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

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

JOHN: Hi, I'm John Begeny.

CHRISTINE: I'm Christine Louise.

We're producers at WETA and best friends.

JOHN: We love living in the DMV.

Finding a place to live here can be exciting and challenging.

CHRISTINE: We're going to tour three properties at three different price points.

JOHN: And try to guess the listing price without going over.

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

BOTH: If You Lived Here.

(theme music playing) JOHN: Hey, LaGreta.

CHRISTINE: Hey, LaGreta.

LAGRETA: Hello, John and Christine.

Welcome to Fort Washington.

CHRISTINE: This was the perfect spot to meet, because I actually love coming here, and it was so nice to actually show John, because he's never been to the Fort.

JOHN: Yeah, I can't believe it.

I've never been here, and this is incredible, this beautiful home.

Is this house for sale?

LAGRETA: I think we'd have to talk to park service about that.

JOHN: And you're actually from Fort Washington, right?

LAGRETA: Well, I've lived here for almost 30 years, so I guess that might make me from here?

JOHN: Pretty much.

LAGRETA: Yeah.

I love living here.

I mean, so many things, like there's water all throughout the whole Fort Washington area.

We have marinas, this beautiful park.

So I spend a lot of time here.

We do yoga classes here.

JOHN: Right here?

LAGRETA: Right here in the park.

JOHN: Oh, that's cool.

LAGRETA: Yes.

And right up the road, right next to us is the National Harbor.

CHRISTINE: What has National Harbor done for this area?

LAGRETA: Oh, National Harbor has been a game changer for us, so.

JOHN: It's a destination.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: It's a destination, that's right.

JOHN: It sure is.

LAGRETA: That's right.

JOHN: And they've got that amazing wheel, too.

LAGRETA: I'm too chicken.

JOHN: You should do it.

CHRISTINE: I'm with LaGreta.

LAGRETA: Um, yeah.

CHRISTINE: I'll stay on the ground.

LAGRETA: Yeah, we'll stay on the ground.

JOHN: How are we going to fit all this into one day, LaGreta, and see three homes?

CHRISTINE: Oh, and do some yoga before we go.

LAGRETA: We're going to get it all done.

Trust me, just follow my lead, all right?

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

LAGRETA: You ready?

JOHN: Sounds like a plan.

LAGRETA: Okay, let's go.

JOHN: Let's do it.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Oh, I can't wait to get some yoga on.

(doorbell rings) JOHN: What a great facade.

LAGRETA: Yes.

CHRISTINE: Mm.

The curb appeal.

JOHN: And that yellow door.

CHRISTINE: I love that yellow door.

LAGRETA: Right.

We are here in Fort Washington Forest.

This is the older part of Fort Washington.

So much green space here, and it's a little piece of heaven that I don't think a lot of people in the area even know about.

JOHN: And the cool thing is, all this green space, and you're just minutes off the Beltway, right?

LAGRETA: Yeah.

Yeah.

About six or seven minutes from the Beltway.

We're very close to the city, too.

JOHN: So what do you think this is?

Is this a Colonial Ranch?

LAGRETA: Oh, this is a Rambler, yeah.

JOHN: A Rambler.

LAGRETA: Yeah.

It's a Rambler, all on one level.

No basement, it's just... JOHN: Mm.

LAGRETA: All your living space is easy to get to.

It's a huge lot, all kinds of possibilities for growth or just keeping it the way it is.

JOHN: Great.

CHRISTINE: Sounds good.

LAGRETA: Enjoy your tour.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Well, now I see why the Rambler is so popular.

JOHN: Yeah, big, open space here.

CHRISTINE: And the windows.

JOHN: But this is definitely a classic Rambler.

Right?

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Uh, but the ceilings are taller than I thought.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

And fireplace.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And... JOHN: And nice wood floors.

CHRISTINE: Parquet flooring.

JOHN: They're in great shape.

CHRISTINE: But I do love the one level living already... JOHN: Me, too.

CHRISTINE: As soon as you walk in.

JOHN: Well, you and I are one level livers, right?

