Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Arts Focus: County and Local University Showcase Arlington Artists in Open-Call Exhibit

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

Arlington artists Emma Cregan and Johab Silva were selected to be showcased in the Arlington Open Call 2019 Exhibition, opening Friday, September 6 (reception: 6-8 p.m.) through Saturday, November 2 at Cody Gallery at Marymount University, 1000 North Glebe Road, 2nd Floor, Arlington, Virginia, 22201

The all Arlington juried exhibition continues as a tradition that Arlington Cultural Affairs Division started over 20 years ago.  In collaboration with Marymount’s Cody Gallery, Arlington Arts invited artists who live, work or have a studio in Arlington to apply.

Each of the two selected artists will each receive a $500 honorarium. This exhibition was juried by: Meaghan Kent, Director of Cody Gallery, Marymount University; Cynthia Connolly, Special Projects Curator, Arlington, Virginia and Dawne Langford, independent curator, artist and filmmaker from the Washington, D.C. area.

The work of Cregan and Silva intersect at various points visually and conceptually. Emma Cregan’s stop motion videos “Escaping Blade,” “Escaping Soil” and “Escaping Surface” are experimentations of long shutter speeds. The images are captured fragments re-interpreted with the use of light, allowing our perception of the environment and reality to become abstracted.

Johab Silva’s paintings on panel are inspired from his travels to the Amazon rainforest and the impact of human presence and the environment. The artist will also create a site specific installation in the University stairwell with lightweight plastic materials. Together, the work of these artists allow us to slow down and re-interpret the environment around us.

Emma Cregan’s work explores the space between the digital and intangible. Cregan studied animation at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Kinetic Imaging program, where she created several short films using puppets and other stop-motion techniques. Her animations focused on family history led to an internship at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

While working at the Smithsonian, she created short videos and wrote articles about the importance of culture and how traditional knowledge remains relevant in the 21st century. Her interest in cultural heritage led to an internship with The Maa Trust, a non-profit in the Maasai Mara working to establish harmony between community development and environmental conservation. Cregan created short video pieces showcasing their efforts to economically empower Maasai women.

Her experiences with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and The Maa Trust inspired her to create art focused on intangibility. She is drawn to animation because it is an exaggeration and distortion of reality. The visuals created are simultaneously familiar and alien, opening the audience’s mind to see the world from a different perspective. Through the distortion of the world created by animation, we can better understand unique perceptions of reality.

Johab Silva is a native Brazilian who has lived and worked in Washington, D.C. since 2008. He holds a Masters’ Degree in Art Education from Corcoran College of Art and Design. Silva’s ongoing research explores themes of appropriation, materiality, space and environmental issues.

His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally including The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Transformer Gallery, Miami Art Palace and the Santo Andre Museum of Art. His work has been published in The Washington Post, Art in America and Sculpture Magazine.

Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development, which delivers public activities and programs as Arlington Arts. Our mission is to create, support and promote the arts, connecting artists and community to reflect the diversity of Arlington.

We do this by: providing material support to artists and arts organizations in the form of grants, facilities and theater technology; integrating award-winning public art into our built environment; and presenting high quality performing, literary, visual and new media programs across the County.

Cody Gallery is a contemporary art space created as a platform to support the arts and strengthen the arts community at Marymount University and the greater Washington DC area. Exhibitions present work by local, regional and international artists in order to provide groundbreaking and thought-provoking work for the community to experience.

Events, including artist talks and lectures, are available for students at Marymount University and the general public at large.

For more info on the exhibit, visit www.marymount.edu/codygallery, or www.arlingtonarts.org.

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 licensed broker Aaron Seekford of Arlington Realty, Inc. GET MORE out of your real estate investment with Aaron and his team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6116 today!

Please note: While Aaron Seekford provides this information for the community, he may not be the listing agent of these homes.

Well here we are, parents: The end of July is upon us.

