Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Neighborhood Spotlight: Top 3 Coffee Shops in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.

For many people living in Arlington, coffee is an absolute lifesaver. Java can help perk you up for the traffic-filled commute in or out of Washington D.C., keep you alert through the early morning workflow, or just make your telework video call a bit more lively.

As one might expect for such a versatile bean, there are plenty of spots around Northern Virginia that serve up a fine cup of joe — and on this week’s edition of the Neighborhood Spotlight, we want to share some of the Keri Shull Team’s favorite coffee shops in Arlington! All three of these cafes are open and following appropriate COVID-19 regulations, so you can still enjoy their brews in-house or with takeout options.

Do you know of a cafe, restaurant, or other space for local leisure that you’d like us to highlight next? Make sure to let us know down in the comments — we’d love to check them out!

Compass Coffee

With 12 locations across D.C. and Northern Virginia, Compass Coffee is one of the swiftest-growing coffee companies on the east coast. Compass was originally founded as a single location in the Shaw neighborhood of D.C., but in the 6 years since, it has spread to a dozen cafes in the D.C. area — including a spot right next to the Rosslyn Metro Station!

The Rosslyn cafe, sitting at 1201 Wilson Boulevard, was Compass’s first foray across the Potomac. This warm, cozy coffee shop rests on the ground floor of the CEB tower, the same skyscraper where Arlington residents can enjoy the “View of DC” Observation Deck.

For those that prefer to enjoy a cup at home, Compass also sells their beans in pre-ground, 5 lb bags or as convenient single-serving K-cups for Keurig machines. You can find these for sale in their cafes or on their online store.

Northside Social

Whether you want to get your day started right or want to wind down with a glass of wine at the end of a long day, Northside Social has you covered!

There are two Northside Social locations, both of which are in Northern Virginia. The first is in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, at 3211 Wilson Boulevard. The second is in Falls Church at 205 Park Avenue.

If you want to read a more in-depth exploration of Northside Social’s offerings and atmosphere, make sure to check out the dedicated Northside Social Neighborhood Spotlight that we published early last year!

During the COVID-19 regulations in Virginia, Northside is offering dine-in and takeout options. By the way, here’s a pro tip for taking home food and drink from this stellar cafe: if you fall in love with one of the wines there, you can take a bottle home with you… and get it for $20 less than the listed bottle price at the same time!

East West Coffee Wine

Also in Rosslyn, just a few blocks away from Compass Coffee, is our last cafe for the day. East West Coffee Wine offers — as the name so subtly suggests — both java and vino, in addition to a full menu of savory and sweet foods.

The fine folks at East West focus on turning high-quality beans into high-quality drinks — so no matter whether you’re a NitroBrew newbie or an espresso expert, you’ll be able to appreciate the care and craft that go into your drink!

Like Northside, East West also offers a selection of fine wines. When it comes to both the uppers and the downers, East West Coffee Wine is dedicated to educating their customers. So make sure to come by one of their two Arlington locations and have the most delicious educational experience of your life!

If you just have to have your morning joe, Arlington certainly has you covered. These are just 3 of our favorite coffee shops in Arlington, but there are plenty more around that we haven’t even tried. So, what’s your favorite spot for a shot of espresso or pour over? Let us know down below in the comments!

Are you interested in buying or selling a home now in Arlington or anywhere else in the D.C. area? The Keri Shull Team — the top-selling real estate team in the D.C. area — is standing by to help you, so contact us today! All you need to do is click here to schedule a time for a free, no-pressure Real Estate Consultation with one of our local experts.

Your Beermonger: The Last Reference

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is written by Steve Quartell, 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.

Well folks. It’s been quite a ride.

I always knew (as did the fine folks that hired me) that my time at Arrowine was going to be limited, but I’d always figured I’d go out like Paxton: Hard worker, hits all his marks, trustworthy in clutch moments — replaced by a Steve Kerr.

But, well… It didn’t happen that way did it? As Pearl Jam said:

Do you see the way that tree bends?
Does it inspire?
Leaning out to catch the sun’s rays…
A lesson to be applied…

And here I am saying goodbye almost just as soon as I got to know a lot of you. I knew I’d be stepping away sooner or later, but like many things during these times — hard dates went back and forth and up and down for a while.

