Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Neighborhood Spotlight: Fairlington — 7 Villages, 1 Unified Community

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

In this week’s Neighborhood Spotlight, please join us as we give you a full breakdown of Arlington’s Fairlington neighborhood!

No matter where you live in Arlington, there’s something unique to fall in love with. What do you love about your community? Let us know down in the comments below, so we can highlight them in a future Neighborhood Spotlight.

And, as always, if you have any questions about Arlington real estate, please click here to contact the Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s No. 1 top-selling real estate team.

An Overview of Fairlington

Fairlington is an unincorporated neighborhood in the southern part of Arlington, Virginia. It borders the similarly named Shirlington neighborhood and is quite close to Alexandria, Washington D.C. and the business districts of Arlington. This location makes it a great place to live if you work in Arlington — in addition to being a wonderful neighborhood in its own right.

At the time of its initial construction — during the 1940s — Fairlington was a rental community. It was founded by the Defense Homes Corporation as temporary housing for those working at the newly built Pentagon.

Following the conclusion of the Second World War, a private real estate group began renting Fairlington properties out as apartments. In 1972, the owners decided to convert Fairlington into a condominium development. At that time, Fairlington became the largest condominium community in all of Virginia.

What Types of Homes Are in Fairlington?

Fairlington is uniform, consisting almost entirely of townhome-style condominiums. This means that detached, single family homes are exceedingly rare in the Fairlington community, as are the apartment-style units found in other Arlington condo communities.

In general, owning a home in Fairlington is a good investment, as home values have been steadily going up all around Arlington for a while now. This means that people who buy a home in Fairlington now will likely have their home be worth more later — especially once Amazon’s HQ2 opens up in National Landing.

Because of the size of the community and how fast the market moves in Arlington, it can be difficult to find and win your dream home in Fairlington. The best thing to do is work with a team that can help find you off-market homes in Fairlington.

Communities Within Fairlington

Fairlington is divided into seven smaller communities that all feature similar home styles. Because of this, the area tends to feel more like a neighborhood defined by its community, rather than by certain streets and landmarks.

All of the homes in Fairlington have access to lovely community amenities. These include community pools, clubhouses for the villages, exercise facilities, courts to play tennis and basketball, and plenty of walking trails that are perfect for enjoying the natural beauty of Fairlington and Shirlington.

What Makes People Want To Live in Fairlington?

Fairlington is family friendly, convenient for commuters and has a relatively low cost for how much home you are getting.

In general, the same buying power that would get you a two-bedroom condo in North Arlington will cover a three-story townhouse in Fairlington. Plus, homes in Fairlington tend to have generous outdoor spaces — which is more important than ever for some people who are outgrowing their homes after 2020.

Fairlington residents can easily get to North Arlington and Alexandria painlessly thanks to King Street and I-395, both of which run through Fairlington.

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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:

3118 17th Street N.
4 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
Listed: $1,995,000
Open: Saturday, 2-4 p.m.

 

1570 N. Colonial Terrance
4 BD/4 BA, 1 half bath townhouse
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $1,449,900
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

 

3201 N. Tacoma Street
3 BD/4 BA, 1 half bath townhome
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $1,150,000
Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

 

1418 N. Rhodes Street, B107
2 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Redfin
Listed: $950,000
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

 

851 N. Glebe Road, #820
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Compass
Listed: $734,900
Open: Sunday, 12-2 p.m.

 

3715 2nd Street S.
2 BD, 1 bath, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $685,000
Open: Saturday, 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.

Wow — Arlington available inventory contracted 9% in just one week. That means we have the lowest available inventory in Arlington in 13 weeks. There are 467 available properties for sale in Arlington.

If you want a single-family home, you’ve got the least amount to choose from in at least six months. With just 106 on the market, the demand continues to be unparalleled. Condos — well, that inventory, which had exploded throughout the year, is down by 15% in the past four weeks. Townhomes/semi-detached properties make up 47 of the available properties this week.

