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.
Buyers, here’s the good news — mortgage rates have never been better!
The 30-year fixed has hit a new low, again breaking the record low that’s been established and reestablished numerous times over the past few months. Existing homeowners — you may be able to refinance with a 15-year mortgage close to 2.5% so this can probably save you serious money and you get to stay put!
As Northern Virginia begins to reopen, we’re seeing more and more in-person open houses scheduled, and expecting traffic to be way up in the coming weeks. The market only cooled slightly the past couple months in terms of volume — expect it to heat up faster than it cooled in coming weeks.
Some not-so-good news if you are a buyer — prices have remained remarkably steady!
Abundant speculation that prices would drop as a result of the pandemic has not rung true. There has indeed been an increase in instances of contracts falling through (previously a very rare occurrence in Arlington) and they were very largely due to financing issues. The housing market will always be a supply/demand equation and the years of pent-up demand in Arlington didn’t evaporate over the past couple months, despite global uncertainty.
Take a look below at some statistics for Arlington real estate — with this week’s slower numbers, we’ve crept up to 1.55 months of available inventory.
There are currently 267 homes for sale in Arlington. 143 are detached homes, 27 are townhouses/semi-detached, and 97 are condos. Average days on market (DOM) is 60 and median DOM is 34.
Sellers listed some 55 properties for sale this week. Buyers ratified 43 contracts, 23 of which were homes that had been on the market one week or less. The median list price of available properties is $1,155,000, while the average is $1,193,112.
Last year for the same week, sellers listed 81 homes and buyers ratified 71 contracts.
Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. 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.
Address: 2230 N. Kensington Street Neighborhood: Tuckahoe Village
Listed Price: $1,725,000
Open House: Hard Hat Tours Available by Appointment Only
Delivery late September 2020! Located in Arlington’s desirable Tuckahoe Village, this 5 Bed, 4.5 bath (5,008 finished sq. ft.) featuring Classic Cottages Richmond model is available now for customization.
This home has everything you’ve been looking for, including a main level home office with beautiful no-grid French doors and large windows for an abundance of natural light! There is plenty of play space between the open concept sunroom just off the great room as well as the spacious lower level entertainment room featuring a complete wet bar.
Make this home your own by choosing the finishes that matter the most to you from cabinetry color and countertop selections to hardware, plumbing & lighting fixtures. You can also choose your hardwood floor stain color and interior & exterior paint colors!
Contact Classic Cottages today to schedule a private hard hat tour and to learn more about your customization options.
Schools: Nottingham Elementary School, Swanson Middle School and Yorktown High School.
Listed by:
Michelle Lynch
Classic Cottages Realty LLC
433 E Monroe Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
Phone: 571-366-3324 [email protected] www.ccottages.com
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.
Immigrating to the United States is expensive.
A company petitioning for a worker or a U.S. citizen petitioning for a spouse will spend thousands of dollars on processing fees alone. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for accepting and processing all immigration applications, along with the checks that come with them.
Historically, USCIS has supported itself using the filing fees people pay to have their applications processed. According to the USCIS website, 97% of USCIS’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget stems from those filing fees. But recently, USCIS announced that it is on the brink of running out of money. The agency is now seeking a bailout from Congress.
Why does this (heretofore) financially independent government agency suddenly need a bailout? We’d posit a couple of reasons.
The first reason is that the Trump Administration has increased the adjudicative burden on USCIS. In-person interviews are now required in almost all green card applications. Requests for evidence are now sent routinely, for even the most trivial errors or omissions. Demanding that USCIS put every application under a microscope increases the cost, as measured in staff time and resource demand, of doing business. That isn’t the agency’s fault.
The second reason is incompetence. The majority of USCIS applications are filed on paper by mail. Many attorneys are reporting that USCIS is improperly rejecting applications, and when USCIS rejects an application, they return the filing fee check back as well. We have seen it all: USCIS rejects applications stating that the fee amount is incorrect, despite the inclusion of the correct fee. USCIS rejects applications saying the application was incomplete, when in fact, it was complete.
Sometimes they say “You forgot the other form that goes along with your green card application,” and — you guessed it — that “other form” was submitted. Pro tip from a local small business: If you want the money, accept payments. Many applicants, understandably, choose not to refile.
The third reason is ballooning expenditures. USCIS’s annual budget has increased from $3.3B in FY2016 to just over $4.8B in FY2020. This is a generous rate of growth. Advocates are understandably focused on what USCIS is charging immigrants. As citizens, though, we’d also like to know why USCIS can’t both adjudicate applications at a reasonable speed and prevent fraud at the same time, given the resources at its disposal.