So. Now, here we are. One last chance to make a forced reference to — er uhhh, one last column, to say goodbye.

It’s not a binder with the words “The Last Dance” scrawled over it. It’s not Phil Jackson inviting the entire ’98 Bulls team to share their thoughts and feelings and then throw them in a burn bin, and it’s certainly not Jordan’s last season in Chicago. But it’s surely akin to the cigar sitting at Jordan’s right hand at the start of my favorite over referenced ESPN documentary.

It’s time to spark that cigar and say goodbye, but let’s have some beers to go with it — a little music would be nice too.

Mind you, if you don’t enjoy cigars or smoke, I’m not encouraging you to start now, and the opinions below reflect solely my own preferences and not those of ARLnow, Arrowine ownership, or any of the Breweries whose beers I suggest. If you’re looking for a beer that brings the smoke without the cigar — I highly suggest you pick up some Port City Rauch Marzen — in store Saturday.

But sometimes a smoke, a satisfying beer and some fantastic music are the perfect triumvirate to sit back and reflect.

Guinness Dry Irish Stout
Drew Estate Liga 9 Panatella
“If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” — Nas featuring Lauryn Hill

If I ruled the world… Well for starters, I’d have gotten more time working with Nick Anderson and Jace Gonnerman, but I could also settle for seeing more of all this.

Sub 5 percent stouts, small gauge cigars, and much more Nas and Lauryn Hill. The only beer on this list you could finish before the song it is paired with is over — Guinness has an inverse relationship between it’s complexity and its easy drinking nature. Pairing it with a shortie like the panatella allows both of them to really shine without eclipsing the other’s talents — just like a duet between Nas and Miss Hill.

Oftentimes you don’t need a giant cigar and a huge, boozy, BA RIS — sometimes you just need to vibe.

(more…)

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:

2001 S. Arlington Ridge Road
5 BD/5 BA, 2 half bath single-family home
Agent: Neighborhood Real Estate, Llc.
Listed: $2,395,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

2324 N. Quebec Street
5 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Kw United
Listed: $1,700,000
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: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

6224 Lee Highway
5 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $949,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1200 Crystal Drive #312
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Compass
Listed: $829,900
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

4712 Wilson Boulevard
3 BD/1 BA single-family home
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $699,000
Open: Saturday 12-2 p.m.

 

4650 31st Street S.
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $549,000
Open: Saturday 12-2:30 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.

Every once in a while, I like to remind everyone how crazy Arlington can be when it comes to housing.

This past month, a condo sold for 19% over list price! Listed at $468,000, sold for $558,000. In the same timeframe, another home sold for 92% of list price… Netting the seller $54,000 less than they expected. Sales ranged from $152,000 all the way up to $3,200,000.

While the median and average hang right around 100%, our market certainly can be a bit unpredictable. Some homes sell their first day on the market, and others take a year and a half or more.

How do you navigate these ups and downs when considering buying or selling in Arlington?

Shameless plug? Sure James, let’s hear it!

I’d start by calling the Andors Real Estate Group… In the past year, we’ve gotten our buyer clients under contract many, many times in multiple offer scenarios, and our sellers as much as $56,000 over list price. Our average days on market is 6, and our median is 7. No home took longer than 12 days to sell, and our sellers took home an average of $12,000 more than what they asked for.

The Andors Real Estate Group is ready to help you gain an edge in a complex market!

Thanks James, just give us the numbers…

This past week in Arlington, sellers listed some 89 properties for sale while buyers ratified 62 contracts. 20 of the ratified contracts were on homes listed just within the past week.

There are currently 529 homes for sale in Arlington, 31 more than last week. 151 are detached homes, 48 are townhouses/semi-detached, and 330 are condos.

This week last year, there were only 257 homes available for sale in Arlington. With 529 homes available right now, the marketplace sure does look different. Last year, that was about 1.3 months of inventory. Despite more than double the inventory, we’re selling more homes per week and have just over 2 months of inventory available right now.

Average days on market (DOM) for currently available homes is 47 and median DOM is 29. The median list price of currently available properties is $615,000, while the average is $806,681.

Last year for the same week, sellers listed 46 homes and buyers ratified 48 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.

Boring Title: September and October Market Update

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.

For this week’s edition of Boring Title, we give our market update from what we’ve seen in September and the beginning of October.

