Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Rethink Energy: Duct Sealing Is More Important Than You Think This Winter

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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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.

If you cool or heat your home with forced air through vents and duct returns, keep reading…

Duct sealing is a great way to improve home comfort, save money and improve indoor air quality. How much of a difference in-home heating and cooling efficiency do you think duct sealing makes? According to the EPA, it’s as much as 20 percent.

What’s the big issue with duct sealing? 

For starters, your air ducts are a vital part of your cooling and heating system. Metal on metal ductwork connections are never a perfect fit, and over time ductwork can separate, creating holes and cracks.

These holes and cracks mean your air conditioning or heating is likely blowing into your walls, crawl space and attic and are creating uneven temperatures in your home. It also means air may be pulled from your crawl space or attic into your home in your air duct returns. That isn’t the healthiest air to breathe.

What’s the fix? 

A technician can seal your ductwork where it is visible using an adhesive called mastic, coupled with professional-grade foil tape. Believe it or not, duct tape is never recommended. The technician will also check for disconnected or poorly connected ducts and reattach them.

Most ductwork isn’t visible because it’s behind your walls, in your attic and crawl space, or beneath floors. Sealing that part of your ductwork requires an aerosol-based product. This process seals your ducts from the inside out. It is the most effective way to seal your ducts. This video helps to detail the process.

Take the next step to home comfort and seal your ducts. It’ll ensure your air is healthier, your home is more evenly cooled and heated, and your HVAC system won’t have to work as hard.

Check out the contractors that participated previously in Arlington’s Home Energy Rebate Program and see who has done work in Arlington.

Have questions? Feel free to email us at [email protected].

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:

3540 N. Valley Street
6 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Washington Fine Properties
Listed: $2,365,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

224 N. Nelson Street
6 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: William G. Buck & Associates
Listed: $1,789,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

3014 12th Street S.
5 BD/4 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: KW Metro Center
Listed: $1,250,000
Open: Sunday 12-2 p.m.

 

1507-F N. Colonial Terrace
3 BD/2 BA, 2 half bath townhouse
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $1,100,000
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

3713 N. Military Road
6 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Weichert, Realtors
Listed: $979,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

 

1411 Key Boulevard, #603
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PedFed Realty
Listed: $859,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

820 N. Pollard Street, #214
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: KW Metro Center
Listed: $674,000
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.

Hello, Arlingtonians!

We’re still slow for the winter, but as anticipated, things picked back up from last week. Expect one more week of decent activity before things slow until the new year. The most seasonal part of our market is the holidays, but other than that, expect full speed ahead come early January.

Right now, sellers are strategizing with local Realtors on how to take advantage of 2021… Pro tip: Get ready to list early, before the “snow” melts, before the grass is green and before the weather warms. As sellers, this is your opportunity to compete against the fewest sellers, because the buyers are already out there. Call me at 7030203-1117 to put together a custom plan to get you top dollar in our market. Your home has never been worth more!

Now for the numbers…

This past week in Arlington, sellers listed some 47 properties for sale while buyers ratified 41 contracts; 16 of the ratified contracts were on homes listed just within the past week. Last week, only four of new homes were ratified within a week.

There are currently 512 homes for sale in Arlington, six less than last week. Of those listed, 118 are detached homes, 59 are townhouses/semi-detached and 335 are condos.

Average days on market (DOM) for currently available homes is 67 and median DOM is 52. These keep creeping up as fewer new listings come on to weigh down the average. Unless a big chunk of the holdover inventory is absorbed in the coming weeks, we’ll probably see these go up week over week until mid-January.

The median list price of currently available properties is $549,450, while the average is $751,175.

Last year for the same week, sellers listed about 36 homes and buyers ratified 26 contracts.

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. If you see a home you’re interested in purchasing, we’d love to help! Call the Andors Real Estate Group today at 703-203-1117 to talk more about buying or selling Arlington real estate.

Below are eight homes that are new this week that I think you might like to check out:

Statutes of Liberty: New DACA Applications and New Travel Permits — File Away!

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.

The Trump Administration continues to receive major blows in federal court, both in the election and immigration contexts. On December 4, 2020, Federal District Judge Nicholas Garaufis ordered that the Trump Administration revert the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program back to its original incarnation from 2012.

First, we’ll give you the TL;DR on what Judge Garaufis’ decision means for immigrants right now, and then we’ll give you a summary of how we got here.

New DACA Applications

As of Monday, December 7, 2020, and until further notice, USCIS is accepting new DACA applications. If you qualify for DACA, find a lawyer and apply now. Judge Garaufis’s decision may not last forever, and it’s in your interest to protect your legal rights. If you can’t afford us — and our prices are pretty competitive! — we’ll gladly refer you to a nonprofit that can help you.

To qualify for DACA, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. Born on or after June 15, 1981
  2. Came to the U.S. before the age of 16
  3. Was in the U.S. on June 15, 2012, and is still here
  4. No proper immigration status as of June 15, 2012
  5. High school graduate, enrolled in high school, recipient of GED, enrolled in GED program or honorably discharged from the U.S. military
  6. No significant criminal record

Consult a lawyer for details.

