Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Small Biz Focus: It’s a New Year Filled With New Tools To Help Your Business

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This article was written by Tara Palacios, Director of BizLaunch, and Alex Held, Small Business Manager, at Arlington Economic Development.

BizLaunch is pleased to officially announce its latest initiative to help small businesses during the health pandemic, ReLaunch, which kicks off this month with a webinar on Jan. 27. As part of the ReLaunch efforts, local businesses will have the opportunity to apply for a complimentary suite of business services and technology assistance to help their business in the upcoming months.

If you’d like to be sent a notification about the upcoming initiative or to learn more about what’s happening in the small business community in Arlington, please sign up for our BizLaunch newsletter. We hope you apply!

Paycheck Protection Program Update

On Monday Jan. 11, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reopened its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for new PPP borrowers. Starting today, small businesses that have received PPP funding previously are able to apply for additional PPP funding accessing what is called a Second Draw PPP Loan.

In order to promote access to capital, only community financial institutions are able to make First Draw and Second Draw PPP loans this week. Community financial institutions include Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), Certified Development Companies (CDCs) and Microloan Intermediaries. To help borrowers prepare, sample applications for both the First Draw and Second Draw PPP loans are available on the SBA’s website.

In Arlington, two of our CDFI partners, Latino Economic Development Center and ECDC Enterprise Development Group, are both participating in the program, and businesses that don’t currently have a relationship with a 7(a) lender are able to apply. Shortly thereafter, the program will open to all participating PPP lenders, and all eligible businesses will be able to apply for the program. Businesses should consult with their financial institution, and visit the SBA’s website to learn more about the Paycheck Protection Program in order to take advantage of this resource.

For more information about capital resources available through the SBA, visit its website and stay up to date with us by signing up for our email.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Riley Finn

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/3

Meet Riley Finn, Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week. He’s a friendly 12-year-old Labrador-Rottweiler mix.

Here’s what Riley Finn had to say about his life in Arlington Highlands:

Hi. My name is Riley Finn. Yes, mom named me after a character in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” I am a 12-year-old three-quarters Labrador and one-quarter Rottweiler mix. I have lived in Arlington Highlands since I was 12 weeks old. I was adopted from A Forever Home rescue. Mom couldn’t resist my “dinner plate” sized paws.

My most favorite pastimes are anything having to do with a tennis ball (catching, carrying, retrieving). I also enjoy hanging out on my front porch watching the world go by and scaring the heck out of delivery people.

I am super friendly and really well behaved. I like going to restaurants with mom and dad. One time I was so quiet and good that the waiter didn’t even notice I was there until the end of the meal. (Did I mention I’m 90 pounds and hard to miss?) Everyone comments on how handsome I am and that makes me happy.

My sister, Molly, taught me how to tell time before she went to doggy heaven. Now I know exactly when it’s time for dinner or my 9 p.m. treat, and I make sure everyone knows I am starving.

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

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.

We’ve made it through one of the slower times of the year.

In the heart of Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year activities and everything in between, folks typically aren’t pushing the gas on their real estate aspirations. Now, nearly two weeks into 2021, we are starting to see things rev up again.

After a few weeks of steady declines on the listings front, we’ve seen our first uptick on detached home, townhouse and condo listings. Additionally, the number of Just Reduced properties has skyrocketed more than 200% over last week (from 12 to 36).

What’s between the numbers, you ask?

With the holidays in the books, folks are resetting and kicking things into high-gear to get properties sold. So, if you are in the market for buying, now is a wonderful time for you.

When you’re ready to embark on your real estate journey, the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to advocate and negotiate on your behalf.

And now on to this week’s Just Reduced figures…

As of January 11, there are 104 detached homes, 42 townhouses and 280 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 37 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.

Legal Insider: Consequences for Capitol Hill Rioters

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.

By John V. Berry, Esq.

We represent many employees in the workplace and individuals in administrative and civil forums. The unthinkable Capitol riot that took place on January 6, 2021, will lead to many serious consequences for the individuals who took part. While the full extent of what happened is still being investigated, there will be many consequences for those identified as being involved in the illegal riot in the Capitol.

These may include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Loss of Employment

Whether or not the individual involved is convicted, charged or just identified as being involved in the illegal activities in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, they can be fired from their employment. Private and public sector employees can be easily fired for their participation in the Capitol riots. There is no First Amendment protection for their actions.

2. Loss of Security Clearance

Aside from the issue of termination from employment, an individual that was involved and identified as being part of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, almost certainly will face the potential loss of their security clearance or a future inability to hold one. Whether the issue is criminal or just misconduct, individuals that hold or plan to hold a security clearance will likely have significant issues.

