♪ ♪ JOHN: Hi, I'm John.

CHRISTINE: And I'm Christine.

We're producers at WETA, and best friends.

JOHN: That's right.

We love living in the DC area, but finding a place to live here can be tough.

CHRISTINE: Join us as we go house hunting and explore neighborhood options across the region.

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

BOTH: If you lived here!

(doorbell) CHRISTINE: What a beautiful day to be down by the water.

JOHN: Well, that's the Potomac right behind us.

The river that separates DC and Maryland from Virginia.

CHRISTINE: Today, we're heading right across the way into a part of DC called the Southwest Waterfront.

JOHN: The waterfront was always an important part of Pierre L'Enfant's master plan as he worked to bring George Washington's vision of a political capital and a maritime center to life.

CHRISTINE: Some of the buildings constructed during that time, like the Thomas Law House, Fort McNair, and the Wheat Row town houses remain some of DC's oldest structures.

Most folks know the area because of the Wharf; with all of its brand new retail, fine dining, and music venues.

JOHN: And by the looks and sounds of some of those cranes behind us, there's lots more to come.

CHRISTINE: Well, I'm sure we're going to learn a lot about the Southwest Waterfront, both old and new, from today's realtor, Andy Peers.

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

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

JOHN: Okay.

I'm ready.

But how should we get there?

CHRISTINE: How about we call a taxi?

BOTH: Water taxi.

JOHN: Let's go.

(doorbell) ♪ ♪ CHRISTINE: Good morning, Andy Peers.

ANDY: How are you?

JOHN: Nice to see you.

CHRISTINE: Good!

ANDY: I'm well, thanks.

Welcome to Southwest Waterfront.

We're at Town Square Towers Condominium.

It's the first place on the three property tour.

We're at 700 7th Street, kind of in the middle of Southwest Waterfront.

So I'm going to tell you a little bit about the building.

It's got almost 300 units, mid-century modern.

Built in 1967.

It's got some really cool architectural features, which you'll hopefully notice when you go up there.

I won't spoil it for you.

JOHN: Don't spoil it, Andy Peers.

ANDY: Because I hear there's a competition going?

CHRISTINE: Oh a little bit.

A little bit, yeah.

JOHN: There's no competition, Andy Peers, it's called me winning.

It's friendly though.

CHRISTINE: Right.

ANDY: Sure.

I hope you like it.

I can't wait to see what you think and follow me.

JOHN: Let's see.

CHRISTINE: Okay, great.

Thank you.

JOHN: Thank you, sir.

CHRISTINE: Oh wow.

JOHN: Wow.

Look at this place!

CHRISTINE: This is amazing!

(John groans playfully) I wasn't expecting this.

JOHN: No, this is far better than I thought.

It's like, it's a wall of glass is what that is.

CHRISTINE: It's a wall of a view!

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And, you know, the overall size of the room... JOHN: It's huge.

CHRISTINE: It's really great.

JOHN: I mean, the ceiling adds to that.

CHRISTINE: It does, it does.

JOHN: But it's a big room anyway's.

CHRISTINE: Right, right.

JOHN: And you just don't see walls like this.

CHRISTINE: You know, I don't love the, the texture of the ceilings.

JOHN: It's almost necessary because this is all concrete.

(stomping feet) Like this.

This is a concrete slab below, concrete slab above... you don't have neighbors above cause we're on the top level, but your neighbors below will never hear you walking.

CHRISTINE: Well that's good, it's good.

JOHN: It's rock solid quiet, so that's a plus.

CHRISTINE: Alright.

Let's check out this amazing view and patio.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: This is spectacular.

JOHN: Wow, what a view.

CHRISTINE: Hey, I spy... JOHN: I Spy the...

BOTH: The Spy Museum!

JOHN: And I spy the Potomac River.

CHRISTINE: But here's, here's my question.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Since this area is continuing to grow, the construction... Are you going to lose that view?