This house has everything you need.

CHRISTINE: It does, including the WETA Guide.

JOHN: A must have for every home.

(laughs).

JOHN: And to the dining room.

CHRISTINE: Talk about a light filled space.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

What a bay window!

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: It's huge.

CHRISTINE: And this whole room just flows right down to this bay window.

JOHN: And you have a side door to a breezeway in case there's, you know, bad weather... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

JOHN: To your rather large garage.

That's more than a double wide.

CHRISTINE: That is a nice garage.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

This space is large.

This is a really good size kitchen.

JOHN: It feels retro.

CHRISTINE: Right, right.

Because when you look at the cabinets... JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: I bet these are the original cabinets.

JOHN: 1,000%.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: The retro details like the cabinets, or even the linoleum floor, which isn't original, but it's cool... Kind of harks back to, you know, my aunts and uncles' homes and I think that's... CHRISTINE: Oh, we grew up with linoleum.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Well, I want to see what's beyond the kitchen because I see two doors right there.

JOHN: Check it out.

CHRISTINE: So this is, I bet this is a whole new addition at some point over the years.

JOHN: Uh, definitely.

You can tell.

There's the... CHRISTINE: Oh, the original brick.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: The, you know, they matched the fireplace... JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: To, to... JOHN: Pretty close there.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, it blends in.

All right, so up next, the bedrooms.

JOHN: Bedroom wing, if you will, the other side of the house.

CHRISTINE: All right.

So this would be bedroom one.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Currently used as a kids' room, which is perfect for a starter home, if you have a family.

JOHN: Yep.

CHRISTINE: All right.

And then a second bedroom.

What's nice is that this is the corner bedroom, so you have a few more windows.

JOHN: That's right.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

And this must be the owner's bedroom.

JOHN: Oh.

This has a lot of good light.

CHRISTINE: Right.

And I know you probably like this.

JOHN: I love that original detail.

CHRISTINE: Right, 'cause this is definitely kind of a '50s style.

JOHN: Yes.

So good.

CHRISTINE: So I'm guessing this is an en suite.

JOHN: En suite.

CHRISTINE: So, a bathroom.

Oh, hey.

(laughter).

CHRISTINE: So I have the full bath over here.

JOHN: Well, I think I have the half bath, for the hallway.

(laughs) JOHN: So essentially, we have one and a half bathrooms in the same room.

CHRISTINE: You know, that's true.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: But, you know, what's even funnier is that I feel like I'm looking at a mirror image.

JOHN: Oh, I know, it's kind of like, "Hi."

CHRISTINE: It does feel like I'm looking in a mirror.

JOHN: See you on the other side.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Okay.

That concludes our tour.

JOHN: Hey, hey.

LAGRETA: Hey, welcome back.

How was the tour?

JOHN: All right, LaGreta.

That was fantastic.

CHRISTINE: Oh, great.

JOHN: You know, this house had a lot of charming features to it.

CHRISTINE: It did.

JOHN: You know, like the retro kitchen, so cute.

LAGRETA: Yes, yes.

What'd you think of the bathroom?

CHRISTINE: Okay, that was... JOHN: That was a surprise.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

LAGRETA: Now, some people put a wall there, but that would make it more difficult to get to the tub area.

CHRISTINE: Agreed.

JOHN: Yeah and the lot itself is huge.

LAGRETA: Yes.

Lots of opportunity for outdoor time and... JOHN: Yeah.

Absolutely.

CHRISTINE: Well, I think it's a great starter home.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: And it's also a great home to age in place with one level living.

LAGRETA: It's popular across so many segments of the population that the one level living is just... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: You know, hot right now.

CHRISTINE: You've sold me on the Rambler.

LAGRETA: Awesome.

Awesome.

Okay, remember, we have three bedrooms, one and a half baths.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: It was built in 1956.

JOHN: Yeah.

LAGRETA: And it's 1,788 square feet.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

LAGRETA: So let's go.

CHRISTINE: I'm going to come in at a listing price of $365,000.

