List price: $1,479,000

Previous sale price: $895,000 (August 2004)

Square footage: 2,340

The house next door to this “totally updated and reborn” three-story Victorian in the heart of Logan Circle just began a renovation of its own. But don’t worry—you shouldn’t have any trouble keeping up with the Joneses. Such touches as 14-inch crown molding, a “Roman Spa” with travertine walls, 28- and 42-inch wall-mounted plasma TVs, and imported-Turkish-marble walls and floors in the master bathroom help account for the $584,000 appreciation in value the house has enjoyed over the past 15 months. Once your new neighbors move into their surely less opulent home, show off your appointments by hosting a quiet, elegant soiree in your garden, nestled between two elevated decks—one adjacent to the house, the other over a carport. A note of caution, though: Don’t invite the tenants who might be renting your basement. With just 5 feet of clearance below one of the decks, entering the back yard can be a serious hazard. As is the power line hanging low over the other. —Brian Beutler