Here’s this week’s roundup of the biggest deals in the region, as reported by American City Business Leads. The Virginia exurbs—Middleburg, Oakton, Ashburn—had an unusually strong showing this week, while the District did not crack the top ten.

The box score:
• Virginia: 6
• Maryland: 4
• DC: 0

$3,500,000—36579 Mountville Road, Middleburg
$2,300,000—7018 Exfair Road, Bethesda
$2,194,000—175 River Park Drive, Great Falls
$1,950,000—2557 Bridge Hill Lane, Oakton
$1,843,918—20149 Black Diamond Place, Ashburn
$1,825,000—1098 Mill Field Court, Great Falls
$1,799,500—3802 Millard Way, Fairfax
$1,762,500—6513 Kenhill Road, Bethesda
$1,735,000—7409 Arden Road, Cabin John
$1,639,000—6700 Fairfax Road, Chevy Chase

Gansler bought this house in Bethesda...

Weeks after winning his first statewide election, Maryland attorney general Doug Gansler and his wife, Laura Leedy Gansler, traded up. After collecting $1.2 million for a four-bedroom, four-bath Colonial in Chevy Chase’s Ridgewood Village neighborhood, the couple spent $1.3 million on a five-bedroom Colonial in Bethesda’s Bradley Hills Grove. The new house, near Burning Tree Country Club and Holton-Arms School, sits on a half acre and has a swimming pool, marble foyer, and two-car garage.

...and sold this one in Chevy Chase.

Before being elected to his new post in November, Gansler was Montgomery County’s chief prosecutor. Laura Gansler, a lawyer and writer, cowrote Class Action, a nonfiction book about a sexual-harassment case that was adapted into the film North Coutry with Charlize Theron.

Artefacto’s Bahamas Chaise Lounge is a modern twist on a luxurious classic. It comes in six colors and two versions—with the arm on the right or left.  There are more than 300 choices of upholstery, including leather and suede. The chocolate-colored finish with Ratier Bouclé Valencia Bleached Fabric, shown below, goes for $3,900.
Artefacto, 3333 M Street NW, Georgetown, 202-338-3337. 

For those on a tighter budget, World Market’s Studio Day Sofa creates a similar look—and costs $399.  Although it does not offer as many color and fabric choices, it provides versatility: The sides fold up or down to switch from lounge to sofa to bed. And while you might be stuck with the espresso finish on the wood frame, you can buy cotton cushion and pillow covers in light blue, bright red, and a tan color called “desert” ($89). Don’t forget to dust off your toolkit—assembly is required.  
10 area locations; click here for more. 

This house is on the market for just under $5 million.

Like its cousin in Virginia, Chain Bridge Road in Northwest DC is one of Washington’s most exclusive and prestigious streets.  Part of the pricey Kent neighborhood, it has a quiet and isolated feel. Most of the homes line one side of the street and face Battery Kemble Park, the woodsy haunt of dog-walkers and joggers. The majestic houses—three-quarters of them are assessed for more than $1 million—range from Lego-like modern homes with large glass windows to traditional houses with sweeping verandas. Bold-face residents include NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and former chairman of the Fed Alan Greenspan as well as former EPA deputy director Robert Sussman. 
 

The houses on Chain Bridge Road are an odd collection of styles. This ultra-contemporary...

Halfway down the winding, shady road is a five-bedroom, five-bath stone house on the market for just under $5 million. Assessed by the city for $3.4 million, the house is reminiscent of a small castle and sports a wine cellar, stone balcony and patios, and two-car garage. A builder bought the home in 2005 and completely gutted and renovated the interior, adding more than 1,000 square feet to make a grand total of more than 7,000 square feet.  Wide windows overlook the park, and it shares a tennis court and pool with five neighboring houses. The pool, at 42-by-18 feet, is more than twice the size of the average residential pool.

...neighbors more traditional homes like this one.

Residents are fighting to keep Chain Bridge as it is. They’re winning a battle to stop development of 13 new houses on the street. If they have their way, the $5-million home for sale may be one of the few chances to buy on the street. It’s been on the market since November—listing agent Anne Hatfield Weir says no one has put in an offer yet.

This classic-looking love seat from West Elm, a contemporary furniture chain owned by Williams-Sonoma, is going for $300. The brushed-cotton twill upholstery is stain resistant, and the poster claims it’s just three months old. It’s 58-by-36 and retails for $800.

More good finds:

• Teak bench from Storehouse for $600
• Cherry magazine rack for $100
• Dining room table with six chairs for $950
• Oak TV stand for $170
• Wooden credenza for $450
• Black sofa for $300

Thanks, Craigslist! 

When we looked last week at the five hottest DC neighborhoods, I was surprised to see Congress Heights top the list. In 2006, 287 homes sold in this once-neglected East of the Anacostia River neighborhood at a median price of $245,000, a jump of 127 percent from $108,000 in 2003. In addition, Congress Heights prices climbed almost 30 percentage points higher than any other DC neighborhood.

With all the new construction and development in the city, why are Congress Heights prices going up so fast? It doesn’t hurt that prices there were low to begin with, but that doesn’t answer the whole question. Other neighborhoods with similarly low median prices did not see as much growth.

According to a Washington DC Economic Partnership report Congress Heights is “poised for new development” and already has several projects in the pipeline. The Shops at Park Village, a $21-million mixed-use development that will include 75 single-family homes and a new Giant grocery store, will open this summer on the former site of Camp Simms, a military base. Residential and commercial plans are also in the works at the Congress Heights Metro stop and at Saint Elizabeths Hospital.

Contributing to the Congress Heights boom are two huge projects that bookend the neighborhood—the recently completed, $27-million Town Hall Education, Arts & Recreation Campus, known as the ARC, to the south and the new Nationals baseball stadium across the Anacostia River to the north.

Combined, these factors create the perfect environment for development—and huge leaps in prices.

This modern bench is lively and colorful. It’s going for $200 and measures 48-by-20—a good size for a hallway or foyer.

More finds:

• Contemporary glass and wood dining table for $1,500
• Entertainment center from Pier 1 for $350
• Coat rack and storage bench for $180
• Bar-height table and chairs for $250
• Breakfast table with four chairs for $125
• Glass-top coffee table made by Mitchell Gold for $350

Thanks, Craig!