Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

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!

What happens at 5:58 p.m. today?

It’s springtime! Adios Old Man Winter and hello to one of my favorite seasons of the year here in Arlington. Okay, so it looks like we’ll be easing into the spring season with temps in the mid-50s, but still. There are warm and sunny days ahead.

Speaking of sunny days ahead, we’re seeing some significantly discounted homes for this week’s edition of Just Reduced, including a couple options reduced more than $100,000. It looks like some homeowners are starting their spring cleaning a bit early and are looking to sell quickly.

If something catches your fancy or if there is a property you’ve had your eye on for some time, let’s get rolling and GET MORE out of your transaction. Before we know it, the pleasant temps will be gone, the kids will be out of school and a good chunk of folks will be looking for a new home before the next school year.

As of March 18, there are 142 detached homes, 22 townhouses and 94 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 15 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.

Local MBA Program Named One of Top 15 in Country

Virginia Tech’s Evening MBA program moved up three places to No. 14 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 rankings of the best part-time MBA programs.

The Northern Virginia-based program now ranks as the top public university part-time MBA in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The report assessed more than 300 part-time MBA programs across the country on factors such as student quality, peer reputation and the ratio of part-time to full-time students.

“This marks the fifth consecutive year that the Evening MBA has featured in the top 20 programs nationwide,” said Dana K. Hansson, director of MBA programs. “We believe the faculty expertise and high level of flexibility we offer are key factors in continuing to attract high quality students to our program.”

The Evening MBA is one of three MBA programs offered by the Pamplin College of Business. With many shared courses and faculty, the Executive and Professional MBA program options offer a similar academic experience to the Evening program, but with alternate formats and locations to better serve a range of students.

“What we did at Virginia Tech a few years ago was to say that we really want to focus on the working professional — someone who wants to enhance their career or make a change in the direction of their career, but not at the expense of continuing to be a business professional,” says Pamplin Dean Robert Sumichrast. That allows those students to come into the classroom, he adds, “and use what they’ve learned as part of the experience of the MBA program.”

This commitment to serving part-time students contributed to Virginia Tech’s highest ever overall score in the ranking. Another contributing factor was a strong appraisal by other programs.

“We’re particularly proud of the peer assessment score given the high quality of other programs in the nation,” said Dr. Parviz Ghandforoush, associate dean for graduate programs at Pamplin. “In part, we believe the high rating is due to our commitment to offering cutting-edge courses in areas like innovation and entrepreneurship, machine learning/AI and cybersecurity that aren’t available to students in more traditional MBA programs.”

Ask Eli: Amazon Housing Impact Check-in

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Rosslyn resident. Please submit your questions to him via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: Has there been an increase in the number of homeowners putting their home on the market after Amazon’s decision to move to Arlington?

Answer: For me, this was the big unknown — would the announcement of Amazon HQ2 cause homeowners to quickly put their homes up for sale to take advantage of a higher resale value or would those owners decide to hold on for the mid/long run, hoping for a much greater return 5-10+ years from now? The early data in Arlington and Alexandria suggests a preference for the latter.

New Listings Way Down

The easiest way to answer the question is to look at the Year-over-Year change in the number of new listings to hit the market each month. Over the last three months, the YoY difference in new listings in Arlington has been -11%, -18.4% and -13.9%. The City of Alexandria has followed a similar pattern.

Months of Supply… Also Way Down

Months of Supply is a supply/demand reading that tells you how many months it would take for all the homes currently on the market (supply) to sell, given the current rate of sales (demand). Economists generally consider six months of supply to represent a well-balanced real estate market for both buyers and sellers.

Arlington and the City of Alexandria have hovered around 2-3 months of supply for most of the past 6-7 years, having never dropped below the one-month mark for 10+ years… until December 2018, when the two combined to average about .75 months of supply each of the last three months.

What Does This Mean For Northern Virginia?

You can shield the Seven Kingdoms from White Walkers by stacking up all of the frustrated buyers searching in Arlington and Alexandria.

Some may decide to pass on buying a home and continue renting, find a way to make their existing homes work, or move out of the area altogether, but many others will start to look further west for value (it’s there, trust me). Expect to see an immediate spillover into Annandale, Falls Church and Springfield; that shift has already started with many of our clients.

If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column, 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 DC, and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, (202) 518-8781.

Legal Review: Thousands of Drivers Allowed Back on the Roads in Virginia

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

By Criminal Defense Attorney Andrew Lindsey of Price Benowitz, LLP

There is good news for suspended drivers in Virginia!

In July of 2019, Governor Ralph Northam announced that residents would no longer have their licenses suspended for unpaid fines and court costs. Since that time, 34,545 Virginians have had their driver’s licenses reinstated. It is one small step that improves the licensing system in the state, and will continue to restore driving freedom to thousands.

