Morning Real Estate Review

5 surprising facts about Washington home values (Washington Post) Home values in the Washington DC metro area decreased just slightly, by 0.1 percent, in March from February, according to real estate database Zillow, now back to April 2004 levels. The median home value in Washington is now $301,900.

Brookfield Plans Rebirth of 'Monarch' Office Asset (Globe St.) Brookfield Property Group, a unit of Brookfield Asset Management, has acquired a largely vacant office building for an undisclosed price. Brookfield is planning capital improvements to reposition the 110,000-square foot, three-story asset, located at 1375 Piccard Dr.

Window shopping is becoming window dressing (Greater Greater Washington) According to industry experts, retail is rapidly evolving into little more than an amenity to enhance the value of housing and office spaces above.

DC Offices with Leasing Upside on the Block (Real Estate Alert) A developer is shopping a Class-A office building near Capitol Hill in Washington that could fetch about $250 million from core-plus investors.

Peterson Cos. Inks H&M: More Than Just Price (Globe St.) The Peterson Cos. has secured fashion retailer H&M to fill much of the space left by the departed Borders at its Downtown Silver Spring mixed-used development located, as the name of the project suggests, in Downtown Silver Spring.

Edens purchases Cap City Diner for Union (Washington Post) Monday night, sometime after midnight, the Capital City Diner went on a short joy ride on the streets of Washington and landed in the construction zone right next to the former, fire-ravaged D.C. Farmers Market, a mere 1.5 miles away.