Days on market (DOM) continue to creep up, but there is more to that story. The average for currently available homes is 73 while the median is 56. Take a look at the numbers for properties that went under contract this week, and there’s a stark contrast. The average for those just put under contract is 36, and the median just 15.

This week, sellers listed 31 homes and buyers ratified 46 contracts. 10 of those contracts were on homes listed within the past week. Last year for the same week, sellers listed 33 homes and buyers ratified 44 contracts.

The median list price of currently available inventory in Arlington is $525,000 and the average is $746,790.

This week last year, Realtor.com made some predictions about what the 2020 market would look like. While they couldn’t have predicted the economic upheavals surrounding COVID-19, our local market outperformed their estimates, as did the nation as a whole. Realtor.com predicted median home prices would rise less than 1%, but they’ve risen more than 15% since last year. They also predicted we would have about 2% fewer existing home sales, but, in fact, we’ve had over a 26% increase.

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. If you see a home that 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…

Boring Title: The Difference Between Homeowners Insurance and Title Insurance

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Title insurance is boring, but Allied Title & Escrow is here to decode the jargon and make it (somewhat) more interesting. This biweekly feature will explore the mundane (but very necessary!) world of title insurance while sharing interesting stories of two friends’ entrepreneurial careers.

When you purchase a home, it can be one of the most exciting times of your life.

With a home purchase, however, comes a lot of responsibility, and you want to protect your best investment. Therefore, you need to make sure your home stays in tip-top condition and is free of any encumbrances.

In order to do so, it’s always a wise decision to purchase both homeowners and title insurance. While both types of insurance protect your home, there are some very fundamental differences between the two types of coverage.

What is Homeowners Insurance?

Homeowners insurance is a policy that covers any damage or any type of loss to your home. It also covers damage on any other structures that are on your property, any subsequent liability, medical expense or if someone hurts themselves on your property.

Homeowners insurance can also provide coverage for any personal items and belongings inside your home or any natural disaster that might damage your property. With homeowners insurance, you can add additional coverage such as earthquake or flood insurance. However, each state is different in how they handle natural disasters and what is included in their homeowners policies.

What is Title Insurance?

Title insurance is a type of insurance that protects your ownership in the home or property. Title insurance is essentially a guarantee that you are the owner and have the true entitlement to your property. Title insurance also takes into account all of the previous owners, transfer and uses.

A title search needs to be performed to legally transfer any real estate property and helps determine if the property is free and clear of any encumbrances or defects. Title insurance is obtained at closing and will also protect you if prior taxes are still due and will insure that the deed to your property is recorded correctly.

Once the title company is sure the property does not hold any of these types of liens, the title company will issue title insurance.

There are two types of title insurance policies:

  • A Lender’s Policy, which is also called a loan policy, protects the lender against any title claims or defects.
  • An Owner’s Policy will protect the owner and cover the full value of the property. If you purchase the enhanced policy, it covers 150% of the value of your home after five years.

What are the Differences Between Homeowners Insurance and Title Insurance?

The difference between homeowners insurance and title insurance is that homeowners insurance protects the actual home and anything around or inside it.

Title insurance, on the other hand, is needed for the assurance that the property you just purchased is free of any debt, encumbrances and that you are and will be the owner for the future. In addition to this, title insurance is paid once whereas homeowners insurance is paid annually.

What are the Similarities Between Homeowners and Title Insurance?

The similarities between homeowners and title insurance are that some lenders will require both types of insurance and that they both offer protection. Homeowners insurance protects you so you have the resources to pay for any damage that might occur to your property.

Title insurance protects you from anyone else claiming your home is theirs or for some prior owner’s back taxes or encumbrances or any other real property dispute.

Have questions related to title insurance? Email Latane and Matt at [email protected]. Want to use Allied Title & Escrow when you buy a home? Tell your agent when you buy a house to write in Allied Title & Escrow as your settlement company!