Many may not think that having a suspended driver’s license is anything more than an inconvenience. However, the rule that a license could be suspended over unpaid fines is disproportionately unfair and damaging to lower-income individuals. These are the same individuals that desperately need to get to work, but cannot due to the fact that they do not have a valid driver’s license.

This was exactly the inequality Governor Northam was attempting to stop with the new law. He also pointed to the fact that it would benefit Virginia’s economy as a whole. Not only does the new law give people their licenses back, but it also makes it easier for them to resolve their unpaid court balances and administrative fees.

Prior to the new legislation, those wishing to get their driver’s license back were required to pay a $145 reinstatement fee. Now, those that had their licenses suspended due to unpaid fines or court costs are no longer required to pay these expenses. Those that had their licenses suspended for any other reason still need to pay the normal restoration fee after their court balance are resolved.

It is important for anyone who gets their license back to understand that reinstatement does not relieve them of their separate legal responsibilities. Anyone with unpaid fines or court costs still has an obligation to pay those costs.

Now that they can get back to work, the hope is that the new law makes it easier for them to do just that, showing once again that this law is a win all around.

The Chew: 7 of the Best Trails to Walk with Your Dog

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

The following bi-weekly column is written and sponsored by Bark + Boarding, which provides a heart-centered and safe environment for your pets. Conveniently located at 5818-C Seminary Road in Bailey’s Crossroads, Bark & Boarding offers doggy daycare, boarding, grooming, walking and training services, plus in-home pet care.

As the weather is warming up, it’s the perfect time to have some new outdoor adventures with your dog. To help you find the perfect spot to enjoy nature with your pup, we’ve rounded up some of the best trails to walk or run in the area.

Theodore Roosevelt Island
Washington, D.C.

  • Two and a half miles of low intensity trails
  • Most of the trails are wooded, providing shade during the warmer months
  • No fees
  • If your dog is adventurous and water-loving, canoeing and kayaking are available

Scott’s Run Nature Preserve
7400 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22102

  • Over 300 acres of trails leading to scenic spots like Scott’s Run Waterfall and overlooks of the Potomac River
  • Variety of trail types, including shaded wooded areas and more intense rocky climbs
  • Some trails cover rocky bluffs that are unsafe for dogs

Washington And Old Dominion Trail
21293 Smiths Switch Road
Ashburn, VA 20147

  • Sixty-five miles of trails
  • Trails are mostly paved or gravel, making them easier for beginners
  • This former railroad trail is open year-round

Great Falls
9200 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA 22102

  • Fifteen miles of trails
  • Variety of trails, from the Swamp Trail through lowland forest to the more challenging Billy Goat Trail perfect for high-energy dogs
  • Most of the trails are wider, multi-use paths, so if your dog is uncomfortable around bikes and horses, consider a different trail

Rock Creek Park
5200 Glover Road N.W.
Washington, DC 20015

  • Thirty-two miles of trails
  • Both rustic and paved paths
  • During the weekend, parts of Beach Drive are closed to cars so you can feel free to walk your dog down the road
  • There is a horse center in the middle of the park, and deer are common, so the trails are best suited for dogs who are already familiar with these animals

Catoctin Mountain Park
6602 Foxville Road
Thurmont, MD 21788

  • Twenty-five miles of trails
  • Location of Camp David, the presidential retreat
  • Dogs must be leashed
  • Variety of trail difficulties to match all abilities

Shenandoah National Park
3655 U.S. Highway 211 East
Luray, VA 22835

  • Nearly 500 miles of dog-friendly trails
  • One of the few national parks that allows dogs on their trails
  • Keep dogs leashed, as bear sightings are common

Looking for more tips, interested in adorable pet pics or just want to get more information on what we do? Stay connected with Bark + Boarding on Facebook, Instagram and our website.

Click here to check out our short video about this article

Mention this article for a free evaluation and click here to sign up for one today. If you have a question about your pet, feel free to come in or email [email protected] any time.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Cold Drinks, Hot Pretzels and Big Laughs at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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

Where can you watch the latest blockbuster movies, attend a local film festival, or catch a live comedy show, all while enjoying a modern, full-service restaurant and bar? If you live in Arlington, it’s right around the corner!

The Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse is a unique combination of a full restaurant located inside a screening theater. Here, customers can enjoy a full restaurant and bar menu, complete with tableside service, while relaxing in oversized, lounge-style chairs. The “Drafthouse” replaced the Arlington Theater or “Old Arlington” as it was affectionately known in 1985.

The building itself is over 90 years old. Tucked behind the large movie screen, you can find the original theater stage equipped with lighting, storage and a green room.

