BY C.B. SCOTTbr
Like a shiny new car, pristine, “move-in ready” homes are a very attractive value. But for water-loving homebuyers, the definition of a perfect home means more than a house and a yard. It needs access to the water. In this issue of What’s Up? with Real Estate, we profile four homes that check the box for both: well-maintained, move-in ready properties with the perfect water access amenities.
Sullivan Cove Waterfront Estate
Severna Park, Anne Arundel County
Primary Structure Built: 1920
Sold For: $2,500,000
Original List Price: $2,699,000
Last Sold/Price: 2006 / $2,000,000
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6.5
Living Space: 4,240 sq. ft.
Lot Size: 2.15 acres
This 1920s Colonial on Sullivan Cove is a historical waterfront estate with the perfect blend of original craftsmanship and modern function.
Following unsuccessful listings with two other okers, David Orso Group of CENTURY 21 New Millennium took over the listing and, with no change in the listed price, the estate was under contract within seven days. “My team produced amazing marketing materials for this home that we distributed through many channels,” says Orso. “In today’s real estate market, buyers have information at their fingertips and you have to not only reach them, but connect with them.”
The four-story estate has been impeccably updated and maintained. In 2014, the eat-in kitchen was renovated and fitted with professional-grade appliances. The new elements include expansive marble counters, Brookhaven custom cabinetry, a subway-tiled backsplash, center island with a eakfast bar, a Wolf double oven with gas range and double griddle, and a Thermador refrigerator with a sizable freezer drawer.
For larger gatherings, the formal dining room offers three walls of water views, a vaulted, dark-glazed bead board ceiling, and hardwood floors. Original French doors open to the formal li ary with a fireplace and built-in bookcases.
The second floor master suite includes a spacious en suite bath, designed with a Carrera marble topped double vanity, a Bain Ultra air-jetted soaking tub, and a seamless glass enclosed shower. The dressing room has been custom designed with expansive built-ins. Another bedroom on the same floor features cathedral ceilings, a built-in window seat, double closets, exposed ick and a Juliet balcony overlooking the lush grounds below.
On the lower level, the new owners can enjoy the large recreation room with plush carpeting and full-sized windows, and a full bath redone in Carrera marble.
Outside, the two-acre property includes an in-ground pool, hot tub, a 400-foot shared foot idge, and a private, deep water pier. The sale of the estate closed on June 26, 2015.
Sources: David Orso (listing agent), The David Orso Group of CENTURY 21 New Millennium, direct: 443-691-0838, david@davidorso.com, davidorso.com, office: 410-266-9005.
Quail Run Road Waterfront
St. Michaels, Talbot County
Primary Structure Built: 1996
Sold For: $1,165,000
Original List Price: $1,375,000
Last Sold/Price: None
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.5
Living Space: 2,457 sq. ft.
Lot Size: 7.56 acres
Location, location, location doesn’t always apply to the beautiful Eastern Shore, where premium, private waterfront properties are truly abundant. But this waterfront contemporary truly has it all—especially location. Located along a private point along Broad Creek in St. Michaels, this home sits on more than seven private, mostly wooded acres with waterfront sunset views.
According to Wink Cowee, who co-listed the property for Benson & Mangold with Dana Eggert, “It’s a combination of all the right stuff: location, proximity to St. Michaels, southwest view, good water depth, a pool, the open floor plan, and a well-maintained property.”
But this site wasn’t originally such a perfect package. When the sellers first bought the property in December 1996, the 7.56 wooded acres included a house, but it was tiny. And it was old. They tore down the house, and started over. Built by Peter Hanlon and designed by Easton, Maryland architect Pam Gardner, the new, architect-designed home is a secluded jewel. Situated on a private point near St. Michaels, the two-story contemporary home is a primary residence with the rustic luxury of a retreat.
Built to enjoy panoramic southwest views of Broad Creek, cathedral ceilings in the great room and master bedroom maximize the available window space. The living room, dining room, foyer, and sunroom have beautiful heart pine floors and trim. Matching built-in bookcases anchor the great room and home office. The sunroom opens to a waterside deck and pergola, and professional landscaping and stone steps lead to a private in ground swimming pool.
While the house was 19 years old when it was listed, it had been so well-maintained that it needed only a bit of paint on the walls and polish on the hardwood floors before it was ready to stage. The property was on the market for 95 days, and closed in August 2015.