Before we all know it, the kiddos will be back to school. For Arlington County Public Schools, the first day of school is September 3. So, you’ve got a little more than a month left. For many families, a summer goal is to settle into a new home before the school year starts. And, while time is certainly ticking on Summer 2019, there is still time to achieve that goal.

While our market is absolutely booming (thanks in large part to its historical stability and the recent Amazon HQ2 news), there are folks out there looking to sell as quickly as you may be looking to buy.

When you are ready to get moving (and get moving quickly!) — whether it’s ahead of the school year or not — our team is always ready to help you GET MORE out of your transaction.

As of July 29, there are 133 detached homes, 15 townhouses and 93 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 21 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 Aaron Seekford.

Ask Eli: Mid-Year Arlington Real Estate Update

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: How did the Arlington real estate market perform in the first half of 2019?

Answer: I am excited to announce the first of many collaborations with Jeannette Chapman, Deputy Director and Senior Research Associate, at the Stephen S. Fuller Institute at George Mason University to bring you deeper, more insightful analysis of the Arlington housing market.

The Fuller Institute conducts incredible research and analysis on the Greater Washington regional economy and I’d encourage you to subscribe to their monthly Washington Economy Watch reports. Jeannette is an Arlingtonian and housing data junkie, which means even better market insights for ARLnow/Ask Eli readers!

Inventory Down, Prices Up

Amazon announced they were moving their second headquarters to Arlington in November 2018 and there has been year-over-year double-digit decreases in homes listed for sale in each of the seven months from December through June, topping out with a 29.5% drop in April 2019 compared to April 2018. I think this is due to owners deciding to hold out for more gains once Amazon employees start showing up.

The shortage in housing inventory forced buyers to compete for homes, resulting in 46.1% of homes selling for more than the asking price in the first half of 2019, compared to an average of 26.5% going over ask during the previous five years.

Less inventory combined with shifts in demand (buyers moving their timelines up and new investors entering the market) led to price increases across Arlington in the first half of 2019, compared to the first half of 2018, by an average of 4.6% and median 8.8%.

This does not mean that all homes in Arlington are worth 5-9% more than they were this time last year — some sub-markets are up more while others haven’t experienced the “Amazon-effect” yet.

To get a more accurate picture of what’s happening in our housing market, we separated the data into smaller sub-markets. Townhomes aren’t included because there’s not enough volume to produce good data and we left out the 22202 zip code, which makes up the Crystal City/Pentagon City area (aka most of National Landing), because it’s a very different market than the rest of the County and requires its own analysis in a future column.

We chose to remove new construction, age-restricted housing and Cooperatives. Finally, the time period is based on when a property actually went under contract instead of when it closed.

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Legal Insider: New Virginia Law Restricts Non-Disclosure Agreements

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 Kimberly H. Berry, Esq.

A new Virginia employment law has gone into effect that restricts what employees and employers can agree to in non-disclosure agreements as a condition of the employee’s employment.

On February 22, 2019, the Virginia Governor signed off on House Bill 1820, affecting all Virginia employers. HB 1820 was unanimously passed by both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate during the Virginia General Assembly 2019 Regular Session.

The new law specifically limits the scope of non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements between employees and employers regarding the disclosure or concealment of sexual assault claims.

The new law, at Va. Code § 40.1-28.01, prohibits a Virginia employer from requiring an employee or prospective employee from agreeing to a non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement that attempts to conceal the details relating to a claim of sexual assault as a condition of employment. Under the new Virginia law, claims of sexual assault include claims of rape, forcible sodomy, aggravated sexual battery and sexual battery.

Va. Code § 40.1-28.01 provides that these types of settlement provisions are contrary to public policy, void and unenforceable in the courts. Va. Code § 40.1-28.01 further provides that the new prohibition on non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements will in no way limit other grounds that exist in law or equity for the unenforceability of any such agreement or any provision of such agreement.

The new law can affect new and existing non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements that attempt to hide claims of sexual assaults related to employment.

