As it turns out, we aren’t the only Slate writers looking for real estate in Washington. Nora and I never looked at this building — it didn’t come up in any of our searches! — and now we find out that our fellow columnist Eliot Spitzer has bought it for $180 million .
If you had asked, Eliot — as colleagues, we can be on a first-name basis — we would have been happy to show you around, maybe introduce you to a broker or two. Nora knows a lot about the pros and cons of various kinds of kitchen countertops. I could have told you about what kind of paperwork to have handy when you talk to a lender. Maybe we all could have attended an open house or two. But you seem to be doing OK on your own. And you probably get some good advice from your dad .
Still, we’re here if you need us. And to return the favor — if you ever decide to get into the local residential real estate market, can you give us a heads up? Just so we don’t make any competing offers.
By the way, I notice the place you got is what is known as “a distressed property.” (Another thing Nora and I can do: guide you through some of this real estate jargon. It’s not that hard once you get a few key concepts.) Which got me to wondering: How much would you pay for
this
? Nora looked at it a couple of weeks ago and didn’t much care for it, but I wonder if it’s worth a second look.
