WOMAN: Support for If You Lived Here comes from... MAN: The Yuen Foundation, committed to bridging cultural differences within the greater Washington, D.C. community.

WOMAN: And now, If You Lived Here, a WETA original series.

JOHN: Hi, I'm John.

CHRISTINE: I'm Christine.

We're producers at WETA and best buds.

JOHN: We love living in the DC area, but finding a place to live here can be exciting and challenging.

CHRISTINE: So join us as we tour three homes at three price points... JOHN: And try to guess the listing price of each home without going over.

CHRISTINE: And find out what it would be like...

BOTH: If You Lived Here!

(doorbell) JOHN: Well, well... CHRISTINE: Hey.

JOHN: You must be our guide to the day.

DANA: Hi, guys.

Welcome to Bethesda.

I'm so glad that you're here.

CHRISTINE: Well, we're thrilled to be here.

JOHN: So glad to be here.

DANA: So, we're right now in the heart of Bethesda... JOHN: Mm-hmm.

DANA: Which is not a sleepy suburb, as some may think.

We're right in the middle of Woodmont Triangle.

CHRISTINE: It does not feel like a sleepy suburb.

JOHN: Not sleepy at all.

DANA: We've got businesses, restaurants, apartment complexes.

JOHN: Well, talk about classic Bethesda...

The Corner Slice.

And this is your community too.

You are not just a real estate agent, but you live here.

DANA: I do.

I raise my kids here, and I could probably tell you a story about each of these restaurants.

CHRISTINE: You and John have something in common then.

DANA: We're, from Maryland.

We're Maryland peoples.

(laughs).

JOHN: So, what is the range of homes in Bethesda, from low to high?

DANA: So you could really start, a starter home in Bethesda maybe 600,000 to $10 million.

I mean, it really is eclectic.

There's not one style that it's known for.

And yet, we're all kinda centrally located to this.

JOHN: Perfect.

CHRISTINE: Lovely.

DANA: All right.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

DANA: Ready?

CHRISTINE: Yep.

JOHN: Ready.

DANA: Okay, let's go.

(doorbell) DANA: Welcome to house number one.

We're in the heart of Bethesda.

This is the Huntington Terrace neighborhood, and we're right next to NIH, Walter Reed Medical Center.

JOHN: Some people would say homes like this in Bethesda are a dying breed, right?

DANA: It's true.

We call it a bungalow.

Some call it a cape.

Whatever you call it, it's cute.

JOHN: Yeah.

DANA: They were built in the '30s.

JOHN: Ah.

DANA: Some have attics, some have basements, some don't.

CHRISTINE: It is nice being set off the road a little bit and having that front yard.

JOHN: Well, let's go see more special inside.

CHRISTINE: I think so.

(laughs).

Oh...

This is adorable.

I'm all about restoration over complete renovation.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: And when you walk in, you can see some of the original elements have been lovingly restored.

JOHN: Yeah, like that great fireplace.

Nice brick work.

CHRISTINE: Nothing makes a sitting area more inviting.

JOHN: And then, very nice dining room.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

So I'm a little surprised that the dining room is actually this big.

JOHN: I don't think it was at one time.

I think they knocked down walls here 'cause you can see where they like... CHRISTINE: Oh... JOHN: Filled in the floors a little bit there.

CHRISTINE: You're a genius.

JOHN: And it's much better open, isn't it?

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

And you know, they put a little bling.

JOHN: A little bling.

CHRISTINE: A little modern bling.

JOHN: A little modernization.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: I like it.

CHRISTINE: Oh, let's continue.

JOHN: Shall we check out the kitchen?

CHRISTINE: All right.

I am loving...

This original sink, cast-iron.

JOHN: What a classic sink.

And they've kept the original cabinets up above and down below.

CHRISTINE: Well, you know, that screams '30s and '40s.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: You know what else?

The original cabinets would've had... JOHN: Lots of fun features.

I grew up with a bread drawer.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: That really does keep bread fresh.