This theater has had a rich history of entertaining D.C. and Virginia residents with great movies and local, live entertainment. According to the owners, if you look back over the last 70+ years and picked your most favorite movies, it is likely they have been featured here. Even better, the Drafthouse in 2016 expanded to launch “Drafthouse Comedy,” a unique comedy arts theater featuring everything from local standup to Comedy Giants like Carlos Mencia and Chris Kattan.

The very first thing you’ll read — in bright yellow — on the Drafthouse restaurant web page is to “Arrive Early And Order Early.” That’s because you, your date and the other 270 plus guests the Drafhouse accommodates will want to taste every section of the expertly-curated menu.

Start with appetizers like the Bavarian Pretzels with Spicy Queso, or the oversized Drafhouse Breadsticks dripping with cheese, pomodoro sauce, and marinara on the side. For your entree, you can’t go wrong with the hearty Asian Chicken or Beet salads, or the California Dreamin’ Flatbread, bursting with flavor thanks to its spicy pesto, grilled chicken and artichoke hearts.

Carnivores will love the BBQ Bacon Burger or the Buffalo Chicken Wrap, while vegetarian and vegan guests will appreciate the Spicy Veggie Burger — also available as a wrap — and the optional gluten-free Cauliflower Crust for vegan flatbreads.

Wash your delicious food down with Drafthouse signature drinks like the Pulp Fiction cocktail with grape vodka, casis, Sprite, and Blue Curacao; or the Sex & The City Martini, with cosmo citrus vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and fresh lime. Watching your favorite sports team?

Drafthouse has you covered with pitchers, bombers and tallboy cans of seasonal and local draft beers including Devil’s Backbone, Flying Dog and DC Brau — and also a full wine list for a lighter refreshment. You don’t even have to take our word for it — just ask one of the dozens of Yelp reviewers, like Louise:

“I’m usually not at all a fan of “bar/Bavarian-style pretzels” as they are typically too doughy and flavorless – but the pretzels are AMAZING. Flavorful, buttery, fluffy – they taste like larger versions of Auntie Anne’s pretzels. YUM.”

Wow! The Drafthouse’s reviews are almost as glowing as ours.

According to Owner Tim Clark, it’s the comedy that makes the Drafthouse truly special — from the national headlining acts to the local artists. Tim, who is partial to the seasonal and local draft beers at the theater, says his goal is to create a casual, relaxing environment where people can take a break from the stress of their day while enjoying the convenience of a full-service kitchen and bar at their seat.

So whether you need a good laugh, a date night, or a friends’ night out, come join us at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse — click here to plan your visit!

Want to live in an Arlington neighborhood just steps away from spots like this? Contact The Keri Shull Team at 703-952-7653 or [email protected]! We can’t wait to help you buy your next home!

Your Beermonger: Going (Not Entirely) Hopless

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).

It’s that magical time of year, where flashes of not-miserably-cold weather fool a percentage of us in the area into thinking spring is here, and that we won’t get tagged by one more winter outburst.

As we dare to venture from our hovels and spend time with — hold on, what was that word? Ah, yes — “people” again, the occasion might call for something not quite packed to the gills with hop material.

With that in mind, here are some recent arrivals I’ve been recommending for those looking for tasty, non-IPA/hop-driven options — with one partial exception (you’ll see).

Rocket Frog Wallops Island (5.3% ABV)

Wallops Island, from Sterling’s Rocket Frog Brewing, checks a few boxes for me. It fills a need I’ve had here at Arrowine for a classic American Brown Ale, for one. It’s also is a great example of the style, with loads of caramel, chocolate and coffee malt flavors but dry, as it should be.

It picked up a Bronze medal at last year’s Great American Beer Festival, to boot. Not bad for a beer from a brewery in its first months of operation.

Von Trapp Helles (4.9% ABV); Pilsner (5.4% ABV)

Vermont’s Von Trapp Brewing (yes, those Von Trapps) has been available in Virginia for a little while now, specializing in Lagers that are both well priced and readily available. The Bohemian-style Pilsner and German-style Helles are both done in the classic style: the Pils has a crisp feel with pleasing floral/peppery aromas from its hops — but not IPA-level hoppy by any means.

The Helles adds light, bready malt notes to grassy, clean Noble hop flavors. Bonus: both are now available in cans!


Photo via Von Trapp Brewing Company

Väsen Savvon (9.2% ABV)

So this’ll be the outlier on the list; nearly twice as strong as the rest and with a notable dry-hop addition, but too cool not to mention. Richmond’s Väsen Brewing Company combines a number of influences, from Belgian Farmhouse beers to American IPAs, with ingredients mixing and matching as much as styles.

Savvon, the first beer of theirs to hit Northern Virginia in package, is a great example: a Brettanomyces-fermented, bottle conditioned Farmhouse Ale dry-hopped with a pair of Southern Hemisphere hops — Galaxy and Enigma — typically found in Hazy IPAs. Tropical hop flavors and aromas play well with the funky, fruity Brett character.