The housing market remains a seller’s market through September. This has been consistent throughout the pandemic. While a high demand for new homes carries on, it has driven active listings down and home prices up.

However, the strong demand was met with the most new listings since the start of the pandemic. This could be an indication of the housing market normalizing as the holidays approach. As for now, expect selling prices to remain high.

If you are looking to potentially refinance, it could be a great time to lock in a rate as they have stayed close to historic lows. Just make sure you shop around first. If you ever need a recommendation for a lender, feel free to reach out to us and we can give some recommendations!

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!

Virginia Tech Launches New Online Graduate Certificates in IT

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Not everyone has the time or financial resources to commit to a full master’s degree program. Some may already have a master’s and are just looking for a narrow update on a current skillset. For these reasons, Virginia Tech’s 100% online Master of Information Technology program now offers IT professionals the option to earn a graduate certificate in 10 specialized IT subject areas.

“IT leaders can find a certificate that speaks exactly to their professional needs without having to commit several years to pursuing a master’s degree,” says Barbara Hoopes, Associate Professor of Business Information Technology at Virginia Tech. In fact, students can earn a certificate in as little as 12 months as a part-time student.

Whether looking to simply enhance existing skills or prepare for a major career transition, students can expect to reap these rewards:

Enhanced Marketability — Both experienced and aspiring IT professionals can enhance their expertise through thoughtfully designed certificates that allow students to develop skills in areas where a current dearth of talent is driving competitive salaries and prime opportunities for career advancement.

Explore High-Demand Areas — Earning a certificate offers a relatively quick opportunity to explore a high-demand content area, like Cybersecurity, Business Data Analytics, or Health Information Technology, to boost marketability and stay abreast of IT trends. Employers can also use a certificate “to contribute to the skill sets and the knowledge base of employees without having to release them to earn a degree as a full-time student,” says Hoopes.

Greater Convenience — Exclusively online, a VT-MIT master’s degree or graduate certificate satisfies an increasing demand among IT workers for greater flexibility. Students can easily switch between full or part-time status and shift their course loads to match their personal and professional demands. An online VT-MIT degree or graduate certificate offers students the skills they need while at the same time balancing today’s personal, professional and academic demands.

Learn more about Virginia Tech’s 100% online Master of Information Technology and graduate certificate options at vtmit.vt.edu.

Biz Talk: Arlington’s Bold Future — Ballston’s Innovation Hub

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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This article was written by Alex Taylor, Senior Business Development Manager for Arlington Economic Development.

Arlington Economic Development recently hosted a webinar on the future of Ballston, Arlington’s Bold Future: Innovating Ballston, featuring panelists from Shooshan Companies, George Mason University, Cushman & Wakefield, the Ballston BID and Arlington County. This was the first in a series of webinars focused on the future of Arlington’s economy and placemaking.

As home to DARPA, the Office of Naval Research and the Virginia Tech Research Center, Ballston has historically been a hub of innovation. Funded by federal research grants and commercialized spinoffs, the cutting-edge research happening in Ballston has led to technological advancements around the world as well as an influx of talent, ranking Arlington County amongst the most educated and hardest working populations in the country.

While companies have long been drawn to Ballston for its high-quality office space, prominent federal research institutions, university presence and access to tech and professional talent, the major transformation in Ballston has created a bustling 18/7 environment despite the ongoing pandemic.

The neighborhood has emerged as a more vibrant residential neighborhood with the addition of 2,000 new residential units over the last three years. These developments sit among thousands of existing residential properties, millions of square feet of high-end office space, and the experiential entertainment derived from over $300 million in investments between Ballston Quarter and Ballston Exchange.

Ballston also sits on top of one of the busiest metro stations in the region, with rail access on the Silver and Orange lines connecting workers and residents to D.C., Maryland and western suburban nodes like Ashburn, Reston and Vienna in Virginia. It will soon have direct access to two major airports (Reagan National and Dulles, coming in 2021), making domestic and international connections seamless.

Hundreds of miles of pedestrian and bicycle paths stretch across the region and allow for active commuters to run, bike or walk to the office. This combination of assets gives Ballston and Arlington a truly unmatched environment compared to other commercial districts around the country.

