Selling DC - J.P. Montalvan

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Selling DC - J.P. Montalvan Wishing you knew more about buying and selling? I'm here to help you with everything house and home. Join me in Selling DC.

Enjoy stories and expert advice on the market, maximizing your investment, and how to make home your best place in the world.

10/16/2026

Hi. I’m Aviana.

I’m not technically the host of Selling DC. That’s my papa, J.P.

He does most of the talking.

I mostly show up midway through on a roof deck and silently evaluate whether the spaces are actually fun.

But let me be clear. In this episode, I have opinions.

First, there’s a 1917 Park View and Petworth row home where an old open or screened porch has been enclosed and turned into a bar and hangout space.

Good start.

Then we visit a lower level with a family room, entertaining space, guest space and a wet bar.

Also promising.

Then there’s a glass-enclosed, humidified w**e cellar with room for up to 800 bottles.

I’m told what makes these spaces fun is a grown-up thing. But I have plenty of milk bottles too.

And finally, the roof deck.

Big views. Open sky. Plenty of room to move around.

That one gets my vote.

The point my papa is trying to make — and I agree with him on this — is that finding the right home isn’t only about bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage.

It’s about finding a place where you can actually enjoy your life.

Sometimes that means a bar. Sometimes a w**e (or milk) cellar. Sometimes a roof deck.

And sometimes it just means having enough space to run around while your papa talks to a camera.

So when you’re looking for your next home, don’t just ask what you need.

Ask what would make living there more fun. And my papa can help.

— Aviana, unofficial Selling DC correspondent

10/09/2026

One of the things I love about older DC homes is that they often give you something newer construction doesn’t always value...

Definition.

In this 1917 row home, you feel it the minute you walk inside. The foyer is separate, but not closed off. It creates a true transition from the front door into the living spaces — something very different from today’s tendency toward completely open plans.

Then there are the details.

Original-style moldings. Inlaid floors. Period millwork. Broad archways that connect rooms without erasing their purpose.

It’s open, but not too open.

And that balance continues at the rear of the home, where what would once have been an open or screened porch has been enclosed and turned into additional living space — in this case, a family room and bar.

When you’re considering an older home, look beyond age. Look at the way the rooms interact with one another. Look at what has been preserved. Look at what has been adapted.

And ask whether those spaces still work for the way you want to live today.

One of the most misleading things we say in real estate is:“This home sold in five days.”Maybe it went under contract fi...
09/28/2026

One of the most misleading things we say in real estate is:

“This home sold in five days.”

Maybe it went under contract five days after hitting the market. But that usually isn’t when the sale started. A great sale often begins weeks — sometimes months — earlier.

It begins with walking through the property and deciding what needs attention. It’s the contractor conversations. The repairs. The paint. The floors. The landscaping. The decluttering. The staging. The photography. The video. The pricing strategy. The marketing plan.

The conversations happening before a buyer ever walks through the door. By the time a home officially hits the market, a tremendous amount of the work has already be finished.

Then, sometimes, everything happens very quickly. That’s why I think of a successful sale as happening gradually, then suddenly.

The contract may come in days. The sale was built over time.

Homes don’t sell in days — they sell over time.

09/25/2026

A renovated kitchen doesn’t always need to be a brand-new kitchen.

At this Springfield home, some of the strongest elements were already here. The flooring, the quartz countertops and the full-height backsplash.

The cabinets were another story.

They were dated, but the boxes themselves were still in very good condition. So rather than tear them out, we painted them inside and out in a fresh gray that connects beautifully with the veining in the countertops and the tones in the floor.

Then there was the refrigerator.

It was new and appropriately sized for the kitchen — but it didn’t actually function properly in the space. The door was scraping and couldn’t open freely.

A little drywall work, some new trim and careful carpentry solved the problem.

That’s an important lesson whether you’re renovating or buying. Don’t just ask whether something is new. Ask whether it works.

Good renovation is often less about replacing everything and more about recognizing what’s worth keeping, refreshing what needs help and fixing the details that affect how the home actually lives.

09/18/2026

Some of the best outdoor spaces in Washington are several stories above the street.

In this episode of Selling DC, we revisit rooftop decks and terraces across the DMV — and the very different ways they can change how a home lives.

At The Greenbriar in Upper Northwest, a shared rooftop terrace delivers panoramic views, including the National Cathedral and a great perch for watching the city.

In Capitol Hill, a private roof deck opens up sweeping views across Washington and the Anacostia.

In Georgetown, the outdoor space is special for another reason — rooftop decks can be particularly unusual in a historic neighborhood where adding one today may be difficult.

Then there are decks where the story is structural. In Glover Park, we talk about how creating usable rooftop space may require reinforcing the roof below — something that’s at least as important as admiring the furniture and view.

And at The Waterview, the rooftop becomes a full amenity. Grilling areas, tables, lounges and expansive views across Washington, the monuments and the Potomac.

When you’re comparing homes or condominiums, don’t just ask whether there’s a roof deck.

