Editor's Note: Houston is loaded with must-have houses for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. Throughout the month of June, CultureMap editor-at-large Shelby Hodge snoops through some of our faves and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

1602 Potomac

Walk through: Up the tile stairs we go to the second floor, not knowing what quite to expect, though the clean lines of the townhouse exteriors offer a promise of good things to come. The first peek inside the slick contemporary Mediterranean dwelling gives me goose bumps. Literally. I think I could live here.

Love the intimate living room that feels much more spacious than reality due to its 14-foot ceilings and the abundance of light flooding in from tall windows. Love the next door dining room as well.

Moving beyond, into the kitchen and family room, I'm ready to put up the earnest money. The large, livable space reads warmth and homey pleasures from the six-burner gas stove to the ample marble countertops, to the fireplace, the soaring coffered ceiling and the wall of windows. It doesn't hurt that this is home to an interior designer and she has kept the place in mint condition since moving in several years ago.

We could take the stairs but we opt for the elevator up to the third floor where three bedrooms and three baths make this level all about sleeping and privacy. A balcony off the master overlooks the quaint interior garden where a tree and shrubs offer a verdant tableau. The fourth floor is the media room, perfect for football afternoons. And don't miss the views north across the trees and rooftops.

Heading down to the ground floor, we find access to the little garden, a guest bedroom and bath and what the owner refers to as a wine room — large enough to seat a bunch for dinner and charming with its interior wine cellar. The ground floor hall opens into the spacious two-car garage.

Wow factors: Heavy molding, serene paint colors and hardwood floors combined with the owners spectacular furnishings make this a grand showplace. And the abundance of windows, a rarity in the townhouse arena, makes this home very appealing.

Good news, not so good news: On another street, this beautiful home would fetch quite a bit more than the friendly asking price. The value is exceptional. The drawback could be that this block of Potomac is in transition and the properties across the street are in need of a facelift at the least.

Bonus: The townhouse is flanked by driveways on both the north and south sides, meaning that there is breathing room. Trees grow along the drives providing views of greenery and sky as opposed to up-close brick walls that are often the townhouse view.

Square footage: 4,297

Asking price: $995,000

Listing agent:Linda Ledbetter of Heritage Texas Properties