Conclusion

If you need assistance with a federal retirement or an employment issue, please contact our office at (703) 668-0070 or at www.berrylegal.com to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BerryBerryPllc.

New Homes in Arlington: July 26

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Welcome to New Homes, a biweekly column highlighting the new construction real estate market, written by Conor Sullivan and Dave Moya of Three Stones Residential at Keller Williams Realty. We are here to share our experience and expertise in lot acquisition, financing and construction of custom homes. 

With increased interest of lowering our environmental impact and reducing monthly costs in homes, homeowners are looking to the installation of green features as they look to build new or upgrade their current home.

Making a few energy efficient upgrades will not only help the environment, but also increase the value of your home.

Solar Panels

If you’ve been thinking about installing solar panels to power your home, now is the time to do it. While the initial installation costs may be a bit daunting, there is a 30% federal renewable-energy tax credit available in 2019. To qualify, your system must be placed and in service (or ready for inspection) by December 31, 2019.

In 2020 the tax credit will fall to 26%; 2021 it will fall to 22%, and after that it is no longer available. With significant estimated savings in the first year as utility rates continue to rise, the system is projected to pay for itself in the first 10 years.

Geo-Thermal HVAC

These heating and cooling systems work by utilizing ground’s natural temperature to help regulate the temperature in your home without burning fuel or emitting greenhouse gases. The system consisting of underground piping, called group loop, and an indoor heat pump, work to help heat in the winter and cool in the summer.

We recommend contacting a qualified geothermal heat pump contractor or engineer to give an estimate of the size of the system needed for your home.

Tankless Water Heater

Tankless water heaters help reduce the inefficiency of heating unused water by using thermal optic sensors that are activated as water passes through the system, heating only the water that is being used at that time — thus saving money!

This on-demand heating process helps reduce the energy and costs associated with reheating water. Additionally, tankless water heaters take up minimal space and can fit under the sink or in cabinets so homeowners won’t have an issue finding a place to put it.

Energy Efficient Windows

Choosing high-quality and energy efficient windows can result in significant cost savings and benefits in your home all year long. Having energy efficient windows can better insulate your home, forming a barrier against the cold in the winters and keeping rooms cooler in the summer.

With better insulation, you’ll consume less energy heating and cooling your home, resulting in cost savings and a more eco-friendly home. Additionally, these windows are made with a special coating that can block out the sun’s UV rays, which help protect your rug, carpet, wood and other fabrics that could be damaged by the sun.

LED Lighting

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lights are designed to use at least 90% less energy than the standard bulbs, helping to save money right away on your energy bill. They are smaller in size, have reduced temperatures and have a longer lifespan than traditional bulbs (up to 50,000 hours) so you won’t need to replace them nearly as often as fluorescent or incandescent bulbs.

From an environmental standpoint, LEDs don’t contain mercury as traditional lighting does, meaning when the time comes for a replacement, these lights can be recycled and do not require specific disposal handling.

Here are some new homes now on the market in Arlington:

Want to learn more about financing a New Home build? McLean Mortgage (NMLS ID: 99665) can handle all of your construction financing needs. You can build your new home with as little as 5% down. Contact construction loan expert Troy Toureau (NMLS ID: 5618) at 301-440-4261 or AnyHomeLoans.com to learn 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:

2818 24th Street N.
6 BD/5 BA, 2 half bath single-family home
Agent: Washington Fine Properties, Llc
Listed: $2,550,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1900 N. Uhle Street
4 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $1,340,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

5105 26th Street N.
4 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $975,000
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

2310 S. Dinwiddie Street
4 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $879,900
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

1818 N. George Mason Drive
4 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath villa/townhouse
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $749,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

2272 S. Garfield Street
4 BD/4 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Arlington Realty, Inc
Listed: $619,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

851 N. Glebe Road #507
1 BD/1 BA condo
Agent: Compass
Listed: $424,750
Open: Sunday 2-4 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 Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

Arlington’s real estate market is starting to show the expected signs of a summer slow down, but many buyers didn’t get the memo and kept up the pace this week.