3. Criminal Charges

A number of the Capitol rioters have already been charged criminally for their actions on January 6, 2021. There is reason to suspect this list will grow significantly in the weeks to come as the FBI continues their work.

Depending on whether the individual is charged with (1) knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without law authority; (2) theft; (3) vandalism; (4) disorderly conduct; (5) violence (the murder of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick) (or assault on a federal law enforcement officer or a member of Congress); or (6) seditious conspiracy, there are major criminal penalties that await many of the rioters.

This is just a sample of the potential criminal charges that could be filed by prosecutors against Capitol rioters.

4. Placement on the No Fly List

Another consequence that individuals participating in the Capitol riot likely did not consider is that some appear to now being placed on the “No Fly List.” The No Fly List is a list created and maintained by the United States Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) of individuals who are prohibited from boarding commercial aircraft for travel within, into or out of the United States.

Already it looks as if some individuals have had difficulties returning home from Washington, D.C. after their participation in the Capitol riot. It can be extremely difficult to ever be taken off this list after being placed on it.

5. Lawsuits

For those Capitol rioters who engaged in violence or other actions that hurt others, they are likely to face civil lawsuits when they are identified. Insurers will be unlikely to defend them so rioters will face significant legal and liability costs. Others who did not participate in violence towards others but were present may also be called as witnesses and be dragged into multi-year litigation.

Conclusion

This is just an interim list of consequences for Capitol rioters as there are a number of other potential consequences they may face in the days and months to come as a result of their actions.

The Capitol riot was a horrific event that caused at least two police officers to tragically lose their lives, more than 50 other police officers to be injured, in addition to a number of rioters who lost their own lives. Those who participated in the Capitol riot are going to face a number of legal consequences as a result of their actions.

Rethink Energy: Input Needed To Implement the Community Energy Plan (2/1 Deadline)

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This regularly-scheduled sponsored column is written by the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy team (AIRE). This county program helps you make smart energy decisions that save you money and leaves a lighter footprint on the environment.

Late last year, the Arlington County Board adopted sweeping updates to the Community Energy Plan, setting ambitious targets for transforming the county’s energy sector.

Some highlights of Arlington’s Community Energy Plan (CEP) include:

  • Set goal of a carbon-neutral Arlington by 2050
  • Government operations to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2025
  • Community to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2035
  • Consider energy equity during implementation

County staff are working to finalize the Implementation Plan to reach CEP goals. We need your input on the draft Community Energy Plan Implementation Framework.

Visit the Implementation Framework engage page to provide your feedback. There, you’ll find background videos, additional information and a button at the bottom to provide input directly on the draft Implementation Framework.

Comments are being accepted until February 1, 2021.

Thank you for all of the community effort to update the Community Energy Plan.

We look forward to finalizing the Implementation Framework to help reach Arlington’s ambitious goals in the coming years.

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Looking for a home? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing this weekend.

Check out the Arlington Realty website for a full list of homes for sale and open houses in Arlington. Here are a few highlights:

1700 Clarendon Blvd, #158
2 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: KW Metro Center
Listed: $1,599,000
Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

 

3232 7th Street S.
5 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $1,350,000
Open: Saturday, 1-3 p.m.

 

1331 19th Road S.
4 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
Listed: $1,199,000
Open: Saturday, 1-3 p.m.

 

2022 N. Westmoreland Street
4 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath townhouse
Agent: eXp Realty, LLC
Listed: $1,040,000
Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

 

6142 Lee Highway
4 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Redfin
Listed: $850,000
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

 

5109 11th Street S.
3 BD/2 BA single-family home
Agent: RE/MAX Allegiance
Listed: $725,000
Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

 

2528 S. Walter Reed Drive, #3
2 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Bluestone Realty
Listed: $619,000
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

Just Listed in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Andors Real Estate Group.

Good morning Arlingtonians, and Happy New Year!

I’m excited about the housing market in 2021, and I know we’re going to have a fast-paced, inventory-starved, low-interest-rate-driven frenzy for homes across all price points.

We got some very big and interesting news from Amazon yesterday. A $2 billion commitment to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable homes in the locales where Amazon has a presence will go a long way to combat the impacts many are concerned will result from Amazon sharing our wonderful Arlington community. This fund will not only be in Arlington, but also in the Puget Sound region of Washington and the Nashville area as well.

Crystal House was recently purchased to provide affordable housing, creating close to 1,300 affordable units over time. Without this investment, it would have likely been converted to luxurious condos with huge price tags because of the incredible proximity to D.C. and National Landing. Additional money will be available at below-market borrowing rates to those earning below $79,600 in the D.C. region.