CHRISTINE: But looking out here, I see this delightful breakfast room, which actually would've been original to the home.

JOHN: What a bright, sunny place for coffee each morning.

CHRISTINE: Oh, lovely.

Which way do we go?

This way?

JOHN: Let's go to the back hall here.

CHRISTINE: All right, first full bath.

JOHN: Full bath with a big window.

CHRISTINE: Right.

JOHN: You better buy some curtains for that window.

CHRISTINE: You better, but I just have to check out this tub.

Because I know it's gotta be an old cast-iron.

And it... Oh my, my gosh.

This is probably one of the sturdiest tubs I think I've ever encountered.

JOHN: It goes with your sink in the kitchen.

But it does seem like there is some renovation in this room... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Like, the vanity.

CHRISTINE: Exactly.

JOHN: Okay.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Okay, let's go to the bedroom.

All right.

JOHN: Bedroom number one.

So is this the primary?

Maybe?

CHRISTINE: So they have a big wardrobe here... JOHN: Huge.

CHRISTINE: Because I bet this was the original closet, and they made it into a bath.

JOHN: Well, let's go check it out.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: It is indeed a little half bath.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: It's a half bath with two entrances.

Look, they even found a cute little sink.

We like little sinks.

They're fun.

And a half bath adds big value to housing prices.

CHRISTINE: It does.

JOHN: So that was a smart move.

All right, into bedroom number two.

Now, I thought the other one was the primary, but this could be the primary.

CHRISTINE: This is really a mirror of the other bedroom.

JOHN: It is.

CHRISTINE: Except, there's their closet.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: And they kept it in this room.

JOHN: Yes.

And you know, what I like about both these bedrooms is the beautiful views of the backyard.

Really charming little house here.

CHRISTINE: And the tour continues.

JOHN: And the tour continues.

CHRISTINE: Let's go upstairs.

Okay... Oh, oh, yeah.

JOHN: Aha.

(laughs).

Oh, this is nice.

Would this be the primary?

CHRISTINE: No.

I would actually use it more for office space.

JOHN: But I still say bedroom.

CHRISTINE: Office.

Watch your head.

JOHN: And that concludes our tour.

CHRISTINE: The outside's just as cute as the inside.

DANA: Well, welcome to the backyard.

CHRISTINE: Now, you really have me psyched about this place.

DANA: I love it.

Can you tell?

It's a, it's a great house.

So what was your favorite part?

CHRISTINE: Ooh... You know, I just love walking into a home this period and seeing that there was a lot that was restored rather than renovated.

DANA: Right.

JOHN: Oh, come on.

She loved the sink.

CHRISTINE: I loved everything, including the kitchen sink.

DANA: It's so nice to see that this one was kept and celebrated.

CHRISTINE: Oh, I agree 100%.

JOHN: Yeah, so but it's a great house overall.

The one and a half, very clever bathroom.

DANA: I know, very smart.

CHRISTINE: That was very well done.

DANA: We call this a starter home, but this actually fits a lot of needs in today's housing market.

To recap, we've got a three bedroom, one and a half bath bungalow, with 1,475 square feet, built in 1936.

What's your guess?

JOHN: I am going to guess 800,000.

DANA: Okay.

CHRISTINE: Hm.

I think that's a very charming listing price.

JOHN: Thank you.

CHRISTINE: I am going to go just a wee bit higher at 825.

DANA: The listing price is 824.

CHRISTINE: Oh!

(laughs).

No!

No, that can't be.

(singing).

DANA: Congratulations to you.

JOHN: Thank you very much.

DANA: Are you guys ready to go to the second one?

CHRISTINE: Yes.

JOHN: Absolute, let's do it.

DANA: All right, let's go.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: I'll follow you.

CHRISTINE: Can't believe... $1,000 off.

JOHN: It was so close.

STEVE: I first came to this house in Bethesda when I was 20-years-old, in the spring of 1963.

My late wife Cokie and I, we were in college together in Boston.

We got married literally on the spot where we're sitting right now, and that was, uh, September 10th, 1966.