JOHN: So the answer is yes, the majority of it right now, because across the way is the Wharf, you know, and this is phase two of the Wharf coming, but you're still have a little sliver there.

CHRISTINE: No, you know, I mean this whole view makes up for it.

But you know, it's also, you really do see how close you are to the Wharf and everything that's going on.

JOHN: But talk about location, location, without probably the Wharf price.

CHRISTINE: Right.

JOHN: And then back to this amazing room.

Wow.

And this dining room, very nice open concept to the living room.

CHRISTINE: You know, this is a bigger space back here as well.

JOHN: Sure enough.

CHRISTINE: And you know, it's a four-seater but you could actually put in a bigger table easily.

JOHN: I like this little Sputnik lamp here.

Chandelier.

CHRISTINE: Nice touch.

JOHN: But here's the one, um, downside little downside...

It's a little kitchen.

CHRISTINE: Uh, you know, it's, it's on the smaller end, but it's manageable.

JOHN: Well, it's got everything you need.

CHRISTINE: Right, right.

It's got a very fancy Wolf stove and oven.

CHRISTINE: That's nice.

JOHN: It's nice.

CHRISTINE: Nice, nice.

Let's go check out, the bedroom must be around here.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: Oh, a nice size bedroom.

JOHN: Really nice sized bedroom.

CHRISTINE: Nice views again.

JOHN: This is bigger than my bedroom actually.

CHRISTINE: Got closet here.

JOHN: And you have another mammoth closet in the... CHRISTINE: I'm guessing right there.

JOHN: Back, this is big.

CHRISTINE: Oh this closet is huge.

JOHN: It's huge!

Things that I learned when I was shopping for my place.

Once I had a big closet, you have to have a big closet.

CHRISTINE: It's really hard to downsize.

JOHN: There's no going back.

CHRISTINE: But this is a nice feature.

JOHN: Squad goals there, yeah.

CHRISTINE: And again, you've got this great view.

JOHN: I think this is what you would call a Romeo and Juliet.

CHRISTINE: I think so.

JOHN: Because you can step out a little bit and you can be like, 'Romeo, Romeo where for art thou?'

He's over there eating crabs.

CHRISTINE: You're not gonna step out very much.

But you can still...

But the view, I mean the view and the light.

Okay, just a nice simple bathroom.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: I love the vanity.

JOHN: Little updated vanity.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, and it's also a good size.

It's not tiny, tiny.

JOHN: Not super fancy but it's a, it's a good little space.

CHRISTINE: It works.

JOHN: So now that we've seen this groovy place, it's time to go talk to Andy.

CHRISTINE: Now, did you notice a washer dryer?

JOHN: Uh, so that's one little negative.

CHRISTINE: I'm also thinking about parking.

JOHN: You have to have a parking space.

If this doesn't come with a parking space, I would be like, 'Uh, I don't know.'

CHRISTINE: We do need to talk to Andy.

And since this is the first place, I want to get it right.

JOHN: I hope you can get it right.

CHRISTINE: I want to win!

JOHN: Cause I have no clue.

CHRISTINE: Hey Andy!

JOHN: All right, Andy.

ANDY: What do you think?

JOHN: It's got that wow factor.

ANDY: It does.

CHRISTINE: I wasn't expecting that kind of... JOHN: Yeah you got, you got 'wow' looks from us like, you know, we walked in, we're like what?

This is what, huh?

ANDY: With the shoulders like that too?

JOHN: Shock and awe, and some of this, a little bit that, you know.

You don't find units like this everywhere.

You know, really unique.

ANDY: It's very rare.

CHRISTINE: So let's get down to business.

What are the HOA fees?

ANDY: $1,289 a month.

But that covers all utilities, pool, the front desk, 24 hours.

Right, you have a fitness center, you have a sauna.

JOHN: Okay, so you wanna... CHRISTINE: I want a sauna.

ANDY: So there's quite a bit here for sure.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: It doesn't have a washer dryer in the unit either, so.