The fourth reason — which USCIS, understandably, leans on in its bailout request — is plummeting application numbers. USCIS says that numbers are down thanks to COVID19, which we believe is likely to be only a small part of the story. (Remember: the checks come in the mail.)
The real story, in our view, is that legal immigration to the United States is a less attractive proposition than it used to be. Between travel bans and the new public charge rule, immigration to the United States has become more difficult and complex. If you increase the price, you’ll sell fewer widgets.
We believe that these policies have stymied potential immigrants from filing benefit applications in the first place, perhaps because they think it unlikely that USCIS will approve the application, or maybe they cannot afford to hire an attorney. These policy changes and their effects are decreasing USCIS’s incoming funds.
USCIS now requires that many immigrants show that they will not become reliant on government benefits. But now, USCIS is running to Congress asking for heaps of taxpayer money it never needed before. USCIS is on the verge of becoming a public charge itself. The irony is regrettable.
As always, we welcome any comments and will do our best to respond.
This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
By Alex Held, BizLaunch
As small businesses navigate how they reopen and when, one thing remains certain, no small business wants to be forced to close because of large gatherings or be seen on social media enabling an environment that isn’t safe in the era of COVID-19.
In order to help small businesses thrive, BizLaunch along with our partners, has developed a series of webinars called Onward Arlington. Each webinar will focus on a specific aspect of reopening processes small business owners need to consider, protecting the safety of their customers, employees and themselves.
While understanding the regulations and requirements is fundamental, small businesses will also need to be prepared to handle questions, emotions, attitudes, opinions and even fears customers and returning employees may have as they reopen. What can customers and employees expect as small businesses reopen? How can small business owners best communicate their new normal? How can small businesses remain nonpartisan in the COVID-19 era?
In our second webinar Onward Arlington: Communicating the New Normal, we’ll be addressing these issues while helping small business owners develop the right message for their customers and discuss practical communication vehicles to help business owners communicate their message effectively.
As we move through future phases of Forward Virginia, we’ll continue to provide small businesses with timely content and resources to support as we transition together through our new normal. For more information on business resources visit www.bizlaunch.org.
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.
What’s going to happen to the real estate world after the 2020 COVID-19 crisis? We all wish we had that magical crystal ball.
But, according to a recent Forbes report that assesses the global landscape, we’re poised to see short-term declines followed by a “strong housing market recovery.”
The piece sites an extensive research study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the University of Granada, with the late 90s and 2007 stock market declines as examples. Immediately following these corrections, interest rates remained low and various forms of stimulus and government support were rolled out.
We’re experiencing much of that same climate here in 2020.
A global assessment aside, it’s always important to understand the local factors and truly examine any unique purchase or selling scenario. When you’re ready to dive in, the team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to help you navigate these wild times.
Until then, here are this week’s Just Reduced figures.
As of May 25, there are 162 detached homes, 30 townhouses and 109 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 24 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.
Address: 900 N. Frederick Street Neighborhood: Ballston/Bluemont Listed: $1,099,000 Open: By appointment
Stunning $200K transformation in 2018 from top to bottom, inside and out. Perched atop a hill overlooking the neighborhood and Ballston skyline, at the end of a cul-de-sac, this sunny, modern farmhouse is 1/2 a mile from Ballston and so walkable.
Enjoy the beautiful summer days on your front porch or private back patio. No detail was spared in this charmer, standing tall since before WW1. The inside transformation brims with modern touches and historic character, including original refurbished heart of pine flooring. The kitchen is made for cooking and hosting: gas range, farmhouse sink, granite island, subway tile to ceiling, top of the line stainless appliances, plentiful solid wood cabinets. Open concept abounds; spacious family room with fireplace open into living room. Full sized dining room, open to kitchen with French doors.
The back has a heated tile floor mud/laundry room with access from back yard and true 2 car garage — a rarity in Arlington. All bathrooms are new, with black & white accents in true farmhouse chic fashion. 3 beds up, and the master has a killer walk in closet, dual vanities, separate soaker tub and shower. The unique configuration gives two additional showers/tubs sinks.
The basement is a great flex space for gym, home office, play or rec room, storage plus a walk out door also. Bonus: the sellers have plans for finished attic too — structural and electrical done during renovation!
