Real Time Real Estate | Annapolis June 2009
By Douglas Alan Ross
Severn River Waterfront Fetches County’s YTD Top Price
Wardour, Annapolis
Primary Structure Built: 2008
Sold for: $4,075,000
Original List Price: $4,250,000
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4.5
Staking its claim on a sliver of sloping bluff in West Annapolis’ prestigious Wardour neighborhood is Anne Arundel County’s year-to-date highest-priced residential sale (at the time of writing this column). The half-acre property has a gated entrance and short asphalt driveway leading to this brand-new house, which sold in five months. From the front it’s remarkably deceiving, but a gander at the waterside leaves no doubt about its 6,000+ square feet of living space on three levels with panoramic Severn River views—and familiar landmark Manresa directly across—from every room except the main-level powder room. Buyers’ agent Michael Hamby touts Wardour as being the premier waterfront community in Annapolis and wasn’t surprised at the sales price. “It sold for the market value as determined by the buyers and seller,” he says. The property was purchased for $1,710,000 in 2007 by a builder who tore down the existing house, submitted plans for new construction, got the green light, and went to work.
Claiming the quality of construction is some of the finest he’s encountered, Hamby says, “The builder didn’t miss a beat—the interior details are impeccable.” It’s all about luxury and comfort, one example being the master suite, which has a private dressing room, large walk-in closet, custom-designed spa bath, and bidet. The theme continues in three additional bedrooms with en-suite baths, the gourmet country cook’s kitchen with breakfast bar, 34-by-20-foot lower-level family room with wet bar, American cherry floors, nine-foot ceilings, and custom touches to fireplace mantles, built-ins, chair rail, and crown molding. Outdoor spaces include a covered porch, accessed from a five-sided screened porch, and covered patio. Hamby says the buyers were shown numerous properties but kept coming back to this one. “The lot is exactly what they were looking for—just enough land to be comfortable while not requiring extensive hands-on maintenance.” Though the 73 feet of bulkheaded waterfrontage does not include a pier, unlike most surrounding properties, a conveying deep-water permit affords the luxury of making design modifications to suit the buyers.
Source: Michael Hamby, Buyers’ Agent, Champion Realty, Inc., 410-224-7184 or 410-224-7100
Photo courtesy of Pete Albert Photography, 443-694-9852, PeteAlbert.com
Hillsmere Estates, Annapolis
Primary Structure Built/Rebuilt: 1982/2002
Sold for: $1,250,000
Original List Price: $1,300,000
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4.5
After being purchased in 1999 for $390,000, the existing 1,664-square-foot house was torn down except for one original wall. Using only top-of-the-line materials, reconstruction in 2002 modernized and more than doubled the previous living space to 3,600 square feet. “This cottage-style home has it all,” says listing agent Gary Haynes. “The second-floor master suite will stun you, and there’s another master with bath on the main level.” Sprawling across the waterside is a light-filled great room featuring sliding and French doors that lead outside to a series of covered porches, tiered decks, balconies, and water features. Intelligent planning also went into the street side heated drive and walkway; handicap-accessible main entrance; expensive, high-tech lighting system; and finished, and entertainment-friendly basement complete with bar area. Haynes says the property’s 60 feet of waterfront and pier with two deep-water slips were the major reasons it sold in two months. “That is certainly not the norm in this price range,” he adds, “but the quality and uniqueness of the home, along with good marketing, are what made it happen.” The house is sited on a 1/4-acre lot facing spectacular sunrises and views of Duvall Creek, with the Chesapeake Bay just minutes away by boat.
Source: Gary Haynes, Realtor®/Owner, Maryland Real Estate Associates, LLC, 443-534-6124
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Hillsmere
Wardour
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