The Wharf at dusk — the Anthem's marquee, a water taxi, and crowds along the piers on the Washington Channel, Washington, D.C.

Southwest Waterfront & The Wharf, Washington DC

Buying a home in Southwest Waterfront and The Wharf

New condos at The Wharf, midcentury co-ops and townhouse courts on the Washington Channel, and how each is financed.

Get pre-qualifiedWhat can I afford?
What it costs here
$1.1M
Median house price · 47 sales
$625
Median per square foot

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

Today's DC mortgage rates: example pricing by program, with the APR, effective date, and borrower assumptions for each rate.See today's rates

Highlights

What's in Southwest Waterfront

Piers, a fish market, a regional theater and a park at the point, in DC's smallest quadrant.

Aerial view of the Wharf's piers, marina, and promenade along the Washington Channel, Washington, D.C.

The Wharf

A mile of piers, promenades and swings on the Washington Channel, and The Anthem concert hall.

A seafood stall piled with fresh fish and shrimp on ice at the Maine Avenue Fish Market, Washington, D.C.

The Municipal Fish Market

Open on the water since 1805, the oldest continuously operating open-air fish market in the country. It sells blue crabs.

The curved glass facade and swooping roof of Arena Stage's Mead Center on Maine Avenue SW, Washington, D.C.

Arena Stage

One of the first American regional theaters, in its Mead Center on Maine Avenue.

Aerial view of East Potomac Park tapering to Hains Point, with the loop road and golf course, Washington, D.C.

Hains Point

East Potomac Park's loop road, with cherry trees, a public golf course, and the point where the rivers meet, starts at the neighborhood's edge.

Transportation

Getting around Southwest

DC Metro vault station platform, coffered concrete arches, daytime, few riders
Metro
Waterfront station (Green Line) in the middle of the neighborhood. L'Enfant Plaza, served by every line but the Red Line, is a ten-minute walk.
US city bus crossing a downtown intersection at twilight, American flag visible
Bus
Buses on M Street SW and 7th Street connect to the National Mall, the bridges and the ballpark.
Pennsylvania Ave protected bike lanes leading straight to the US Capitol
Bike & trails
The riverwalk along the Channel, the 14th Street bridge path, and the Hains Point loop.
DC brick rowhouses with cars parallel-parked at the curb, sunny day, DC plates
Parking
Meters and garages at The Wharf. The residential courts behind it are permit-zoned, and the co-ops have their own parking lots.

Neighborhood

Living in Southwest

Schools, restaurants, parks, and shopping in the neighborhood.

The 1872 Charles Sumner School, a red-brick Victorian schoolhouse at 17th and M Streets NW, Washington, D.C.
Schools
Amidon-Bowen Elementary and Jefferson Middle School Academy serve the neighborhood. The citywide application high schools are a short Green Line ride away.
Warm dimly lit restaurant interior, diners at candlelit tables under a fringed lamp
Dining & nights out
Hank's Oyster Bar and Officina on the water, concerts at The Anthem, and shows at Union Stage and Pearl Street Warehouse.
Wide green park lawn with picnickers, mature trees, city buildings behind
Parks & recreation
The Hains Point loop and golf course, The Wharf's piers, the Southwest duck pond, and kayak rentals at the Wharf boathouse.
Wooden library bookshelves in the foreground with a warm reading room beyond
The library
The new Southwest Library is on K Street.
Shopper reaching for produce in a warmly lit grocery produce aisle, face in profile
Groceries
Safeway at Waterfront station, the Municipal Fish Market, and Whole Foods in Navy Yard, one Metro stop east.
Aerial view of pedestrians crossing a striped urban crosswalk at an intersection
On foot
The Metro station and the marina are within a fifteen-minute walk of each other, and the National Mall is a ten-minute walk north.

Next steps

Next steps by buying stage

Pick the step that matches where you are in buying a home.

  1. 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 →

  2. 02 · Saving up

    Plan the down payment

    At Southwest 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 →

  3. 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

Southwest Waterfront mortgage questions

What am I buying in Southwest: condo, co-op, or something else?
It depends on the building. The Wharf's new buildings are condos with modern associations and garage parking. The midcentury urban-renewal buildings (Harbour Square, Tiber Island, River Park) are largely co-ops, financed with share loans and a board approval process, with monthly fees that can include property taxes and the building's underlying mortgage. The older townhouse courts are fee-simple. Each is a different purchase with a different loan, and we confirm which one a listing is before you make an offer.
Can I get a mortgage on a houseboat at the marina?
No. A liveaboard at the Wharf's marina is a vessel, not real property. It is financed and insured like a boat, and there is no land to build equity in. A mortgage is available on the condos and co-ops along the water.
Do VA loans work here?
Yes, in a VA-approved condo building. Fort McNair is at the neighborhood's southern tip and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is across the river. A VA loan needs no down payment and has no monthly mortgage insurance, and the condo building must be on the VA's approved list.
What should I know about buying in a brand-new Wharf building?
New condos get a project review: the lender looks at how many units have sold, the budget, and the developer's status. Early in a building's sales, some loan types are not available until sales pass set thresholds. We check where the building stands before you make an offer.
Which DC buyer programs work in Southwest?
An FHA loan needs 3.5% down, and the whole down payment can be a gift from family; for a condo, the building must be FHA-approved or pass FHA's single-unit review. Qualifying first-time buyers pay DC's reduced 0.725% recordation tax rate on purchases up to $777,000 (tax year 2026), and some midcentury co-ops and older condos sell under that cap. Homes priced up to $576,000 (tax year 2026) can qualify for the Tax Abatement program, which waives recordation tax and abates property tax for five years. DC Open Doors (through DCHFA's participating lenders) has no price cap. Every program has income limits.
How much event noise is there near The Wharf?
Concert nights at The Anthem and summer weekends are busy on the water side. The interior courts and the blocks near Waterfront station are quieter. Ask the listing agent which way a unit faces, and check the association's rules on short-term rentals.

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Local expertise

Financing a Southwest Waterfront home

Three things shape a loan here: project review on new buildings, VA building approval, and share loans for co-ops.

Project review on new condos

The Wharf's buildings are new, and a lender reviews a new building's sales, budget and developer status. We check the building before you make an offer.

VA loans

Fort McNair is at the neighborhood's southern tip and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is across the river. A VA loan needs no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, and the condo building must be VA-approved.

Midcentury co-ops

Harbour Square, Tiber Island and River Park are largely co-ops. A co-op purchase is financed with a share loan and needs board approval.

New brownstones for sale across from the Southwest Duck Pond are listed in our Lynden Row guide.

Get pre-qualified for a Southwest Waterfront home

New condo, midcentury co-op or townhouse: send us the listing and we will tell you which loan fits.

Start your pre-qualificationBook a 15-minute call