Georgetown Avoids Foreclosure Crisis, Experts Say

Housing market uncertainty can concern many homeowners, but Georgetown's stable home prices mean homeowners have little to worry about.

"What I'm seeing in Georgetown's foreclosure rate is that it's less than the other outlying areas," said Frederick Hoffman, vice president of the Georgetown branch. "Georgetown holds like a neighborhood in Manhattan. The borrower is just sophisticated."

The market in Georgetown represents the top 10 percent of the greater D.C area housing market because the average Georgetowner knows how to spend and save money.

"In Georgetown, my guess is that (the residents) have high income and are more financially savvy," said Edward Gonzalez, a bankruptcy and tax lawyer. "They have safety nets."

Gonzalez has been practicing law for more than 15 years and only recalls one woman he helped with a foreclosure in Georgetown during his career.

According to Sylvia Bergstrom, an agent of Coldwell Banker, the real estate in Georgetown is robust. "I haven't encountered any (foreclosures) at all," Bergstrom said. "Most people pay cash for their houses so there are no foreclosures."