What Would You Pay for America's Most Important Home?

When President Obama sat with real estate website Zillow for an online discussion this week, he may have been surprised to see the site turn its appraisal eye on his current home. See how much they think the 132-room mansion he occupies would fetch.

1 minute read

August 9, 2013, 1:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"It's the best-known address in the U.S., maybe even the world. So how much would it cost to buy the stately, 221-year-old house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of pricey, downtown D.C.?"

"A for-sale listing on Zillow.com offers the White House for a cool $320 million. Or if you're in the market for a rental home, it would cost about $1.8 million a month to rent the 16-bedroom, 35-bath home."

"The home features forced air, a bowling alley, home office space, an underground bunker, carpeted and hardwood floors. The wood, brick and sandstone home sits on 18 acres. The posting describes the home as 'this magnificent 132-room mansion is the rarest of homes in the U.S.'"

Wednesday, August 7, 2013 in WTOP

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

May 16 - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

May 16 - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

May 16 - Mass Transit