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’m prepared to make a strong offer in Arlington’s hyper-competitive market, but I can’t even find a house to make an offer on! Why is every home on the market either old and too small or new and too big??
Answer: While debates about Missing Middle and tear-downs continue, I thought it would be helpful to look at why Arlington is such a difficult place for most families to find good housing options. Most of Arlington’s single-family housing problems stem from when the majority of homes were built — before 1960 and within the last decade. Only 17.8 % of single-family homes sold since 2016 were built between 1960 and 2009!
Too Old, Too New
According to Arlington’s 2019 Profile, there were 28,500 single family detached homes in the County and according to public records, ~80% of those homes were built prior to 1960 or since 2010. Why is that a problem?
Many homes built prior to 1960 are functionally obsolete for most families (“the reduction of an object’s usefulness or desirability because of an outdated design feature that cannot be easily changed”) and homes built since 2010 have an average price of nearly $1.8M over the last 18 months.
Most homes built in Arlington in the 1940s and 1950s (with the original footprint) are plagued by 2-3 small bedrooms with small reach-in closets sharing one small bathroom, small enclosed kitchens, and small basements with low ceilings. They also lack the openness desired by most families in today’s market. Unfortunately, there’s very little one can do to bring these older homes up to today’s standards without extensive/expensive remodeling and/or expansion.
The economics of building a new home in the last decade doesn’t support the construction of a more modest homes (3,000-4,500 sq. ft.) so most new homes are built with 5,000-6,000+ square feet and are priced well above most budgets.
Just Right
It wasn’t until the 1980s and 1990s that Arlington homes were consistently built with designs more suited to today’s buyer including things like attached garages, master suites and combination kitchen/dining spaces. While these 1980s-1990s designs may not be perfect, it makes for more reasonable compromises at prices many more Arlington families can afford.
Unfortunately, over the last four years, there have been fewer single-family homes for sale that were built during the 1980s and 1990s (4.3% combined) than any other decade until the 1910s.
Housing Changes Over Time
I put together some charts to highlight how home sizes have changed through each decade as well as how the average cost of a home changes by the decade it was built. These charts are based on Arlington single-family detached sales since 2016.
Note: Older homes that have been remodeled/expanded and sold are included in this data so the average size, bedroom and bathroom count for older homes is higher than what you would expect from the original designs. Most pre-1960 homes were built with three bedrooms, one bathroom and under 2,000 sq. ft.
Note: Total finished square footage includes any finished basement space.
This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.
With many locals, not including fitness services in the list of essential businesses, a lot of people are looking for home workout exercises so they can stay active from the comfort of their own home.
At the Keri Shull Team, we know how important personal fitness is for many Arlingtonians, so we decided to ask an expert about how you can keep your blood pumping and stay limber during the COVID-19 lockdown!
Christa Aiken is a former member of the Washington Redskins’ cheerleading squad, traveling with the team for 4 years. Since leaving the team, she has begun teaching fitness classes at workout studios in Dupont Circle and Clarendon — and she joined the Keri Shull team as a member of our Buyer Advocate Team!
We met up with Christa in Rocky Run Park in Clarendon to show you some exercises that you can do at home! These workouts and stretches are a perfect way to get your morning started right, or to take a break from your work-at-home routine and get your muscles (and mind) loose! Here are the top 4 exercises for home workouts that Christa showed us:
Good Morning Stretch
Let’s face it — most of us don’t stretch as much as we probably should. The Good Morning Stretch is a great place to start building the habit of keeping your muscles warm and loose. The stretch itself is straightforward and beginner-friendly, but it is a great move for people of all experience levels
Here’s how you do a Good Morning Stretch: Stand up to your full height — make sure not to slouch your back at all! By keeping a good form with a straight back throughout the entire movement, you will ensure that your lower back gets a good stretch.
With your back and legs straight, steadily bend at the waist as far as you can or until your torso is parallel with the ground. Hold the stretch for a few moments, then slowly return to the starting position. It’s important to perform this stretch with steady motions so you can properly relax and warm your muscles.
Muscles targeted: The Good Morning Stretch is ideal for loosening the abdominal oblique muscles in your lower back, as well as the hamstrings in your upper leg. You might also feel a stretch in your calves.
Because of the ease of this stretch and the muscle groups targeted, it is an ideal movement for people who are seated for long periods of time. This quick exercise can help keep the muscles and tendons in your lower body loose and oxygenated, so make sure to take some breaks while working from home and do some Good Morning stretches.
