Real Estate Lawyers in Washington, DC

District of Columbia 1031 like-kind exchanges defer capital gains tax on real-estate sales when proceeds reinvest in similar property — strict 45/180-day deadlines + qualified intermediary required.

District of Columbia adverse possession requires 15 years of continuous, open, hostile, exclusive, and notorious possession.

District of Columbia property boundary disputes are resolved through surveys, deeds, adverse possession, acquiescence, or boundary-line agreements — but they're often more about neighbors than law.

District of Columbia construction defect claims are governed by statutes of repose (typically 6-15 years from substantial completion), pre-suit notice requirements, and warranty rules — but homeowners have real remedies if they act quickly.

District of Columbia earnest money deposits: 1-3% typical. The deposit shows good faith and gives the buyer skin in the game; held in escrow until closing or contract termination.

District of Columbia easements give one party the right to use another's land for a specific purpose — utilities, access, drainage, conservation. Created by deed, prescription, necessity, or implication.

District of Columbia fair housing law — federal Fair Housing Act + state law — protects against discrimination in renting + buying based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, and (state-dependent) sexual orientation, source of income, etc.

District of Columbia foreclosure: Non-judicial. Typical timeline: 60-180 days.

District of Columbia HOAs are governed by recorded covenants/declarations and DC Condominium Act . Disputes commonly involve assessments, architectural-control decisions, rule enforcement, and board governance.

District of Columbia has TWO different homestead exemptions: one for property taxes and a separate one that protects equity from creditors.

District of Columbia eviction (non-payment): 30-day demand for rent (DC's recent reforms). Typical timeline: 60-180+ days; DC's Tenant Bill of Rights and just-cause requirements. Tenant-friendly posture overall.

District of Columbia lis pendens — recorded notice of pending litigation affecting real property — clouds title and stops sales until resolved. Powerful but limited to specific claims about the property itself.