JOHN: True.

ANDY: There's a laundry room on each floor.

JOHN: Oh, oh, that's...

So you don't have to, that's fine.

CHRISTINE: Oh that is, that is good then.

ANDY: And there's plenty of closet space in there.

So if you wanted to, to install one, you could do that.

You just need board approval.

JOHN: There were lots of closets.

ANDY: Oh, and parking.

JOHN: And parking, yes!

CHRISTINE: How could we forget that?

ANDY: That's not cheap.

It's hard to find parking around here, uh, from time to time.

So it's really nice to have your own spot.

So it's game time.

JOHN: Break it down.

ANDY: Before you start.

You, you know, obviously it's a one bedroom, one bath.

It is a big one bedroom we're dealing with 988 square feet, Washington Monument View.

JOHN: Oh, I didn't see that.

Next time!

CHRISTINE: You didn't see the Washington Monument up there?

JOHN: I was looking at the Spy Museum, I was looking at the water.

CHRISTINE: It's right next to the Spy Museum.

ANDY: There was so much to see you missed the Washington Monument up there?

It was like half the monument.

JOHN: I could probably see it from here.

CHRISTINE: Some spy you would make.

ANDY: I spy nothing.

With that in mind, ladies first.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, this is tough.

So I, I'm thinking, "Okay, carry the nine."

I'm going to put it at $410,000.

That's my guess on the listing price.

JOHN: So, I was going to say $415, but I'm going to go with $400 on the nose.

CHRISTINE: Ooh, are you sure?

JOHN: No, I'm not sure.

ANDY: We have a winner.

JOHN: I would hope so.

ANDY: I'm looking at you, but it's Christine.

Congratulations.

JOHN: I give, I give you like, high five.

CHRISTINE: Thank you!

ANDY: The price is $450.

JOHN: I, this one was so hard.

CHRISTINE: It's a great unit, but it was, it was, it was a tough one.

ANDY: And we have two more to see.

So are you ready?

JOHN: I'm ready.

CHRISTINE: Let's see it!

ANDY: Onto number two.

JOHN: Let's check it out.

CHRISTINE: Well that's the good news, you get another shot.

MARJORIE: Since I've been living in Washington, especially since I've been living in Southwest, where I've been living for over a decade, I have become interested in Southwest history and have written a great deal about it.

This area was originally meant to be a vibrant waterfront, but the waterfront never found its feet.

This whole area was cut off from the rest of Washington by two big canals, bringing all the sewage from all the city flowing directly into two points: one just beyond Fort McNair, and one down near the Washington Monument, into the Potomac.

As you can imagine, on a hot summer day with the garbage flowing into the Potomac, it was increasingly the least desirable place to live in Washington.

This is part of what was the largest federal renewal project ever undertaken.

It began in the 1950s and it went on until the 1960s.

Southwest was cleared.

It was flattened in hundreds and hundreds of acres, and people were pushed out.

The way, in fact, we mishandled the process of flattening the Southwest is an original sin on the entire area, and it blights what really is the success that has come out of it because this area is the best integrated section of Washington.

It has the most public housing in Washington, and it has the most varied income levels.

The houses you see, weren't built as luxury housing.

They were built as middle-class housing and like all rental housing built before 1975 in Washington, they're under rent control.

So they're affordable middle class housing still today.

(doorbell) JOHN: So this is house number...

BOTH: Two.

CHRISTINE: This is the back of the house, yeah?

JOHN: Looks like it's the back of the house.

So why don't we swing around to the front... CHRISTINE: I didn't expect... JOHN: Right here.

CHRISTINE: All this green space, did you?

JOHN: Yeah, a total plus, this is more of this ‘60s, ‘70s architecture.

CHRISTINE: Which, you know, I've really begun to appreciate this vibe in this neighborhood.

JOHN: Me too, yeah me too.

It's really cool and even all the surrounding buildings are very mod and cool.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, I've also seen a lot of dogs in the neighborhood.