Inchworm Into Runner’s Lunge
For a full-body stretch, there are few better exercises that you can do from home than the Inchworm Into Runner’s Lunge. This movement hits muscle groups across your entire body, making it an ideal stretch for improving mobility from tip to toe.
Here’s how you do an Inchworm Into Runner’s Lunge: Start like you would with a Good Morning stretch — back and legs straight, but not locked. Raise your arms above your head to stretch out your core and shoulders, then bend at the waist until you can put your fingertips on the ground in front of you. From there, walk your hands out while keeping your feet in place until your hands are a yard in front of your feet.
Lift your right hand off the ground and lunge your right leg forward, keeping your left hand and foot where they were. Your right foot and left hand should be even with each other, if possible. In a fluid motion, twist your torso until your right hand is pointed to the ceiling. Hold that position for a moment, then return your right hand and right foot to their original position and repeat the movement with your left hand and foot.
One of the best things about this movement is that you can perform it as a stretch or as a cardio exercise, depending on your speed. So not only is it great for getting muscles all across your body loose, it is also an effective way to get your heart rate up and your blood pumping!
Muscles Targeted: Because this exercise involves a lot of stability, it targets a large host of muscles across your body including your deltoids, triceps, pectorals and abdominal muscles in your upper body, as well as your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves in your lower body.
Address: 3800 Fairfax Drive #701 Neighborhood: Virginia Square | Tower Villas Listed: $540,000 Open: Virtually Open Tour
Welcome to unit 701 in Tower Villas, a completely renovated one bedroom, one bath with over 1,110 square feet of living space.
New waterproof floors in Lili Oak were just installed throughout. In 2018, the owner performed a large renovation adding stylish gray, soft-close cabinets, stainless steel appliances and quartz counters. A pass through was created in the kitchen maximizing the natural light and broadening the sight lines. A range hood accentuates the pass through giving the kitchen it’s sleek modern style. The doorway from the kitchen into the dining room was expanded and the cabinets, with showcase doors, extend into the dining room providing a ton of storage.
The huge living room is a great entertaining space with enough room for a home office. Floor to ceiling sliding glass doors open from the living room to the large balcony with Arlington views. The oversized bedroom measures 12 x 14, has a large closet and connects to the renovated bathroom.
The unit also comes with one convenient garage space P1-91. Tower villas has an outdoor pool, fitness center, a large outdoor patio, a 24-hour concierge and is conveniently located just 2 blocks to the Virginia Square Metro.
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.
Ever throw a party and wonder if anyone will come? How about throwing an anniversary party and knowing people can’t come?
Richard Hartogs, and the rest of the team at Rocket Frog Brewing Company find themselves celebrating their second year of brewing virtually, hosting a Zoom Happy Hour last night. Rocket Frog came out of the gate strong their first year with a Great American Beer Festival Bronze for their Wallops Island Brown Ale.
For many new breweries, that first year can all blur together. In their sophomore season, there are at least reference points to look back on. Per Richard, “it felt like we were finally in a good groove — probably our best as a working production brewery–in February.” And then all those lessons learned had to be shelved for one guiding idea: adapt.
Rocket Frog closed their taproom ahead of Gov. Northam’s executive order and were early adopters of “Biermi,” a beer pick-up and delivery app developed by DMV-area brewery, True Respite. I can say from personal experience their pick-up operation is one of the smoothest and safest of any brewery I have ordered beer from in the last two months. Hand sanitizer is available for guests, staff members are in gloves and masks, and orders can be picked up from tables or brought outside for contactless curbside pick-up with a quick phone call.
Closing the taproom may have been a quick decision, but it certainly wasn’t easy. “We had to lay off some brewery staff. That was hard on Russell (Carpenter, PhD, Head Brewer), but we’ve recently brought them back in for some hours and hope to have him back soon.”
Next challenge: anniversary plans. Richard is no stranger to virtual or in-person beer meetups, having run Beer Head on meetup.com and being a regular contributor to the YouTube beer show Better Beer Authority. Last night, co-hosting with CJ Cross of Hops N Shine in Del Ray, Rocket Frog had their anniversary via Zoom.
Was it as good as an in person event? No. Adaptation is like that. We do what we can while we can. Maybe we find ways, bit by bit, to improve, to move from surviving to thriving. Right now at Arrowine we seem to adapt to something new each day. Until we can see you all again, we’ll be here operating as safely as possible, providing you the assortment of beers, wines, cheeses, and more that help bring some comfort into your home.
