Housing

Neighborhoods

The Washington, DC area has a wide diversity of neighborhoods, from urban communities bustling with activity tofamily-­friendly suburban communities to quiet rural areas with lots of greenspace. Check out these helpful websites to learn more about DC neighborhoods:

IMF Temporary Housing: The Concordia Hotel

The Concordia is a modern, extended stay hotel owned and operated by the Fund. The hotel is available to IMF employees. All guests of the Concordia are affiliated with the Fund, the World Bank or other international organizations.

The Concordia is conveniently located in an attractive and central area of Washington DC, between Dupont Circle and Washington Circle, just a short 15 minute walk to the Fund. All rooms at the Concordia offer fully equipped kitchen, work area, high definitionTVs, and free wireless internet. The hotel also includes a fitness room, internet café, club room with TV and billiards table, free guest laundry room, parking, and roof top swimming pool.

All room rates are exempt of the 14.5%DC sales tax – no tax will be added to the final bill. To check availability on the Concordia’s website, you may use code “IMF”. Rates can be negotiated for long-term stays based on availability. For inquiries, please email reservations@theconcordia.com

The Concordia
1250 New Hampshire Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20036

Contact: 202-557-2000‍
Website: Http://www.theconcordia.com

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‍Renting

Apartments are owned by Corporations and have their own leasing offices where you just walk in or make an appointment with a leasing agent on-site.

Condominiums are privately owned apartments and if offered for rent are either listed by a real estate brokerage or by the owner. Apartment listing/websites below:

Two documents are typically signed when renting a property:

1.     Rental Application

The rental application seeks financial and personal information about you as a prospective tenant to determine if you are creditworthy. Verification of employment and salary may be required. Also a copy of the declaration page of your passport and visa (incase you don’t have a social security number yet) will mostly be asked for. The application often states that, upon approval by the landlord, you must sign a lease, obligating you to rent the property. The rental application may be accompanied by a copy of the final or sample lease. If you sign the application without first seeing the lease, you may be committing yourself to obligations that you later regret. It is suggested to insert the following language into the application: ”The rental application is contingent upon approval of the lease by the tenant. If the tenant does not agree to sign the final lease, the deposit money shall be promptly refunded.” The application fee though(usually around $50 per adult applicant) is non-refundable.

2.     Lease Documents

The lease is the contractual document that gives you the right to rent the property for the time period specified. It also spells out all other rights and obligations between you and the landlord. Typically, you are asked to give a check for a security deposit(the amount of one month is customary) and the first month’s rent upon signing a lease. If you are signing a long­-term lease, it is recommended that you have the Fund’s Legal Services Consultant review it before signing. Once the lease is signed by both tenant and landlord, it is a legally binding contract. The lease term is binding on both sides and please be aware that there is a significant termination fee to get out of a lease during the initial term. An IMF legal counsel can review the lease upon request.

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‍Buying

Finding a Realtor

The Fund provides a list of licensed real estate professionals/agents, also called realtors if they are members of the National Association of realtors. They are familiar with both the real estate market in the DC Metro area as well as the special needs of ex-patriate staff. Many of the real estate agents speak languages other than English. Your agent can provide an overview of the Washington metro communities, transportation, shopping, but they are not allowed to comment on schools.  Your agent may identify available properties, arrange viewings, and assist in the purchase of a home. This process is very cumbersome, involves a lot of paperwork and preparation and an agent on your side will help you understand the various contract documents, navigate the process and negotiate the deal with your interests in mind. The list of realtors is available on the Fund’s network, or contact the IMFFA Office and we can send you the list. Make sure the agent is licensed in the state(s) that you want to purchase. Popular online real estate websites, such as Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, and Redfin, are good to give you an overview and correlation for price, location and home size as well as other housing data.

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Getting a mortgage?

Our partners at the Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union(BFSFCU) and at the United Nations Federal Credit Union(UNFCU) have a special online Mortgage Center for home buyers. Your realtor can recommend a reputable mortgage consultant, (BFSFCU holds period seminars on home buying and other important financial topics). The first step is getting pre-approved for a home mortgage and your lender will ask you for specific documentation. Among others you will need to provide a letter from your employer verifying your employment and income. You can request various Employment Verification Letters from the HR Center at the Fund.

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‍Property tax information

Visit the county government’s website for information about property tax in your county or ask the realtor, who helps you to give specific tax information on a property that you are interested in purchasing.

‍Other Resources

Sign up to be an IMFFA member

Membership is free of charge. We welcome IMF staff spouses, domestic partners, and children. We also encourage IMF staff that are single parents with young children to become a member.
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