While Ballston is already a top-tier commercial district, it has experienced significant change over the last few years with many exciting new projects in the pipeline. The neighborhood will be welcoming George Mason University’s new Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA), and the $250 million state and University investment in the IDIA will serve as a critical catalyst in accelerating the growing innovation district and high-tech ecosystem along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

The 460,000 square foot facility will help support GMU’s new School of Computing, part of the University’s commitment to educate thousands of students in high-tech fields over the next decade. The building will incorporate cyber infrastructure and green technologies, and will support a mix of research, educational programs, corporate innovation labs, coworking and innovation programs for high-growth ventures.

This is all in addition to the $1 billion Virginia Tech Innovation Campus being simultaneously developed in Alexandria. Silicon Valley has Stanford, Atlanta has Georgia Tech, Boston has MIT and Harvard, and Arlington has GMU and neighboring Virginia Tech; the future for Ballston’s tech ecosystem is certainly bright.

Federal innovation has attracted talent to the D.C. metro region for decades, but the emergence of these high-tech university research facilities along with Amazon’s HQ2 project will create a tech talent pipeline that will bolster the region’s image as a tech hub and further place Arlington on the map as a preeminent global tech and innovation hub.

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.

Fire Prevention Week kicked off on Friday and runs through this Saturday, October 10.

While the fires we see and hear dominating the news cycle are the wildfires in California these days, fires — in homes — can affect anyone and everyone.

According to Safety.com, there are more than 365,000 fires and 2,650 civilian deaths as a result of fires. And, sadly, most home fires are preventable.

Here in the heart of fire prevention week, a friendly reminder to check on a few things. If it’s been a while since you’ve checked he batteries in your smoke alarms, now is a wonderful time. Also, if you do not have a fire plan — to utilize in case of an emergency — it’s a great time to start planning. Finally, electrical issues can be just as much of a concern as human error. For big jobs, trust a certified electrician and be cognizant of just how many thing you’ve plugged in and how much a source can handle.

While there is certainly a bit to keep an eye on while owning a home, it’s such a rewarding journey. And, when you’re ready to embark on that journey, the team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to help.

Now on to this week’s Just Reduced figures.

As of October 5, there are 176 detached homes, 52 townhouses and 345  condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 65 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week:

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.

You’re Invited: Virtual Visit Week for Prospective Undergraduates

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University is offering a new three-part series of “virtual visits” to campus for prospective undergraduate students to see first-hand the opportunities and world-changing subject matter that a Schar School student encounters.

“The virtual visits will showcase some of the high-profile professors, students, and graduates who make the Schar School one of the highest ranked policy and government schools in the country,” said Shannon Williams, who works in student services and is coordinating the virtual visits. “The variety of the topics of the three events range from examining the future of American democracy to justice and prison privatization to getting ready for your career in changing the world. Prospective students will be able to ask questions at the end and they can register for one session or all three, at no cost.”

The virtual visit series will be held October 13-15, at 6 p.m. EDT. Topics throughout the week include:

Register to attend any or all of the virtual visits.

With a BA in Government and International Politics and the BS in Public Administration, students are poised to make an impact globally and locally.

To learn more about other upcoming events, please visit our event calendar or connect with the Schar School Office of Undergraduate Student Services at [email protected].

Ask Eli: ROI On Pre-Listing Home Improvements

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: We are planning to put our townhouse on the market this spring and wondering if you have any advice on how we should choose what improvements we should or should not make prior to listing.

Answer: The decisions you make on what money you do or do not spend improving your home prior to a sale often influence your bottom line more than any other decision you make during the sale process. They’re also the decisions you’re most in control of, so take your time and take them seriously.

Remodeling.com publishes an annual report showing the resale return of specific remodeling jobs, based on region of the country. Unfortunately, I can’t share the D.C. area report here because of copyright issues, but it’s worth going to the link (you have to provide them some basic info) to take a look yourself. The findings of their report show that the majority of projects, done individually, return just 50-80% of the cost. I have seen another study by Zillow that shows similar projections.

Note that I said when “done individually” most projects return well below 100% of the money spent, but when you combine the right improvements you can create value/profit that can add to your bottom line.