Green Man ESB (5.5% ABV)

An easy way to win my heart, as a brewery, is to produce a solid version of just about any British beer style. Asheville’s Green Man Brewing does just that with their ESB, with it’s crackery/bready/fruity malt character and traditional level of hoppiness.

Since I first got to try this about 8-9 years ago, I’ve wanted this beer in Virginia. Finally, it’s here and it’s not leaving Arrowine’s stock if I can help it.

Let me know in the comments if you’re looking for something new and I’ll try my best to make a suggestion that works.

Until next time.

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:

3810 N. Randolph Court
4 BR/3 BA, 1 half bath villa/townhouse
Agent: Washington Fine Properties, Llc
Listed: $1,749,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

4012 Nelly Custis Drive
4 BR/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Avery-Hess Realtors
Listed: $1,149,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1821 N. Quesada Street
3 BR/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Washington Fine Properties, Llc
Listed: $934,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

3232 13th Street S.
2 BR/2 BA single-family home
Agent: Re/Max Premier
Listed: $825,000
Open: Saturday 12-2 p.m.

 

1633 N. Colonial Terrace #204
2 BR/2 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $649,900
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

3362 S. Wakefield Street A
2 BR/2 BA condo
Agent: Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Listed: $499,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

1050 N. Taylor Street 1-311
1 BR/1 BA condo
Agent: Century 21 Redwood Realty
Listed: $385,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 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.”

Right on cue, the inventory floodgates opened this week.

It must be mid-March. That’s when traditional wisdom says it’s time to list your home, the spring market is here, and the buyers are out shopping.

This week sellers listed 70 homes giving buyers the most amount of choices so far this year. And buyers stepped up and ratified 57 contracts, some 19 of those were on homes that were listed for seven days or less. Arlington currently has only 239 homes actively for sale.

At this pace of absorption, that is only one month of inventory meaning if no more homes came on the market, all homes would be sold in one month. It’s also known as an extreme sellers’ market.

Here’s the craziest story heard this week: a $185,000 townhouse in Lorton listed “As Is” attracted 55 offers! It was on the market for five days.

This kind of market attracts every kind of buyer, and we are especially seeing more investors and flippers than usual. They are attracted to homes in need of much work and TLC, the kind of homes that scare away first-time home buyers and are too much work for end users who want fully updated conditions, even in vintage 1920’s-30’s homes. Whatever kind of buyer you may be, prepare for battle. The competition is brutal.

Mortgage rates continued to be kind to buyers this week with no major changes. The 30-yr fixed rate remains at 4.375%-4.5%. Helping to drive buyer activity is available credit. Lenders are flush with cash. So, there is a wide variety of liberal loan programs for all types of buyers enabling much lower down payments than we’ve seen in over 10 years.

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

Women in STEM Panel to Address National Conversation on Local Level

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According to the National Science Board, in 2018, boys and girls scored similarly on math and science in elementary, middle and high school, and women graduated with 50% of the bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering.

So why is it that women remain vastly underrepresented in the STEM workforce?

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Crystal City Business Improvement District — in partnership with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Axios — will host a panel to discuss the issue of gender parity in science and technology fields, on Wednesday, March 20.

In greater Crystal City (also known as National Landing), more than half the workforce has a background in STEM, and tech companies both large and small call Crystal City home.

The panel, moderated by Erica Pandey, e-commerce reporter at Axios, includes representatives from across the scope of STEM careers:

  • Rachel Golden Kroner, Social Scientist — Environmental Governance and Impacts at The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science, leads Conservation International’s work on environmental governance and protected areas, conducting research to inform evidence-based policy.
  • Hana Hassen, an Alumna of Year Up, is an Enterprise Software Engineer at Capital One and a member of the Year Up Alumni Board.
  • Carol O’Donnell, Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center, a unit of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to transforming the learning and teaching of science throughout the nation and world.
  • Lena Trudeau, CEO of U.Group, led Amazon Web Services Public Sector’s global expansion before joining Bytecubed in advance of their merge with CHIEF to become U.Group.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, March 20

Program:

  • 7:30-8 a.m. — Registration, Breakfast & Networking
  • 8:15-9:30 a.m. — Panel Discussion followed by Q&A

Location: U.Group, 2231 Crystal Drive, #401

Tickets: ARLnow readers can get $10 off by using promo code ARLNOW at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-in-stem-tickets-55983259436.

Boring Title: Brian Athey, CEO of Congressional Capital

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.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Boring Title!

This week, Allied Title & Escrow’s CEO, Latane Meade, sits down with CEO of Congressional Capital, Brian Athey.

Brian talks about how Congressional Capital is different than other hard money lenders, why you would use a hard money lender instead of a conventional bank, gives a market update and more.

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!

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