LAGRETA: Okay.

Okay.

JOHN: I think that's a good guess.

I'm strategically going to go a little bit lower and do a margin, a wider margin than I usually, uh, would want to, because I want to win.

LAGRETA: Okay.

JOHN: And I am going to give you a price of $300,000.

CHRISTINE: Oh, wow.

Okay.

LAGRETA: All right.

Artificial drum roll.

The list price for this home is $310,000.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: 310.

LAGRETA: Yes.

So, John... JOHN: It's Begeny for the win.

CHRISTINE: Wow.

LAGRETA: You win.

LAGRETA: Congratulations.

JOHN: Thank you very much.

CHRISTINE: That was good, I mean... LAGRETA: Amazing, right?

CHRISTINE: It is for this size lot.

JOHN: Big house.

Big lot.

LAGRETA: A little piece of heaven.

So we're going to go and look at two more beautiful properties here in the beautiful Fort Washington, Maryland.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

LAGRETA: So are you ready?

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

LAGRETA: Let's go.

JOHN: Let's do it.

CHRISTINE: Cool.

CARL: I moved to Fort Washington probably about 15 years ago as a homeowner, so I know about all the different community in Prince George's County, but this is the one I selected to live in, because it's a quiet community.

OMAR: Fort Washington is predominantly African American.

The communities itself were uplifting, supportive.

Youth sports was huge growing up.

Those were the biggest things that I appreciated.

JOHNNIE: As a kid in the '50s, my parents would bring us out to the Fort for picnics.

My father would take me fishing.

The park itself, um, some people, a lot of people don't know the history.

You just take places for granted.

You see it all the time.

You go to it and, and you don't realize some of the history behind it.

ADAM: The park is so big.

I mean, it's 300 acres or so.

But I've even, I've had a visitor who's kind of looking around, and I was like, "Oh, sir, can I help you find something?"

And he was like, points at the Fort, he's like, "How, how long has that been here?"

I was like, "Oh, about 200 years."

And I was, he's like, "Really?"

I was like, "Yeah."

He's like, "Man, I grew up here.

I never knew there was an actual fort."

CINDY: So the original Fort Washington was built in 1808 to 1809 to protect the growing capital city of Washington, DC.

In the War of 1812, the year 1814, the British came to Washington, DC.

They took the capital city, burned the White House, burned the Capitol building.

Three days later, more British ships come up the Potomac River behind me.

The people that were stationed here were drastically undermanned and under gunned.

They retreated from the Fort, blew it up so that the British couldn't use it.

And so the Fort that we look at today is the second Fort, built between the years of 1814 and 1824.

So, within the Fort, we have a number of different cannons, some of them original, like the large black one behind me, some of them reproduction, like this one here.

On the first Sunday of each month from May to October, we do an artillery demonstration, and we have volunteers and staff dress up in our Union uniforms and actually fire one of these off.

MAN: Fire!

(explosion) CINDY: We have these beautiful views of the Potomac River.

You can see pretty clearly today, Washington, DC, Arlington, and Alexandria on the skyline.

And on a clear day, you can see Mount Vernon, uh, south of here.

And that's very significant to our history as well, because it was George Washington himself that suggested this spot for a fort.

ADAM: They called it Fort Washington just out of respect for the general and the man who lived across the river.

This individual place, this individual structure, has now given a community its identity.

CINDY: A lot of the things that make this a great spot for a fort are the same things that make it a great spot for recreation.

So I like to refer to our park as a local national park.

The hill that we walked past is a fantastic sledding hill, and a lot of members of the community recall sledding there as a kid or bringing their kids here.

ADAM: We get so many regular visitors that come every day that there is this connection that we are part of the community and that we take care of their place to get away from it all.

(door bell rings) LAGRETA: Welcome to house number two.

We are in Tantallon Hills, which is actually closer to the marinas.

We're closer to Fort Washington Park.

Their golf club is right here.

And here, we're on a cul-de-sac, so this is... CHRISTINE: Oh, that's nice.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: Not a lot of traffic here.

