Upscale housing helps Virginia counties grow

While national media attention may focus on the downturn in the housing market, the Washington area continues to be home to several of the wealthiest counties in the country.

High-income households are abundant in Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Northern Virginia, so builders continue to deliver homes to meet their desires.

Some of these upscale homes - generally those priced at $900,000 and above - are expensive because they are built on large sites. However, luxury homes can also include town homes and single-family homes on smaller lots that are high-priced because they are in an exclusive location near a Metro station or other desirable areas.

Whether on a small lot or a large lot, most upscale homes share such attributes as an enduring brick or stone exterior; hardwood, ceramic tile, marble and stone plentiful inside; state-of-the-art kitchens; the latest in high-tech wiring and equipment; and a pampering, spa-like master bath.

Here are a few of the developers currently building upscale homes in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

Basheer & Edgemoore Homes LLC’s 58 luxurious homes in Maymont are designed to complement the meadows of a former orchard off Route 7 and Beulah Road in Vienna, west of Tysons Corner. The Maymont homes are set around multiple parks, and the neighborhood includes a walking trail that links the neighborhood with conservation areas of woodlands and a valley with a small stream.

The homes are part of the Embassy Collection, which are reminiscent of European estate homes.

Each home has 4,000 to 6,000 finished square feet and is built on sites of a half-acre or larger. Base prices begin at $1,700,000. Each home can be customized, and standard features include brick and stone exteriors, high ceilings, hardwood floors, oak stairs, fireplaces, gourmet kitchens and three-car garages. Call 703/759-2968 or visit www.BasheerandEdgemoore.com.

Brookfield Homes Corp. and the company’s luxury custom home division, Keswick Homes, have several upscale developments in Fairfax County.

Keswick Homes is building in several Fairfax County locations:

• The base price Keswick’s homes at Grace Manor at Minor Hill in McLean are from $1,949,900 to $2,249,990 in the established Franklin Park neighborhood. Just 16 homes will be built in this wooded setting, each with four to six bedrooms and three to seven baths.

• At Keswick-McLean Properties in Great Falls, Keswick is building custom homes, base priced from $2,009,990 to $2,799,900, each with four to six bedrooms and three to seven baths.

• The custom Keswick homes at Springvale Meadows, near the intersection of Georgetown Pike and Springvale Road in Great Falls, are available at base prices from $2,599,990 to $3,049,990.

• Prices for the seven custom homes, each on 2-acre sites, at Marquette in Great Falls are based from $2,699,990 to $3,149,990. The homes have four bedrooms and three to five baths.

m At Welles Street in Vienna, Keswick is building homes from its Craftsman Collection. Each of the three models is base-priced from $1,600,000 and above. These homes have brick fronts, four bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, hardwood floors, marble fireplaces, moldings, high ceilings and luxury baths. Call 703/288-3020 or visit www.BrookfieldWashington.com.

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