Then it, it all started right here in this house.

The man who really founded modern Bethesda, a man named Walter Tuckerman, saw the potential and helped lay out Bethesda.

Tuckerman tells this wonderful story when he first started building the Edgemoor neighborhood in Bethesda.

The neighbors would call him up and say, "Your horses are on our lawn.

Come get 'em."

You know?

So it was a summer place, and there were a lot of farms.

There was a small research station right on the outskirts of Bethesda.

And as World War II placed so many more demands on the government, that small research station evolved into the National Institutes of Health.

To understand the composition of Bethesda and its culture, you have to understand the nature of the government institutions that were central to drawing so many families, now, several generations ago, to this neighborhood.

They were largely medical and scientific.

These were people with graduate degrees.

These were people who were working as researchers.

And so, there was an enormous infusion of wealth into this area.

And the Metro coming out here just added to it.

The original name of Bethesda was Darcy's store.

That tells you, it was named for a store.

So there are families who have been here a number of generations, including a lot of local merchants.

CAROL: We are at the Montgomery Farm Women's Cooperative Market in beautiful downtown Bethesda.

There's still a fair number of original retailers.

I'm one of the young ones.

(laughs).

We've been selling our flowers and plants here for the last 44 years.

And it's been a delightful and hard-working journey.

GENE: My grandmother started here in 1935.

This is her stand back in the 1950s.

The market was formed by all farm women back during the Depression, to help with the farm, to keep from losing their farms.

At one time, this was the only one like it in the world.

JENNA: My grandparents brought us down here to this market, uh, 30-some years ago.

You know, I remember as a little girl, and it would be popping.

A lot of people here.

We still have our customers that live in the neighborhood.

This is like a little treasure chest in Bethesda.

CAROL: Couple years ago, the market was sold to a development company.

I think they have always intended that there be some area that still is used as market space, but it'll be a reincarnation.

It'll be a Phoenix rising out of the ashes.

The community itself I think also wants a market here.

But when great minds come together, new things and better things sometimes happen.

(doorbell) DANA: Are you guys ready to see house number two?

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Very ready.

DANA: This is a classic center hall colonial.

When you think about Bethesda, you're probably thinking of a house something like this.

JOHN: Well, it's way different than being so close to the center of the action with Wisconsin Avenue.

And this is a totally different vibe.

DANA: This is the Westgate neighborhood.

This is actually where I live.

And all of Bethesda is awesome.

JOHN: But obviously, you think this is the best?

DANA: I mean, what am I gonna say?

Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, right.

JOHN: It's a lovely neighborhood.

DANA: People who come end up not leaving.

We have the small houses.

We have the large houses.

All of that is right here in this area, and it's beloved.

CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: Shall we take a look?

CHRISTINE: I think so.

JOHN: All right.

DANA: Have fun.

CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: This is a classic colonial.

How about this awesome window at the end.

CHRISTINE: Ah... JOHN: What a statement piece!

CHRISTINE: It is a statement piece.

JOHN: I can't wait to see more.

How about to the left?

CHRISTINE: Dining room?

JOHN: Dining room.

CHRISTINE: Really nice, clean lines.

How about the ceilings?

JOHN: That is the thinnest of tray, I would say.

CHRISTINE: Right?

And I like it.

JOHN: Yeah, I love it.

But look out the window at that traditional colonial walled garden, let's take closer look.

CHRISTINE: Wow.

JOHN: You have this beautiful brick wall.

CHRISTINE: It reminds me of Mount Vernon.

JOHN: It looks exactly like Mount Vernon.

CHRISTINE: Mount Vernon.

JOHN: And the side of this garage looks like you could have a chicken coop.

CHRISTINE: Oh, here we have the kitchen.

JOHN: The kitchen.

CHRISTINE: I'm seeing a little bit of old, a little bit of new.

I think these are the original cabinets.

They've been painted.

New counter.

JOHN: Quartz.

CHRISTINE: Quartz.

And I do like the gray backsplash.

Look it.

JOHN: Oh!