This neighborhood tends to have more multi-levels.

JOHN: And these homes are a little bit newer, right?

LAGRETA: These were built in the '70s.

JOHN: '70s, my jam.

LAGRETA: And our last community was the '50s.

JOHN: I remember when this was developed.

It was a long time ago.

LAGRETA: Wow, John.

JOHN: Yeah.

I'm old.

LAGRETA: We won't go down that road, okay?

But, yes, yes.

This is a beautiful neighborhood with all styles of homes and all kinds of recreation opportunities, too.

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: Sounds good.

JOHN: We'll see you on the other side.

LAGRETA: On the other side.

JOHN: Shall we go?

LAGRETA: Can't wait.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

LAGRETA: All right.

Enjoy your tour.

JOHN: After you.

CHRISTINE: Thank you.

Oh.

JOHN: Oh.

Nice entryway here.

CHRISTINE: Really nice entrance.

And what a lovely doorway.

JOHN: It sure is.

Is cut glass making a comeback?

CHRISTINE: Mm.

Maybe.

JOHN: Maybe it is.

Into the living room.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

This is a lot of space.

JOHN: And how about these low profile windows?

I dig that.

CHRISTINE: Nice oak floors.

JOHN: Yep.

CHRISTINE: But, okay.

My attention is drawn to this, uh... JOHN: Dining room?

CHRISTINE: Dining room?

JOHN: Let's explore.

Okay.

So here we are.

CHRISTINE: This is definitely the dining room.

JOHN: This is definitely the dining room.

CHRISTINE: But I'm still trying to figure out if I like this.

JOHN: Well, I like the idea that they expanded the kitchen and pushed it into this space.

CHRISTINE: Definitely.

JOHN: I think I would've liked it if they fully committed to it and maybe put a, you know, window seat here underneath this window... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: And some cabinetry behind you.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: That way.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

I think that would seem a little more cohesive... JOHN: Absolutely.

CHRISTINE: For a whole kitchen area.

JOHN: Well, now it is part of the kitchen.

CHRISTINE: Exactly.

JOHN: This is no longer the dining room.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: So you know what I love, is that the first house had a very retro kitchen.

JOHN: Uh, that was the original kitchen.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

JOHN: There was... Down to the floor, which I liked.

CHRISTINE: Now, we've moved up to a refrigerator... JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: That has a digital inverter, whatever that means.

JOHN: Digital inverters?

CHRISTINE: So the... JOHN: Everybody knows what a digital inverter is.

CHRISTINE: Obviously... JOHN: I don't know.

CHRISTINE: The latest technology.

JOHN: Yes.

And this is one of those great fridges where, you know, waking up and... (laughs).

JOHN: If you're out of eggs, you know, you can put that on your, uh, list.

CHRISTINE: If it doesn't do the shopping for me...

It doesn't, doesn't mean anything.

JOHN: Okay.

So total redo in this room.

New cabinetry.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: The tile stone.

Countertops and all stainless appliances.

CHRISTINE: All right.

Standing here... JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Okay, I'm looking at this fridge, and if you were to put this fridge in this kitchen, it would've been a really small space.

So now, I'm understanding why they expanded, and it really does open it up.

JOHN: It's all about perspective.

All right.

Next room.

Well, this could be the dining room.

CHRISTINE: No, I would say this would be the dining room, definitely.

JOHN: Uh, it's, it's a little small.

CHRISTINE: You get a small table.

(laughter).

JOHN: There you go.

And then, what do we have here?

CHRISTINE: Uh, let's see.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Oh.

CHRISTINE: Mud room with washer dryer.

JOHN: Very nice.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Okay.

JOHN: And then down into the family room.

CHRISTINE: Oh, right.

This is a really nice additional space.

JOHN: You have that nice wood burning stove.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: You have a bar with a sink, even.

I can't recall how many clear glass doors I've seen that's, uh, look into garages.

CHRISTINE: Go into the garage, yeah.

JOHN: This may be the first.

Hm.

CHRISTINE: I can just park my truck and sit here and be like, "Hey."

