How Much Does It Really Cost To Be Joe Biden's Neighbor?
There is probably no more desirable address than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. After all, most politicians work their whole life and never get so much as a dinner invite to the White House, let alone a desk in the Oval Office.
If you can't be president, the next best thing is probably the president's neighbor. While it might be hard to snap up real estate next door to the White House, if you play your cards right, you could land a lot next to one of the president's private homes. There are definitely perks to living in the neighborhood, too. For example, you'll probably never live anywhere more safe. Who's going to rob your house if there are three Secret Service vehicles parked across the street? Also, you get to rub elbows with the political elite.
It goes without saying that any home adjacent to that of a president, or former president, is going to cost you. Partly because presidents are wealthy and thus live in fancy areas, but also because presidential clout will skyrocket your property value. Exactly how much does it cost to settle down next to the most powerful man in America, anyway? The house next door to Joe Biden's Delaware home recently went up for sale, and umm, it ain't cheap.
It's expensive to keep up with the Bidens
If you want to live next to the president, you're going to have to splurge. In 2021 Joe and Jill Biden's neighbors listed their house for a cool $2.39 million (via Realtor.com). Considering that Biden only paid $350,000 for his lot, you've got to think you're paying for the connections as much as the amenities. Speaking of amenities, you get more than just a friendly wave from the president. The home next to Biden's home boasts five beds and five full baths and a screening room. (It also happens to be about 2,000 square feet bigger than the president's, per the New York Post.)
Still, living next to the Bidens could come with some drawbacks that might make the house harder to sell. If you purchase the house, you'll also have to put up with security checkpoints from the Secret Service (whether or not Biden is home) every time you want to leave the property. "I've spoken to neighbors, and the only issue with that is there are occasionally unannounced transits where they shut down everything and you can't leave the property," real estate broker Michael Kelczewski explained to the Post in July 2021. "I can see that being somewhat of an encumbrance. But I think [the proximity to President Biden] is a selling point."
If living next to Biden isn't a selling point, the bragging rights of owning a house 2,000 square feet bigger than the sitting president's definitely is.