Washington Life Magazine
Washington Life Magazine

Real Estate News
by Mary K. Mewborn

The District

In the largest Georgetown sale since Mark Ein bought Katharine Graham's house on R Street, N.W., Alan and Melinda Blinken have received $5,175,000 for their property at 3117 and 3121 O Streets, N.W. The stately brick Victorian residence built in 1870, has four finished levels with seven bedrooms, five bathrooms (including impressive his and her master baths), nine fireplaces, a media room, a library, an elevator, a wet bar, an attached garage, and a forty-foot heated swimming pool. In addition to the 5,000 square-foot main house, the large double lot hosts a charming one-bedroom guesthouse and a magnificent garden showcased on both the 2000 and 2001 Georgetown Garden Tours. Alan Blinken, a former Wall Street investment banker and ambassador to Belgium in the Clinton administration, moved to Idaho in a bid to unseat Republican incumbent Senator Larry Craig. The new owners of the Blinkens' Georgetown residence are Nancy Jacobson and her husband, Democratic pollster Mark Penn, president and co-founder of Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. Jacobson and Penn previously lived along Embassy Row in Kalorama.

Another major transaction in Georgetown involves the sale by Steven J. Linder of 1330 30th Street, N.W. to Anne Emmet McLucas for $2 million. Mrs. McLucas is the granddaughter of William Corcoran Eustis who in 1903 bought the 261-acre estate in Leesburg known as Oatlands Plantation. In 1965, Mrs. McLucas' mother and aunt gave Oatlands to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. To this day the mansion, built in 1803, remains furnished in the same 1920's and 30's English country-style manner as when Mrs. McLucas' grandparents lived there. Mrs. McLucas' newly purchased property in D.C. was once owned by the late Georgetown architect Wynant D. Vanderpool, Jr., and his wife, Anne, a longtime trustee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, (which was founded by Mrs.McLucas' great great grandfather, William Wilson Corcoran). The Foundation for the Preservation of Historic Georgetown holds an easement on Mrs. McLucas' "new" Georgetown residence. In June a request was submitted for minor alterations to the home including a new second story wooden rear deck and screening trellis, skylights, and a new door.

In Kalorama, lawyer/arts activist Riley K. Temple bought 1821 23rd Street, N.W. from Susannah S. Kent for $1.4 million. Temple is a partner in the Washington law firm Halprin, Temple and a former president of Arena Stage. He is also a former board member of WETA, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Fund and the Helen Hayes Awards. Kent, who now resides in Beton, Pennsylvania, was named by the Secretary of Defense in 19Çj7 to serve on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. She is a trustee of the Hillwood Museum and Gardens Foundation and while residing in Northwest DC, was a board member and president of the Kalorama Historical Association. Her Kalorama home had been on the market for 540 days and originally listed for $1,750,000.

Coldwell Banker/Pardoe realtor Jim Bell has sold the majestic six-bedroom Italianate mansion at 2336 California Street, N.W. to Candy French and her husband Emanuel Friedman of Friedman, Billings & Ramsey fame for $3.6 million. Built in 1925 by Robert Roosevelt, the historic Kalorama residence is set on a double lot with mature trees and shrubs, a terrace, a gazebo and an in-ground pool. The sellers are Sam Stern, a senior partner of the D.C. law firm Hills and Stern, and his wife Marilyn. Jim Bell also listed and sold 2331 California Street, N.W. for Dr. Morton Roberts, an OB-GYN. Douglas and Gloria Labossierre paid $2.1 million for the five-bedroom home with elegant public rooms including a huge dining room and living room with fifteen-foot ceilings. Perfect for entertaining, the spectacular home also includes a caterer's kitchen and a spacious terrace. Doug Labossiere works with a stock brokerage firm and he and his wife are scholarship donors to Capital Partners for Education, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to low-income students who want to attend private high schools in the Washington Metropolitan area.

In preparation for their move, Douglas and Gloria Labossiere also enlisted Jim Bell's assistance in the sale of their 2,117 square-foot, two-bedroom condominium at 2141 Wyoming Avenue, N.W. Heralded as one of Washington's "Best Addresses," the four-story building designed in 1912 has been home to many notable Washingtonians. The Labossieres sold their elaborately appointed penthouse with its antique European fireplace, crown molding, ornamental plaster ceilings, wood floors, and balcony, to Sarah Teslik for $1,120,000. Teslik is the executive director of the Council of Institutional Investors. She is perhaps best known for her outspokenness in the wake of the Enron scandal and has been quoted as saying, "Every safety net designed to protect investors failed completely with Enron." The remedy, she says, is to give shareholders a voice in the boardroom.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle's purchase of a $2 million house on Foxhall Road has sparked controversy in his home state of South Dakota. One group of constituents is featuring clips of the house in its anti-Daschle, anti-tax television campaign using a parody of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song "Our House" to report that, "Tom's house/is a very, very,very big house."