Give Back Locally This Season With ProMD Health

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Are you looking to give back this holiday season? Help ProMD Health reach its goal to support the Dance Therapy Program at Center for Hope (CFH).

The program will be offered to children and adults from the Domestic Violence Program (DOVE) and Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC) programs. Dance classes will be facilitated by a licensed dance therapist and will be used in conjunction with talk therapy. Many of the clients served by Center for Hope do not have access to dance classes, and CFH will be providing these classes free of charge.

According to the American Dance Therapy Association, mind, body and spirit are interconnected. Moving is good for the mind and body and can help improve resiliency. DOVE and BCAC would like to offer clients opportunities for therapeutic dance as part of the healing process, in addition to the traditional counseling services they offer to adults and their children.

Now through Friday, December 18, ProMD Helps will match 100% of online donations to meet our goal of $11,000. We will also offer a free $25 ProMD Health gift card with your donation of $100 or more. Donate now!

Arts Focus: Perfect Holiday Gifts by the Local Artists of Lee Arts Center

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

For holiday shoppers in the know, the annual Lee Arts Center Holiday Show and Sale has been a cherished Arlington tradition that allows you to #shoplocal for the holidays — finding unique ceramics, prints and other handmade crafts. This year, Arlington Arts invites you to visit Lee Arts Center Artists on the Web, where in addition to shopping from the socially distanced comfort of your home, you can also explore the artists’ talents more deeply.

Located in a charming former 1920s schoolhouse, the Lee Arts Center is a fully equipped professional studio for artists working in ceramics and printmaking. The Center houses a mini-gallery with rotating exhibitions of visiting and resident artists. Master workshops are offered throughout the year. Of course, that’s what goes on usually… For the safety of the public and the artists alike, the center has been closed during the pandemic. Clearly, crowding into the confines of the space for a sale would not be feasible.

To help the Center’s member artists reach you, we designed a page on the Arlington Arts website where you can find many of your favorite Lee Arts Center artists and discover more of their work on their personal webpages. Please check out their websites — a few have web stores, too. You might even want to commission a work as a gift! You will also find links to other regional events and shows that our members are participating in as well as their social media accounts, so you can give them a follow.

Although none of this can replace Lee Arts Center’s much-loved venue and event, we encourage you to utilize this virtual space to reconnect with your favorite local artist and offer unique holiday gifts to your friends and loved ones. Check them out!

Arlington Pet of the Week: Elway

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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Arlington’s Pet of the Week is Elway, a 4-year-old beagle mix who’s lovin’ the work-from-home life.

Here’s what Elway’s Pawrents had to say about her life in Arlington:

Named for John Elway of the Denver Broncos, Elway is a 4-year-old beagle mix. She enjoys sunning herself, cuddling with her moms, gleefully disrupting yoga class, and walking around and supervising the squirrels of Shirlington. She is often mistaken for a corgi. She is, in fact, not — she’s just low to the ground and very friendly!

Elway very much appreciates that the rest of the family has chosen to stay home with her for so many months and is now NOT thrilled when everyone leaves without her! So rude. But Elway is very food motivated and quickly forgives with a treat/carrot/apple/heartworm pill — really, she’ll eat anything.

Her favorite activity is saying ‘hi’ and accepting pets and compliments from all her Arlingtonian neighbors along the Four Mile Run Trail.

See you all soon!

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.

You deserve a treat.

Amid a stressful year — which has included a pandemic, very contentious election and likely other happenings on a personal level — has there ever been a better time for National Chocolate Covered Anything Day?

Well, today (Wednesday, December 16) is that day, so treat yourself. With a number of quirky holidays scattered throughout December (and the year!), there are plenty of opportunities to be kind to yourself and others. So, go for it. And, as always, we encourage you to support the local businesses that continue to make Arlington an amazing place to call home.

On the real estate front, when it’s time to up your game and invest in your future (whether buying, selling or renting in and beyond Arlington County), the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is here for you.

And now for this week’s Just Reduced figures…

As of December 14, there are 125 detached homes, 48 townhouses and 332 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 35 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week:

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.

