13512 Maidstone Lane - River Falls - $1,195,000

Listed by L & F

Google Map Here

River Falls is located about 5 miles beyond Potomac Village off River Road. With most of the homes sited on at least one acre - this community has great spacing between homes, and plenty of room for the lawn of your dreams.

This home is a lovely brick colonial with a wide circular driveway. Nicely landscaped and maintained - this home has great curb appeal. Nicely pruned trees provide shade where needed - but still allow light through the floor to ceiling windows.

The foyer is large and open with beautiful hardwood floors. A large office is to your left and a spacious living room to your right. This is a lovely colonial floor plan. The dining room is large and bright and looks out on the rear of the home. The kitchen has been updated with granite and lovely cream colored cabinets. It is adjacent to a large breakfast area with a view of the pool and large backyard.

The family room is fabulous. A floor to ceiling stone fireplace provides warmth and coziness in a large room. This would be a fabulous house to entertain. Attached to this room is a large screened porch that looks out onto the fabulous yard. A fenced pool will keep all in the family cool in the summer with plenty of room for chaise lounges and suntanning.

The upstairs has 5 bedrooms. There are 4 large bedrooms - all with lovely hardwood floors. There are two updated baths that service these four bedrooms in addition to a large master suite. The master bedroom has a large sitting area - 2 large closets and a fabulous master bath with shower and whirlpool.

The basement is fully finished with Berber carpet and nice decor. There is a au-pair suite with a full bath in addition to a large finished area with fireplace that would make a great recreation room or home theater.

Overall - this home is finished beautifully and shows very well. The home based upon recent sales is priced well - and should sell pretty quickly in this brisk market. The only down side to this property is it backs to River Road. There is not much traffic on River - and a row of fast growing Leland Cyprus would quickly screen this area from view and cut any residual noise.

Kudos to the agent for prepping this home well - marketing it well and pricing it well. The reward for hard work will be a quick sale at somewhere between $1,050,000 and full price. If there are competing bids - this could actually go slightly over asking price.

8907 Barrowgate Court - Fox Hills - $319,000

Listed by ReMax

Google Map Here

This community is located just off Bells Mill and Willowbrook Road in a community of larger single family and luxury town homes. I suspect that this home is in a cluster of affordable homes called MPDU's that Montgomery County required developers to build when granting permits for larger more expensive developments.

This town home is a bit over 1500 square feet on three levels. With 2 bedrooms and 1 full bath, these homes do not have the optimal floor plan for a family. Running up to the upper level to use the bath can become onerous and should be a consideration for those looking at this type of home.

The glass though, is half full - not half empty. A 2 bedroom home in the prestigious Potomac zip code is near impossible to find in this price range. The schools, services and location are top shelf and will make many look past the inconvenient floor plan of this property.

Although a foreclosure, this home looks nice on the outside. Brick stoop, brick front and trimmed shrubs present nicely. The moment you enter the home the reality of foreclosure stares you in the face. The kitchen is in disarray with cabinet doors missing and the refrigerator gone. In its place is a giant stain on the attractive (though filthy) hardwood floor. Potential is great here. The light from the front window really keeps the kitchen bright, and the openness makes the space look large. The family room is behind the kitchen and is not very large - but usable. A slider goes out to a brick patio that is filled with old coolers of rotten food. Not pretty!

The stairs up are carpeted with Berber style carpet that will need replacement. 2 small bedrooms share a hall bath - all of which need updating.

The carpeted stairs down to the basement lead to a finished space in the rear of the home and storage towards the front. Please bring a flashlight as the lights are out, and stumbling around can be dangerous.

I have seen a lot worse foreclosures then this. With a little TLC and mostly cosmetic help this can be a nice 2 bedroom home. Although a horribly inefficient floor plan, you get to live in Potomac for just over $300,000. Not a bad start. Call me for a personal showing of this home. Lets see if we can grab this for under $300,000. Act fast though. Homes of this price won't last long.

1112 Halesworth Drive - Orchard Ridge - $650,000

Listed by Long and Foster

Google Map Here

Orchard Ridge is a lovely single family community tucked in on the southwest side of Wootton Parkway and Seven Locks Road. Part of the Richard Montgomery school cluster, this is an attractive move up community close to all Potomac amenities.

This is a nice home on the Halesworth Loop. With white siding and a front sited garage, this home has nice curb appeal. The foyer is open and looks straight into the kitchen at the back of the home. Double doors allow you to cut off the kitchen from view, but with doors open the space looks much larger and less formal. The hardwood extends into the living room and dining room and is good condition. The kitchen is spacious with a large table area to eat. Although dated, this kitchen would be smashing if re-done.

The Family room has cathedral ceilings and a fireplace centered on the long wall. Skylights and windows make this space bright although there is staining around one of the skylights that hints of a leak. A laundry room doubles as a mud room with a door going into the front offset 2 car garage. Nice touch!

Upstairs has 3 decent size bedrooms and a very nice master with volume ceilings. The baths are original but with a little paint will look nice. Nice floor plan!

The basement is unfinished, but looks to have a full rough-in bath. This has huge potential for a family room or home theatre.

The downside to this home is the back yard. It is sloped up to Seven Locks Road with a view of the County Detention Center. A large deck and some creative landscaping can alleviate some of this issue, but you cannot change the location. It is priced well at $650,000 which does take some of these issues into consideration.

This one has been on the market too long. Although it is now priced well, it is stale. This one will end up selling at between $605K and $620k when all is said and done.

9712 Beman Woods Way - Avenel - $1,299,000

Listed by Long and Foster

Google Map Here

Avenel was one of the few communities in this area that was approved for building homes in close clusters. Not quite a zero lot line, but similar. This type of development is tough to do well. Avenel is one of the few developments that does.

This is a great looking all brick home in a blue chip community.Although a detached colonial, this home shows like a large town home. With an open entry foyer, this home still has a colonial feel. Dining room right, living room left a center hall brings you past the main stairway and into the family room and kitchen in the back of the home. All of the rooms are well appointed with moulding and hardwood. Although not large in comparison to many Avenel homes, this home has good scale.

The kitchen has ceramic floors and upscale - though original - appliances. The Corian counters are now out of favor and can be easily replaced by granite. Although it needs some updating, the kitchen is well designed and comfortable. A breakfast area looks out to the yard and french doors bring you out to a lovely slate porch.

Upstairs the master bedroom has a fireplace and two "Juliette" balconies. The master has both shower and Jacuzzi tub done in all white tile typical of the era. A sitting room is attached and is nice space to read as not to disturb a sleepy partner. The other 3 bedrooms are decent size with en-suite baths.

The basement is finished with a wood burning fireplace and carpeted floors. A full bath and bedroom could be a great guest suite or spot for a Nanny. There are rough-ins for a wet bar and wine cellar.

This is a nice home that needs a bit of updating. The price is fair and reflects the update costs. For someone looking in Avenel, this is one to see. This should settle in the $1.2 to $1.225 range when all is said and done.