JOHN: And that checks my checklist of dog friendly, pet friendly neighborhood.

CHRISTINE: I know.

JOHN: Must have.

CHRISTINE: It is a must have for you.

JOHN: I love my dog, Charlie.

Oh, hi there.

CHRISTINE: Oh hey!

MARGARET: Hi!

JOHN: We're exploring your neighborhood.

I'm John.

CHRISTINE: I'm Christine.

MARGARET: I'm Margaret.

JOHN: Hi Margaret.

We love your house.

CHRISTINE: We do.

MARGARET: Thank you very much.

CHRISTINE: Can we stop by for some, I don't know, refreshments, lemonade, after?

MARGARET: Absolutely!

Want some coffee?

Hey.

CHRISTINE: Thank you!

JOHN: You are way too kind.

Don't do it, don't do it.

CHRISTINE: See, I knew this was a great neighborhood and you just proved it, thank you.

MARGARET: Thank you very much!

JOHN: And here we are.

CHRISTINE: Love the red gate.

Hi Andy.

ANDY: Welcome.

JOHN: House number two.

ANDY: Two.

CHRISTINE: So, so far we already love the neighborhood because we made some friends along the way.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: So tell us more about this complex.

ANDY: Well, this is Tiber Island Cooperative Homes.

It's part of this community with the towers.

So you have 378 units in the towers.

There are four of them, if you can see them.

JOHN: Yes.

ANDY: They make up a pinwheel around this big Plaza.

JOHN: Well, It's beautiful.

It all just kind of flows.

ANDY: Yeah and it's got great amenities too.

So you've got a pool, and a fitness center.

JOHN: What's the difference between a co-op and a condo?

ANDY: I'm not going to bore you with that because it's a long answer.

But the short answer is it lives the same as a condo, but it's, you have shares of stock in a corporation, that is the cooperative, right?

You guys ready to check it out?

CHRISTINE: I am.

JOHN: Yeah.

ANDY: Alright, let's do it.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Oh, another very cool house.

CHRISTINE: The first thing I notice are the hardwood floors throughout.

JOHN: And the first thing I notice, is these great floating stairs.

So very nice that they're floating because it kind of opens the space even more.

CHRISTINE: It does and speaking of an open space, the minute you walk into this unit, your eyes are just drawn to the courtyard.

JOHN: It's like the courtyard is part of this room.

CHRISTINE: Let's check out the other important... JOHN: The kitchen, we love the kitchen.

CHRISTINE: Room in the house, the kitchen.

So although this is a galley-style.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: It doesn't feel overly small.

JOHN: I think that's because of the glass door and window at the end.

It just, again, it extends this space into that front courtyard.

CHRISTINE: I do love the quartz countertops.

JOHN: Me too, they're durable.

CHRISTINE: Do you want to test the drawer to see if it's your?

JOHN: You know, I like this stuff.

CHRISTINE: Self-closing.

JOHN: They did it right.

CHRISTINE: You know, I, growing up with slamming cupboards, I guess I kind of miss that sound.

Not really.

JOHN: Not really.

CHRISTINE: Not really.

I don't think so.

So let's take a look at the living space.

And again, you know, you can sit and entertain inside and outside.

JOHN: Exposed brick walls, which match the wall out back.

I love this whole era, that whole '60, '70s vibe.

CHRISTINE: I am so getting into that now.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Let's check out the downstairs.

JOHN: Let's do it.

So bonus room, family room.

CHRISTINE: Bonus room.

What a great space.

JOHN: Mmm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: You could easily have a family here.

JOHN: Oh, yeah.

CHRISTINE: So this is a great spot to come down...

Put the TV, put a couch and your kids would be all set.

JOHN: Where did you get that idea?

Oh, wait, there's a TV there, a couch there.

You were such a visionary.

CHRISTINE: Thank you.

JOHN: Who woulda thought?