Tier Your Improvements

After you prepare a full list of potential improvements, it’s important to bucket them into tiers and analyze each tier for cost, project timeline and impact on the expected resale value to determine which improvements make the most sense. At a high level, these tiers generally fall into three categories:

  • Clean-out, Clean-up: This focuses on the low cost, high return items to make a home more presentable such painting, deep cleaning, repairs, light landscaping, etc.
  • Bring up to par: Investing in one/some more expensive projects to bring them up to par with the rest of the home. For example, improving a dated kitchen if the rest of the home is updated so that the kitchen doesn’t drag down the value of the other improvements or replacing damaged hardwood floors.
  • Remodel/Homeowner Flip: Similar to what an investor might do to a dated home in an expensive neighborhood, a homeowner might choose to make a major investment into updates and benefit from a significant profit.

Consider All Costs

The cost of doing improvements goes beyond the cost of the labor and materials. Don’t forget to consider things like:

  • Your time managing the work
  • Inconvenience of having work done while you’re living in the home
  • Carrying cost while work is being done, if the home is vacant
  • Risk of something going wrong during the work (applies more to larger projects)

100%+ ROI

There’s no doubt that remodeling your bathroom will generate a higher sale price, but it’s rarely advisable to invest money into improvements if you won’t return more than 100% on the investment. Herein lies the challenge and strategy in planning your improvements. Understanding the profile of your likely buyers and what they value is crucial to making investments that generate profit, not just a higher price.

If you’d like to discuss buying or selling strategies, 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 D.C., and Maryland with RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. #10C Arlington, VA 22203, (703) 390-9460.

Legal Insider: Meeting with Security Clearance Investigators

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

It is important to obtain legal advice prior to meeting with security clearance investigators when potential security clearance problems are anticipated.

When individuals have difficulties in the security clearance process or anticipate future problems, the best advice that can be given is to prepare in advance for the meeting. Preparation for the first security clearance meeting can make the difference between a government contractor/federal employee successfully obtaining/retaining a security clearance or being denied one.

Preparing for the Initial Security Clearance Investigator Meeting

One of the most important considerations in meeting with a security clearance investigator for the first time is to adequately prepare for the meeting, especially where there may be potential disqualifying security concerns. We find that most government contractors and federal employees have a general sense of potential security concerns that could arise at the time that they begin to review or complete their e-QIP/SF-86 submissions.

In the most common scenario, an individual is usually alerted to potential problems that may require preparation for the clearance process when they find that they may have to answer “yes” to a certain question and then provide formal disclosures to an uncomfortable question, such as the use of drugs or past financial debts. When these types of issues are anticipated, then one should seek counsel and prepare in advance of a meeting with a security clearance investigator.

Review Relevant Documentation

If a potential security concern exists, it is important to gather as much information and documentation one has on the issue of concern in preparation for the interview.  Such information, if useful, can be provided to security clearance investigators at the start.  At other times, the information can be useful for later in the clearance process, if needed.

For example, suppose an individual knows that they have a large outstanding debt on their credit report. If so, then that information will certainly be important to review prior to a meeting with a security clearance investigator.

Respond to the Questions Asked

In regard to meetings between government contractors/federal employees and security clearance investigators, one other issue that we run across is the tendency of some individuals to provide information not sought by an investigator.

We advise government contractors and federal employees to answer the questions asked by investigators as honestly as possible but stick to the actual questions that are posed. On many occasions, individuals can get sidetracked or provide information that is not relevant to the questions asked by an investigator, which may cause clearance difficulties later or cause frustration for the investigator.

The usual key to a successful interview is to be as responsive as possible to any areas of concern but to make the meeting with the clearance investigator as efficient as possible. Investigators tend to have many cases to review and like to focus on their particular areas of concern. The better an individual can honestly address specific issues raised by an investigator, the better the potential outcome.

When issues arise, it is important to consult with counsel to obtain the best legal advice possible in presenting one’s response to difficult questions.

Follow-up Interviews or Requests by the Investigator

A security clearance investigator may need additional information regarding potential security concerns or need to interview an individual a second time. We typically advise individuals to attempt to anticipate these requests in advance.

For example, if an investigator appears to have questions about one’s psychological issues during an initial interview, it may be helpful to attempt to obtain a letter from a medical professional soon after that shows that the psychological concerns are under control and have been resolved. Doing so in advance can save time and effort later and may resolve issues early should the investigator come back with additional questions.

Contact Us

If you are in need of security clearance legal representation or advice, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook or Twitter.

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