11404 Falls Road - Bedfordshire - $1,299,000

Listed by L&F

Google Map Here

There is no lack of new construction in Potomac. Especially in the upper brackets. Finding new homes closer in is a more difficult task. Under $1.3mm? Very tough.

These three lots are tucked in between Har Shalom Synagogue and Falls Road Golf course. This pipestem of three lots in adjacent to, and face the fire station on Falls Road.

The home has nice curb appeal from Falls Road - with a brick front and Colonial styling so beloved in Potomac. The half acre lot is nicely graded with a nice front lawn and a bermed side yard to cut down noise from busy Falls Road.

The foyer is spacious and open with a lovely curved stairwell open to the second floor. The shiny wood floor is expansive - and when the house is vacant - makes the space look HUGE. The Living room is to the right with pretty crown mouldings and tasteful paint. A library with french doors is to the right - perfect for a home office or listening room. A mud room leads out to the 3 car garage and powder room compete the front of the home. The kitchen is center and back - and is a splendid view from the foyer. Granite and tasteful tile backsplash grabs your attention. A full outfit of GE Monogram appliances is a nice accent in this state of the art kitchen. A breakfast room with windows on three sides is a great place for coffee and the newspaper on lazy Sunday mornings.

The family room is adjacent and open to the kitchen. What a great entertaining space! High ceilings and a gas fireplace will make this room a family favorite. Even the largest furniture will fit in this space without issue.

You can head upstairs via the back stairwell to the living area. A MBR suite starts with a nice sitting room. You enter into the bedroom which is perfect sized. So many homes in Potomac have lost "balance" in their scale. This one has it down pat. The master bath is large enough to please the most discriminating bathroom nut. Dual walk in closets finish the space. All the remaining bedrooms are large. Two share a buddy bath and the last has it's own full bath en-suite. There is also a large space in the hall upstairs for "gathering". Think of a great spot for a couch or comfy chair and reading lamp. A great spot for a gaggle of teen girls to sit and gossip or have a study circle. It can also be walled off easily for a 5th bedroom.

The basement is fully finished with berber carpet. A large Nanny suite, a home theatre room and a large play room make good use of the space. A large and wide walk out - areaway - leads to the backyard and supplies good natural light.

So what do I think of this home? I like it. For those that want new construction - it is a must see. For those that don't care as much about new - well - there may be better values to see. $1.3mm is not super expensive by Potomac standards - but will still buy you a lot of house. Some NICE homes too.

The only down side to this lot is the location along Falls Road and proximity to the fire station. Noise will be a factor on the outside of the home. I did not hear a lot inside. Overall - I give this home high marks. It should sell for close to list price.

9426 Thrush Lane - Williamsburg Gardens - $1,195,000

Listed By Maryland REO

Google Map Here


Williamsburg Gardens is a lovely community of single family homes southwest of Potomac Village just off Falls Road. Built in the early 1960’s – this neighborhood has been a fantastic place to live for generations. Many kids that grew up here are bringing their families back to have the same wonderful experience. You can see the ongoing renovation projects all through the neighborhood as owners bring their homes up to date.

This is a larger Rambler built on a concrete slab. There is no basement – so the rooms tend to “ramble” over the lot. This has plenty of space. Tax records show just over 4000 square feet. It has been added onto over the years, and is still pretty much up to date with modern kitchen and baths.

The home was sold to the current owners in December of 2006 for $1,059,000. Although this was not the height of the market – prices were still somewhat inflated. The owners put quite a bit of work into the exterior of the property. Extensive professional landscaping and fencing made a bit difference in how it looks. A large circular driveway makes it easy to get to the front entry – and has room for quite a few cars.

The foyer is central and is floored in colored slate that was typical in the early 1960’s. The dining room is to the immediate right side which you must pass through to get to the updated kitchen. The white cabinets and tile countertop are showing their age – but still look good. The original garage was adjacent to the kitchen and was probably one car. This space has been opened up to the kitchen giving it more of an open, modern feel. It was used in the past for an office and family room. A counter overhangs into this room from the kitchen – and would be the typical place for guests to chat while entertaining.

There is a large 2 car garage just off this room with an entry door. This is a nice way to bring in the groceries after shopping in the village. A laundry area is on the back side of the kitchen. This room is open and has shelving, storage and a place to fold laundry.