Treat Yourself (or Your Loved Ones) To a Catered Meal This Holiday Season

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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There’s no question the holidays are going to look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good meal.

But maybe you don’t feel like cooking for a smaller gathering. Or maybe you’re just tired because, well, 2020… Don’t worry. RSVP Catering will deliver a full-blown feast straight to your door.

Multi-course meals include the Hanukkah Prix Fixe, which features a traditional brisket, lemon agave salmon, potato and scallion latkes, and a number of other sides. There’s also the Christmas Prix Fixe — you get a prime rib roast and ham with this one — and the Tenderloin Display, which includes crab cakes.

These meals serve between four and six people, and you can add on desserts like gingerbread cookies and peppermint brownie lollipops. You can even order seasonal spirits, which include cocktail pouches (cranberry margarita, anyone?) and gallon cocktails, like mulled spiced wine and winter sangria.

Bonus: If you’re looking for a last-minute gift to send to friends or family in the area, why not send them some food? Check out RSVP Catering’s “gifts for giving.” Some gift ideas include a cookie decorating kit, hot chocolate kit and a honey-glazed holiday ham.

Be sure to flip through all of the seasonal offerings before you make your choices!

RSVP Catering is making deliveries throughout the DMV area this holiday season — just make sure you place your order online by noon two business days in advance.

Ask Eli: Deep Dive Into Arlington’s Townhouse Market

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: I need more living space and single-family homes are out of my budget, so I’ve been searching for townhouses in Arlington, but finding that the options are limited. Can you provide some guidance on what the townhouse market in Arlington looks like?

Answer: I spend a lot of time digging into the condo and single-family home markets but not much time on the townhouse/duplex market. Why? Because townhouses and duplexes make up such a small part of our housing inventory. According to a Missing Middle study, townhouses and duplexes make up just 5.9% of Arlington’s housing inventory (3.7% are townhouses).

Fortunately (for some), we’ve recently had an unusual surge in new townhouse developments hit the market including:

  • Arlington Heights: 27 townhouses developed by NV Homes, walking distance to the East Falls Church Metro, ranging in price from about $1.1M-$1.4M
  • Trenton Square: 19 townhouses developed by Madison Homes, near the intersection of Rt 50 (north side) and Glebe and a short distance to Ballston, starting at around $1M
  • Morrison Hill: 17 townhouses developed by Beazer Homes, near the intersection of Columbia Pike and George Mason (across from the new Harris Teeter), ranging in price from about $800k-$900k+
  • Towns of 24th: 8 townhouses built by Evergreene Homes, in the Green Valley neighborhood situated between Shirlington and Columbia Pike, starting in the mid-$800s
  • Park Nelson: 3 townhouses developed by District Line Development, in the Green Valley neighborhood situated between Shirlington and Columbia Pike, ranging from $900k to $935k
  • Townes at South Glebe: 16 townhouses across two sites developed by Christopher Companies, off of South Glebe between Columbia Pike and Shirlington, with prices starting in the upper $800s

Explanation of Data

For the data below, I looked at sales of townhouse and duplex properties over the past five years (except the last chart). I decided to separate these properties into ownership type: Condominium and Fee Simple.

Condominium ownership is generally used in multi-family buildings (apartment-style) but was popular in many of South Arlington’s townhouse communities in the mid-1900s. In condominium ownership, the HOA is generally responsible for what’s outside the walls of the home (roof, fencing, some plumbing, etc.), and HOA fees are therefore (significantly) higher.

Fee Simple ownership means you own the entire structure and the land your home sits on. The HOA fees are usually much lower because there’s less common ownership.

Over the past five years, we’ve had a nearly 50/50 split between condo and fee simple townhouse/duplex sales.

5-Year Townhouse Market Performance

Unsurprisingly, the townhouse/duplex market has followed the same general trends as the rest of the housing market, with a strong 2018, followed by a white hot 2019 and 2020, where the average townhouse/duplex sold for more than the asking price and 60% or more of homes listed sold within the first week.