JOHN: That's my ride right there.

CHRISTINE: That's true.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: How about we just keep moving on?

JOHN: Let's continue the tour.

CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: Okay.

Half bath.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

It is a nicely renovated half bath.

JOHN: Yep, new tile, new vanity, new fixtures.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, it's a nice size.

JOHN: Yeah.

And front room.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Nice space.

CHRISTINE: Right.

I mean, this would be perfect as an office space.

JOHN: With these built in bookshelves, I think it would be a nice office.

I love the windows.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: You have a lot of light in this room.

All right.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: So up we go?

CHRISTINE: Sounds good.

JOHN: Okay, let's start in the front.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: All right.

Bedroom number one.

Yeah.

So nice new floors.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Big windows.

CHRISTINE: Plenty of light coming through.

JOHN: Into bedroom number two.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Again, you know, the light coming in from the front.

JOHN: And double closet.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: And bedroom number three.

I like the way that they're laid out.

CHRISTINE: And do you notice the trim on the door?

JOHN: I did notice that.

CHRISTINE: That's... JOHN: Hello, '70s.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

That's very much a '70s style, but... JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: I was going to say, I like it.

JOHN: Me, too.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Let's keep moving.

JOHN: Bathroom.

Good bath.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

Okay.

JOHN: Okay, so this must be... CHRISTINE: This would be the primary bedroom.

JOHN: Yeah, primary bedroom.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: Here we are.

It's a very nice space.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

Okay.

JOHN: And... CHRISTINE: Oh.

En suite.

JOHN: As it should.

CHRISTINE: Of course.

JOHN: I'm loving this granite.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm, I do like that.

JOHN: Very nice.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Lower level... JOHN: Lower level.

CHRISTINE: Here we come.

JOHN: Don't slip.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Oh.

Nice lower level.

JOHN: Lower level.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Nice and cool down here.

All right.

And, uh... CHRISTINE: Closet?

Storage?

JOHN: Yeah, little storage here.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: Again, bonus.

JOHN: Okay.

Let's go find LaGreta.

Alrighty, LaGreta.

LAGRETA: Welcome back.

Welcome back.

How was the tour?

JOHN: It was great.

CHRISTINE: Oh, and what a great way to end on this screened porch.

JOHN: And I know you said we're in Tantallon Hills, but it sure feels like Tantallon forest... CHRISTINE: Forest.

Definitely.

JOHN: With these beautiful trees.

LAGRETA: That's weaved in throughout Fort Washington.

We have greenery, animals, deer, everything.

CHRISTINE: We did have quite the conversation in the kitchen... JOHN: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: Okay.

I thought you would.

CHRISTINE: Because I think after we went through the whole thing, we really understood the renovation, and I liked it.

JOHN: Me, too.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: Yes.

Yes.

CHRISTINE: It's really a very spacious home.

JOHN: Yeah.

LAGRETA: Yeah.

So we have four bedrooms.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: Two and a half baths.

2,344 square feet.

And it was built in 1973.

CHRISTINE: All right.

LAGRETA: So who's first?

CHRISTINE: Uh, I'm not going to go with my first, uh, gut thought.

LAGRETA: Okay.

CHRISTINE: So I'm actually going to come in at $485,000.

LAGRETA: All right.

John?

JOHN: I'm going to give you a guess, LaGreta, of $450.

LAGRETA: All right.

CHRISTINE: Oh, so we had quite a span.

LAGRETA: Those are both good guesses.

So the actual list price of this house is $497,000.

JOHN: Oh, hey!

LAGRETA: Yay, Christine!

Congratulations.

CHRISTINE: See, it pays not going with your first, like, gut... LAGRETA: That's right.

CHRISTINE: Gut thought.

LAGRETA: So we're not finished yet.

JOHN: All right.

LAGRETA: We have another exciting property to share with you.

CHRISTINE: Good timing, because I think the sun is coming back out.

LAGRETA: I think so, too.

JOHN: Perfect.

WILL: We are at Fort Washington Marina.

