8221 Buckspark Lane - East Gate of Potomac - $974,000

Listed by L&F

Google Map Here

My favorite section of the "East Gate of Potomac" subdivision is on the south side of Democracy Boulevard. These homes were built in the mid-1970's and did not follow the contemporary bent of the rest of East Gate. With great schools, location and the Potomac zip code - the community is a winner.

This home is larger than it looks from the outside. The home is currently being spruced up for sale and looks great from the curb. The foyer is large with nice hardwood floors which carry throughout the main level. Updated powder room and nicely re-done kitchen will save time and money for the new owners. Granite counters and island open into a breakfast area and the family room. A slider leads to a large deck overlooking a lovely backyard.

The upstairs has 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. The baths have been updated but not fully renovated. The yellow, blue and pink tile in these baths remind you the homes were built in the 1970's. The cabinets and fixtures HAVE been updated and do not need immediate attention. Overall a great upstairs.

The basement is large and freshly carpeted. Plenty of space here to utilize in any way you like. A half bath and "bedroom" can house overnight guests and a separate storage area has plenty of room for shelves and boxes.

The last home similar sold earlier in the year at $950k. It had a breakfast room addition but may have been a bit smaller. This one shows well and is priced well. I see the final number somewhere around $945K when the home gets to settlement.

11436 Beechgrove Lane - Bedfordshire - $788,000

Listed by WC&AN Miller

Google Map Here

Bedfordshire is a great community located on the south side of Glen Road - just off Falls Road. Built in 1972 - this community has been a favorite of both first time and move up buyers in the Potomac market.

This home is located on a communal driveway just off Beechgrove Lane. A brick and frame Dutch Colonial - it has nice curb appeal and looks as though it has been well maintained. The foyer is hardwood and the home looks to be freshly painted. Newer beige carpeting lead you through the living room and family room.

The kitchen is original with yellow Formica counter tops and older cabinets. There is a new stainless fridge in the kitchen that could fit into the kitchen upgrade for the new owners. There is a laundry room just off the kitchen and an updated powder room to finish off the first floor.

Upstairs has 3 teen size bedrooms and a larger master bedroom. The master bath seems original with yellow and white tile. There are some replacement windows installed in the upstairs bedrooms - but other windows are original.

The basement is a blast from the past. A faux corner fireplace and burnt orange carpet lining a bar bring you right back into the early 70's. A slider to the backyard brings in light which gives this room lots of potential. There is nice space here to refinish to your liking. The backyard is nice and a manageable size. It backs to some parkland and to adjacent neighbors.

This home will need updating once a new owner gets title. It seems to be in good condition but definitely needs updating. The home will ultimately sell at somewhere near its assessed value. It does not warrant a premium. Others selling in the neighborhood were better outfitted and more up to date. Look for this to sell somewhere between $715k AND $730k.

12401 Goldfinch Court - Copenhaver - $750,000

Listed by L&F

Google Map Here

This home is located at the end of Goldfinch Drive - which is a dead end street just off Copenhaver Drive. Backing to Watts Branch Park - this home offers plenty of shade and decent privacy.

This painted frame home offers one level living and was built in 1974. Painted bright yellow with brown trim - it seems well maintained and offers a rare one level floor plan in Potomac.

This home is "U" shaped which forms a courtyard at the front door. There is plenty of room out here for a patio, garden or just a place to sit sheltered from the wind. The front door opens to a shallow hardwood foyer that overlooks a wide open floor plan. You can see from front to back from the entry - through the living room and sun room addition. The kitchen is on the right side of the home and is rather nice. Granite counters and a large eating area highlight the room. A full fireplace and brick wall are the centerpiece of the breakfast area. A door from the kitchen also leads out to a side entry with steps to the front of the home.

The sun room addition has a tile floor and is rather large. Windows bring in light and a side door allows access to stairs to the basement walkout and patio. There are pine trees surrounding the home and you will need to be prepared to clean your gutters at least every few months. There is a ton of pine litter on the steps going downstairs that should be cleaned up to allow this home to show well. It is slippery and dangerous - be careful using this stairwell.

To the left side of the foyer is the living area. 3 teen size bedrooms and a master suite branch off the wide hallway. The hall bath is original as is the master bath. The home is in good shape but shows its age. It would not take much to bring this into the 21st century and out of the 70's. Paint, carpet and mouldings would make a huge difference here.

Downstairs there is a large finished basement area with double sliders going out to a brick and slate patio. The carpet is poorly installed and does not show well in this room. Some new carpet and a coat of sealant and paint on the paneling would make this room show much better. There is good light from the sliders here and this room could make a great place for a recreation room or home theater. There is an unfinished storage area on the front side of the basement with laundry and a small room that looked as though it was used as a darkroom. There is also a small bedroom and newer full bath down here.

There is not much of a backyard here as the topography slopes down away from the house. The open space behind the home will not be build on in the future, but also has high tension wires which will turn off some buyers. This model is smaller than most in Copenhaver. The top floor is just over 1990 square feet. With about 1000 additional finished square feet in the basement it should sell for somewhere around its assessed value of $705,450.

12069 Gatewater Drive - Fallsberry - $379,900

Listed by Coldwell Banker

Google Map Here

How hard is it to find a 3BR home in Potomac for less than $380K? Pretty hard. Only 3 other homes have sold below $380K in the past year. Whenever I see a list price this low, I am curious to see what you get for the money.

Fallsberry is just off Falls Chapel Road on the west side of Falls Road. It is a community of very nice town homes that were built in the middle of the 1980's by William Berry. At the time - these were upscale town homes that rivaled some single family homes in the area. Overall this is a nice community in the Churchill cluster in a great location.

During the 1980's Montgomery county forced developers to put aside a percentage of each project for moderately priced housing. Called MPDU's - (Moderately Priced Dwelling Units), these homes were typically smaller and hidden away from the main project. The homes could not be sold without restrictions by the purchasers for a period of 10 years. Any profit made on these homes sold before the 10 year period was to be split with Montgomery County and reinvested in the program.

The downside to MPDU units is they generally were 2 levels with 3 bedrooms up and one full bath up. There was generally NOT a powder room on the main level. Anyone needing to use the bathroom had to run upstairs to use it. A small price to pay to be able to swing a home in Potomac and send your kids to Potomac schools, right?

This home is an end unit built behind a grouping of homes on the main street. It is a bit hidden away - which can be good. In this case it is. The home faces a wooded area and has good privacy. The home is frame construction and seems to be in well maintained condition.

The front door takes you directly into the family room and breakfast area. There is a pass through to a recently renovated kitchen with new cabinets and granite counters. The appliances are nearly new - and the kitchen shows beautifully. The home has hardwood throughout the first level.

This home has a powder room adjacent to the kitchen. This is a great (and rare) feature in these homes and makes a big difference in quality of life. Kudos to the forward thinker that added this feature.

The upstairs is typical with 3 small bedrooms and a nicely updated hall bath. There is not much you can do with this limited space. The home is uncluttered and nicely painted. It is ready for new owners to just move their stuff in.

This home is well priced and a great entry into the Potomac market. There will ALWAYS be a market in Potomac at the lower price point. The last home similar to this sold a year ago for $369K. The market was not as good back then and that home did NOT have a powder room on the first floor. I see this one selling at close to list within 60 days. Nicely done!