They ratified 63 contracts compared to typically 50-55 sales a week in the summer. By contrast sellers only added another 42 fresh listings to the inventory. Some 20 of those got snatched up in less than seven days, mostly in price points under $750,000.

This has caused the total inventory to shrink to just 250 homes actively for sale. At this week’s pace of sales, all inventory would be sold in just 1 month which is considered very low. Any sellers on the fence about when to put their home on the market should consider listing now.

Mortgage rates continue to hold to near three year lows with this week’s rates at 3.88% for a 30-yr fixed rate with no points.

The summer’s afternoon thunderstorms are causing falling trees or branches to become an issue for many homeowners. The big question we hear: Who is responsible for maintenance, and damages caused?

In Arlington, you have the right to trim any trees or branches that come across your property line. You can trim up to the property line, but not beyond. Any property damage caused should be covered by the hazard insurance of the damaged party regardless of the origin of the tree. There can be exceptions if a property owner serves notice to a neighbor about a risky tree. In such a situation, you are advised to get advice from legal counsel.

Click to see all the fresh new inventory in MRIS and call Team Cathell (703-975-2500) when you find a home you like.

Biz Talk: HQ2 Helps Virginia Claim Top State for Business

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This article was sponsored by Arlington Economic Development‘s Business Investment Group.

Virginia has been announced as CNBC’s choice for “Top State for Business” in 2019.

It’s the fourth time the Commonwealth has taken the top honors, which studies all 50 states based on 10 different categories of business competitiveness. And of course, Arlington’s nationally-watched deal for Amazon HQ2 was cited as a big reason for the win.

“When Amazon announced late last year that it had chosen Arlington, Virginia, as the home for part of its new, $5 billion second headquarters, it did not reach the decision haphazardly,” explains the ranking.

“The state has the nation’s best workforce, including the fourth-highest concentration of science, technology, education and math (STEM) workers. Strong school test scores, small class sizes and a wealth of colleges and universities make Virginia’s education system the best in the nation. And with Virginia Tech University announcing plans to build a new campus adjacent to Amazon’s HQ2 focused on innovation, things could get even better.”

But taking a deeper dive, it’s that critical formula of workforce and education along with a healthy dose of collaboration that’s led Virginia back to the number one spot. After all, Virginia has the number two tech workforce in the nation — much of it centered right here in Arlington and around the DMV.

Not only that, it’s one of the highest educated workforces in the nation — nearly three-quarters of our working population in Arlington has at least a bachelor’s degree; about 40% reach even higher on the educational charts. We’re leading the way in fields like cybersecurity, big data, ed tech and clean tech — all industries that are really coming to the forefront as we move into this innovation economy.

It’s also not surprising that CNBC called out Virginia’s impressive education system, and nowhere is that more prevalent than here in Arlington and around Northern Virginia.

The Amazon deal brought with it plans to build a $1B Virginia Tech Innovation campus, which will be located just next door in Alexandria. Its goal? Produce a continuing tech talent pipeline of well-educated individuals who are primed (no pun intended) to lead the way in the STEM workforce of the future.

And what’s the secret sauce to this winning business formula? Collaboration. After all, the partnership for the Amazon HQ2 deal was one that would’ve been unheard of in this region just a few short years ago. Now — we’ve shown that collaboration with partners, not just between local jurisdictions but also between the state and private partners, and a sense of regionalism simply works.

We’re stronger together — and nowhere has that been more evident than our success in landing the largest economic development deal in history and leading the way to ensuring Virginia takes the number one business spot again.

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 licensed broker Aaron Seekford of Arlington Realty, Inc. GET MORE out of your real estate investment with Aaron and his team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6116 today!

Please note: While Aaron Seekford provides this information for the community, he may not be the listing agent of these homes.

Just like any other season around here, it’s been interesting weather-wise.

