Remember when newlyweds Jenna Bush Hager and husband Henry lived here for ten minutes? Well, Baltimore has been left with a token of its brush with presidential fame. The couple’s cast-off Federal Hill home has been sitting on the market for six months. There is something comforting in the knowledge that being the daughter of the most powerful man in the world does not shield you from the doldrums of a weak housing market.
The three bedroom townhouse is lovely: all charming parts exposed and all yuck parts redone. (Great master bath!) It seems ideally poised to attract Federal Hill seekers: young, upwardly-mobile and…oh, for God sakes, you know who I mean! The real bonuses here might be the “sea-grass rugs and decorative touches.” With Jenna’s resources, they are sure to be the best. One could also assume the security system is top notch. Check out her multi-culti artwork, fabrics and accents. (Click here for pics.) No doubt an aesthetic garnered during her African travels. These worldly touches are well mixed with a fresh decor that speaks to Jenna’s spunky, southern, sorority girl persona (notice the gaggle of requisite “school days” photos). Picture her, a little tipsy, adorably burning the chicken at her first “grown-up” dinner party. You know it happened.
The home at 1345 Charles Street was purchased by the Hagers for $440,000 and is now selling for $449,000. Why the move? Well, the Wall Street Journal reported that perhaps, it was because their bikes were stolen. Um, really? If folks were so easily run out of their homes, no one would live below Lake Avenue. More plausible is the rumor that the couple found Baltimore, shall we say, underwhelming. (I hear she hated it.) That, combined with Jenna’s new Today Show gig made New York a more suitable choice. Luckily, Henry’s job presented no obstacle. He was able to secure a lickety-split transfer to New York with his employer, Constellation Energy. Funny how that works when you are him. Let’s hope that the Hagers are happy in the Big Apple and let’s hope that their former love nest makes a nice home for a new pair of yuppies for a couple of years…until they have a kid and move to Homeland.
Who would think that anybody could sell their house, on this planet, for more than they bought it for a few years ago? Their agent should be fired.
Hmmm, celebrity appeal, several thousands of upgrades, better marketing, or a really great bargain when they bought it? All possible reasons for the bump in price. The agent is doing their job, looking to get the best price possible for the property; I’d expect the same.
check out curbed’s story about the recent price reduction on the hager’s home – discusses comps etc: http://dc.curbed.com/archives/2011/05/the-price-chop-we-have-all-been-expecting-has-arrived.php