Look at that.

CHRISTINE: The first house had the metal bread storage box.

JOHN: The bread box.

CHRISTINE: This has the cutting board.

JOHN: The old cutting board.

Well, some ideas don't go out of style.

CHRISTINE: All useful.

JOHN: Much like this hood, which is original.

CHRISTINE: You know what?

I would probably take out this wall.

JOHN: You need to design this room before you start knocking... CHRISTINE: Well, uh... JOHN: Down walls, Tina Louise.

CHRISTINE: Well, I think you, yo, you take it on, then you think about it after.

JOHN: Okay, but here's one last thing that I have to mention... What are those holes up in the soffits?

CHRISTINE: I have no idea.

JOHN: I've never seen that before.

Okay, and... CHRISTINE: We'll find out.

JOHN: We'll find out.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Let's go check out this hallway.

CHRISTINE: So is that a half bath?

JOHN: Let's see.

Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Oh, okay.

JOHN: Half bath.

CHRISTINE: Oh, you know?

That's always great to have on the first floor.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: Let's go to the basement.

JOHN: Basement, it is.

CHRISTINE: Let's check this out.

JOHN: Oh.

CHRISTINE: This is a really nice space.

JOHN: It's nice to have these windows.

CHRISTINE: It really just brightens the space up.

JOHN: And these new laminate floors... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Which look dynamite.

CHRISTINE: Well, and you notice, they kept everything light.

JOHN: Plus, you have access to that walled garden... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: In the back.

And laundry room... Oh, look, another bathroom!

CHRISTINE: Oh, it looks like a full bath.

JOHN: It's a full bath.

CHRISTINE: It's been... JOHN: Nice, updated, full shower.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Tina, this is like your dream come true.

CHRISTINE: Oh my gosh!

This is an original workbench.

It is like old school.

You know, I could see my hammers, all my woodworking tools.

JOHN: I love that they kept that detail, and up we go.

CHRISTINE: All right.

So, shall we go upstairs?

JOHN: Hey, wait.

We have a whole other... CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Half of the house to see.

CHRISTINE: I was ready to go right on up.

JOHN: Let's check this out first.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Ah, the living room.

CHRISTINE: Oh...

Formal living room.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: And I love it just the way it is.

JOHN: And how about this fireplace?

CHRISTINE: I know.

JOHN: Traditional mantel.

But I see it's a two-sided fireplace.

CHRISTINE: Oh, I wanna see what's on the other side.

JOHN: Hey... CHRISTINE: Ah.

JOHN: Could this have been a sun-porch?

CHRISTINE: My favorite room in the house... JOHN: It... CHRISTINE: So far.

JOHN: It is dynamite.

CHRISTINE: Oh, this beautiful bay window!

Look it!

It overlooks the garden.

JOHN: I think this is the best room in the house.

And garage must be over here.

CHRISTINE: Oh, the... JOHN: Oh, it's no garage.

Check it out.

CHRISTINE: Oh!

JOHN: Ah, it's... CHRISTINE: A screened-in porch.

JOHN: Beautiful.

CHRISTINE: What...

I mean, when you just look at the whole design... Look at the ceiling.

JOHN: Well, it's a step-down porch.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: It really is a high ceiling, and all this lovely landscaping outside.

CHRISTINE: Oh, I know.

JOHN: Okay, shall we go... CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: And check out the upstairs?

CHRISTINE: Sounds good.

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: Whoa, isn't this pretty?

JOHN: This is a great landing.

Okay, bedroom number one.

CHRISTINE: All right, so great view.

JOHN: It's so verdant outside, lovely.

CHRISTINE: I love verdant.

You're so... JOHN: Me, too.

Into the next bedroom.

CHRISTINE: Oh, okay.

JOHN: You know, I like the twin bed in here.

Lots of floor space.

CHRISTINE: And you can use these rooms for what you want... JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: What your needs are.

JOHN: What your needs are.

Look at this tile in this bathroom.

CHRISTINE: Oh!

