Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Back to School Checklist? Don’t Forget Your Child’s Dental Exam

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Dr. Peter Markov and his team at the award-winning VK Pediatric Dentistry want to remind you to not forget your child’s dental health as kids get ready to go back to school.

If you have children who have not had a recent dental exam or cleaning because of COVID-19, do not hesitate to schedule at the beautiful, kid-friendly and clean office in Arlington. In addition to taking every safety measure possible to ensure children are safe and comfortable at their visits, the practice is still limiting all appointments to just one family at a time, ensuring your loved ones are seen in the most personalized and safest way possible.

Dr. Peter and the team at VK Pediatric Dentistry have been voted a top pediatric dentist in Arlington and Northern Virginia and have received many recent awards including being recognized in the Washingtonian, Arlington Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Washington Family and more because of their exceptional care and happy patients.

The mission of the practice is to set the bar for the best care possible when it comes to pediatric dentistry and children’s oral health. VK Pediatric Dentistry prides itself on a focus on prevention and conservative treatment, a modern kid-friendly office, and fun goodies and giveaways for the entire family. One of the most common things they hear from families is, “Our kids were so excited to come today. I don’t know how we’ll get them to leave!”

Whether it is your child’s first tooth, a routine cleaning, a dental emergency, or an orthodontic screening and evaluation, VK Pediatric Dentistry sees kids of all ages and takes pride in making dental visits something kids actually look forward to.

Visit www.smilewithvk.com or call 703-962-7814 to learn more about the office or to meet Dr. Peter and the rest of the team. VK Pediatric Dentistry is located in Arlington and has convenient reserved parking, online scheduling, convenient hours and more!

Statutes of Liberty Readerpalooza: We Want Your Questions!

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is by James Montana, Esq., Doran Shemin, Esq. and Laura Lorenzo, Esq., practicing attorneys at Steelyard LLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Arlington, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact James for an appointment.

We’ve inflicted 40 columns on you — this, speaking generously, is our 41st.

We’ve riffed on “Cool Hand Luke” (Immigration Court is Dystopian), “Batman and Robin” (Trump Admin Regulations Frozen) and “Animal House” (Love, Marriage and Immigration). Our august founder woke up one day under the mistaken impression that he was Misty of Chincoteague (Local Lawyer Hangs Out with Wild Ponies).

James is out of ideas — and cigars. Send both!

We like writing these columns, but we want to take a breather for a moment to ask what you, our favorite readers, what you want to read. So, we created a poll below.

Pick your favorite option or write your own ideas in the comments below. As always, we will try to reply to them all.

Just Sold in Arlington: March 18, 2021

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This past week, 52 properties in Arlington were sold, ranging from a $1.9 million 4 BD/5.5 BA home in Lyon Village to a $209K 1 BD/1 BA corner condo with views of D.C.

Overall, as of March 7, there were 582 homes listed for sale in Arlington, according to Homesnap. This includes 415 condos, 137 detached homes and 30 townhomes.

“The median list price is $549,450 and the median sales price is $624,900,” Homesnap reports. “There have been 210 new listings in the last 4 weeks and 263 sales.”

Here’s a look at a few of the properties sold in the past seven days:

In the market? See properties that have been Just Listed and Just Reduced.

Sean Wilson Joins Ann Wilson Homes

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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Ann Wilson Homes is pleased to announce that Sean Wilson has joined the team as a licensed Virginia real estate agent in the K.W. Metro Center Arlington office. A longtime resident of Northern Virginia, Wilson is excited to use his insider knowledge of the local market to help buyers find their perfect homes in Arlington, Falls Church and McLean.

Sean Wilson’s real estate experience goes way back — all the way to elementary school, when he accompanied his mother as she built her highly successful and award-winning Ann Wilson Homes and became one of the nation’s top producers. Sean went on to earn an MBA in 2020 and a B. S. in Entrepreneurship in 2019 from High Point University. During this time he completed internships at K.W. Metro Center’s Arlington and Tysons Corner offices as well.