Ask whether it’s private or shared. How is it accessed? How was it built? Who maintains it? And most importantly — will you actually use it?

Because sometimes a few stories of elevation can completely change the way you experience the city.

Which rooftop would you choose?

09/11/2026

Preparing a home for sale doesn’t mean stripping away everything that gives it personality.

Sometimes the real decisions are knowing what to remove, what to keep and what to restore.

At this DC condo, we started by clearing out almost everything so buyers could better see the space.

But one thing stayed. This warm wood built-in.

Why? Because it anchored a long wall, added useful storage and gave an otherwise crisp, bright room some warmth and character.

Then we refreshed the paint throughout and refinished the original parquet floors in a natural tone.

And here’s the important part — we didn’t try to make those floors perfectly match the darker wood cabinetry in the already-renovated kitchen. They didn’t need to.

The natural parquet, darker shaker cabinets, stainless appliances and multicolored countertops are different — but they complement one another. That’s usually the goal when designing a home or preparing a home for sale.

Everything doesn’t have to match. It just has to feel like it belongs together.

I’ve walked through plenty of homes where the square footage sounds great on paper — and then you step inside and wonder...
09/07/2026

I’ve walked through plenty of homes where the square footage sounds great on paper — and then you step inside and wonder where all that space went.

And I’ve seen the opposite.

One of the condos we featured on Selling DC was a studio in Adams Morgan. By definition, it wasn’t a big home. But it lived surprisingly well.

The kitchen wasn’t simply stretched along one wall with the bed, sofa and dining area all competing for the same room. A simple half wall helped separate the kitchen from the rest of the space and created actual zones for cooking, relaxing and sleeping.

Nothing about that design added a single square foot. But it changed the experience of the entire home.

That’s something I share with folks all the time. Square footage matters, but it only tells part of the story.

Where do you put the sofa? Can you have people over? Is there somewhere to work? Can you cook without feeling like you’re cooking in your living room? Does the layout make everyday life easier — or harder?

Sometimes a smaller home with the right floor plan can live much better than a larger one with wasted space.

Great homes aren’t measured only by square footage — they’re measured by how they live.

09/04/2026

8902 Winding Hollow Way in Springfield, Virginia is currently for sale. And a renovated home can look great. But when you’re buying a home, look beyond what’s shiny and new.

At this Springfield home, some of the smartest improvements are easy to see — durable laminate flooring, refreshed cabinetry, quartz counters and a deck that’s ready to enjoy.

Others require you to look a little closer.

Does the refrigerator actually open properly in the space? Are the electrical components and smoke detectors current? What’s happening in the attic? How old is the roof? And on a wood deck, do you see evidence that someone has been replacing boards and making small repairs along the way?

Those details tell a story.

Here, small roof leaks led to a full roof assessment and replacement. The attic was inspected and addressed. Cabinet boxes that were still in good condition were painted instead of unnecessarily replaced. Minor carpentry made a new refrigerator actually function properly. And fresh deck boards show the kind of ongoing maintenance you want to see.

Renovation matters. But maintenance may tell you even more about how a home has been cared for.

When you’re comparing homes, look at what you can see — and ask about what you can’t.

Interested in 8902 Winding Hollow Way? Send me a message for pricing, property details, or to schedule a private showing. You can also visit CEGHomes.com to learn more.

08/28/2026

One of the great things about a classic DC rowhouse is that the outdoor spaces often come in layers.

Start with the classic front porch.

By 1917, porches were an important transition between public and private life — a place to sit outside, greet neighbors and stay connected to the community. In Park View and Petworth, that tradition comes alive every spring during PorchFest, when porches throughout the neighborhood become stages for live music.

But this home has another outdoor space that’s pretty rare.

Upstairs, there’s a private balcony in the treetops overlooking the neighborhood, complete with a pergola and a completely different feeling. It’s open, airy and removed from the street.

One outdoor space connects you to the neighborhood. The other gives you a place to retreat from it.

When comparing homes, it’s not always about asking whether there is outdoor space.

Often, it’s about what kind of outdoor spaces the home gives you — and whether they support the life you want to live.

08/22/2026

What do you do when a home is only halfway renovated?

At this condominium at The Greenbriar, the kitchen was already beautifully updated — but much of the rest of the home hadn't caught up.

So when the owner decided to sell, we focused on bringing everything together.

We cleared the spaces, painted throughout, refinished the original parquet floors and preserved a warm built-in that gave the living room character. Then came the biggest renovation — completely rebuilding the bathrooms so their quality matched the kitchen.

The goal wasn't to make everything match.

It was to make everything belong together.

Natural wood floors complement the darker built in bookshelves and kitchen cabinetry. Cork flooring connects those tones while making the kitchen more comfortable underfoot. In the baths, brighter, oversized tile, classic hexagonal floors and contemporary fixtures create spaces that feel fresh without chasing trends.

Preparing a home for sale isn't always about starting over.

Sometimes it's about recognizing what's already working — and finishing the story.

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