The basket weave pattern we've seen before.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: But this combination with the green.

JOHN: I'm in love.

That's celadon green.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: So that's of the period, '30s, '40s, right?

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

Yeah.

JOHN: Yeah, very cool.

Oh, and this must be... CHRISTINE: Obviously... JOHN: The primary.

CHRISTINE: The primary.

JOHN: Obviously.

CHRISTINE: A seating area, plenty of storage.

JOHN: And you have your own en-suite bathroom... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Which is so nice.

'80s tiles has... CHRISTINE: Wasn't the original.

JOHN: But it's nice to have an en suite.

CHRISTINE: It is.

We have one more floor, yet.

JOHN: I can't believe there's another floor in this house.

CHRISTINE: I know.

Let's go.

Okay.

All right.

Here we are on the third level.

JOHN: Another full bathroom... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: With this beautiful tile, very modern, right?

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: And two separate sides.

You wanna check out that side?

CHRISTINE: I'll check out my side.

JOHN: I'll check out this side.

CHRISTINE: I have a really great sized room, great for a teenager, guest room.

Do you have two great closets?

JOHN: Yes and yes.

Two great closets and two great little windows with deep sills.

I think my room is better.

CHRISTINE: Of course, your room is better.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, naturally.

JOHN: I love that room.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

JOHN: Okay, well, I guess there's nowhere else to go but up this ladder an onto the roof.

CHRISTINE: And we're not going up that ladder.

JOHN: Okay, then we're going down... CHRISTINE: Down.

JOHN: And talk to... CHRISTINE: Dana.

JOHN: Dana.

CHRISTINE: Hey, Dana.

DANA: Hi, guys.

Okay, what did you think of house number two?

JOHN: Well, do you know how many times I talked about this wall garden?

DANA: It is a very unique part of this particular property.

I believe the owner actually hand-built it.

JOHN: He hand-built it?

DANA: Yes.

CHRISTINE: Oh, thats.. DANA: It feels, uh, feels very Georgetown-esque or Mount Vernon.

(gasp).

CHRISTINE: That's what we said!

JOHN: We said Mount Vernon!

CHRISTINE: Well, there were so many great things in this house, but one room just really stood out to us.

DANA: The den with the two-sided fireplace?

CHRISTINE: Yes.

Yes.

JOHN: Love it.

CHRISTINE: The bay window.

And then you stepped out into the screened porch.

So by far, that was my favorite.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: But I probably would've opened up between the kitchen and the dining room.

DANA: I agree.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

DANA: It's a classic layout, which offers a lot of choices.

And depending on what you want as a family, they're all in there.

CHRISTINE: So this, we saw these vents.

JOHN: Basically holes.

DANA: So these houses that are radiant heat don't have duct work.

JOHN: Yeah.

DANA: And it's a way of efficiently and creatively adding central air to older houses.

JOHN: Fantastic.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

So we were a little surprised that there was a third floor to this home, 'cause from the outside, it doesn't look like it.

DANA: I know.

It's very rare in this neighborhood, and we like to say that this is more of a remodel rather than a remuddle.

They did it well, and it blends perfectly in with the scale and size of the other houses.

CHRISTINE: A remuddle and a remodel.

JOHN: We're gonna use that one again.

CHRISTINE: We are.

DANA: In summary, five bedrooms... Four and a half baths, spread over 3,300 square feet, built in 1936, detached garage, center hall brick colonial.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

DANA: What do you think?

CHRISTINE: I'm gonna come in at 1.45.

DANA: All right.

JOHN: I am going to add 100,000 to that.

I go for 1.550.

DANA: Oh my gosh, you guys are amazing.

The list price was 1.495.

CHRISTINE: Ah!

JOHN: Ah!

DANA: We're onto house number three.

JOHN: House number three... CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Here we go.

CHRISTINE: All right.

Ooh, it's gonna be a tie-breaker.

STEVE: There is a history of segregation here.

There is a history of slavery here.

It's important to be recognized.

If you go back to pre Civil War, there were plantations here.

