Marvin Gaye Park
A mile and a half of stream-valley park named for Marvin Gaye, who grew up nearby, with an amphitheater.
Deanwood, Washington DC
Buying a home in Deanwood
How to finance a detached house in Deanwood, near the Deanwood and Minnesota Ave Orange Line stations.
What it costs here
$420K
Median house price · 196 sales
$349
Median per square foot
+79%
Renovated over average condition
Recorded arm’s-length sales from DC’s assessment records, through August 12, 2026. Not an appraisal or a valuation of any particular home. Compare every DC neighborhood
Highlights
Deanwood landmarks
Deanwood has houses on individual lots, Marvin Gaye Park, and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens next door.
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
A national park with acres of lotus and water lilies that bloom each July, one neighborhood over.
Deanwood Community Center and Library
A pool, a gym and the Deanwood branch library share one building at 1350 49th Street NE.
Nannie Helen Burroughs's school
Burroughs opened the National Training School for Women and Girls here in 1909. Its 1928 Trades Hall is a National Historic Landmark.
Transportation
Getting around Deanwood
- Metro
- Deanwood and Minnesota Ave, both Orange Line.
- Bike & trails
- The Marvin Gaye Trail runs along the stream valley and connects toward Kenilworth's riverside paths.
- Parking
- Few blocks are permit-zoned, and street parking is easy to find. Some houses have driveways or alley parking pads.
Buses run on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue.
Neighborhood
Living in Deanwood
Schools, restaurants, parks, and shopping in the neighborhood.
- Schools
- Ron Brown College Prep, DC's all-male public high school, and H.D. Woodson High's STEM campus are in the neighborhood. Burrville and Drew elementary schools serve central Deanwood, and IDEA's charter campus is nearby.
- Parks & recreation
- The Deanwood Community Center's pool and gym, Marvin Gaye Park's mile-and-a-half of stream valley, and Kenilworth Park's fields by the aquatic gardens.
- The library
- The Deanwood branch library is inside the community center, with the pool and gym.
- On foot
- Residential streets with trees and yards, and two Orange Line stations for the commute.
- Dining & nights out
- Deanwood Deli, Addie Loves Soul and China Cafe in the neighborhood, Gigi's Coffee Roasters about a mile south, and Sala Thai one stop down at Minnesota Ave.
- Groceries
- Safeway on Minnesota Avenue, Menick's Market on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, and Saturday farmers markets through November.
Highlights
Notable Deanwood neighbors
An engineer, a pilot and a music legend with ties to Deanwood.
H.D. Woodson
The engineer and civic leader designed and built his own house on Fitch Place in 1913. H.D. Woodson High School carries his name.
Maj. Andrew D. Turner
Born in Deanwood in 1920 and raised near 46th Street and Kane Place, the Tuskegee Airman went on to command the 100th Fighter Squadron.
Marvin Gaye
As a teenager living nearby on 60th Street NE, Gaye walked down to Watts Branch to play music. The stream valley is now Marvin Gaye Park.
History
History of Deanwood
One of DC's earliest Black suburbs, built largely by its own residents.
1871
The first subdivisions
After the railroad arrived, Levi Sheriff's daughters divided the family farm into Whittingham, Lincoln Heights and Burrville. Around 1888 his grandson, Dr. Julian Dean, began calling the area Deanwood.
The Burrville plat, part of the Sheriff estate, 1880. 1900s–1930s
Built by Black craftsmen
Black builders and architects built most of Deanwood's frame houses, many for their own families. Brothers Jacob and Randolph Dodd put up more than 50 buildings, and architect Lewis Giles Sr. worked from his home on Hunt Place.
First Baptist Church of Deanwood, finished in 1938. Photo 2011. 1909
Nannie Helen Burroughs opens her school
Burroughs founded the National Training School for Women and Girls on a six-acre hilltop at 50th Street NE. It gave Black women academic and vocational training, and it trained more than 2,000 women in its first 25 years.
Students at the National Training School, about 1909. 1921
Suburban Gardens
A Black-owned company, with engineer H.D. Woodson among its investors, opened Suburban Gardens at 50th and Hayes Streets NE. It was the only major amusement park ever built in DC, with a roller coaster, a pool and a dance pavilion.
1928
Eastland Gardens
Next door, Eastland Gardens began selling lots to Black families. By 1955, 16 Black architects and seven Black builders had designed and built most of its homes.
A brick house in Eastland Gardens, 2026. 1928
The Strand Theater
The Strand on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue opened as the first movie theater east of the Anacostia built for Black audiences. It became a DC landmark in 2008 and has since been restored.