You can read more in the press release from Amazon.

Arlington is getting off to a quick start in 2021 with plenty of new homes coming online, ratified contracts keeping pace and a substantially shrunk (20% less) inventory than where we left off in 2020.

We’re going to see more price escalations than ever before in 2021. Waived contingencies, cash purchases and heavy showing traffic will be a main part of the story… but wait, James, that sounds like last year, and the year before that…

Yes — the frenzy for a piece of the pie will continue, with an emphasis on single family detached homes and new construction.

For this first week of January, sellers have listed 49 homes for sale, and purchasers ratified 42 contracts, seven of which were on homes listed within the past seven days.

Available inventory across the county for all property types is 404, 90 of which are single-family, 39 are townhouses/semi-detached properties and 275 are condos. It was just a few weeks ago that I wrote about condo inventory being up to 370!

Currently available homes across all property types have an average list price of $753,142 and a median of $549,950.

A quick note about mortgage rates: We’re at the lowest ever this week, a 2.65% average for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. That’s 1.10% lower than where we started in 2020!

Now, for the Pick of the Week: 1515 S. Arlington Ridge Road, #504, Arlington, VA 22202 — $399,000

Perched high on Arlington Ridge, overlooking Washington D.C. with a Washington Monument view from a private balcony, this condo enjoys unparalleled convenience to Arlington and D.C. This 892-square-foot 1 BD/1 BA condo has plenty of room to work from home, comes with a separate storage room, underground parking space and has a private pool, gym and community room.

Find me, in person, hosting this lovely condo open from 1-4 p.m. this Sunday, January 10.

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. If you see a home you’re interested in purchasing, give us a call.

Call the Andors Real Estate Group today at 703-203-1117 to talk more about buying or selling Arlington real estate. Below are eight new listings I think you might like to check out:

Listing of the Day: 2332 N. Van Buren Court

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/10

Address: 2332 N. Van Buren Court
Neighborhood: East Falls Church
Listed: $999,000
Open: Sunday, January 10 from 12-2 p.m.

This beautifully updated 3 BD/4.5 BA townhome in Fenwick Court is a short walk to East Falls Church Metro, the W&OD Trail, Tuckahoe Elementary and Tuckahoe Park, plus area restaurants and shops.

The main level features a renovated table-space kitchen with a large quartz peninsula counter, breakfast bar, subway glass backsplash tiles and stainless appliances, and a large open living room/dining room with gas fireplace, elegant moldings, built-in bookshelves and cabinets, and huge windows that flood the room with light.

There are three bedrooms, all with en suite baths, including a master bedroom with a dramatic vaulted ceiling and two large walk-in closets.

The lower level offers a fabulous rec room with gas fireplace, which can also double as a guest suite, with a full bath and walkout to a private, fully-fenced flagstone patio with a relaxing goldfish pond. There’s a full-size two-car garage as well.

Fenwick Court is a quiet, close-knit community tucked next to Charles A. Stewart Park. You will enjoy the neighborhood Halloween, Easter, Fourth of July and birthday block parties!

This is a spectacular home in a fantastic location. It’s time to make it your own.

For a video tour, 3D virtual tour, interactive floor plan and more photos visit www.2332NVanBurenCt.com.

Listed by:
Meg Ross
Keller Williams Realty
703-447-0970
[email protected]
MegRoss.com
Facebook | Instagram

Statutes of Liberty: Liberians in the U.S. Get Extended Deadline for Green Card Applications

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is by James Montana, Esq. and Doran Shemin, 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.

(Authors’ Note: The civil unrest and accompanying curfews yesterday are obviously the first thing on our minds, but we’re going to focus on our usual topic — immigration — because we know, from talking with clients, that these informational posts have a long life on Google, and we’d like to do some good. Stay safe, everyone.)

Congress frequently deadlocks and fails to pass meaningful immigration legislation. However, as we reported almost exactly one year ago, Congress authorized an amnesty for many Liberian nationals, allowing them to apply for lawful permanent residence in the United States.

The amnesty, known as the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act or LRIF, was passed as part of a large spending bill. The original LRIF Act imposed a deadline of December 20, 2020, for eligible applicants to apply, and sadly, data showed that many eligible Liberians did not apply before the deadline.

To our surprise and excitement, Congress has come through again for Liberians! In late December, Congress passed a bill which extended the deadline to apply for residency under LRIF to December 20, 2021. The bill was part of an appropriations package that President Trump signed into law.