We'll put a lamp there, the chair right about here.

CHRISTINE: That's why you hang out with me.

You know, I appreciate that these steps are wide too, and they're not overly steep.

Okay, so this must be the owner's suite.

So once again, we have a lovely view.

JOHN: Oh now we can see the view.

CHRISTINE: And you know what's nice, is that it has the screen door, you know, to have this open at night or during the day and just let the breeze come through.

JOHN: It's beautiful, really is something else.

CHRISTINE: You could put a little chair out there.

JOHN: I was like, who knew this was here?

CHRISTINE: And it is the owner suite because we've got the en-suite bathroom.

JOHN: Mmm-hmm.

Little, efficient.

CHRISTINE: It's small, but it works.

JOHN: I think this is just fine.

I mean, considering, you know, the actual size of the house.

CHRISTINE: That's fine.

Let's go check out the other room.

But dibs on this one.

JOHN: Oh.

CHRISTINE: So I'm guessing you have another bathroom here.

JOHN: So this is bigger than the other one.

CHRISTINE: It is, nice finishes.

JOHN: So, good for a guest bathroom.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, yeah.

JOHN: And they've really refreshed this really nicely.

CHRISTINE: They have.

So second bedroom.

JOHN: More storage here.

CHRISTINE: Which is always good.

JOHN: And.

CHRISTINE: Another nice size bedroom and there's storage just like in the other bedroom.

JOHN: And the balcony overlooks your bottom courtyard, your neighbors, 'Hi, neighbors!'

Neighbors here are very friendly, by the way.

CHRISTINE: They are very nice.

So do you have a price point in mind?

JOHN: I do.

I have a better idea since we saw the first one.

I got a little bit more of an idea about Southwest.

Um, this house, this star are the two courtyards.

CHRISTINE: Well, should we go find Andy?

JOHN: We shall.

CHRISTINE: Hup, there he is!

JOHN: Ready and waiting, yeah.

ANDY: Hey.

JOHN: Hi.

ANDY: What'd you think?

Oh, welcome to the West courtyard.

JOHN: Well, it's even more impressive than the East courtyard.

ANDY: So what did you think of it?

CHRISTINE: The minute you walk in the door, you're just drawn to the courtyard.

JOHN: Yeah, your eye just is like, 'Oh, look at that.'

ANDY: The West courtyard?

JOHN: Yes.

ANDY: Yeah, yeah.

It's beautiful.

JOHN: It's such a burden to have two courtyards, which there's the East as well.

ANDY: Yes.

JOHN: The kitchen was beautiful.

I loved the door that goes to the East courtyard and it makes that galley kitchen very open and very usable.

CHRISTINE: Oh, and the floating stairways.

I mean, it really does add to the openness, but you also like the floating stairways.

JOHN: I do, it opens it up and it's very mod and cool.

ANDY: You notice there's no through streets?

There's no street in front or behind the house.

So it is really, it is really a nice tranquil spot for sure.

JOHN: And like just standing here, you hear birds and water.

CHRISTINE: It's true, and speaking of water.

How close are we?

ANDY: We're a block from the water.

JOHN: Yeah.

ANDY: The Wharf is two blocks away, which doesn't sound very far, but you're totally separated from it.

So it's really serene.

But when you want the bustling scene, you go to the Wharf and it's right there.

JOHN: All right.

Condo fee?

ANDY: Co-op.

JOHN: Co-op.

ANDY: So it's a cooperative, different than a condo, but the co-op fee is $1,375 a month.

JOHN: Okay, which includes your property taxes.

So if you think about it, that's a big chunk.

JOHN: That's a huge... CHRISTINE: That's a good, that's a good piece of information.

JOHN: That's important.

That's a lot of money.

ANDY: And utilities.

CHRISTINE: Utilities too.

ANDY: And amenities.

Before you guess, let me run down the stats one last time.

JOHN: Run it down.

ANDY: Three levels, two bedrooms, 1,757 square feet.