Now, they were not like the huge Southern plantations growing cotton or, or rice.

They were much smaller, but there were definitely slaves here on the grounds of what's today, NIH.

IMANI: We are at the Josiah Henson Museum and Park, formerly known as the Isaac Riley Plantation.

Many people in today's time think, you know, Maryland's a blue state.

Slavery, it didn't really happen here.

The Riley home was built between 1800 and 1815.

Most people, when they think about slaveholders' house, they think of this humongous like Gone With The Wind type of home.

You know?

Large columns.

But this was the average home of a person who was an enslaver.

Josiah Henson was enslaved on Isaac Riley's plantation for a little over 30 years.

He was the overseer of this plantation.

Many Americans know the figure that was modeled after Josiah Henson.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, read Josiah Henson's autobiography and was inspired to make Josiah Henson's story the subject of her main character, the Tom character in Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was an anti-slavery fictional novel about a Christian martyr.

This martyr gave a face and a name to the conditions of slavery in the US at the time.

But I feel like America doesn't know who Josiah Henson is yet.

Uncle Tom is now known as a race traitor, someone who betrays his people, and that is not Josiah Henson.

Josiah Henson is a reverend.

He is an activist.

He is a hero.

After Josiah Henson emancipated himself, Josiah helped 118 people on the Underground Railroad and then became the Founder of the Dawn Settlement in Ontario, Canada.

He freed so many people.

And his life was dedicated to freeing not only the bodies, but the minds of his people.

That is not an Uncle Tom, and that is not a race traitor.

(doorbell) DANA: Welcome to house number three in Bethesda.

We are in English Village.

It's... JOHN: I suddenly want tea.

It's bizarre.

(laughs).

DANA: There's no sidewalks.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

DANA: There's no curbs.

It's designed to feel like a country lane.

CHRISTINE: It did feel like a country lane.

DANA: And yet, you are walkable to downtown shops and restaurants.

JOHN: Hard to believe.

DANA: Yeah?

Most of the properties were built in the '30s and '40s.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

DANA: This one was actually built in 2000.

If you sit out here on this beautiful front porch, you will see the whole world walking by, and you can have your coffee while you're doing it.

JOHN: Lovely.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

DANA: I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Tell me what you think, okay?

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

We won't be shy about that.

(laughs).

Okay.

JOHN: Oh, nice entry.

CHRISTINE: The minute you walk in, this staircase just draws your eyes in.

JOHN: Great angles up and down.

All right, into the living room?

CHRISTINE: I love that they have it set up as a music room.

JOHN: I do, too.

CHRISTINE: You have your kids come down and play for everybody.

JOHN: Yeah, nobody wants to hear that.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, no.

No.

JOHN: But you know it's lovely, 'cause a lot of people don't even use these, you know, living rooms, right?

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: I know we didn't in my home.

But, um, this is a great space.

CHRISTINE: It is.

Okay, so it flows right into the dining room.

Here's that open concept.

I have a feeling that this probably gets used often.

JOHN: It would be great for formal dinners, but... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: I would eat in here every day.

CHRISTINE: And I like that light fixture.

JOHN: Gorgeous, and I like how big this room is too.

CHRISTINE: Right.

JOHN: Okay, wow.

Into another big... CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Open concept space, with the kitchen.

CHRISTINE: You can tell that the design incorporated the whole outside into this room.

And I mean, when you walk in, it is a wow factor.

JOHN: Okay, Tina.

I know you like two things.

You love a good corner sink.

CHRISTINE: I do.

JOHN: And you like a window above your sink.

CHRISTINE: I really like that.

JOHN: And in this house, you have a corner window sink... Combo.

CHRISTINE: Ah!

JOHN: Dreams come true, Tina.

CHRISTINE: I, that is... JOHN: Dreams come true.

CHRISTINE: That is great.

Okay, this breakfast area, it's just so lovely.

JOHN: Everyday dining.

CHRISTINE: I know.

JOHN: And a giant bay window.

Okay, family room.

CHRISTINE: It just rounds out such a wonderful, cohesive space.

