By Akin Oyedele
The White House is worth $397.9 million, according to the
real-estate listings firm Zillow. The home of every US president except George Washington gained
15% in value during President Barack Obama’s eight years in
office, according to a release published Tuesday. Zillow said it
first calculated the White House’s worth in 2009 using a
proprietary algorithm. “President Obama’s term coincided with a massive recovery of the
US housing market, and that’s reflected in the updated value of
the White House,” the release said. “Home
values across the country are growing at their fastest pace
since 2006, with many markets setting new records — one of the
reasons why the White House is worth more now than it has ever
been.”
In October,
US home prices extended to their best levels since the
financial crisis, according to the latest data from
S&P/Case-Shiller. Renting the 132-room building at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. would set
you back $2.1 million every month, according to Zillow. In fact,
Zillow has a
listing page for the White House that shows off features
including a fitness center, basketball court, and controlled
access. It’s obviously off the market since President-elect Donald Trump
effectively signed the lease in November. Trump will move from
his equally luxurious digs in Trump Tower in New York.
Unlike many former presidents, the Obamas will live in
Washington, DC, after they leave the White House later this week.
Their
new home, a nine-bedroom house in the nearby neighborhood of
Kalorama, was sold for more than $5 million in 2014,
according to CNN. Zillow estimated that the Obamas’ monthly rent there would be
$22,000. Ivanka Trump and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
will be close neighbors.