The Strand in 2011, before its restoration. 1976
Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue
The DC Council renamed Deane Avenue for Burroughs, who led her school until her death in 1961.
A typewriting class at the National Training School, about 1910–1925. 1991
The Trades Hall becomes a National Historic Landmark
The Training School's 1928 Trades Hall was named a National Historic Landmark. The campus is now the headquarters of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
The Trades Hall on 50th Street NE, 2017. 2006
Marvin Gaye Park
Watts Branch Park was renamed for Marvin Gaye, who grew up nearby, on what would have been his 67th birthday.
Next steps
Next steps by buying stage
Pick the step that matches where you are in buying a home.
01 · Still running numbers
Work out what you can afford
Estimate the full monthly payment, including DC property tax, insurance and any condo fee. The condo fee counts in full in your debt-to-income ratio.
See what you can afford →02 · Saving up
Plan the down payment
At Deanwood prices, the down payment depends on the loan program and the property type. FHA needs 3.5% down, and the whole down payment can be a gift from family.
See what you'd need →03 · Writing offers
Get a pre-qualification letter
Attach a pre-qualification letter to your offer. Pre-qualification takes about two minutes and does not pull your credit.
Get pre-qualified →
FAQ
Deanwood mortgage questions
Can I finance a Deanwood house in average condition?
Yes. FHA 203(k) and Fannie Mae HomeStyle renovation loans finance the purchase and the renovation in one mortgage, underwritten against the home's value once the work is done rather than its current condition. Licensed contractors perform the work, and funds are released in draws as the work is completed.
Why is a detached house easier to finance?
There is no building to review besides your house. Condo purchases require a project review (owner-occupancy ratios, reserves, developer control, litigation), and a problem with any of those can stop a loan for a qualified borrower. A detached single-family home has no project review and no monthly association dues, so no dues go into your debt-to-income ratio.
What is the Deanwood market like right now?
Deanwood recorded 73 sales in the first half of 2026, with detached sales up sharply year over year. More sales give appraisers more recent comparable sales to work from.
Which DC buyer programs apply at Deanwood prices?
An FHA loan needs 3.5% down, and the whole down payment can be a gift from family. Qualifying first-time buyers pay the reduced 0.725% recordation tax rate on purchases up to $777,000 (tax year 2026), and the DC Tax Abatement program waives recordation tax and abates property tax for five years on purchases up to $576,000. The median house price in Deanwood and Lincoln Heights was $420,000 in recorded sales through August 2026 (DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer data), below both caps. Both programs have income limits. Buyers within the income limits can also apply for DC Open Doors (through DCHFA's participating lenders) or HPAP (through DHCD-certified housing counseling agencies).
What should I look for inspecting an older Deanwood house?
Foundation and framing condition, roof age, knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, HVAC age, and any signs of water intrusion or settlement. Order a sewer scope. On a frame house, check the sills, the siding, and any place water can get in. If you use a renovation loan, the inspection findings also go into its scope of work.
Do I have to be a first-time buyer to buy here?
No. An FHA loan has no first-time buyer requirement: 3.5% down, and the down payment can be a gift from family. The DC Tax Abatement program is open to anyone making the home their principal residence. The reduced recordation rate and HPAP require first-time status. DC Open Doors (through DCHFA's participating lenders) is open to repeat buyers, with a 640 minimum credit score and a $275,400 income cap.
Ask a question
A licensed DC loan officer will answer your question by email within one business day.
Loan options
Financing a Deanwood house
A detached single-family house is the simplest property type to finance, and Deanwood has one of the largest concentrations of them in DC.
Financing a detached house
Deanwood has one of the largest concentrations of freestanding single-family homes in DC. A detached house is the simplest property type to finance: no condo project review, no warrantability question, and no monthly dues in your debt-to-income ratio.
Renovation loans for older frame houses
Much of the neighborhood is early twentieth-century wood-frame and bungalow construction, and some of those houses are in average condition. FHA 203(k) and HomeStyle loans finance the purchase and the renovation together, against the home's after-improved value.
Deanwood sales in 2026
Deanwood recorded 73 sales in the first half of 2026, with detached sales up sharply. More sales give appraisers more recent comparable sales to work from.
South of Deanwood, the houses around Benning Road Metro and Fort Dupont Park are in our Marshall Heights and Benning Ridge guide, and the rowhouses by Minnesota Ave Metro and the river are in our River Terrace and Benning guide.
Financing a Deanwood house in average condition
Your loan officer will price the house as-is and with the renovation financed, side by side, plus the DC programs you qualify for.