And then, I mean, a fireplace.

JOHN: And these great built-in shelves with the lighting.

Wait a second, are you feeling well?

Because you haven't mentioned the floors one bit today.

What is going on?

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: These are gorgeous floors.

CHRISTINE: Well, there's so many other things to see in this house that have grabbed my attention, but yeah, the floors are nice.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Ugh, they, they... JOHN: Check out the floors in the next room, too.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

All right.

Great.

JOHN: What's down this hallway here?

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Oh, look at that.

CHRISTINE: Oh, a mudroom!

Oh, look, it's super cute wallpaper.

JOHN: I love it.

Muddy boots, coats in the closet... CHRISTINE: Yep.

JOHN: And away you go.

On my side, half bath.

Nice angled wall makes it more interesting.

And then... CHRISTINE: So they're using this as an office.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: But it's nice to have a bedroom on the, the first level sometimes.

JOHN: Absolutely.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

All right.

JOHN: Okay.

CHRISTINE: Downstairs?

JOHN: Down we go.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: This house has the greatest staircases.

CHRISTINE: It does.

Now, this is a dream space for a family.

JOHN: The game room.

You could entertain 20 people in this room.

CHRISTINE: You could.

JOHN: We can play a little game of air hockey while we're here.

CHRISTINE: You know, I'm pretty good at air hockey.

So... JOHN: And I think I am myself.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: Okay, but first... CHRISTINE: But...

I know.

Let's, let's continue.

JOHN: Let's look at the house.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: Full bath in the basement.

JOHN: You know, it's nice that it's down this private hallway, especially if you're entertaining 20 people.

CHRISTINE: Exactly.

Oh, now this is a perfect use for this space.

JOHN: A gym, but could be a bedroom, too.

Lodging for some of those 20 guests.

There you go.

CHRISTINE: True.

JOHN: Up this great staircase.

CHRISTINE: Let's head on up.

JOHN: Oh my gosh, talk about the wow space in this house.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: This is it.

CHRISTINE: Definitely, this whole staircase with the light.

JOHN: Okay.

CHRISTINE: Okay, so... JOHN: Why don't we start here to the left?

CHRISTINE: Sounds good.

JOHN: Bedroom number one.

CHRISTINE: Okay, so a great kids' bedroom.

JOHN: Yeah, nice.

CHRISTINE: But you know, I have to take a look.

So, this is a full bath.

JOHN: Wow.

CHRISTINE: Growing up with two sisters, do you know what I would've done to have had my own room with my own private bathroom?

JOHN: Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

CHRISTINE: That would've been a dream.

JOHN: My gosh.

Well, these are some lucky kids.

This is definite... CHRISTINE: Oh, definitely... JOHN: Is this the primary suite?

CHRISTINE: I would say, yes.

JOHN: Another wow space with these windows.

And even more importantly, you can see the neighbors have a pool.

CHRISTINE: Ooh.

JOHN: Nice pool.

Always be friends with the neighbors with the pool.

CHRISTINE: Oh, it's a good tip, good tip.

JOHN: Glad to help.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

This is a good size bath.

JOHN: Well, you love a good corner sink, I know.

But here, you have a corner tub.

CHRISTINE: Uh, it's jets.

JOHN: What more do you want?

All right.

Well, I think there's something in the front.

Telling you, I am crazy... CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: For this space.

CHRISTINE: Oh, there's two... JOHN: Hey.

CHRISTINE: Bedrooms back here.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: I got a nice bedroom.

Big closets.

CHRISTINE: So I have a nice bedroom.

It's probably more of the corner bedroom.

JOHN: And you know, I think I have a bathroom.

CHRISTINE: Ooh, I have a bathroom too.

JOHN: Oh, you know... CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Hi, neighbor.

CHRISTINE: It's a Jack and Jill.

JOHN: Shared bathroom.

So basically, every bedroom in this house has its own bathroom.

CHRISTINE: Well, this one, you have to share though.

