I'm so lucky that I get to represent amazing sellers with unique and outstanding properties. And every so often, something really special pops up, not that the others aren't special in their own right, but there's a real story, and a history, and an essence to experience.

That can certainly be said of my latest gem, Twin Oaks, an historic inn and now boutique winery, centered around an incredible 1893 stone house, which was the subject of a meticulous restoration just 23 years ago.

​Welcome...to Twin Oaks.

I have had the privilege of spending time at this property, walking the same floors which Washingtonians trod in the early 1900's, after arriving by train via the (now defunct) Washington & Old Dominion Railroad. Imagine how, a century ago, the best way to escape the summer heat of the capital was to spend time in the higher elevations of Bluemont, Virginia, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley to the west.

Fast forward to today, actually to 1997, when a fire engulfed the property which was at that time owned by a builder who subsequently sold the derelict property to its current owners.

​Their original plan was to restore and sell this old edifice, however following a trip to Europe, Mr. and Mrs. Evers caught the wine bug, no, not a debilitating disease, but a new found passion for planting and growing grapes. In fact Donna's forefathers were winemakers of note in Croatia, and that DNA had clearly been passed down the line.

And so, in the early 2000's, early vines were planted and later a tasting room built, to complement the winery beneath the stone house.

I could not be more honored to be co-listing Twin Oaks with Donna Evers, an incredible lady and the energy behind his 25 year odyssey.

It's hard to imagine a Virginia property with finer views, and even harder to capture the essence of those views of iconic Old Rag with a camera, when the human eye still possesses the finest optical technology.

When my co-listing agent, Charlie Thies, and I first drove up the one mile, asphalt driveway to the top, being pressed into the backrests of my SUV's seats, we were truly astounded and mesmerized by what we found. A property originally built in 1973 and gradually expanded upon during the intervening years by fastidious owners with a passion for the unique, and the very special.

There we were, high up in this wonderful county, just minutes away from the quaint town of Washington, Virginia, home to the incredible Michelin 3 star restaurant hotel, the Inn at Little Washington, which additionally holds a Michelin Green Star, for restaurants which uphold sustainable and eco friendly culinary practices. In fact, Reality Mountain has also served as 'spillover' accommodation for the Inn, when weary lovers of gastronomy found no room at, yes, the Inn! The B&B special use permit conveys with the sale of this property, an unusual and much more difficult to obtain benefit today.

The house, which more resembles a castle, faces almost due south, ensuring that the massive double height windows provide its owners and guests with sunrises and sunsets and everything in between. The property lies within 50 serene acres, all in Open Space Easement, and has 8 bedrooms, including several self contained suites, 6 gorgeous full bathrooms and 3 half baths, on over 8,000 finished square feet of living space.

​The many different areas of the home, and its extraordinary layout, mean it takes quite some time to know where everything is, and how they are linked, such as the second floor enclosed walkway to one of the mini apartments. So much so that we created this 3-D floor plan to help the visitor travel through Reality Mountain.

Charlie and I are thrilled to have been entrusted with the global marketing of Reality Mountain, to secure the next stewards to take this magnificent property into the future. 

The property was painstakingly restored between 2000 and 2003 through the engagement of Donald Lococo, Architect (Washington D.C.) and Rosemary Howe Interiors. Placing it into conservation easement at that time has ensured that Stonyhurst will forever be protected from the ravages of over development. Wishing the incoming stewards a wonderful life in this place of peace and tranquility.

​​We are delighted to bring Monte Subasio to the luxury real estate market, a sophisticated estate on 23 lush acres in beautiful Bluemont, Virginia. This quite exceptional property was built to exacting standards in 2008, for an owner with an extreme eye for detail and engineering excellence. 

Designed in the Georgian Revival architectural style, and built using steel I-beams and support trusses throughout, the 11,700 finished square feet main house features five bedrooms, including an expansive master bedroom wing on the main level; five full bathrooms and four half bathrooms; a formal dining room and living room; a family room and an adjoining library, each overlooking the back garden and pond; a large chefs entertaining kitchen with professional grade appliances and breakfast area; a large laundry room; a fully finished lower level with a stone surround fireplace, bar, wine cellar, custom ice cream parlor and meditation room; a 14’ x 40’ indoor salt water lap pool with French doors overlooking the back garden...continued below

Slideshow

A four-car attached garage with 9’ wide doors and a full length unfinished second floor is accessed via a short covered breezeway, while a second, three-car detached garage with finished second level is a short walk away. The three-stall barn with heated tack room is finished to the same high standards of quality as are seen in the main house, and includes a finished second level. The grounds feature a ‘secret garden’ as well as manicured topiaries and hedges, all culminating with views of a serene pond - $2,995,000

Floor plans

This awful coronavirus may define our time. But it shouldn't; it should make us stronger, kinder and smarter, and hopefully it will. We have been seeing examples of that everywhere, from communities supporting the most vulnerable to individual examples of paying it forward. 

The global human toll has been horrible - think of every person who has succumbed and how many are directly affected by that one loss. Then factor that by the current estimate of well over 300,000 lost and the picture is terrible.

Follow that with the effects of the economic tsunami, job losses, businesses lost, the inability of so many to provide the basic necessities, the effect on mental health, the list goes on.

Another major socio economic consequence is beginning to play out; that more and more city dwellers are making, or considering making a move to less densely populated areas, namely suburban communities and the rural  countryside, which they see as safer for them and their families.

There are so many benefits to making the switch from living in the smoke, as we called it growing up in central London in the 1970's. Obviously benefit number one is the ability to move around without the constant proximity to other people which one experiences in cities, thereby reducing the risk of catching this, or any other virus. But raising a family with room to move around is healthy in other ways: The mental, physical and social advantages to children and adults is immeasurable. I remember when, as a kid in London literally kicking a football (aka soccer ball) around in the street, dodging cars and trucks, my brother was hit by a speeding car. Fortunately there was no lasting injury, but it could have been far worse.

​According to new data from Harris poll described recently in USA Today, almost a third of Americans are considering a move to a less densely populated area, "foreshadowing a shift that would have a major impact on residential real estate sales and home prices". 

Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, predicts that “People will be much more cautious about living in high-density areas with so many people nearby”.

Business Insider writes that millenials are less willing now to gamble on urban real estate,  and now that we are seeing a major shift to working from home, as long as there's a good internet connection, the need to be physically close to 'the office' is fast becoming less of a priority than pre-COVID.

​Politico warns that "It’s now obvious, if it weren’t before, that staying in big cities can be bad for your health". With 60% of the world's population living in cities, that makes for an alarming potential number of people who may make the transition away from urban areas.

All in all, it seems clear that we may be in for a rush, once things open up, to find properties with ample space for urbanites to find their new Zen. Yet history is filled with events which forced populations to leave major conurbations only to see the balance restored in the years and decades that followed. It seems to me that the ebb and flow will likely continue to ensure that ultimately, the human spirit will endure, and mankind will live where it wants to.