The good things about the apartment are as follows:
-Great location with easy Metro access. Easy walking distance to countless restaurants.
-Very good internet connection
-Host promptly responded to all communication. Also allowed early check-in.
-Comfortable bed

The areas for improvement are:
-Photos did not match the apartment I got. Host explained that she owns many units in the building and they don't all match the one pictured. To me, this is not something to shrug off. If you advertise a spectacular view, you should provide a spectacular view.
-Unlike the apartment pictured in the ad, the apartment was not aesthetically pleasing. The furniture was old and worn. There was no attempt to decorate. I don't think there was anything on any of the walls.
-AC was not helpful. It was in the living area and did not even do a good job of cooling that area. My main concern was that there was no AC in the bedroom. The apartment is very hot in December and it was difficult to get to sleep.
-This was truly a no-frills apartment. One micro bar of soap was provided for my entire stay. Only two bath towels were provided. I could not find any paper towels. Unlike most other by-owner rentals I have used, there were no maps or brochures provided.

Final analysis: If all you need is a place to sleep and maybe do a little internet surfing, this place is fine. It is in a great location. However, I think it is overpriced in light of the condition of the apartment. If you have other comparably-priced choices, take them.

I asked that the rate be reduced to reflect the condition of the apartment and the inconsistency with the ad, but the host refused. To the host's credit, she offered to let me out of my reservation when I complained and also offered to move me to a new unit on the second day of my stay. I ended up sticking with the first unit, because I was only in town for a brief stay and did not want to lose time packing and unpacking my stuff again.

My stay turned out ok, but I have a hard time getting past less-than-accurate advertising.