Prometheus 6

A Million Here, A Million There
What's a Seven-Figure House? Not What Many Expect.
By Dina ElBoghdady and Mary Ellen Slayter
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, April 19, 2008; F01

Stephanie and Ed Aron figured they would spend about $850,000 to buy a home. But before they knew it, they were signing a $1.2 million contract for a newly built house in Bethesda.

"When I was growing up, a $1 million house meant you had a pool and a driver," said Ed Aron, 37, who is from rural Colorado. "But we're just a middle-class family."

For many home buyers, reaching the $1 million threshold can be an intensely emotional experience, even though that's not an unusual amount to spend in parts of the Washington area. Here, that kind of money can buy a wide range of homes, from a three-bedroom condominium in Cleveland Park to a waterfront estate in Calvert County.