Also in the District, 3110 Birch Street, N.W. near Rock Creek Park has sold for the list price of $790,000 to Neile and Werner Lutze. The four-bedroom rambler sits on a 13,000 square-foot lot and has hardwood floors, a marble foyer, updated kitchen and baths, and two fireplaces. The sellers are Helene Weisz and Richard Lieberman, a principal of the firm of McCarthy, Sweeney & Harkaway, PC.

Jim Bell also facilitated the sale of a Robert Stern shingle-style Colonial at 6109 32nd Place, N.W. Special features of the six-bedroom house include state of the art high-tech wiring and alarm systems, a sleek European designer kitchen, and continental baths. Built with the finest materials, the home boasts an elegant central foyer, large family room, library, game room and an exercise room. The final cost to the buyer, Greg Kats, was $1,195,000, a mere $100,000 less than the sellers, interior designer Brook Thomson and her husband Peter had been asking. Kats is a principal at Capital E LLC, a D.C. consulting firm that advises clients on clean energy and green buildings.

A newly renovated home on one of Wesley Heights' most sought after streets has sold for $1,795,000. The buyers are Ann Weathers and James Rosenberg, president of Charles E. Smith Residential Division of Archstone-Smith. The 1930's style house at 4531 Dexter Street, N.W. is just two doors from the former residence of Michael Deaver, Ronald Reagan's longtime friend and former deputy chief of staff. Ted Gossett of Washington Fine Properties was the selling agent. Real estate investor Gerald Cooper was the seller.

Maryland

In Potomac, Bob and Susie Holcomb sold their magnificently renovated four-bedroom home at 8817 Wattsmine Terrace on the fourth fairway at Avenel for $1,275,000 to John and Margaret Devine from Baltimore. Both Bob Holcomb and John Devine are in the financial services industry. Nancy Itteilag with Long and Foster's Foxhall Office represented the Holcombs.

Richman Partnership is the new owner of the award winning home built by Mitchell, Best & Visnic custom builders at 9400 Crimson Leaf Terrace in Avenel. The $1,675,000 property had belonged to Don and Jo Campbell and was featured on the Potomac House Tour thanks to its 8500 square feet of gorgeous architecture, its high-tech home theater, and its superb garden.

In Bethesda, orthopedic surgeon Jorge Mondino and his wife Marta sold 10401 Strathmore Park # 202 at the Strathmore Park Condominiums. Their Tuckerman Model unit in this new luxury complex went for $875,000 to Lawrence and Eileen Abramson.

Virginia

In Great Falls, 145 River Park Lane sold for $1,550,000 a great deal when you consider that it has five bedrooms, four and a half baths, and sits on five acres with a stable and a pool. The sellers are Dennis and Mary Moroney who listed their property on May ?st with Long and Foster agents Karen Barker and Nancy Itteilag. The property went to closing on July ??th and the Moroneys now reside in San Antonio, Texas, where Dennis Moroney works for the insurance company USAA. The lucky buyers are Don Moorehead, a partner with Patton Boggs, and his wife Claudia McMurray, associate deputy administrator and chief of staff to the deputy administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C.

Weichert Realtors' Penny Yerks listed 10006 High Hill Place in Great Falls for Eugene and Deborah Luth Bedell who are sales strategists and managing directors of Tenzing LLC. The Bedells were asking $2,195,000 for their Falcon Ridge property, but on July 30 sold it for $95,000 less. The buyers are Mark and Jacquelin Bishof whose new home has a two-story foyer, a pool, gymnasium, sunroom, and library.

By press time, 816 Leigh Mill Road in Great Falls is expected to have changed hands thanks to Weichert's Penny Yerks who listed the Georgian-style house for the builder NDC Homes. The newly constructed ten thousand square-foot house sits on two and a half acres and has six bedrooms, a home theater, and a sauna. The prospective buyers are Philip Fasano, senior vice president of information technology for Capital One Financial, and his wife Judy who are moving here from New York. Leigh Mill Road is named for Leigh Jackson's Mill which was located on the west bank of Difficult Run and competed with Colvin Run Mill to grind corn and flour in the late 1800's. The asking price for the Leigh Mill Road property is $2.3 million.