New Travel Permit Applications

As of Monday, December 7, 2020, and until further notice, USCIS is accepting travel permit applications for people who already have DACA. This can be extremely useful both for intrinsic travel purposes — some of our DACA recipients haven’t seen family at home since they were little kids! — and for legal reasons.

To make a long story short, traveling with a permit puts you in a good position to apply for a green card later. So, if you already have DACA, find a lawyer and consider applying for a travel permit now. Again, if you can’t afford us, we’ll gladly refer you to one of the many nonprofits doing great work in our area.

How We Got Here

Our loyal ARLNow readers know there has been a lot of back and forth regarding the Obama Administration’s DACA program. The DACA program allows certain undocumented people who arrived here as children to apply for work permits and avoid deportation, as long as they are in high school or have graduated from high school.

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Biz Talk: A “2020 Welcome” To Arlington’s Newest Businesses — Arlington Premiere, 2020 Edition

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
Sandra and Gil Welsford celebrate the opening of their Nicecream Arlington location at the Arlington Premiere.

This article was written by Conor Courtney, Strategic Initiatives Manager for Arlington Economic Development.

This week, Arlington Economic Development (AED) is hosting the fall edition of its Arlington Premiere.

Arlington Premiere is a biannual event welcoming new businesses to Arlington — connecting new business owners with county resources, business improvement districts, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and community leaders and resource partners. And as with just about every other event in 2020, Arlington Premiere is pivoting to the virtual space to recognize more than 500 courageous business owners who started their businesses here in the midst of the pandemic.

A total of 511 new businesses received an Arlington business license in the past six months, up slightly from the 475 business licenses issued between October 2019 and March 2020. While starting a new business during a pandemic may be particularly challenging, the Arlington business community seems confident in the future. We’ve welcomed a diverse range of businesses from nonprofits and consulting companies to restaurants, retail and tech companies developing educational software.

While replicating the in-person experience and energy of the traditional Arlington Premiere is no easy task, AED is celebrating the arrival of these new Arlington businesses by introducing them to the community in a slightly different way. By showcasing them on its various social media channels, AED hopes to gain support and exposure for these businesses that are just finding their footing. Additionally, AED is highlighting local business resources and organizations that can help both new and established businesses thrive in Arlington.

This year’s fall edition of Arlington Premiere is, without question, a memorable one, and we want to give a special shoutout to all of Arlington’s new businesses.

Please be sure to follow Arlington Economic Development on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to ‘meet’ Arlington’s newest businesses.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Moon (aka Mooney)

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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This week’s Pet of the Week is Moon, a friendly boy who moved to Arlington back in June.

Here’s what Moon had to say about his life here:

Hi everyone! My name is Moon, but you can call me Mooney. My pawrents couldn’t go on their honeymoon to Australia this summer, so they rescued me instead! I was in North Carolina for the first two years of my life, but as of June 2020 I am officially an Arlingtonian. Boy do I love it here!

Some of my favorite things to do in Arlington is to sniff every single bush I encounter and say hi to every single dog I meet. I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like! If you see me crouched down when you and your dog are walking by, it’s because I want so badly to say hi, but I don’t want to seem too “in your face.” My mom said that’s bad manners.

My absolute favorite places to go are the vet and Courthaus Social. When my pawrents tell me that we’re going to the vet, I cannot contain my excitement! Clarendon Animal Care has the nicest people ever! They always give me treats and give me so much attention. I also love getting attention when I’m at Courthaus Social. What a fun place! The people who work there are sooo friendly, my humans’ food always smells delicious, and I can almost always make new pup friends somewhere on the patio!

I’m so lucky I’m an Arlington dog now. I hope to meet you 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.

Consider this your two-week heads up!

Christmas Day is just two weeks and two days away. So if you haven’t (safely and carefully) completed your holiday shopping, now is the time.

In addition to your Amazon sprees, let’s not forget to support our oodles of amazing small businesses this holiday season here in Arlington County. Now, more than ever, they need our love. So whether it’s a tchotchke one of your kids have been wanting or it’s a restaurant gift card for your boo (and, maybe you, too!), let’s shop local. And, as a bonus, there are plenty of stellar deals out there right now, so get moving.

On the real estate front, when you’re ready to embark on your buying or selling journey, the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to roll on your behalf.

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

As of December 7, there are 138 detached homes, 56 townhouses and 342 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 44 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

Please note that 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.

Listing of the Day: 2911 S. Dinwiddie Street, Unit A2

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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Address: 2911 S. Dinwiddie Street, Unit A2
Neighborhood: Fairlington
Listed: $445,000

This bright and airy 1-bed plus den and bonus room/2-bath garden-style condominium in Fairlington has been beautifully updated from top to bottom.

The main level features a generous living/dining area with access to the private balcony, an updated kitchen with new kitchen appliances, a newly renovated full bathroom and a spacious primary bedroom.

This Hermitage model is highlighted by the lower level with its separate entrance, living area, a full bath and a bonus room that is perfect for an in-law suite, home office or den. Updates to this home include remodeled bathrooms, new windows, new flooring and fresh paint throughout.

