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Surely Dave Jamieson’s analysis of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s options in the D.C. housing market (“Justice of the Fleece,” 2/10) ignore the most salient issue of all: how much equity Alito has in his current residence in New Jersey, conservatively assessed at $869,550. He is not in the starter-home market; he has some equity to transfer. And if he could afford to carry whatever debt he had on the Jersey mortgage with his salary as a judge in a lower federal court, surely he can, without undue hardship, afford a home of similar value in D.C.; if the Jersey house has appreciated since Alito’s original mortgage—and Jamieson strongly suggests it has—presumably he could afford quite a bit more. Bear in mind that he also has more job security than the typical federal political appointee and is in a position to negotiate aggressively with any lenders he may require.
Logan Circle