8853 Belmart Road - Great Falls Estates - $1,845,000

Listed by WC & AN Miller

Google Map Here

I think every Real Estate Broker has fantasies about winning the lottery. You could then buy your dream home for cash, and live in the home and neighborhood you just love. This thought was going through my mind when I saw this home in Great Falls Estates.

This home is on a 2 acre lot and has great curb appeal. The lawn is beautiful, the landscape has been taken care of and the classic good looks of a brick colonial shine. A circular drive takes you right up to the door - a classy entry.

The center foyer is slate and quite formal. The living room is on the left with a great fireplace and wet bar. The dining room is bright with a large picture window to the front of the home. There is a nice size office/library that is beautifully panelled and private.

The kitchen is in the center of the home. With cherry cabinets and older appliances, this room will be on the short list for renovation. The breakfast area is bright and an exit to a brick patio bring you out to a fabulous back yard.

The back yard may be the nicest part of this property. It is terraced and manicured. Someone has taken time to properly design and execute a beautiful landscape plan. There is obviously a gardener, or owner with deep pockets to keep this area in tip top condition.

The upstairs of this property has a modest size master bedroom and full bath. The bathroom is in need of updating, but it is good size with great potential. There is one additional bedroom with an en-suite bath and two other bedrooms that are teen size.

The basement is fully finished. The room has gorgeous and high quality cream colored panelled walls. Although the rest of the basement with bar is dated, a new owner would be smart to preserve the panelled walls which would cost an arm and leg to replace.

This is a great house with good bones. The home needs updating, but is perfectly livable as it is. The home could be transformed at your leisure while living in the home.

Is it worth the price?

I think this home is priced where it should be. That does not mean it will sell at this price. The lot and location will warrant a premium. Great Falls Estates is a premiere community and is in high demand. Someone seeing this home will fall in love with its scale, the grounds and the neighborhood. If I win the lottery tomorrow....I am making a beeline to the listing agents with a bag of cash.

9601 Accord Drive - Concord - $995,000

Listed by Long and Foster

Google Map Here

I brought some prospects to see this home late last year and it did not show well. It was withdrawn and showed up again on the market in late April at a reduced price. I decided to take a look at it again.

Accord Drive is a quiet street that is easily missed. Connecting River Road on one end, and a quiet Hall Road on the other, this street has a mix of old and new. This home is located on 1.16 acres with a large back yard. The home was built in 1960 and has just been updated. The kitchen has been completely redone and all of the old windows have been replaced. A fresh coat of paint, a thorough cleaning and some yard cleanup goes a long way to make a home look good.

I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the work done on this property. It has been dramatically improved since late last year and the price reduced. It leads me to believe the owners truly understand what needs to be done to get a home sold in this challenging market. Kudos to the agent as well. Pricing this home below $1mm is aggressive and smart. With the improvements on this home it should not last long, even in this market.

This home has an unusual floor plan. The front door takes you into a small foyer. Immediately to your left is the kitchen, and to the right a stairway to the basement. The dining room and family room are good size with a view of the backyard and pool. The windows let in plenty of natural light which enhance the refinished floors.

The upstairs has 3 smallish bedrooms and a decent size master suite. The baths have been upgraded and bedrooms are ready for occupants. The basement has a home theatre that I initially thought conveyed with the home but does not. Any offer should be sure to request the home theatre as part of the sale. A new full bath and decent size bedroom would be great Nanny or teen quarters. There is a funky smell in the basement. I am not sure if it is from moisture or possibly smoke from the previous resident.

This home is now priced well in this market. This home is convenient to the village (short walk)and part of the Churchill cluster. Anyone looking in this area that wants some acreage should put this home on their list to see. This should settle in the neighborhood of $950K to $975K once sold.

New York Times Agrees! - May 3rd - Real Estate Section

I was sent an e-mail this morning from a long time reader with a link to an on-line article in The New York Times.

The article is called "Snark Attack".

It speaks about the increase of inventory in the New York market, and the rise of sites that critique the existing inventory of homes and apartments for sale.

The article tells of the importance of homes being priced right and put on the market in the best possible condition.

This has always been an ongoing theme in Potomac Secret Agent reviews and would seem to be consistent in all tough real estate markets.

You can read the full article at this link.

Please take the time to read it and let me know how you feel about it. Does the Potomac Secret Agent mirror these sites? Do we avoid the "Snarkiness"?

Please comment and let me know.

9900 Colebrook Avenue - Bedfordshire - $869,000

Listed by Long and Foster

Google Map Here

This is a pretty colonial at the corner of Colebrook and Bedfordshire Avenue in Potomac. Bedfordshire is a mix of traditional and contemporary homes built in the 1970's. It is located just off Glen Road and is a perennial favorite for "move up" Potomac home buyers.

This home is on a big corner lot with great curb appeal. The walk leading to the front door has been redone with stamped concrete. The landscape is mature and well maintained. A beautiful flowering cherry is the centerpiece in the front of the home.

The foyer is tiled with the balance of the main level hardwood. This colonial has a formal living room and dining room in the front of the home, with the family room adjacent to the kitchen behind the garage. A good size office on the main level will appeal to those needing some office space on the main level. The Kitchen has been updated with granite and updated cabinets. The breakfast room has a nice bay window looking out on the backyard with nice natural light.

Upstairs has 4 bedrooms and 2 full baths. Both baths have been updated, and are in good condition. Cultured marble vanity tops lead me to believe the update on the baths was done in the 1990's.

The basement is finished and floored with 12x12 tile. A full bath (Pink) in the basement and baseboard heat make for lots of potential. A home theatre, nanny suite, workout room - the space is waiting.

The back yard is accessible from the family room and has a nice brick patio. The back yard is not very large, but well maintained.

This is a nice home in a sought after neighborhood. The ride on bus stops right at the corner for those that choose to commute via public transportation. The price is a bit high, but this is often the case for a new listing. This one should sell pretty quickly. I think the final price will end up between $815,000 and $825,000.