The living area on the right side of the home has a large living room off the foyer. A bedroom and updated bath could be used as a master bedroom. There is a fireplace at the bedroom entry and a sitting area as well. The baths were updated at some point in the recent past – but are a little dated. A bit of updated hardware and fresh paint could bring them right back up to speed. No need for renovation. Another smaller bedroom is adjacent to this large bedroom.

The back side of the house has a full hall bath – with interesting stand up bath – probably at one time used for an elderly resident. It was probably expensive to install – but won’t be to everyone’s taste. A second large bedroom and bath could be a second master suite or nice guest suite. There is much more room in this house than meets the eye.

A family room or open library is tucked in between the front and back bedroom areas. Sliders give you access to patio area in the back yard.

The interesting and unusual feature to this house is an addition on the back that houses an indoor pool. It is not a wading pool, but a lap pool. When turned on the pool generates a current that you swim into. You literally “swim in place” to get in your daily exercise. This is a great feature for someone that loves to swim – and an expensive add on to a home.

Overall – this is a nice home. The corner lot has been beautifully landscaped and it would not take much to update the kitchen and baths to the current decade. When they put this home on the market at $1,300,000 early last year – I assumed that it was gutted and brought up to date. This is not the case.

Although I would like nothing more than to see this home sell at full price – I don’t believe it will. At this point – I must disclose that I live in the neighborhood. Other homes have sold here – with the same or more square footage, for less money. This is more likely to sell closer to the county assessed value than list price. Until they bring the list price closer to this number I believe this home will languish on the market. My guess is it will settle at $1,065,000

7631 Coddle Harbor Lane - Inverness Knolls - $579,000

Listed by L&F

Google Map Here

Inverness Knolls is a lovely community of townhomes tucked in behind the Cabin John Shopping Center. Built in the late 1970's - these townhomes are all brick on the exterior and have really held up well. In the Churchill H.S. Cluster - this is a great starting point for families with school age kids.

This is one of the larger townhomes in the community. An end unit of a townhome group - this home has 1946 finished square feet of living area. Three bedrooms and two full baths upstairs and an additional full bath in the basement.

The home has been recently renovated. You walk into the foyer and the first thing you will notice is a wide expanse of dark hardwood flooring. The flooring has been installed throughout the top two levels and lends a rich look to the space. The kitchen is to the right side as you enter. Recently renovated - new appliances and granite countertops will please the most discriminating home cook. A large breakfast area with a bay window will accommodate a real kitchen table with space for six.

The back of the home has a large deck and small fenced yard. Beyond the fence is common area that backs to the Cabin John Regional Park. It is like having your own nature preserve in your back yard.

The basement is fully finished and has great open space. A fireplace, full bath, nanny bedroom and utility room are nicely meted out in a very efficent manner. This is one of the few townhomes I have seen that have basement space so well suited for a family or TV room.

Overall - this is a great home in a great community. Priced at $579,000 it is a great value. This was under contract before and the financing fell through. If you are looking at this price point in Potomac - put this home on your short list. I see this one settling at $569,000.

POTOMAC PREDICTIONS ~ A good year coming!

Thank you to everyone for your e-mails and phone calls. It is nice to know that I was missed during the last quarter of 2010.

I admit that I could have found time to squeeze in few reviews on Potomac properties during the last quarter. Honestly though - I was so busy with clients during the last few months I needed a little down time to recharge.

You will be happy to know that just because I did not report in writing - I still viewed homes in our marketplace daily. I am happy to report that the market hit bottom almost a year ago - and is getting healthier every day.

I can tell you with all candor that homes that are priced correctly are not only selling quickly ~ but often with multiple contracts. This of course, drives prices upward. The market in general was up in the Potomac area. The most recent Case-Schiller report was no surprise to me. Overall the Washington D.C. area was one of the few in the country with price gains for the year. With a low percentage of foreclosures and short sales - Potomac fared even better.

2010 may have seemed like a dire time in the Real Estate industry - but for me - was my best year in a long time. I have all of you to thank for my success - and I hope you will continue to follow my reviews of Potomac Real Estate.

You can expect to see 2 reviews a week from me on average. When I have the time, of course, I will share more. Feel free to e-mail me the addresses of homes you would like to see reviewed and I will be happy to get them published.

The most important think I can ask is for your business and referrals. I can provide a list of clients that would be happy to discuss their experience in finding their dream home in the Potomac market. Are you thinking of buying or selling in this market? Any market? E-mail me today and lets discuss your options!