CHRISTINE: That's awesome.

ANDY: Newly renovated, parking.

JOHN: You're making this very attractive, Andy.

ANDY: So with that in mind, John.

JOHN: Yes, sir.

ANDY: It's your turn to guess.

You're first this round.

JOHN: Okay, the pressure's on.

ANDY: Okay.

JOHN: I love this house.

I love everything about it.

Okay, here's my guess; I'm sticking with this one.

ANDY: Okay.

JOHN: There's no second guessing.

CHRISTINE: Go ahead.

JOHN: I'm sorry.

I'm going to go for the number.

It's very clear to me.

Came to me in a dream last night, $775,000.

ANDY: $775.

JOHN: That's what I said.

I said $7-7-5.

ANDY: That is a guess.

JOHN: It is a guess.

ANDY: It is a guess.

JOHN: I don't know if it's a good guess, but it's my guess.

ANDY: That's all we ask of you.

CHRISTINE: I was hoping you make that guess, because I think you are low.

I'm going to say $850,000.

JOHN: I think that's fair.

ANDY: This pains me... You won, John.

JOHN: Wait and that pains you?

CHRISTINE: Wait, it pains me too!

ANDY: Christine, you're closer.

JOHN: Am I the only one that's happy about this?

ANDY: The list price is $839,900.

CHRISTINE: Oh my god!

I was only off by... ANDY: Which is really close to Christine's.

JOHN: Well we're both...

Listen, I'm proud of you, but I'm the winner.

So that's all that matters.

ANDY: You are the winner.

CHRISTINE: Your pride in me makes me feel so good.

I was so close!

JOHN: I'm secretly happy when you win.

Not a loser!

ANDY: Now we might as well go on to the last one, because we have a beautiful place at the Wharf.

We can walk.

JOHN: Let's do as they do in Southwest.

ANDY: Ready?

Alright, let's do it.

JOHN: Well, that was really fun.

CHRISTINE: That was.

JOHN: Nice house.

MARGARET: Two of the things that people don't necessarily know about and should visit is the Eleanor Holmes, Norton park.

It's beautiful, it's relaxing, it's scenic.

And it's in a great location near the water.

The other place is the Titanic statue down near Fort McNair.

It's very graceful.

It has a lot of history to it.

They have very well kept secrets.

DOUG: Absolutely love it down here, lifestyle is great.

A lot of biking, a lot of walking and just a lot of outdoor time and a lot less car time.

LISA: I love this area in particular because of the water.

I'm often down here in the mornings, a lot of people don't know right at the end of the pier, you can get a glorious sunrise.

BILL: When I walk here, I'm passing four centuries of architecture.

One of the houses that I walk by is called, "Wheat Row".

That dates the 1790s.

On this side of me is Fort McNair.

That's the 19th century.

The houses that I'm looking at now are from the 20th century.

And if I keep walking down this street and look that way, I'm looking at the Wharf, which is the 21st century.

MARJORIE: These apartment buildings were built with the idea that they would capture some of the essence of suburban living.

So what is the essence of suburban living?

The lawn!

If you look at the way it's set up the water and the greenery and the lawns link together to capture living at the edge of a peaceful river.

These were middle-class houses, all rentals.

They became condos and co-ops over the course of the latter part of the 20th century.

You see all the houses have balconies.

Remember portraits are very common in Washington.

So the balcony's weren't then thought of as luxury items, they are the historical artifacts of the old sleeping porches.

(doorbell) ANDY: Take a look up!

BOTH: Aw.

ANDY: The third and final place.

We're at 45 Sutton Square.

It's in the heart of the Wharf, almost brand new.

The Vio condo.

It really is Southwest's premier condo.

Let me tell you a little bit about this building.

It's 112 units, variety of sizes from studio to three bedrooms.

So the building itself is 12 floors.

It's got an infinity edge, salt water pool, and a yoga studio, fitness center, concierge, porter service, and almost every unit in the building has water views too.