Apprenticing with such an amazing role model, combined with his own entrepreneurial spirit, charismatic personality and passion for the industry made Sean Wilson’s career choice easy. He looks forward to applying his business acumen to help structure the best deals for his clients — and give his mother some healthy competition as a top producer! Learn more at AnnWilsonHomes.com.

Small Business Focus: 3 Diverse Women-Owned Restaurants in Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

By Alex Held, Small Business Manager

So much has changed since March 2020. Our world has shifted, and many say we are now facing a “New Normal.”

It’s hard to imagine, but today marks one year of COVID-19 restrictions in Virginia. Since then, restaurants changed their operations to comply with the state limitations and to keep their customers and employees safe. However, there is no doubt the restrictions have negatively impacted many restaurants’ bottom line.

When the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) approached us to support their innovative Buy a Nurse Lunch program this week, we were thrilled to take part.  With donations, the program purchases meals from local restaurants, which are then sent to frontline workers at Arlington Free Clinic, Arlington Pediatric Center, Mary Marshall Assisted Living and Virginia Hospital Center.

And, on the note of supporting local restaurants and with March an ode to women throughout history, we wanted to use this as an opportunity to support and highlight three diverse women-owned restaurants in Columbia Pike.

Rincome Thai Cuisine

Founded in 1985 by Mihee Pansiri, her late husband Kenny and her sister Miok An, Rincome Thai Cuisine serves authentic Thai food on Columbia Pike. The sisters are Korean American and have incorporated traditional Korean dishes such as bulgogi and homemade kimchi to their menu.

“If you want the kimchi to go, then this is the place to get it,” Pansiri said. “Once you try it, you will be coming back for more, like many of my customers.” Like many restaurants, Rincome has altered its operations, and the entire family has pitched in to help.

Even Rincome’s longtime customers have offered support through continued patronage and knowledge sharing about funding opportunities such as Arlington County’s Small Business Emergency GRANT, which they received last summer.

“It’s nice, and our customers care,” Pansiri said. “Many of them began coming to us when they were young with their parents. Now they are fully grown with children of their own.”

Through these challenging times, CPRO’s Buy a Nurse Lunch program has provided them with additional revenue to support their staff and continue operations. “It’s been a lifeline for us,” Pansiri said.

If you are interested in checking out Rincome Thai Cuisine, the restaurant opens at 4 p.m. for in-person dining and is located at 3030 Columbia Pike. They are also available online for pickup and delivery orders.

Wine lovers take note: Rincome launched a wine club — Rincome Wine O’Clock, where members receive two different Austrian wines every month. Follow them on Facebook to learn more.

Dama Ethiopian Restaurant

Ethiopia is calling. Interested in tasting the rich flavors of the East African country but not able to travel because of the pandemic? Fear not. Arlington has its very own authentic award-winning Ethiopian restaurant.

Dama Ethiopian Restaurant has been serving deliciousness at 1503 Columbia Pike since 2000. While Dama is primarily known for traditional Ethiopian and vegan cuisine, they also have a wide selection of European-styled pastries and coffees, which are extremely popular with customers.

Like many restaurants, Dama Ethiopian Restaurant wasn’t expecting a pandemic to strike in 2020. “We sought to pivot and outreach to our customers in new ways,” owner Amsale Selassie said.

Similarly, Dama had to change the way it did business to comply with the stay-at-home orders.

“Arlington’s Small Business Emergency GRANT helped us to adjust and pivot, and we also applied for the Temporary Outdoor Seating Area, which helped maintain our regular customers and bring new ones to the outdoor space,” Selassie said.

Having been well known for many years in Arlington, Dama Ethiopian Restaurant has cultivated a loyal customer base. “The support from our customers during this time has been instrumental in helping us stay afloat,” Selassie said.

If you’re interested in trying Dama Ethiopian Restaurant, they are open for indoor and outdoor dining, takeout and delivery. Check out their menu online and follow them on Facebook.