JOHN: Little share.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

But that's... JOHN: But for kids... CHRISTINE: Hey, that's okay.

I will take it.

JOHN: You would've shared with your sisters, right?

CHRISTINE: I, we, well, we did.

JOHN: Well, there you go.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

Whoa.

JOHN: Uh... CHRISTINE: Another great space.

JOHN: Oh, this is awesome.

CHRISTINE: Oh, this place is just so comfy and casual.

I just wanna... Plunk down and let you finish, 'cause I'm tired.

JOHN: Take a load off, huh?

CHRISTINE: Thank you.

JOHN: Finish this tour.

Okay, well, bedroom number five here.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: With its own designated bathroom.

CHRISTINE: If you had teenage kids, they would be fighting over this space.

JOHN: Oh, you got that right.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

So there's no place else to go.

JOHN: Nope.

CHRISTINE: So let's go find Dana out back.

JOHN: Let's do it.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Oh, boy.

CHRISTINE: Hey.

JOHN: That was a delightful house.

DANA: Oh, I'm so glad.

What did you think?

JOHN: Well, I loved the whole vibe of it, that casual elegance.

I love the staircase.

I love the lighting in this house.

CHRISTINE: And you know, that whole open concept, it creates such a warm space.

DANA: It is.

CHRISTINE: Every window in the house, you just looked out on this beautiful backyard.

DANA: Yeah, that the windows open up onto this 10,000 square-foot lot, and it really makes it feel like a retreat.

JOHN: Sure does.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

DANA: This is a six bedroom, five and a half bath home, over 5,000 square feet, built in 2000.

What do you guys think of the price?

JOHN: Okay, my guess is... 2.4 million.

CHRISTINE: Hm.

DANA: Okay.

CHRISTINE: That's a good guess.

And this is a tie-breaker, so... DANA: This is, We got a lot riding on this one.

JOHN: A lot.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

I'm gonna come in just a little lower... JOHN: Okay.

CHRISTINE: At 2.3 million.

DANA: Okay.

JOHN: No, no, no.

DANA: The list price... Is 1.895.

JOHN: Oh!

Wow.

DANA: But it did not sell for 1.85.

It did go very quickly in four days with multiple offers, so... JOHN: Okay.

DANA: You guys are actually right on to the penny.

CHRISTINE: Me?

DANA: Yeah.

JOHN: Oh, wow.

CHRISTINE: Penny!

DANA: To the penny.

JOHN: That's dynamite.

DANA: So, pricing and sales is... Can be completely dynamic.

CHRISTINE: Right.

DANA: But you nailed it.

CHRISTINE: Dana, thank you so much... DANA: Thank you, guys.

CHRISTINE: For showing us Bethesda.

And I learned a lot.

JOHN: Oh, you did?

Yeah.

DANA: I did, too.

I did, too.

JOHN: You are the best host in Bethesda.

DANA: Thank you so much.

Well, you're not getting rid of me.

JOHN: Oh, good.

DANA: 'Cause I was thinking, maybe we could go to Raku and get something to eat?

JOHN: Oh, I love Raku.

DANA: 'Cause I'm starving.

JOHN: Okay.

DANA: All right.

CHRISTINE: Oh, that sounds good.

DANA: Let's go.

CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: Let's do it.

CHRISTINE: Well, I don't wanna get rid of you, but what about this guy?

JANET: If you lived here, you would know that there is every kind of food you could possibly want to eat.

EMILY: We can come for date night.

We can come with friends, or we can come with our whole families.

HARRY: I love the fact that we live right behind the Capital Crescent Trail.

KORD: The commutability of New York with the sleepiness of a smaller town.

RICARDO: If you live in Bethesda, you know that we have a great farmers market.

MELISSA: If you lived here in Bethesda, you could be a lady that lunches, too.

(laughs).

WOMAN: To find out more about living in the Washington Metro area, visit weta.org/ifyoulivedhere.

Support for If You Lived Here comes from... MAN: The Yuen Foundation, committed to bridging cultural differences within the greater Washington, D.C. community.