In Arlington, Washington Fine Properties' Ted Gossett served as the selling agent for 3301 Albermarle Street. Located in Country Club Hill, the house is a handsome Federal-style Colonial built in the 1940's. The seller was Mark Dorigan. The new owners are Allison and Chauncey Goss, son of Florida Congressman Porter J. Goss (who as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence spearheaded the investigation into the intelligence community's failure to forestall the 9/11 terrorist attacks). The younger Goss and his wife paid $1,270,000 for their new home. They sold their previous residence at 1126 Bold Hill Road in McLean for $878,000 to Andrew Holmes, M.D. and Alison Holmes. Ted Gossett assisted in that transaction as well.

Sue Huckaby listed 6701 Wemberly Way in McLean for Josetta and Bruce Owen. Owen is president of Economists Incorporated, a D.C. consulting firm. During the Carter administration, he was chief economist of the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice. Under Richard Nixon, he was chief economist of the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy. For the last ten years he has taught law and economics as a visiting professor at Stanford University. He is also the author or co-author of several books, including "Television Economics," "Economics and Freedom of Expression," and his most recent book, "The Internet Challenge to Television." The Owens will likely miss their classic Colonial on a corner hilltop lot with a beautiful swimming pool and private outdoor entertainment area nestled between mature trees and landscaped gardens. Further highlights of the home include a luxurious master suite with a huge sitting room, Jacuzzi and skylight, and a spacious au pair suite. Billed as an "incredible deal," the buyers Mark Bollinger and attorney Margaret Ackerly, willingly paid $1.3 million.



Richard S. Nicholson and Lois A. Nicholson sold 1020 Union Church Road in McLean. The four-bedroom Colonial was built in 1983 and is located in Peacock Station on 1.93 acres complete with a large deck, swimming pool and tennis court. It features a two-story entrance foyer; an updated kitchen; a master bedroom suite with two walk-in closets, a sitting room, laundry room and a master bath with double showers and a Jacuzzi. The new owners of the property are Dr. Jeffrey V. Mendell, a radiologist, and G. Edgar Adkins, Jr., a 1980 graduate of Virginia Tech and partner at Ernst & Young. The men paid $1.2 million for their new home in a secluded setting that is nevertheless convenient to Tysons Corner, Dulles Airport and D.C.

Developer Giuseppe Cecchi and his wife Mercedes purchased a two-story, four-bedroom brick house with a pool at Lymwood Hill Road in McLean for $850,000.

In addition to developing the infamous Watergate, a Washington landmark, Cecchi also built the Watergate apartments at Landmark in Alexandria, Virginia, and the Rotunda apartment building in McLean.

 

Melissa and Joseph Lahoud purchased a home in McLean from retired attorney S.G. Lippman and his wife Belle. They paid $1,095,000 for 1138 Daleview Drive, a nicely renovated Cape Cod with six bedrooms and five and a half baths situated on a 1.22 acre landscaped lot with a patio and terrace overlooking a small stream and fish pond. The house has beautiful views of the grounds from every room and is within walking distance to Woodside Lake. The Lahouds previously lived in historic Old Town Alexandria.

In Vienna, Weichert's Penny Yerks was instrumental in the recent sale of 2078 Hunter's Crest Way by Mohamed El Ezaby to David Miller and his wife Vera Lea Golenzer. Vera Lea Golenzer is Counsel to Danner & Associates, a McLean-based law firm. El Ezaby received $1,375,000 for the stunning house with a pool, paneled family room, and basement bar. He now lives in New York.

Weichert's Sue Huckaby listed 1531 Victoria Farms in Vienna. This spectacular six-year-old Colonial with fabulous curb appeal has five bedrooms, five and a half baths and sits on 1.73 acres. There is an entrance foyer with a dramatic sweeping staircase and overhanging balcony, a spacious master bedroom suite with large sitting room and cathedral ceilings, and a completely finished lower level with an au pair suite, recreation room and game room. The sellers are Paolo Guidi, president of McLean-based Teleglobe Global Telecom Services and his wife Ingrid. The Guidis received $1.3 million for their house from Eleane Norman and her husband Paul Norman, who is with Concordia Group Real Estate Services.

Correction: According to J. Coleman Bean, neither he nor his wife, Lois M. Bean, were involved in the sale of John Motley's residence at 601 Deerfield Pond Court in Great Falls, VA, nor are J. Coleman and Lois M. Bean involved with Crowning Shield Trust or with Mr. Motley. (as stated in the May 2003 Real Estate News column.)

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