Café Sazon

Café Sazon is a family-owned business founded in 2010 and is known for its fusion of a variety of Latin American flavors using fresh, high-quality ingredients. As with many restaurants a year ago, Café Sazon temporarily closed for two months.

“It was hard in the beginning,” says Café Sazon founder Claudia Camacho.”Especially having to close, then coming back.” Luckily Café Sazon was able to source emergency capital from the Paycheck Protection Program and Arlington’s Small Business Emergency GRANT.

Then when they reopened last summer, Café Sazon had the opportunity to participate in the Buy a Nurse Lunch program.

“We were thrilled with the opportunity to participate in the program,” Camacho said. “The program provides us additional revenue and the opportunity to support nurses in our community.”

Similarly, to Rincome and Dama, Café Sazon has a loyal customer base that has been extremely supportive during these challenging times. “The support that we get from customers every day from buying gift cards, ordering takeout or delivery, and now that we have our outdoor patio, we’re starting to see them back,” Camacho said.

If you are interested in trying Café Sazon, they are located at 4704 Columbia Pike, and are open for takeout, indoor and outdoor dining, and delivery. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to learn more.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Harry and Ron

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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Meet Harry and Ron, 4-year-old brothers who use their ~magic~ to open doors and photo-bomb remote school, becoming celebs amongst one fifth-grade class.

Here’s what Harry and Ron’s family had to say about these two

The good people at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington may remember them as Tom and Jerry, but those shelter names did not fit with the Harry Potter phase of our household at the time. Alas, meet Harry and Ron, 4-year-old brothers who arrived over Labor Day weekend in 2017 and have entertained humans, playfully pummeled each other, and “hunted” birds and squirrels from the safety of the family room window ever since.

The brothers are as chatty and rambunctious as their kitten days. A cardboard box of any size, a feather on a string or just a plain old pipe cleaner are their favorite tools of the trade. At nap time, Harry, the black-and-white sibling, prefers the perch atop the cat tree where he can keep one eye on the wildlife outside and one eye on the humans inside. Ron, gray and white, is particularly fond of the youngest human of the house, following him from room to room and sleeping in his bed every single night.

And during the pandemic, their ability to push open doors has helped Harry and Ron gain celebrity status in a certain Arlington fifth-grade class by frequently photo bombing virtual school lessons.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos — they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!

Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.

How is everyone holding up through the latest daylight saving time change?

Sure, it had to be a bit rough waking up this Monday morning, but look at all we get to enjoy here in Arlington County. “Longer” days make for that much more time post-work to explore our award-winning parks, trails and outdoor amenities. For many on our team, it’s our favorite time of year.

Speaking of time, now is an incredibly interesting and exciting time for the local real estate market. With optimism flowing and (hopefully) the worst of the pandemic well behind us, many folks are shifting gears and are ready to make a change. For buyers, sellers and renters, now is the time to assess your unique scenario.

As always, when you’re ready to chat, the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is here for you. And now on to this week’s Just Reduced figures…

As of March 15, there are 120 detached homes, 41 townhouses and 320 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 36 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

Please note this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.

Lunch Break Tattoo Removal at ProMD Health

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

A tattoo used to be a choice that would be with you forever. Today, however, your tattoo could be a thing of the past. Tattoo removal is now available at ProMD Health in Arlington!

Our advanced Astanza Duality laser will shatter the ink particles in the dermis, allowing the body’s immune system to flush the tattoo ink away. FDA-cleared Astanza lasers utilize two wavelengths to remove a large spectrum of colored ink and a square beam to treat a larger area without overlap.

We use the Zimmer Cryro 6 cooler to lower the temperature of your skin, providing you with the most comfortable experience possible. If desired, additional anesthetic can be utilized to fully “numb” the location being treated. Most patients describe the procedure as “easy,” “only a minute” and “couldn’t even feel it.”

Breast cancer survivors often have a painful reminder of their days in treatment thanks to a tattoo used in their radiation procedures. Breast cancer survivors can schedule a visit to have their ink removed for free!