JOHN: Well, should we pop in and take a look?

ANDY: Let's do it.

CHRISTINE: Ooh!

JOHN: Okay, seventh floor.

CHRISTINE: Okay, seventh floor.

JOHN: We have arrived.

I have never been in any of these condos, and I've always been curious.

And we've arrived.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Talk about aspirational.

Holy moly, wow.

CHRISTINE: It is, it's so great and just inviting.

JOHN: I've come home.

Welcome to my kitchen.

CHRISTINE: Oh, this would be great.

JOHN: We could crack crabs right here on this countertop.

CHRISTINE: Oh my gosh, you could go get them fresh and bring them up.

JOHN: I would do that like every day.

CHRISTINE: Oh my gosh, that would be so great.

JOHN: This is hotel living.

CHRISTINE: It does.

It, you know, it does feel like that.

JOHN: This is you're coming to your own private resort on the Wharf and it totally is a lifestyle.

I don't know how much cooking people would do if you lived here.

I think you'd be out at all the great restaurants.

CHRISTINE: Right, right.

But you have that option.

You have that option.

JOHN: Yeah you have that option, which is very nice.

And then into this beautiful serene living room.

CHRISTINE: And I love the fact that you do have room for a dining table.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Because I think once our friends would find out if we had a place like this, they'd be coming over all the time.

JOHN: That's for sure.

Shall we step outside?

CHRISTINE: We should, and you know what?

JOHN: Hmm?

CHRISTINE: I spotted something over here.

JOHN: You are so good.

Look, this place comes with free champagne!

CHRISTINE: It does?

I don't know if it's free.

JOHN: Well, that's okay.

Wow, look at that view!

You can see forever.

Actually, I can see Alexandria across the way.

Masonic Temple, National Airport.

Well, should we take a little seat?

CHRISTINE: Uh, no, we've got more to see.

JOHN: Oh come on, just two minutes.

CHRISTINE: No, come on.

JOHN: Oh.

CHRISTINE: So this is a nice size bedroom.

JOHN: Owner's Suite.

Yeah a little small, but that's okay.

Cause it feels like a hotel room.

CHRISTINE: It does.

JOHN: And it's nice.

Cause you have the balcony and all these cool windows and you can see your neighbors.

CHRISTINE: Let's just say I would not walk out of the shower with, without a towel, how's that?

JOHN: Yeah.

Give you a few weeks and you forget about it.

The en-suite bath does the job.

No tub, just a shower.

It's nice, but... CHRISTINE: Right.

JOHN: I almost would have, honestly, I would have started at the bathroom here and I would have taken, I would have utilized more space.

CHRISTINE: Right, right.

I mean the shower is a great size.

It's got the great rain shower head.

JOHN: And this must be.

CHRISTINE: It must be the closet.

I'm guessing the walk-in closet.

JOHN: Let's see.

Oh la-la-la-la-la.

California Closets.

CHRISTINE: Nice, nice.

JOHN: We're crazy for them.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, okay.

So we have one more bedroom.

JOHN: Alright.

CHRISTINE: Okay and here we go.

JOHN: Utility closet and look at this.

This has got a glass window and glass door.

So it brings light in kind of brightens the room a little bit since it's a corner room without windows, good TV room.

CHRISTINE: And I'm guessing... Oh wow, this closet is huge.

JOHN: Bigger than the last one.

CHRISTINE: Wow!

JOHN: Oh, look at this.

Hello, ginormous bathroom.

CHRISTINE: This is a really nice size.

JOHN: Biggest bathroom in the house.

CHRISTINE: But the owners, we didn't have a bathtub.

So this one does, it has the rain shower head.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Well, Andy was right.

This really is a stunning condo.

JOHN: Yeah, aspirational for sure.

CHRISTINE: Good location, yeah.

You know what I want to visit one more time is that great patio.

JOHN: Mmm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Uh, here we go.

JOHN: Yes ma'am.

