Hold Period — Washington, DC
Average flip hold-period in Washington, DC, broken out by property type.
Fastest-flip states (shortest avg hold)
Longest-hold states
Property type breakdown — Washington
Average hold period by property type (sample ≥ 3)
Sorted shortest to longest| # | Property type | Avg hold (yrs) | Avg hold (mo) | Avg gain % | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | condo_townhome_rowhome_coop | 0.39 | 4.7 | +107.9% | 6 |
| 2 | townhomes | 0.88 | 10.7 | +74.5% | 87 |
| 3 | condo | 0.93 | 11.3 | +59.9% | 3 |
| 4 | Unknown | 0.96 | 11.7 | +84.3% | 509 |
| 5 | multi_family | 1.00 | 12.2 | +111.9% | 6 |
| 6 | condos | 1.06 | 12.9 | +53.8% | 13 |
| 7 | single_family | 1.14 | 13.9 | +87.8% | 45 |
What hold period tells investors
Short average holds (under 2 years) indicate a liquid market — properties trade often, exit timing is flexible, and capital recycles quickly. Long holds (5+ years) suggest fewer buyers, slower exits, and higher carry-cost risk.
Markets where typical investors hold 3–9 months are dominated by fix-and-flip operators. Markets averaging 5–10 years are dominated by buy-and-hold landlords. Choose the strategy that matches the market — don't fight it.
This metric reflects only properties that resold. True buy-and-hold landlords who never sold during the data window are invisible here. Treat the numbers as a relative ranking across states, not an absolute hold-period truth. Source: public record.