Laser tattoo removal is safe and effective. Let ProMD Health evaluate your tattoo and walk you through the entire process. Call 410-449-2060 to schedule a laser tattoo removal consultation.

Ask Eli: How Many Agents Worked in Arlington Last Year?

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based realtor and Arlington resident. Please submit your questions to him via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: How many different real estate agents do business in Arlington in a typical year?

Answer: There were 2,770 real estate transactions in Arlington in 2020 (incredibly close to the 2,782 transactions in 2019!), totaling over $2.16 billion in total sales volume (up from $1.96 billion in 2019).

I think most people would assume a few hundred different real estate agents worked on those 2,770 transactions, but in fact, there were 2,223 different agents part of those sales (remember, most transactions have two agents involved). In 2019, 2,017 different agents transacted in Arlington so the numbers are very consistent.

I looked over the 2020 Arlington transaction data and pulled out some interesting highlights:

  • 61.4% of the agents who handled an Arlington real estate transaction in 2020 work on just one sale in Arlington. (They may have done more business outside of Arlington.)
  • Just 3% of agents handled 10 or more transactions in Arlington and 0.8% handled 20 or more transactions.
  • 1,452 different agents represented buyers in Arlington, and 19 of them (1.3%) worked with 10 or more buyers in Arlington.
  • 1,316 different agents represented sellers in Arlington and 29 of them (2.2%) worked with 10 or more sellers in Arlington.
  • Of the 858 agents who handled two or more transactions in Arlington, they averaged 4.7 transactions each.
  • Only two agents with 5-plus transactions averaged $2 million or more per transaction: Mark McFadden and Jennifer Thornett.
  • Keri Shull and her team once again led Arlington in transactions and sales volume, by a wide margin, participating in roughly 8.4% of the transactions in Arlington and handling about 4% of the total sales volume in Arlington. Keri, of course, has a great team of agents and staff supporting this activity. In an article I wrote in 2019, I explained how different agents/teams are structured.

Most studies suggest that consumers are less concerned with measures like sales volume and are more focused on the strength of communication and trustworthiness of the agent they’re working with, but market expertise and experience are still important factors for most people.

While some may see the low barrier to entry to real estate licensing and a high volume of agents as a negative, it also means that you have a lot of choices as a consumer and, with some effort, can make sure that you’re working with somebody who provides the type service you’re looking for.

If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].

If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column or to set-up an in-person meeting to discuss local Real Estate, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at www.EliResidential.com. Call me directly at 703-539-2529.

Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N Fairfax Dr #10C Arlington VA 22203. 703-390-9460.

Wethman Group: One of Arlington’s Top Real Estate Agents for First-Time Buyers

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

When asked why she got her real estate license more than 16 years ago, Katie Wethman responded simply: “It’s personal for me.”

Back in 2010, the long-time Arlington resident was looking for a home, and she felt like no one could clearly explain the process or answer her questions. So, she got her license and began teaching first-time homebuyer classes.

“It can be a really overwhelming process for first-time and even second-time homebuyers because people only buy a couple of houses in their entire life,” said Wethman, who’s now the managing director of the Wethman Group.

In her class, which she’s been teaching for more than 15 years, Wethman breaks down the process, eliminating the overwhelming stress many homebuyers experience.

We recently caught up with Wethman, who was voted one of Arlington’s top real estate agents for first-time homebuyers in the 2021 Winter Arlies. She shared some of her best advice for first-time buyers (or, really, any homebuyer).

1. Find the right team

When buying a home, it’s essential you work with a team you trust. Of course, this includes a real estate agent.

“If you have that, everything else will fall into place,” Wethman said.

The agents at Wethman Group are there to be your advocate, to help you make the best, most informed decision possible.

“Right now, the market is so hot that it’s really hard to separate a logical decision from the emotion and the pressure and excitement,” Wethman said. “That’s our role — to remove the emotion and point out the negative as well as the positive so you can make an informed decision instead of a rushed emotional decision.”