We are located in Piscataway Park just a little bit east of Fort Washington Park on the map.

This marina has been here for about 40 years.

We are a 180 slip full service marina, and we're one of the larger marinas in the national capital region.

CARL: So it is truly a Fort Washington Marina boat family.

It's just like if you went to golfing, all of the golfers know each other.

All of the boaters know each other.

They know your boat.

They know the side of your boat.

They know the name of your boat.

And they can recognize you from about 500 yards away.

JOHNNIE: I call it my condo on the water, you know, just the sights and the nature.

You can see the ducks and the eagles.

It's just fantastic.

WILL: Everybody sees DC and the region from a car.

It's a completely different view from the water.

CARL: The first hot spot is National Harbor.

You can get from National Harbor to Fort Washington Marina in about, uh, 20 minute.

If you look over to the other side, you can see Virginia.

Old Town is right across from National Harbor.

Then you can go further down southwest waterfront, and then you can go to the yards where the baseball stadium is.

It's just plenty of activity.

OMAR: I remember as a little kid looking out on the water and saying, "I'm, you know, I want to get on a boat."

Luckily, you know, it came true for me.

I am a captain for hire.

I have clients in DC Wharf, National Harbor, where I actually captain their boats for them.

The boating community, we're a family.

I mean, we eat together.

We talk together.

We, we help each other out.

It saved my life.

That's how I look at it.

The excitement in the African American community of, and boating is, is being birthed right here.

70% of Fort Washington is African American.

This marina is 99.9% African American boat owners.

I would love for the marina to be packed and full with all races and creeds.

However, what I don't want to see happen is the community that's here driven out with increased fees, prices, where we're gentrified and we have to find elsewhere to boat because we've been priced out of the market.

So I, I really want to make sure that this community is taken care of in a manner that gentrification is not an issue.

(doorbell) JOHN: You just don't expect it.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, but, remember how that was just all field back there?

JOHN: Yeah.

Yeah.

LAGRETA: Well, here we are, our last stop for today.

We're here in the beautiful National Harbor.

Where technically, it is in Oxon Hill right next to Fort Washington, but it's just too beautiful to leave off of our tour today.

CHRISTINE: And of course, National Harbor, we all know, is a happening place.

LAGRETA: Yes.

JOHN: Yeah.

Just all the great restaurants.

And I love all the events that they do down on the water... LAGRETA: Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

JOHN: You know, for families, and even movie nights and stuff like that.

Yes.

LAGRETA: It's just a poppin' place, right?

JOHN: And we're at the tiptop of the hill... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: Oh, yes.

JOHN: So it's quite the view.

LAGRETA: I can't wait for you to go inside the property and the views that you'll see.

This is a end unit townhome... JOHN: Yeah.

LAGRETA: Built in 2017.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Oh.

LAGRETA: Very fresh and very open.

JOHN: Okay.

LAGRETA: And when you're done, I will meet you on the fourth level.

All right, then.

CHRISTINE: Let's go.

LAGRETA: I'll see you when... JOHN: See you in a bit.

LAGRETA: I'll see you when you get back, have a great tour.

JOHN: Okay.

Tiptop.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Hello, house number three.

JOHN: Yeah, this is a nice, inviting space.

CHRISTINE: And obviously, the benefits of having an end unit.

JOHN: Yeah.

You get all those windows on this side of the house where you'd have a house butted up against it, definite plus.

CHRISTINE: Oh, and the light coming in.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And just look at some of the architectural elements in this room.

You've got crown molding... JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Built in bookshelves... JOHN: Yep.

CHRISTINE: And columns as soon as you walk in.

JOHN: Lots of nice detail.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: You know, the scale of this room is a nice size, right?

CHRISTINE: Well, I think that's one of the things that you notice, because this furniture, it's large scale furniture.

JOHN: It's large scale.

CHRISTINE: I mean, look at this coffee table.

That is a big coffee table.

JOHN: It's huge.

CHRISTINE: But at the same time, this room does not feel like it's cramped.

JOHN: Yeah, not at all.

