When we moved to Northern Virginia, we had to decide whether to build a new house or to buy an existing one.

I've always felt that buying a new house was sort of like going to a restaurant -- you get menu after menu where you can choose anything you want, and where many people get carried away. But then you get the check, and it's always a little higher than you expected. Buying an old house is more like a treasure hunt -- you take what's there, but you never know what you're going to discover.

To me, houses are like people, with imperfections and character that make them more interesting. Our Virginia house was built about 30 years ago, and was owned by three families before us. Each one added improvements to the house and each left their mark.

Here's an example. The bathroom has a beautiful wooden cabinet, with flowers etched into the mirror. The sunrise shows through the trees across the road and illuminates the flowers.

And that's what treasure hunts are all about.