1607 Longfellow Street -- McLean Heights -- $850,000

Listed by Long & Foster

Ramblers Anonymous? Are you addicted to ramblers? Does your heart start to race at the thought of the 1950/60s one-level abodes that defined the post-World War II baby boom? What is it about these comfy, homey, horizontal spaces that beckon to some (and repel others)? In the Midwest --birthplace of the McLean Secret Agent -- we called them "ranch" homes, but whatever their moniker, the rambler at 1605 Longfellow (a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Balducci's) is worth a serious look.

Sited above the streetscape with its gracious setback, the house speaks of a quiet, old-fashioned charm. A pleasant hallway puts us right in the middle of the many public living spaces. On your left is the formal dining room, straight ahead is a not-so-great family room that is made wonderful by its adjoining sunroom; exit the sunroom to your left and you're in a quirky, rectangular kitchen with Lyndon Johnson-era accoutrements....

But wait....

Hold on to your hat....

Holy garden, Batman!

Off of the kitchen, and beyond the solarium is arguably (or inarguably) the most beautiful garden under $1 million on the market in McLean today. Meandering paths punctuated by terraced flowerbeds are staggered on what appears to be a private hill town. On a lower level your eye falls on a separate little house (think: artist’s studio). A giant brick barbecue station, birdhouses (and baths).... Do I gush?

Back inside the residence, I find my way to the handsome living room, anchored by molding, a built-in bookcase corner and a fireplace. (Hardwood floors throughout the main level are worthy of restoring.)

Down the hall from the living room is the bedroom wing with three bedrooms and two full baths. (Alas, if only the real estate gods had given us a fourth bedroom!) The baths need updating, but at the right price, any client of mine would be fine with that.

We descend to the paneled "recreation" room where you can almost hear strains of Chubby Checker (all-of-a-sudden I'm dying for a daiquiri).

What's your favorite front elevation: colonial, contemporary, rambler? I'd love to hear your thoughts on design. At the time of this post, it's been on the market about three months.

8329 Weller Avenue -- Woodhaven -- $1,280,000

Listed by Long & Foster 

The house you always wanted? Remember the original film classic "Father of the Bride" with Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy and Elizabeth Taylor? This house, though built in 1969, will take you back to that era...of genteel manners, fine breeding, all-brick construction, public rooms on the "formal" side (but not uptight in any way); solid, substantive and American in the finest sense of the word. 

You approach the property off Brook Road (a favorite route of the McLean Secret Agent) as you enter the subdivision called Woodhaven. Woodhaven. What a splendid example of Fairfax County zoning at its best: curving roads, random front elevations which avoid cookie-cutter ennui, gracious "setbacks", mature trees, lush manicured lawns...Woodhaven. When I visited recently with a relocation client from Miami, dogs ran freely and neighbors (from Central Casting?) waived spontaneously. Welcome home, I thought. 

The house sits on a little over a third of an acre, but the layout of the community provides this owner with the feeling of about an acre. 

You enter the house to an inviting hardwood foyer. On your left is a non-traditional living room anchored by a handsome fireplace with elegant Georgian mantle and a custom bookcase-cabinet on another. A corner of the living room leads to a hexagonal screened-in porch that, in turns, leads to the swimming pool (beautifully sited), but my eye is drawn to an odd door in the corner of the room. What's this? I smile, grinning broadly, as I recognize it's an elevator. So I ring for it. The door opens to reveal a charming cabin (with requisite telephone), painted with a delightful scene by a well-known New Orleans' muralist. The McLean Secret Agent is charmed, I'm sure. 

But first I'll cross the foyer to the formal dining room. It's decorated with a bottle-green, silk-striped wallpaper (I'm guessing Brunschwig & Fils) applied handsomely above a white-and-beige chair rail & shadowbox molding. For anyone who NEVER wanted to see another swag or jabot after the Reagans left the White House, look again; the window treatments work in this lovely house. 

I wander out of the dining room into a modern, chic kitchen with gutsy granite and black appliances. Though not terribly large, it's well designed. (A minor flaw is a not-so-pretty pair of louvered doors in the breakfast area that lead to the washer-dryer; no big deal, my client will move them to the basement.) 

This Yankee feels like he's in Connecticut when the McLean Secret Agent wanders into the family room with its fireplace and beamed ceiling. Again, another private door in this room leads to the beautiful swimming pool area. 

I take the elevator upstairs and exit in a bedroom that appears to have been a gentleman's study. In the hall there are three other bedrooms including a Master Suite with good closets, another fireplace and a master bath with a shower (only) adapted for the special physical needs of the former Owner. Perhaps my favorite room upstairs is a bedroom that appears to have been a studio of a professional writer. Fine custom bookcases and cabinetry frame the perimeter; a memorable writer's desk anchors a corner, and a favorite beige carpet with green trellis accent (I recognize it as Stark Carpet) makes it come together almost as a private salon. This house--and its aesthetic values--makes me feel good about the world.

The lower level has a full bath, an au pair suite, and additional storage. 

So why hasn't it sold? Is the "deal-breaker" the absence of a garage? (Yep, there's only a carport). Or is it just that the right owner hasn't wandered by? (I'll vote the latter.) I'll go back next week with a different husband-and-wife. I hope it's still available. 

The McLean Secret Agent loves his job. 

Is a swimming pool a good thing or a bad thing? Please share your feedback with the McLean Secret Agent. 

(At time of this post, it's been on the market 251 days.)

6240 Linway Terrace -- Chesterbrook -- $1,350,000

Listed by Exit Metro Realty

Stately Wayne Manor, Home of Batman? Well, fellow McLeanites, I showed this off-the-hook property to a relocation client from FreddieMac last week and everyone was swooning. The handsome stone work on the front elevation, the gracious floor plan--filled with surprises,bonus rooms, separate "wings" and georgeous interior finishes--made for an exciting, below-market experience; this bank-owned opportunity (the 2008 tax assessment is $2,239,120) speaks to the turbulence (and possibilities!) of the 2009 residential housing market. The McLean Secret Agent rarely makes this statement: It's a buy. 

Beautiful hardwoods, custom moldings in all the public rooms, a stylish Food Network-inspired kitchen are among the delights of the main level. 

The McLean Secret Agent is a foodaholic (as well as a workaholic), so I was high-fiving everyone when I spied the chic Four Seasons-style kitchen/sitting room off the Master Suite. Beat still my heart! And Carrie Bradshaw would flip over the closets!

And while we're talking about kitchens (yes, plural), the lower level features another kitchen for Redskins parties, post-Kennedy Center fetes and Sweet-16 celebrations for Baby Heather. Did I forget the custom library and the 3-car garage? 

But no house is perfect, and the McLean Secret Agent admits that the in-your-face setting on Linway Terrace is not for everyone. An awkward parking situation in a pipestem/alley (you'll see...) requires visitors to walk around to the front...but I'm being picky. 

This compelling value reeks of sophistication, style and endless possibilities for entertaining. The McLean Secret Agent is in love.

Have you ever bought a bank-owned property? Please share your feedback with the McLean Secret Agent.

(At time of posting, it's been on the market 164 days.)