocked" wasn't raising enough red flags.
The aspiring homeowner showed up carrying zero dollars, zero verified financing, and a driver's license that put him straight into the local police department's active warrant file.
According to witnesses, the suspect was casually hanging out at the nearby bus stop debating real estate strategy with the local physician, right before police cruisers rolled up with flashing lights.

Again, as I have often had in this brutal real estate market, I started to rethink my life choices, namely my real estate career,

What else could possibly happen - the seller had already gotten three green vacant house stickers since March because some well-meaning busybody went around the neighborhood and reported "vacant" houses, as soon as the for sale sign went up.

Other than working with the tax liens investors, who walk away with hundreds of thousands in DC resident’s equity at the annual tax lien sale, what neighbor would report a renovated home on the market as "vacant," which would increase the homeowner's taxes by 5 times unless they are able to navigate D.C.’s Byzantine vacant and/or blighted exemption process?

For three days, this guy had been visiting the front, back and side doors of the house trying to get in, based on the photos from the ring camera the seller had sent me. I asked his name to see if he was my buyer with the $4 million preapproval.

I'm Debo, he replied, with an accent. The police officer shooed me away, I was not an investigating officer by the way.

Standing there astonished was Ayanna, the doctor who lived next door with her husband and three children. She was attempting to show her rising middle school daughter how to ride the bus to camp the next day (impressive, since I knew parents whose children never rode the bus or metro before 18). But Ayanna is a Philly girl and she was determined to guide her children to self-sufficiency. She's the type of neighbor who wouldn't snob the perp, and is why prior to the police presence, she was having a lovely conversation with the suspect, who was also at the bus stop.

I quickly update her. Though it would appear that while we had not sold this completely renovated house that had been on the market since last July, at least we had one interested fella.

I caught her up on who I thought the intruder was - the soon to be millionaire homeowner who had spotted the house of his dreams as he rode the bus to his home - the shelter for the unhoused (let's be politically correct) in nearby Silver Spring, MD.

He had called earlier - insisting he had a preapproval for $4 million. I had even stopped by the Columbia Heights branch of Bank of America to verify the "preapproval," which had to be a settlement because to get a preapproval, you need income and I would think not be unhoused. I don't judge - he could have gotten a settlement, at least.

Anyway, after the $4 million man volunteered that he had previously lived in the house that was the former Congolese embassy at 16th and Colorado, I called the present owner, who owns a fab Indian restaurant in NOMA, who insisted that he had bought the house directly from the Congolese embassy. I pressed again - and that's when he remembered that there was a squatter who he had to take to court to get him removed. That did it for me, no need to meet with this buyer, who it turns out may not be last night's intruder after all.

Back to Ayanna. After I relayed that story to her - by this time sitting on her front porch - the police officer walked over and congratulated me on helping to catch a fugitive - who had an outstanding warrant in Maryland. And he lived nearby, according to his driver's license.

They would not verify the name but this could not be my buyer with the $4 million preapproval or settlement - he didn't have an accent and he didn't live in the neighborhood.

This was a whole new fella - who also wanted the house. He was not attempting to break in, he told the officers, but the open house sign on the rear left over from the previous open house made him believe that the house was "open."

They took him away. But somewhere out there is a homeless guy, whose phone is turned off, who wants to buy this multi-millionaire dollar home.

If you want to see what the fuss is all about, stop by Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026 2-4 pm, 7746 16th St NW, Washington DC, because this time there will be an open house.

7746 16Th St Nw, Washington, DC 20012 - For Sale Listed for sale at $1999900. This Rock Creek Luxe Manor, at 7,277 square feet, is believed to be one of the largest home in Colonial Village. It is j...

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/this-is-your-home-on-glp1s

This Is Your Home on GLP-1s As weight-loss drugs reshape American life, they’re also sparking a surprising behind-the-scenes transformation of our homes, from med-station bathrooms to ghost-town kitchens

https://www.homes.com/learn/can-adding-a-pool-increase-your-home-value/?utm_source=Homes&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HM_PDT_B2B_ALL_AgentWeeklyNewsFTP_20260401&utm_id=73dfc76a-8a37-f111-a5f8-5cba2c705840&utm_content=article

Can adding a pool increase your home value? - Homes.com News While having a swimming pool just steps from your back door may sound appealing, there are a lot of factors to consider before adding, or even before buying a home with one. Here's what you need to know.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/realestate/taxes-capital-gains-home-sales.html

Looking to Sell Your Home? Grab This Big Tax Break if You Can. Selling a primary residence can net thousands in capital gains deductions. But you need to gather the evidence.

Drop everything and fill out form 843 on the IRS.gov website if you owe taxes and penalties.
https://wapo.st/44Sn1vz

Internal Revenue Service | An official website of the United States government Pay your taxes. Get your refund status. Find IRS forms and answers to tax questions. We help you understand and meet your federal tax responsibilities.

Key tenets of the new housing affordability law just passed by Congress:

Congress just passed the 21st Century ROAD (Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream) to Housing Act, the most sweeping federal housing legislation in a generation.

The new law tackles the housing affordability crisis by increasing housing supply, cutting red tape, lowering construction costs, and restricting Wall Street's influence in the housing market.
The bill's major provisions:
1. The bill caps Wall Street and Corporate Investors by prohibiting large institutional investors and private equity firms from owning more than 350 single-family homes to prevent Wall Street from outbidding regular families for starter homes.
2. Incentivizing New Supply and Zoning Reform by offering financial rewards to cities that build more homes:
*Zoning Grants: Creates a $200 million annual competitive grant program for local governments and tribes that demonstrate a measurable increase in housing supply through reforms like streamlined permitting, density bonuses, and zoning changes.
* Commercial Conversions: Establishes a pilot program to help local governments convert vacant commercial and industrial buildings into affordable housing.
* Pre-Approved Designs: Provides grants to local governments to adopt pre-reviewed architectural designs for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes, and townhomes to speed up construction.
3. Expanding Financing and Cutting Red Tape for Small Mortgages by providing incentives for lenders to offer smaller mortgages (loans under $100,000) to help buyers purchase lower-cost starter homes.
* Appraisal Modernization: Reforms appraisal licensing and training to expand the appraiser workforce and updates FHA appraisal standards.
* Streamlined Reviews: Cuts red tape by expanding environmental review exemptions for certain housing projects and reducing delays in HUD property inspections.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EXF1koDeo/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A landmark housing affordability bill is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk after winning overwhelming support in Congress this week, setting the stage for the most sweeping federal housing package in a generation. https://cnn.it/4vr9vKZ