CHRISTINE: So it gives, it kind of gives you an idea of just how large this room is.

JOHN: What a light, airy space.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Loving it so far.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Into... Aha.

CHRISTINE: Ah.

Dining room.

JOHN: Dining room.

Kitchen.

CHRISTINE: Kitchen.

From a design flow... JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Tis room is really nicely laid out.

JOHN: I agree.

CHRISTINE: Okay, look at the floors.

So you've got walnut floors.

JOHN: Yep.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Kind of in the dining room area.

JOHN: Yep.

CHRISTINE: And then to define the kitchen space, they put with the ceramic tile, but the ceramic tile has that barn look feel.

It's distressed.

JOHN: All these elements go so well together, these warm wood tones... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: And the distressed tile.

But then you have these cool colors on the walls... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

JOHN: In these blues and grays.

And it's just really harmonious.

CHRISTINE: You know, that is a really great adjective for this whole space.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Harmonious.

JOHN: And it has very nice cooktop stove right here, built into the granite... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Which is quite nice, so you don't have a big, you know, oven below, but you have double ovens over here... CHRISTINE: Right.

JOHN: Which I prefer.

CHRISTINE: Well just, how about the shutters?

JOHN: I actually have these shutters in my house, and they don't come cheap, so this is a really nice plus for the new buyer, because you can spend a lot of money... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

JOHN: On those things.

So, anyway.

Fantastic.

Love it.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

Yeah.

JOHN: Should we check downstairs?

CHRISTINE: Let's go.

All right.

Lower level.

Right off the garage.

JOHN: Sure enough, and they're using it as a multi-purpose room, so you have a TV area.

You have a gym and an office all in one.

CHRISTINE: Is there anything else you could ask for?

JOHN: Uh, how about a full bath?

CHRISTINE: A full bath.

(laughter).

JOHN: This is a happening floor.

Up to the top?

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Alrighty.

Third floor of the house.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Left, right?

Let's go right.

CHRISTINE: Let's go here.

JOHN: Hey, washer, dryer.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Okay.

Bedroom number one.

CHRISTINE: I would categorize this room as charming.

JOHN: Lots of light.

CHRISTINE: You know what I notice?

At these windows, the way this neighborhood is set up... JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: It's very charming.

It looks like a Main Street of a small town.

JOHN: Yeah.

It sure does.

CHRISTINE: And en suite, full bath.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Simple.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Clean.

And that's all you need.

JOHN: Perfect.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

And it looks great.

Oh.

JOHN: Aha.

All right.

CHRISTINE: Bedroom number two.

JOHN: So maybe this is the owner's suite.

CHRISTINE: Well, okay.

It's very similar.

JOHN: Yeah.

Similar size.

CHRISTINE: We have a walk in closet.

JOHN: Sure do.

CHRISTINE: All right.

About the same size, maybe a little bigger.

JOHN: Yeah.

But I think I see one big difference.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: And that is the bathroom.

CHRISTINE: This is definitely the owner's suite.

JOHN: You know it's big when you echo.

When you walk in... CHRISTINE: Oh, it's true.

JOHN: And your voice is like... CHRISTINE: John.

John.

John.

JOHN: It's one big room, room, room.

CHRISTINE: You know what, sometimes you really don't have to say much.

All you have to do is stand and take it in.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

It's perfect.

All right, so we've seen two bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, one level to go.

CHRISTINE: All right, up to the top.

JOHN: Oh, what a cool space.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Okay.

CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: So much to love.

CHRISTINE: Look at this two sided fireplace.

JOHN: Nice.

And then, a wet bar, not just a wet bar, but this is a awesome wet bar.

It not only has a fridge, it has a full size dishwasher.

CHRISTINE: Well, yeah, because you don't want to be going down all the levels just to wash your dishes.

Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Not expected.

And I think there's another room to our left.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Oh.

JOHN: All right!

Bonus bedroom.

CHRISTINE: All right.

This whole floor is mine.

Okay?

JOHN: I love it, it's... CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: Pretty cool.