As a reminder, here are the baseline eligibility requirements to apply:

  • You must file an application for a green card by December 20, 2021.
  • You must be a citizen of Liberia.
  • You must have been continuously present from November 20, 2014, to the date of filing the green card application.
  • You must not have been convicted of a serious crime.
  • You must not have persecuted others for their political or religious convictions.

We encourage any Liberian who has been in the United States since November 2014 to contact a lawyer to see if he or she qualifies for LRIF benefits. Applying for residency under this program could be your way to becoming a permanent resident and later, a U.S. citizen.

We welcome any comments and will do our best to respond.

Arts Focus: New Capacity-Building Workshops by Artists, for Artists

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

New Year’s resolutions can be challenging to keep, but resolving to invest in your arts career is a good idea at any time of year.

Building upon the successful fall season (for which many sessions were at capacity), Arlington Arts continues its latest series of skill-building sessions with The Arts Enterprise Institute Spring Classes offered through our Arts Enterprise Institute, which run from Jan. 19 through March 2. (All classes are virtual.)

The Arts Enterprise Institute program exists to provide resources for artists and deepen their skill set to withstand the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Workshops, trainings, seminars and events integrate strong business skills, knowledge, life-long learning and artistic development with peer-to-peer learning and engagement with the community. A cornerstone of these programs is artists teaching artists.

Christine Searle is the instructor for Business Skills for Artists: Record-keeping.

Christine (CIA, CRMA, EA) is an internal audit and tax professional with over 35 years of experience helping nonprofits, businesses and individuals get control over and understand their finances and taxes. Christine specializes in helping entrepreneurs make informed financial and tax decisions and achieve their objectives. Christine started Searle Business Solutions, LLC in 2014. She has lived in Arlington since 2001 and has been engaged in community-based volunteer service for over 20 years.

Sharmila Karamchandani is the instructor for Smartphone Photography: How to Use Your Phone to Take Great Photos and Online Shops — A Dozen Ways to Sell Your Art During the Pandemic.

Sharmila, a local graphic designer and artist-entrepreneur, has a passion for working in arts education and community nonprofits. Sharmila has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a master’s degree in graphic design. Sharmila is extremely passionate about art and teaching. She teaches graphic design in a private college, and she has been an entrepreneur coach for Empowered Women International for the past 15 years and has taught many women how to start their businesses. She is also a certified Therapeutic Art Life Coach and facilitates visual art workshops for Heard, an Alexandria based nonprofit that works with a vulnerable population.

Sushmita Mazumdar is the instructor for Community Engagement for Artists.

Sushmita is an Arlington-based artist, writer, educator and founder of Studio Pause, her art studio and community space for art and stories, where she invites everyday people to make time to explore creativity and celebrate the art and stories in the community.

After a 15-year career in the advertising industry in India and the U.S., Sushmita taught herself writing and book arts to create unique storybooks about her childhood in India to show her American-born son how different yet wonderful lives can be.

Since 2010 she has participated in programs at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Glen Echo Park’s Popcorn Gallery. She has designed and taught projects for the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, Arlington Arts, DC Public Libraries, National Building Museum and Alexandria Black History Museum. In 2018, Sushmita was awarded Arlington County’s Woman of Vision award for her work at Studio Pause, and in 2019 she was appointed one of 13 Arts Commissioners for Virginia.

Several classes in the fall session were at capacity, so sign up now for the Arts Enterprise Institute Spring Semester, from Jan. 19 through March 2. (Again, all classes are virtual!) The fee is just $20 per class.

Class recap:

Arlington Pet of the Week: E.T. and Sheba

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/9

Meet Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week, E.T. and Sheba.

Here’s what E.T. and Sheba’s humans had to say about them:

E.T. is a 10-year-old Siamese and was named by his now 15-year-old human who was fascinated with space when he was 5. He has lived in Arlington for eight years and loves it here. He spends most of his time sleeping and sitting on his humans’ keyboards.

Over a year ago, E.T.’s sister, Sheba (gray shorthair), was adopted from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. She was 2 at the time and full of energy. Her favorite pastime is “how to bother E.T.” — sit on him, chase him around, eat his food, etc.

Sheba has another amazing skill: She knows how to wake up her 15-year-old human. (I know!) She follows a few consecutive steps:

  • Step 1: Jumping on his chest and getting very close to his face. Sometimes he wakes up, or sometimes Sheba needs to move to…
  • Step 2: Bitting his fingers. This works most of the time, but she still has a last step…
  • Step 3: Kneading his face (out of love, of course!) — with her nails! This ought to do it.

E.T. and Sheba are not too bothered by COVID-19 work- and study-from-home restrictions. They like the option to be able to leave their beds and crash Zoom meetings.

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!

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