The award-winning location on a quiet cul-de-sac provides easy access to the new Harris Teeter, shops, restaurants, the farmers market and much more. Community amenities include pools, tennis and a community center. It’s also close proximity to major commuter routes including 395, Route 7, D.C. and Alexandria.

Listed by:
Steve Wydler
Wydler Brothers of Compass
703-348-6326
[email protected]
wydlerbrothers.com

Ask Eli: Condo Values Fall as Inventory Builds

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: Have you seen a decrease in condo values with all the inventory currently on the market?

Answer: Over the past few months, I’ve written about the shift in the condo market, which began around July and can be attributed to a historical number of units listed for sale while demand simultaneously dropped due to COVID. Indicators such as Months of Supply, Absorption Rate, Days on Market and Sold to Ask Price Ratios have shown a more favorable market for buyers for the last four months, but it takes longer to establish changes in pricing (which requires having enough data).

It’s been my experience working in this market over the past few months that prices seem to be down about 2-5% in many sub-markets, compared to late 2019 and the first half of 2020 (after surging since 2018). However, I dug into the data a bit more to see how condos that went under contract after July 15 compare to the sales of condos that went under contract from January 1 to July 14, 2020. I used July 15 because that is when I really start to see changes taking shape in the condo market.

One point I’d like to make prior to sharing the data findings is that the data is based on condos that have sold/closed, and there are many condos still sitting on the market or under contract that won’t show up in this analysis. The market has also worsened (for sellers) each month since July, so properties that went under contract in July/August likely did better than those later on in the year. Therefore, it’s likely that, as the units close that are currently struggling to sell or just now coming to market, the data will get worse (larger decrease in values).

Data Summary

I chose to segment the market in a few different ways to get a sense of how different sub-markets are experiencing the condo shift. When comparing relatively small data sets (like we have here), the best conclusions can be drawn by analyzing market segments that have lot of similarities, such as condos along the R-B Corridor built in the last 20 years or mid-1900s (older) buildings.

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Aging Right at Home: Updating Holiday Traditions With Older Loved Ones

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Aging Right @ Home is a monthly blog series, answering your questions on providing care for individuals with disabilities, loved ones with dementia and older adults aging in place. If you have a question, please submit it to [email protected].  

The holiday season is upon us, and I have no doubt the way we celebrate and interact with loved ones this year will be unlike any other year.

On top of issues related to the pandemic, many families are dealing with new health concerns of a loved one.

Regardless of your religious beliefs or family traditions, if you find yourself in this situation, you are probably looking forward to the holidays and wondering, “What am I going to do this year?” Depending on the care and need of your loved one, here are some things to consider in preparation for the holiday season.

If Your Loved One is Living With Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

Holiday plans should be modified to accommodate their specific needs, moods and behaviors. Consider who is hosting, where the event will be and if additional help is required leading up to or during the family gathering. Individuals with dementia can become nervous in new environments or paranoid around new people or those they may not recognize.

Host the event at a home they are familiar with and limit guests outside of the direct family. This is a smart idea given the current pandemic as well. Holiday decorations can be festive and fun, but for those with cognitive impairment, they could experience them differently so keep decorative items to a minimum.

If Your Loved One is Living With Hearing Impairments

Individuals with hearing impairments can suffer from isolation in a group setting. Cross table chatter, holiday music playing or holiday movies can cause those with hearing impairments to miss out on the conversation.

Try to limit this background noise as much as possible and identify opportunities to focus and consolidate the conversation. Rather than speaking to the group in general, speak directly to each person and make sure they are aware you are speaking to them by making direct eye contact.

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Neighborhood Spotlight: Clarendon, Much More Than Just a Metro

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This week, in our Neighborhood Spotlight, we are taking a look at the Clarendon area of Arlington. This is one of Arlington’s most popular neighborhoods, with outstanding options for housing, employment and recreation — but does it live up to its reputation? Let’s find out!

What do you love about your community? Let us know down in the comments below — we’d love to highlight them in future Neighborhood Spotlights!

And, as always, if you have any questions about Arlington real estate, please click here to contact the Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top-selling real estate team.

An Overview of Clarendon

Thanks to its prime location on the Orange Line, Clarendon sees lots of traffic from local and national businesses. Over the years, it has grown into a thriving center for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Clarendon is a highly desirable neighborhood for many people. Not only does this area offer urban conveniences and top-notch dining, but also high walkability and great transit options make it a dream for those living in Arlington. Even better, Clarendon is a bustling business district in its own right, making it a great place to live if you work in Arlington.

Clarendon Real Estate Market

Clarendon has a famously hot real estate market. Homes move quickly, and it’s not uncommon for bidding wars to break out on houses. This is great news for people looking to sell their house now in Clarendon — with the right agent on their side, homeowners can sell their home fast and get a great price due to competing offers.

For people who want to buy a home in Clarendon, the hot market can be somewhat daunting. That’s why, if you are considering moving to Clarendon, it’s a good idea to work with a real estate team who can help you find off market homes and walk you through negotiating the best deal for your new home.

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