And it had to have... CHRISTINE: A full bath.

JOHN: A full bathroom.

Take a look.

Nice.

CHRISTINE: Oh, nice.

JOHN: Clean.

CHRISTINE: Yep.

JOHN: Perfect for this space.

But the last space is awaiting.

CHRISTINE: I know.

Let's go check it out.

JOHN: Cherry on the cake.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Ah.

Now, this is what I'm talking about.

CHRISTINE: Nice surprise.

JOHN: This is great.

What a view.

CHRISTINE: So, you know, from here, you can see the Potomac.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: All year, you'd have great views.

JOHN: Yeah.

Fantastic.

And then you have this whole porch... CHRISTINE: Oh.

Yeah.

JOHN: Which is super sweet, again, with that fireplace on this side.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

It's an entertainer's dream.

JOHN: It's great.

So I'm ready to play the game if you're ready to play the game.

CHRISTINE: I'm ready.

I'm ready.

JOHN: All right, well, I think it's time.

Hey, there's LaGreta.

CHRISTINE: Oh, there's LaGreta.

JOHN: There she is.

LaGreta's back.

LAGRETA: Hello.

I'm so glad to see you all.

How was everything?

JOHN: Awesome.

CHRISTINE: Oh, yeah.

This place, the minute you walk in, the flow and the whole design.

JOHN: You know, we were saying the big advantage of having an end unit... LAGRETA: Yes.

JOHN: But boy Is that clear on that main floor... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: And the beautiful bedrooms, the light that was in some of those bedrooms, those two on the third level.

LAGRETA: Right.

Right.

JOHN: Can't compare.

LAGRETA: Right?

Yes.

CHRISTINE: And then, we got up to this level.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And what a surprise.

LAGRETA: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: So is there an HOA fee with this home?

LAGRETA: Yes.

The HOA fee is $410 a month, very reasonable.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: This beautiful home has three bedrooms, four and a half baths.

It was built in 2017.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: 2,980 square feet.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

LAGRETA: So... CHRISTINE: Okay.

So I'm going first.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And I'm going to make it easy and simple.

I'm going to say a listing price of $800,000.

LAGRETA: All right.

JOHN: Good guess.

LAGRETA: All right.

CHRISTINE: You always tell me that.

JOHN: I know, because it is a good guess.

I'm going to go slightly higher, LaGreta, at $825.

LAGRETA: All right.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

LAGRETA: The list price for this home is $895.

CHRISTINE: Oh!

JOHN: $895.

CHRISTINE: You win.

JOHN: What?

Who?

He did it again?

Yes.

LAGRETA: So John's the winner, yes.

What a great day.

CHRISTINE: We've had a great day here, I mean, just learning more about this area.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And, you know, I'm so coming back, because we are going to do yoga together... LAGRETA: Yes.

CHRISTINE: At, uh, Fort Washington.

LAGRETA: Yes.

JOHN: Yeah.

LAGRETA: But in the meantime, let's go grab a bite at one of my favorite restaurants.

Are you all hungry?

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Oh, yes.

JOHN: Always.

That's perfect.

LAGRETA: Yes.

Rosa Mexicano?

JOHN: One of my favorites.

LAGRETA: Oh.

Awesome.

JOHN: Best guac in town.

LAGRETA: Best guac in town.

LAGRETA: Yes.

CHRISTINE: All right.

LAGRETA: So let's go.

JOHN: Let's do it.

All right.

LAGRETA: All right.

JOHNNIE: If you lived here, I, I would tell you definitely to, um, check out the Fort.

Make sure you take walks there.

If you have grandkids and kids, go down there and do some fishing so you can look out over the water.

SHEREE: Do the lobster roll, and you've got to get on the wheel.

If you can pan over to the wheel, you've got to get on the wheel.

CINDY: If you lived here, you'd get a chance to step back in time into the 1800s and take a break, take a breath from all the stressors of city life.

JACK: If I was new to the area, I'd want to explore all over this area.

Fort Washington, National Harbor has everything, everything you need.

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, DC community.