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Now that a second Donald Trump<\/strong> presidency has dawned, the rich and wannabe-famous have realized that DC might just be the place to be, if they\u2019re hoping to get The Donald\u2019s ear and champion their causes over the next four years. The problem is, they all have to sleep somewhere<\/em>.<\/p>\n Due to the mega-MAGA influx of new personnel and those who want to influence them hitting the area, there\u2019s high demand for high-end real estate, the New York Times<\/em> reports<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019ve really been overwhelmed by the wealth factor that has come to Washington since the election,\u201d TTR Sotheby\u2019s International Realty executive vice president Jim Bell<\/strong> told the Times,<\/em> noting that some agents have taken to cold-calling past clients with homes that might fit the bill and asking them to name their price.<\/p>\n Jonathan Taylor<\/strong>, a founder and managing partner at the same firm, told the paper that \u201cthere are a lot of very wealthy people looking for a seat at the table<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlyle Group founder David Rubenstein<\/strong><\/a>, founder of the private equity firm the Carlyle Group, pointed out that housing in the government town is more affordable than in other meccas for the uber-rich. \u201cIf you want to buy a home in New York or Southampton, a really good house, it could cost $100 million to $150 million,\u201d he told the Times<\/em>. \u201cYou can\u2019t spend $25 million in Washington even if you try.\u201d<\/p>\n Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald turned Commerce Secretary pick Howard Lutnick<\/strong>, however, did try\u2014and succeeded. Lutnick recently closed on a new home, paying $25 million for a mansion previously owned by Fox News anchor Bret Baier<\/strong>. The 16,250-square-foot estate was inspired by a French Chateau and features a 56-foot heated pool and its own putting green, among other amenities. Baier initially listed the home at $31.9 million in October 2023, but even coming down from the sticker price, the all-cash transaction set a new record for the most expensive real estate transaction in DC\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Sotheby’s agent Daniel Heider<\/strong>, who represented the listing, told the Washingtonian<\/em><\/a>, \u201cI\u2019m currently in the midst of selling more real estate than I\u2019ve ever sold in a short period in my career. It\u2019s not a Trump bump. It\u2019s a Trump surge.\u201d<\/p>\n Amazon\u2019s Jeff Bezos<\/strong> got in the door early and snapped up real estate during Trump\u2019s first term. Bezos bought the 27,000-square-foot space formerly housing the Textile Museum for $23 million in 2016. Rumor has it that Elon Musk<\/strong><\/a> is eyeing DC property himself, with Eater DC reporting<\/a> that he’s mulling a bid on the 220-room Line Hotel to create a private club, a little Musk-a-Lago. The property goes to public auction on Thursday. (A spokesperson for Musk did not respond to the Times<\/em> or VF.)<\/em><\/p>\n So, what to do if you have a nice place, no strong need to be in DC specifically, and are disgusted by the new guys in town, who aren\u2019t even bothering to deny<\/a> whether they were throwing up Nazi salutes while installing a new president?<\/p>\n Consider throwing a little gold paint on it, taking the buyout, and getting the hell out while you still can. Another upside: You won\u2019t have to witness whatever the eyeball-burning hell Melania<\/strong> decides to do with the Christmas trees<\/a> this time around.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n