12513 Noble Court - Palatine - $1,950,000

Listed By Long and Foster

Palatine is one of the premiere upscale communities in Potomac. Now approaching 15 years old, it is shedding the "just built" look that some of Potomac's upscale communities can't shake. It is always a treat to visit homes in this community. The custom features in many of these homes can really WOW you.

This home is on one of the older streets in the Palatine community. Built in 1996, it sits on a lovely 2 acre lot perched on a hill. The landscaping is professionally done and frames the home beautifully. Some of the shrubs in the front left are due for a trim which would give the home a more manicured look.

The flagstone walk leads you to a formal entry. The sign on the door says new custom doors are on order which is good news. The existing doors are in poor shape. The foyer is beautiful. A large two story foyer with lovely curved stair and chandelier is lovely. The wallpaper is timeless and expensive. Although it may not be to every one's taste, it is a classic design and works well.

The living room and library are on the left side of the home with built ins galore and lovely mouldings throughout. The windows let in some great light which should please most that hate dark rooms. The dining room on the right is large and nicely proportioned. It leads through a butlers pantry into a lovely kitchen with upscale appliances and granite. The breakfast area is along the back wall and gives a great view of the yard. The yard is landscaped well with a flagstone patio which would be a lovely place to enjoy your coffee and watch the resident deer nibble on the high end shrubbery. A four car garage and laundry/mud room finish out the first floor.

The upstairs has 5 large bedrooms. The master is large and nicely designed. A tray ceiling is a nice touch and the custom drapes match the bed linen. Lots of money was spent on decor - it would be worth asking for the linen when putting this home under contract. The large master bath has high end cabinets and green marble/granite/tile flooring. Two of the other rooms have private baths and the other two bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bath. Nicely designed upper floor!

The basement is completely finished with plenty of room. Wet bar, rec room, Nanny Quarters - and walkout to a second flagstone patio. Everything you would expect in the basement of a home in this price range.

This home has good bones and great design. Although the decor may be a bit outdated, anyone that can see beyond the floral prints will see a gem. For someone wanting the cache of Palatine this may be a great opportunity. This should settle around its assessed value of $1.825mm when all is said and done.

12636 Greenbriar Road - Palatine - $2,195,000

Listed by Long and Foster

Google Map Here

Palatine is a very high end community off Glen Road. With mostly 2 acre lots, this community is filled with a variety of custom built homes.

This home is a lovely all brick colonial on a nice 2 acre lot. With 5 bedrooms and 4 full baths this home has just over 5800 square feet of living space. Believe it or not, as large as this home is, it is one of the smaller homes in this upscale community.

This colonial has a beautiful 2 story foyer with lots of natural light. The hope is exquisitely decorated with tasteful high end finishes wherever you look. The living room seems small for a home this size, but is is certainly adequate. The dining room is nice size and suitable for entertaining. The kitchen is long and narrow with 12x12 tile that suits the space. The central island is convenient and invites company to stand adjacent to chat. A fireplace in the Kitchen is a nice touch, and rarely seen.

The breakfast area adjacent to the kitchen is bright and filled with natural light. The windows look out to the back yard which would be a fabulous view while sipping your coffee. There is a laundry area and powder room adjacent to the breakfast area behind the garage. There is also a lovely covered deck to allow outdoor living minus mosquitoes. A great touch with a yard this nice.

The family room has cathedral ceilings and a nice stone fireplace. The height in this room is very dramatic and looks up to the bridge connecting both sides of the home.

The upstairs has 3 teen size bedrooms. One bedroom is en-suite and the others share a Jack and Jill bath. The master bedroom is nicely scaled and well decorated. The master bath is along the back of the home and has a separate shower and tub. This area provides a welcome nice oasis after a long day at work.

The basement is fully finished with lots of space. Game room, Pool table, home theatre....what more could you want? A bedroom and full bath for guests or au-pair completes the space and a walkout to the back allows access to the well tended yard.

Overall this is a killer home that shows like a model. The decorating is tasteful and comfortable. It would be hard not to feel comfortable here. The price on the other hand is a bit high. Although a recent short sale has thrown the market a little, this should be discounted by anyone gauging values. When all is said and done, this should fetch in the neighborhood of $1.975mm.

11804 Centurion Way - Palatine - $4,900,000

Listed by WFP

Google Map Here

Palatine is a community of estate homes approximately 4 miles from Potomac Village.

To give you the scale of this home, I had to venture half way up the neighbors driveway to get the entire home in frame while taking this photo.

This is a mansion in the truest sense of the word. With 5 large bedrooms upstairs plus an entire wing dedicated to the Master Suite this is LARGE. In addition, a servant apartment with separate entrance on the 2nd floor would be the envy of many condo owners. An additional large bedroom suite with full bath is in the basement for the au-pair. Total of eight bedrooms and 8 full baths. WOW!.

This is a builders personal residence. There has been no expense spared with mouldings and interior finish. The beautiful 2 story foyer has picture framed mouldings to the 3 story ceiling. The floors are exquisite and varied. Marble tile, hardwood, slate....a material for every taste. The transition between rooms is seamless. He used the flooring material as an accent to lend a flavor and feel to each room.

I could go on about this home at length. It is very well built. The only critique I have is the large open space in the basement should be furnished. Even if it is a staged, it will give a better feel on how the large space may be used. A wine cellar should also be an option in this type of home. There is plenty of room, and anyone spending this amount of money see this as a standard feature. The kitchen should be detailed. Counters cleared, floors cleaned and buffed and a shine put on any stainless. A home of this size needs to be spotless. There is only one opportunity to make a first impression.

This is a beautiful home that is reasonably priced on a square foot basis. The question is, do people want this much space? I think it is priced a bit high and will settle in the mid 4 million range.