Another piece of the puzzle people is finding the right lender — someone who can work quickly and counsel you on different loan programs. Wethman and her team are happy to connect buyers with one of their recommended lenders.

2. Talk honestly about expectations and trade-offs

When Wethman’s team connects with a new buyer, they typically schedule two meetings so they can get to know one another, outline the homebuying process and answer any questions.

They’ll also make a list of must-have, nice-to-have and deal breakers when it comes to a home.

“Too many people waste time trying to find that needle in the haystack,” Wethman said. She encourages buyers to remember “everything in the search process is trade-offs and decisions between price, condition and location.”

Wethman’s team also performs historical analyses to see how often your perfect house is likely to come on the market.

3. Just get started, there’s no pressure

It’s no secret the real estate market is hot in Arlington right now, and that can be intimidating for first-time homebuyers. If you’re interested in buying a home — or even if you’re just a tad curious — Wethman encourages you to connect with her team.

“I think sometimes people are afraid to start the process because they don’t want to be pressured,” Wethman said.

She’s all about building long-term relationships. In fact, she’s had people reach out five years after initially connecting, finally ready to make a move.

“Sometimes the right answer is to keep renting and just keep in touch,” she said. “We’re your consultant, and we’re going to give you the right advice. It’s the same advice we’d give a good friend or family member.”

If you’re interested in exploring the homebuying journey, Wethman and her team are happy to help.

Wethman Group at Keller Williams Realty
[email protected]
703-655-7672
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Your Beermonger: 3 Floyds Shipment Just Arrived (aka Beer From ‘the Best Brewery in the World’)

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is written by Todd Himes, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Order from Arrowine’s expanding online store for curbside pickup.

Your old, jaded Beermonger here was all set to pen an ode to the simple yet complex joys of the humble lager and its recent return to respectability within the craft beer culture at large. We’re talkin’ beers driven by high-quality ingredients and centuries-developed techniques, not by hops that form their own sentient amorphous T-2000-esque ooze or the effects of non-nutritive cereal varnish on head retention.

Instead, within the past week, we saw one of the most long-awaited brewery launches (technically a re-launch but it’s been a LONG time) from 3 Floyds out of Munster, Indiana. You might know them for their bright comic book inspired artwork, their frequent collaborations with heavy metal bands, their annual Dark Lord Day festival or, if you’re the type of beer drinker who frequented RateBeer or Beer Advocate in the late aughts, then you know them as The Best Brewery In The World.

That last bit was where I first really was introduced to the brewery. Dark Lord used to sit atop pretty much any list of Best Beers in the World that was floating around at the time. I was convinced, in my mind, that the praise was based highly on the fact that you couldn’t actually get the beer. (The more things change the more they stay the same.) Dark Lord may not have invented the “beer you can only get for one day a year,” but it sure took the beer release to a new level. It was a beer geek party that included bottle shares that were seemingly the stuff of legends.

At the time, the full lineup was very much the same way. They distributed to a very small number of states. (At one time, that distribution reached the East Coast but as demand went up, they pulled back to a very small handful of states.) For years I would visit my in-laws in Chicago and carry an extra suitcase on the way out in order to bring back plenty of Zombie Dust. The beers they produced were very in vogue for the time of Extreme Beer, high ABV, high IBUs, aggressive names and labels — worlds apart from the soft, pillowy hazy IPAs, triple fruit smoothie sours and every type of candy bar in the grocery store checkout aisle pastry stout that rule today.

I was so impressed by Alpha King the first time I had it because, in my mind, it sat perfectly in the space between two of my other favorite beers at the time, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Dogfish Head 60 Minute. To see that beer being one of the hottest items on the shelf in 2021 tops my list of unexpected events of the year so far. Let that sink in for a moment. Here, in this calendar year, it’s people losing their minds for bitter IPAs you can see through that has caught me the most off-guard.

Here at Arrowine we got in our first shipment of 3 Floyds last week, and it sold out before I could even send a newsletter out. Luckily we got another shipment this afternoon, so it looks like the Midwest Masters of Hops are going to be here to stay.

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