A million-dollar condo for Harry? Not quite

To the editor:

I lived in Washington, D.C., for several years. As a retired real estate broker, I was very curious about Sharron Angle's claims that Harry Reid is living at the Ritz-Carlton in a $1 million condo.

The Ritz-Carlton condos have an address of 1155 23rd St. NW. At present, there are two, one-bedroom condos in the building for sale: one at $699,000 and one at $729,900. Sen. Reid's condo is said to be a one-bedroom unit on the second floor, so I think those prices are legitimate comparable sales.

Those not familiar with Washington need to understand that it is a very old city. If one wants to live in a building not over-run with cockroaches, you have to live in a new building. If you want to live in a neighborhood where you will not be mugged in the street or your parking garage, you have to live in the western part of the city.

Those are sad but true facts.

By living in a newer condo building, Sen. Reid has the peace of mind that his wife won't get mugged at their home and that cockroaches won't swarm in their apartment and scare the heck out of her.

Those of us who'd been to the Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas know that it was nice, but not anything stupendous. A super-rich person would not live there, nor at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington.

I suspect that if Sharron Angle is elected, she, too, will want to live in a cockroach-free apartment building in a mugger-free neighborhood.

If Ms. Angle is so fixated on $1 million condos, perhaps she will buy one for that price at the more-famous Watergate, which has beautiful landscaped grounds and a fabulous view of the Potomac River. Sen. Reid's building has neither.

If Sharron Angle is going to exaggerate -- to the tune of at least 30 percent -- about the value of Harry Reid's condo, I wonder what other untruths she will tell as a senator.

Jennifer Shaw

Las Vegas