Around 8:00 last night, I remembered I had to go to the ATM. Since I was already in my “lounging attire” (aka pajamas) I decided to drive. On my way back I noticed 14 8th Street SE lit up like a Christmas tree lot on December 24. Lights blazing, open house signs shouting from the street corners. Having walked by that place every day twice a day for the past few years, I’ve been watching the transformation from long deserted gray formstone eyesore to an uber luxe crib that would put even P Diddy to shame. PJ’s be damned, I pulled over and went in, clutching my roll of $20′s (earnest money deposit perhaps 
I’ve lived on the Hill a long time and I remember what a big deal it was when the first $1M house sold. Now they are practically a dime a dozen. This new crop of ultra stylishly renovated houses that have been coming on the market recently is a brand new frontier. I know there are people who don’t like to mess with tradition but I am not among them. I think these places are fantastic, and 14 8th St, SE is no exception. Listed at $1.85M, it has 4 bedrooms , 3.5 baths and about 3700 square feet of shiny sparkly brand spankin’ new living space. Formal living and dining room with a gigantic top of the line kitchen that opens out onto a family room with a wall of windows overlooking a stylishly landscaped back garden. The gardens are often an afterthought in these reno’s; it’s nice to see one so well thought out. The house also has some other wonderful attributes – a den, media room , wet bar , etc, etc. Go see for yourself – it’s open this Saturday AND Sunday from 1 – 4.
If $1.8M is little too rich for your blood, walk just a few blocks further and check out 812 C St, SE. Listed at $999k, it was a House and Garden Tour favorite with Grand proportions and Historic details but is also fully updated. 3 bedrooms, including an amazing Master Suite, 3.5 baths including one in the family/rec room basement. Chef’s kitchen with pantry opens to the back patio for outdoor entertaining and a 2 car parking garage. Open Sunday from 1-4.
The rest of the open houses on the Hill are posted here.
