Alexandria
Of the seven Zip codes in the city of Alexandria where more than one house sold last year, the smallest median house price gain came in at just less than 18 percent.</br></br>Overall, house prices soared nearly 26 percent, with a median price of $365,000, the highest in the region, according to a Washington Post analysis based on government sales records. Condominiums were not included.</br></br>"No one's ever seen increases like this." said Cynthia Smith- Page, director of real estate assessments for Alexandria. "Maybe the closest was during the boom in the 1980s."</br></br>The overall assessed value of all existing homes in the city increased 24.48 percent, which might lead one to think that Smith- Page has not been winning any popularity contests since the tax assessment notices were mailed Valentine's Day.</br></br>"We have had no more than average calls [disputing the assessments], if not fewer calls," Smith-Page said. "Most people seem to understand what the real estate market has done. Everyone is well aware just how much more their house is worth these days."