Real estate round-up: November 29

Headlines from the DC Metro Area:

Your next place: Picturesque quaintness
DC Mud

A sweet classic fireplace and louvered ceilings makes for a striking living room; next is the huge, sunny formal dining room, and then through a set of french doors is a chef-caliber kitchen – one of the most well-appointed I've seen – with another, adjacent, dining area.

Re-imagined: An Urban Turf reader request
DC Urban Turf

The 1895 Victorian home has been gutted and is ready for a complete transformation. The property has lots of potential, despite the fact that it had been an informal rooming house for a number of years and is in a state of considerable disrepair.

A new vision for DC's abandoned street car tunnels
The Atlantic

What the Arts Coalition has in mind for the tunnels, even though specifics are far from being nailed down, would constitute a big change for Dupont Circle, both in form and function.

National real estate news stories:

Government's role in housing finance a difficult balance
Washington Post

Housing inventories fall to new four-year low in October
Wall Street Journal

The 2.12 million homes listed for sale in October was down by 3.5% from September and down by 21% from one year ago, according to data compiled by Realtor.com.

Inheriting a home, and a loan
The New York Times

Under federal law, the mortgage must be allowed to remain in effect without changes when it passes from one person to another because of a death. This negates any due-on-sale clause in the mortgage.