Here are a few highlights from the data below:

  • There are a few ways of looking at appreciation here, but overall, the data suggests the townhouse/duplex market has appreciated ~20% in the past five years, with most of that coming in the last two years.
  • The apparent drop in market value, by average sold price, of Fee Simple in 2019 is a misrepresentation of the market ,and due to the difference in the distribution of sales (more inexpensive/fewer expensive listings), the $/sqft tells a more accurate story for 2018-2019 Fee Simple pricing.
  • The ~10% appreciation of the Condominium townhouse/duplex market (smaller, older and less expensive than the Fee Simple market) in 2020 is likely due to buyer demand shifting away from similarly priced apartment-style condos in buildings towards private entry townhouse/duplex living with easier access to outdoor space (COVID related).
  • Although quite different in size, price, age and HOA fees, the Condominium and Fee Simple styles of townhouse/duplex ownership generally move in close parallel.

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Legal Insider: 6 Tips for Government Contractors and Employees Navigating the Security Clearance Process

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 often are consulted on security clearance matters by federal employees and government contractors in the security clearance process.

In many cases, the security clearance application, investigation and adjudication process will be non-eventful. However, if problems arise, they are typically discovered as the federal employee or government contractor is in the process of preparing his or her security clearance application through e-QIP or the government’s Standard Form 86. If there are potential security clearance issues for an applicant, they should seek advice from an experienced attorney in this area as early as possible.

The following are some general tips for those individuals going through their first investigation — or their third re-investigation:

1. Take Time, Don’t Rush and Answer Security Clearance Forms Carefully

This is one of the most important tips for those undergoing the security clearance process.

Individuals often receive clearance denials because they did not take the time to read the questions asked or proofread their responses on the e-QIP/SF-86 application prior to submission. In some cases, if an individual does not take enough time to read a question and answers “no,” when they should have answered “yes,” a clearance investigator or adjudicator might conclude that the individual was attempting to be dishonest or hide information. This can lead to a clearance denial. Therefore, it is very important to carefully complete the e-QIP/SF-86 before submitting it.

2. Tell the Truth

This seems straightforward, but this recommendation cannot be overstated. Individuals applying for security clearances should be honest in all aspects of the clearance process. When an individual is dishonest during the clearance process, it could not only potentially bar the individual from receiving a security clearance, which would remain on his or her permanent clearance record, but it could also raise a number of other legal issues, including potential criminal issues.

It is often easier for a security clearance attorney to mitigate security clearance concerns involving past financial or prior drug or alcohol usage issues than to defend him or her against an allegation involving dishonesty in the clearance application or interview process.

Caveat: A security clearance applicant should consult with a security clearance attorney if there are any possible affirmative criminal disclosures or civil issues where answering “yes” could place the individual in potential legal harm. It is not often the case, but sometimes an individual may decide to avoid continuing in the security clearance process rather than answering adverse questions.

3. Examine Relevant Documents in Advance

Next, it’s important for individuals undergoing the security clearance process to take the necessary time to gather and review relevant documents related to any potential security clearance problem in advance.

Taking this step will help an individual in three ways: (a) it will help an individual remember all the details of the potential security concern, such as a past arrest, financial issue or foreign contact information, in preparation for answering questions; (b) the documentation may help to mitigate the security concerns now, if necessary; and (c) it is helpful to start organizing the information now as opposed to later when deadlines for responding may occur on short notice.

4. Prepare Yourself for the Interview

If an individual believes there’s a chance problem areas exist in a security clearance application, he or she should expect to be asked about these areas by the assigned investigator. The investigative interview can vary in duration from an hour to several hours, depending on whether significant security concerns exist. A significant amount of the discussion that comes up during the investigative interview will be obtained by the investigator through reviewing the e-QIP or SF-86. Investigators carry credentials identifying them as representatives of DCSA. When the interview starts, they will present their credentials upon introduction.

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