CHRISTINE: Here we go.

JOHN: Yep, best seat it in the house.

CHRISTINE: It is.

JOHN: With a view like this.

Once they finish that second phase, that's just going to be one continuous, really nice promenade all the way down the water line.

CHRISTINE: And see that's what I would be enjoying on a regular basis.

JOHN: Yeah, yeah.

CHRISTINE: I can stay up here the rest of the day.

JOHN: Me too, I'm serious.

Just leave me.

CHRISTINE: But, but I think Andy's probably waiting for us, and I have, I have a good idea I think in mind.

JOHN: I have a ballpark for this one.

CHRISTINE: Let's go talk to Andy.

JOHN: Okay, take the wine.

CHRISTINE: Oh, you think?

JOHN: Oh, we'll just say it was a little gift.

ANDY: Hi!

JOHN: That was pretty cool.

Very nice place.

Let's talk turkey, Andy.

ANDY: Alright.

CHRISTINE: But first I just want to say, you know, you walk in and there's this great entertaining space, you know, you're sitting at the kitchen around the island and then all of a sudden you turn and there's that view.

JOHN: Yeah, it's a dynamic space.

ANDY: Did you go out on the balcony?

JOHN: Of course we went out.

CHRISTINE: We did.

In fact, you're lucky you even see us this soon.

ANDY: So you must have questions.

CHRISTINE: Yes and you know, the first question we always ask is... ANDY: Condo fee.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

ANDY: $1,032 per month.

But remember all the amenities you get.

JOHN: Yeah.

ANDY: And the parking.

CHRISTINE: The parking, that was... JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: Check on the list.

JOHN: It's a big check for us.

ANDY: All right, so as a reminder, you have two bedrooms, two baths, 1,130 square feet.

JOHN: Yes sir.

ANDY: Great balcony, beautiful views.

JOHN: Very nice views.

ANDY: What's your guess?

CHRISTINE: Okay.

So taking into account everything you've said and being able to see the two places earlier, this is luxury living.

It's on the waterfront.

So I'm going to go a little high on this one, I think.

JOHN: Okay.

CHRISTINE: So I'm going to say $1,250,000.

That's my guess.

ANDY: All right, John, what do you got?

JOHN: I think that's a very good guess.

CHRISTINE: Thank you.

JOHN: I'm going to go a little bit lower and I'm going to say $1,150,000.

ANDY: So... we have a disqualification because you both went over.

JOHN: Did she cheat?

ANDY: No.

You both went over.

It's a bargain at $1,049,000.

CHRISTINE: I thought it was going to be a little higher than that.

JOHN: Yeah, you were wrong.

So was I.

So, um, so there is no winner today.

I guess the winner is you, Andy.

ANDY: Thank you, I'll take it.

JOHN: And winner buys dinner!

Congratulations!

CHRISTINE: I like that.

Very nice.

JOHN: You are so lucky.

CHRISTINE: Very nice.

ANDY: All right, I got a great place.

CHRISTINE: Okay, we'll follow you.

ANDY: Let's check it out.

JOHN: It's only fair, Andy.

ANDY: You're right.

JOHN: We lost.

But we're still winning.

CHRISTINE: Yeah!

Sometimes it's great to lose.

MARJORIE: If you lived here, you could meet me on a morning walk to the river.

LISA: If you live here and you're an outdoor person, you could feel like you're anywhere in the world, but you're still right here in DC.

DIANE: And if you lived here in Southwest Waterfront, you would realize it's about close to living in a small town as you can get here, in Washington, DC.

BILL: If you lived here, you could walk that-a-way, half a mile and watch a baseball game.

MARGARET: The greatest thing is going down to the Wharf, enjoying the restaurants and the shops and the fish market.

Yes, for sure, yeah.

If you lived here, you would enjoy all of those things.

NARRATOR: To find out more about living in the Washington Metro area, visit weta.org/ifyoulivedhere (ribbit)