Sources: Winifred “Wink” Cowee, CRS, Associate Broker, Benson & Mangold Real Estate, 410-745-0415, winkcowee@gmail.com and Dana Eggert, Associate Broker, Benson & Mangold Real Estate, 410-745-0417, deggert@mris.com (listing agents), www.bensonandmangold.com.
Pawpaw Cove Waterfront
Tilghman, Talbot County
Primary Structure Built: 1996
Sold For: $1,100,000
Original List Price: $1,275,000
Last Sold/Price: None
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3.5
Living Space: 3,618 sq. ft.
Lot Size: 1.48 acres
On the Eastern Shore, sometimes, one man’s retreat is another man’s everyday castle. That’s the case with this two story contemporary home on Tilghman Island. For the sellers, this was a second home for almost two decades. For the new owners, it’s a year round utopia of serene sunsets along Pawpaw Cove.
Dawn Lednum, oker and owner of Chesapeake Bay Real Estate Plus, LLC in St. Michaels, said the combination of the beauty and tranquility of the property helped sell the property in less than three weeks. Between the sunsets, the meditation garden just beyond the generous decks, and more peaceful spots tucked away on the 1.48-acre lot, it embodies relaxation. “The open feel of the house, all the windows inging in such great light,” she says, “It does a wonderful job of unifying the house and the landscapes even if you’re inside.”
Situated near the end of Leeward Lane, a private, circular pea gravel drive sets the tone for this serene coastal gem. Inside, the two-story foyer welcomes family and friends. The great room’s cathedral ceiling and panoramic water views make it the perfect place to gather, entertain, or just unwind. Both the great room and the master bedroom include gas fireplaces. Two additional bedrooms are on the main floor, as well.
Over the years, the sellers made periodic renovations to their second home to keep it up to date. The gourmet kitchen is fitted with granite counters and custom white cabinetry, and the dining room is separate, but open to the great room. Just beyond the dining room, a screened porch houses a hot tub. Outside, expansive decks overlook lush landscaping, the meditation garden, and riprap shoreline.
This was the home’s first time on the market, and it lasted only 18 days.
Sources: Dawn Lednum (dual agent), Broker/Owner, Chesapeake Bay Real Estate Plus, LLC, CPBR1, 410-745-6702, dawnlednum@mris.com.
Trollhaven
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County
Primary Structure Built: 1933 (rebuilt from foundation in 1983)
Sold For: $580,000
Last Sold/Price: $131,000 (1982)
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.5
Living Space: 2,015 sq. ft.
Lot Size: 0.45 acres
Annapolis homebuyers know a good deal when they see it. This three-story, custom-built contemporary sits on almost half an acre in West Annapolis, includes water access, and listed for just over half a million dollars. Less than a week after its initial listing, multiple potential buyers made offers, and the property sold for the original listed price.
Tucked away in the tiny subdivision of Trollhaven with just four other homes, the house is just minutes from downtown Annapolis, by car or by boat. Each of the five lots the wooded Trollhaven community enjoys its own deeded deep-water boat slip on Weems Creek off the Severn River.
The property originally included a house constructed in 1933, based on public records. When the sellers purchased the lot in1982, they rebuilt the house on the original foundation; the original cellar remains. Over the next 32 years, the sellers maintained and updated the home over the years, making it move-in ready. In 2010, they renovated the kitchen, adding eakfast bar, Corian countertops, and ceramic tile flooring.
Abundant windows and an open floor plan give this unique three-bedroom home an airy, welcoming feel. Hardwood floors and high ceilings in the family room complement the open feel, and the master suite is on the main floor, as well. Two additional bedrooms and a home office enjoy top floor views in the waterside community.
Plenty of storage space is available in the oversized one-car garage and unfinished basement.
Outside, the new owners have views of Weems Creek from the deck.
Sources: Donna Wisniewski (listing agent), Champion Realty, Inc., 410-991-7305, donnawis@verizon.net www.FindMDHomes.com. Buyer’s agent: Mary Ann Zaruba, Coldwell Banker, 410-421-8106, maryannzaruba@gmail.com.
Feature Your Property!
If you are a real estate agent and would like to submit a recently sold property to be featured in this column, please email Editor@WhatsUpMag.com.
