Look out New York! Move aside Silicon Valley! Stand by Worth Avenue! The high-end Washington real-estatemarket is picking up steam! Nancy Itteilag, Vice President of Corporate Development at Pardoe/ERA,cites statistics showing that million-dollar sales in the Washington Metropolitan area have doubled sincelast year.

A team at Sotheby's Washington Fine Properties, led by William F.X. Moody, recently placed"Merrywood", the childhood home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, under contract. The17,000-square-foot Georgian- style residence sits on seven acres in McLean, overlooking the PotomacRiver.

Currently owned by Alan and Diane Kay, the house was listed for $17,000,000. Though allparties in the transaction were required to sign a confidentiality clause, rumor has it that an AOL chiefis the lucky purchaser. Of course, with the possibility of a future Republican Administration, maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger bought it. Bringing ownership back around to the Kennedy family mightpacify his wife Maria Shriver, if he were to take a position in, say, George W. Bush'sCabinet. Like Secretary of Defense? If Arnold Schwarzenegger can't handle Osama Bin Laden, whocan?

Just around the river bend from Merrywood, Caroline Rocco of Coldwell Banker Stevens sold RalphWhitworth and Wendy Walker Whitworth's Potomac River-front home at 1005 Crest Lane for$2,685,000. Wendy Walker Whitworth is Executive Producer for the "Larry King Live" show in California.Also living in the neighborhood is Sam Donaldson and his wife, television reporter JanSmith. (Maybe they can figure out the identity of Merrywood's mystery purchaser.) Also living onCrest Lane are former Secretary of State Franck Carlucci, and Chuck Vance, former SecretService for President Ford and current CEO of Vance International, a worldwide security company,and his wife Cynthia Vance, former Fox morning-news anchor.

William F. X. Moody also placed 2930 44th Street in Wesley Heights under contract. Owned by Robin and Elaine Miller, the house was listed for $4,500,000. The 7-bedroom,17,500-square-foot home features limestone and parquet de Versailles floors, a media room, a librarypaneled in bird's-eye maple with cabinetry of Macassar ebony, a heated swimming pool and pavilioncomplete with a full bath and kitchen, and not surprisingly, palatial closets. The Millers bought anotherhome, just a block away on Garfield Street, which they leveled in order to build a new house. Teardownsin Wesley Heights? So like the Hamptons!

Also in Wesley Heights, Neil and Susan Sheehan, who own and live in 4505 Klingle Street,sold their second house next door, 4507 Klingle Street, a six-bedroom stone Colonial, to John and Hilary Shaw for $630,000. Neil Sheehan is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for A Bright Shining Lie, and his wife Susan is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning author for Is ThereNo Place on Earth for Me? John Shaw is an attorney at Patton Boggs. Susanna Luddy ofPardoe/ERA negotiated the transaction.

Much like Cleveland Park has always been labeled "Democratic", Spring Valley has long been considered atraditional "Republican" neighborhood. Richard Nixon lived on Tilden Street when he was in theSenate, and President George Bush lived on Hillbrook Lane when he was first elected to Congress.Spring Valley is still filled with notable Republicans, like Williams and Jenson attorney and championfundraiser Steve Hart, and prominent Washington lawyer/Akin, Gump, Strauss attorney/ George W.Bush campaign honcho, James Langdon.

However, the neighborhood is rapidly becoming more politically diverse. Democratic Senator EvanBayh and his wife Susan bought a home earlier this year on Tilden Street. Former ClintonAdministration Secretary of the Navy John Dalton has a house on University Avenue, and AssistantAttorney General Eric Holder also lives in Spring Valley. Most recently, John Anderson, 1980 Independent Presidential candidate, signed a contract on a home on 48th Street, listed by KarenDavis of Pardoe/ERA. If Ross Perot were to buy that $4.5 million Pardoe/ERA listing on IndianLane, Spring Valley would be a real political melting pot.

Also in Spring Valley, Robert and Robin Wilder sold their five-bedroom home at 5030Sedgwick Street for $1,375,000. The Wilders are the owners of Austin Grille located-in Glover Park,Bethesda, Alexandria, and Boston-and Jaleo-in Downtown D.C. Their home, with swimming pool and cabana,was listed by Tracy Davis Jordan and Eileen McGrath of Pardoe/ERA. Patrick Chauvin of Washington Fine Properties represented the buyers, Dr. and Mrs. Paul Atkins.

The Wilders purchased "Wirelawn" at 3911 Bradley Lane for $1,900,000. A 12,000-square-footGeorgian-style estate, it sits on 1.5 acres, just across Bradley Boulevard from the Chevy Chase Club.Built for the Devereaux Family in 1910, it was once the sight of Harry Truman's inauguralparty. Presidents Johnson and Nixon, several First Ladies, and singer MarianAnderson were also frequent guests. With its 40-foot swimming pool, and 20-car parking, it could haveits own swim team. Giselle Therberge of Pardoe/ERA represented the sellers, Patrick and Danny Christmas, and Tracy Davis Jordan represented the buyers.

Carol and William (Bill) Bittman, a lead attorney on the Jimmy Hoffa case, recentlysold 9116 Bradley Boulevard for $1,783,000. The six-bedroom Colonial, straight out of Gone withthe Wind, has a pool and tennis courts on a four-acre lot backing onto the Congressional Country Clubgolf course. Nancy Itteilag and Karen Hoffman of Pardoe/ERA represented the Bittmans, and Mary Fox of Pardoe/ERA represented the buyers.

The Marquis and Marquise de Chumbrun recently sold their top-floor Cleveland Park co-op at 3024 Tilden Street for $290,000. The Marquis is the grandson of Nicholas Longworth and thecousin of Alice Longworth (as in Longworth House Office Building). The Marquis and the Marquisewill be heading for their home in London. Alison LaLand and Molly Oldham of Pardoe/ERArepresented the sellers.

Princess Ghida Talal of Jordan sold her 3400-square-foot apartment at The Foxhall, 4200Massachusetts Avenue for $800,000 to Mrs. Norman Farquhar. Terri Robinson of AGS Realtyrepresented the seller.

Other Foxhall residents include former Boston Celtics coach and owner Red Auerbach, and interiordesigner Victor Shargai.

After corporate attorney Daryl Carter renovated and decorated his own apartment at the Altamont,1901 Wyoming Avenue, his residence was featured in the must-have coffee-table book PrivateWashington, and in several magazines, including Southern Accents and Metropolitan Home. After tremendous response, Carter decided to add interior design to his repertoire of careers, and he nowrepresents several high-profile clients. He will surely be working on his own project, as he has justpurchased 2342 Massachusetts Avenue, a 1914 beaux-arts townhouse, from The Embassy of Oman, for $875,000. Bobbie Brewster of Pardoe/ ERA represented the sellers, and Greg Gaddy ofPardoe/ERA represented the buyer.

A.G. Sabban recently moved AGS Realty to a charming Georgetown townhouse at 1625 WisconsinAvenue in Georgetown.