In addition to sweltering temps, parts of our area experienced the absolute worst in terms of flooding recently. This included a state of emergency declaration in Arlington County just two weeks ago.

Ideally, folks were prepared before these torrential storms. But, if not, there is no time like the present to get ready, safety-and insurance-wise at a minimum, for the next round.

Floodplain and flood insurance rate maps for the entire county are publicly available online. While all properties within the county have some level of risk in terms of flooding, it’s important to know where you stand and be proactive!

If and when you are ready to call Arlington County home, I’m always here to help. There have been plenty of things me and my team have learned over the years as residents and we want you to GET MORE out of living here, in every way possible.

As of July 22, there are 145 detached homes, 14 townhouses and 104 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 21 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 Aaron Seekford.

Ask Eli: How Much Are Condo Fees In Arlington?

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: Our Board of Directors is planning for the 2020 budget and we’d like to get a sense of the market rates in Arlington, particularly in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor. What are the average condo fees in the Arlington area on a cost per square foot basis?

Answer: It’s that time of year for most Condo Associations — budget planning time! As a former Condo Board Treasurer, I understand the pressure you’re under to balance responsible spending and reserve contributions with resident expectations of low, stable fees. Let’s take a look at what condo fees are across Arlington…

Arlington Condo Fee Rates

Fees are generally set on an annual basis by dividing up the Association’s total budget, including reserve contributions, by the ownership percentage assigned to each unit. Ownership percentage is determined by the builder and can be found in the legal documents you received prior to purchase. In most cases, it’s determined either by the number of bedrooms or square feet.

On a square foot basis, the average condo fee in Arlington is $0.54/sq.ft. with a median fee of $0.53/sq. ft. Along the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor the average jumps a bit to $0.57/sq. ft. and the median remains the same.

On a per bedroom basis:

Not All Fees Created Equal

Before you jump to any conclusions about the relative value of your condo fee, you need to consider what’s included. Amenities that require staffing and/or expensive maintenance like an attended front-desk, on-site management and pools add significantly to the budget. The value for those amenities is subjective.

Amenities that take up a significant amount of space within a building like large lobbies, party rooms, or rooftop gyms take away from the total unit count, thus increasing the ownership percentage of each unit.

There’s also a wide range of utilities included, or not, in a condo fee. Some fees include all utilities (water, sewer, trash, gas and electricity) while others may only include trash with the rest paid directly by each owner. Some fees even include internet and cable! These differences can change your monthly bottom-line between two condos by hundreds of dollars.

Another important consideration when analyzing condo fees is how well they’re being used to fund the reserves (the Association’s savings account for major repair or replacement work) and whether future planned/unplanned building expenses will require a fee increase or special assessment.

A well-funded reserve account usually means long-term fee stability and decreased chances of a special assessment. Associations should complete a new Reserve Study every five years to maintain a sufficient reserve balance and healthy building maintenance.

Other Thoughts On Condo Fees

Over the past couple of years I’ve written other condo fee related columns you might find helpful including A Case For Condo Fees, How Fees Impact Resale Value, and Finding Savings In Your Condo Budget.

While I have the attention of condo owners/Boards, I’ll also remind everybody that I’m organizing an info session on smoking bans in condos and to email me at [email protected] if you’re interested in joining.

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 Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, (202) 518-8781.

Your New Favorite Sunday Funday: DC Polo Society

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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Summer 2019 is the inaugural season for DC Polo Society, where tradition and fun collide for the whole family.

Your new Sunday Funday is waiting with signature cocktails, food trucks, yard games and surprise themes and events every month. Get away to the countryside for more than just a polo match.

This weekend is the 3rd polo event: FUNBRELLA!

Enjoy the polo match with tropical vibes. Bring your own umbrella, chairs or snag one of the seats available on arrival. Friends, family, kids and dogs are all welcome! Kids under 16 are free for this event.

Affordable transportation add-on options are also available.

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