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.
As of May 8, there are 146 detached homes, 15 townhouses and 139 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 16 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:
Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.
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. Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Eli Residential channel. Enjoy!
Question: Do you have any advice on questions I should ask a Realtor I’m interviewing to sell my home?
Answer: Before you ask, yes, I used ChatGPT for this column, BUT I used it to come up with 50 questions AI thinks you should ask a Realtor so that I can offer you human brain questions that will hopefully be more useful.
Or… is that what AI would say if I told it to pretend like it was a human trying to convince readers an article wasn’t written by AI.
Without further ado, here are five questions (from my own non-AI brain) that will help you make the right decision about who is handling the sale of your home:
How Do Your Determine Price?
It’s impossible not to ask the agent you’re interviewing how much they think your house will sell for, and that’s totally fine, but don’t get wrapped up in an on-the-spot valuation of your home during the first appointment. Instead, it’s more important to understand the process your agent uses to determines pricing and decide if it’s an approach you’re bought into.
Who Will I Work With?
Agents and agent teams come in all shapes and sizes (link to past article on the topic), some are solo agents and some have a series of coordinators that handle each stage of your sale. In some cases, you may have little interaction with the agent you interview. It’s important to understand who will be involved in each step of the sale from determining/coordinating listing prep, to preparing the marketing, to negotiating contracts, and overseeing the contract-to-close.
Who Will Host the Open House(s)?
Open Houses are a great opportunity to interact with interested buyers, highlight strengths of the property, and collect valuable feedback. Open Houses are also a great source of new business for agents. Make sure that the interests of your Open House host(s) are aligned with your interest in selling your home.
How Often Do Deals Fall Through and What Happens If Things Go South?
Real estate deals go sideways in expected and unexpected ways so risk prevention (early identification and diffusion of problems) and management (handling of problems that arise) are critical attributes of a great agent. When things go south, a great agent has the resources to manage the most difficult deal-killers by tapping into brokerage leadership, legal resources, contractors, and having the experience, creativity, and leadership to put it all together.
Should I Consider Selling Off/Pre-Market?
It’s a great question and the answer is not the same for every home/homeowner. The right answer requires a deeper understanding of your goals, the market, and some good ol’ fashion critical thinking. There’s also a lot of different information out there about off/pre-market sales (some good, some misleading) so I think it’s a good topic to cover with your potential Realtor.
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column or to discuss buying, selling, renting, or investing, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at EliResidential.com. Call me directly at (703) 539-2529.
Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N Fairfax Dr #10C Arlington VA 22203. (703) 390-9460.
As an Arlington small-business owner, I’ve been running a private clinical psychology practice for over a decade. I love that I’ve been able to live in the same close community where I work.
At Mindful Solutions, LLC we offer individual therapy for children six and older as well as adolescents and adults. Our integrative approach to therapy draws on evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In addition, we perform psychological and educational testing.
If you think you or your child may have ADHD or a learning disability, we offer comprehensive assessments to uncover the causes of challenges at work and school. Psychological testing offers everyone answers to important questions about why we function the way we do.
Offering both therapy and testing is an important part of our practice because I prioritize helping people understand themselves better and uncovering the underlying reasons why they feel stuck in moving past their struggles. We often live in survival mode, but I want to provide clients with strategies to help them thrive, living meaningful lives and finding healthy relationships.
Therapy is much more useful when we know what our goals are, and what experiences from our past have made us who we are now. We can then find our path forward, feeling more confident and resilient.
Are you looking for something fun to do on Sunday? Isn’t it time we met?
Join us at Arrowine (4508 Cherry Hill Road in Arlington) this Sunday, May 7 from 1–4 p.m. so you don’t miss a Special Three Table Super Tasting with wines from the Lux Wines portfolio!
At this Arrowine Sunday Super Tasting event, you’ll be able to taste prestigious Italian and American wines, including Barolo, Brunello, and even Amarone della Valpolicella, hand-picked from the portfolio of the Gallo Family’s Lux Wines group.
The tasting list for this special event includes Jermann from Friuli, Pieropan from Veneto, Tornatore from Sicily, Argiano from Tuscany (including their famous Brunello di Montalcino and Solengo Super Tuscan), RenatoRatti from Piedmont (including their famous Barolo “Marcenasco”), Jayson by Pahlmayer from California, Allegini from Valpolicella (including their famous Amarone), Brancaia from Tuscany (including the highly-rated “Itatraia” Super Tuscan), and more.
There is no charge for this tasting event and tasting discounts are “on”! Every wine you taste will be ON SALE during the event, at least 10% off the regular price. We’ll have wine available for purchase, and if you want more than we have available, discounts will apply to tasting wines you order during the event, too!
This event is by reservation ONLY. Attendance is limited to ensure a great experience. All attendees must be 21 and possess a valid picture ID.
This event will be popular. Please e-mail us at [email protected] and let us know you plan to attend. Please include the following information:
Name
Email and phone contact information
Number of people in your group
When you expect to arrive:
(a) 1-2 p.m., (b) 2-3 p.m., or (c) 3-4 p.m.
We will confirm all reservations by e-mail. If attending, we will add you to our e-mail list that announces special events and sales.
This Sunday, May 7, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., the Fairlington Farmers Market opens for its summer season with a full array of locally grown farm fruits and vegetables, spring bedding plants, baked goods, flowers, and coffee.
Sunday, May 7 is also the day that the Westover Farmers Market shifts to its summer hours of 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Nestled on the back patio of the Fairlington Community Center, the Fairlington Farmers Market returns for its 9th season with fresh, local produce, grass-fed meats, seafood, eggs, cheese, coffee, pastries and breads, salads, and delicious ready to eat or heat prepared foods, including vegan and vegetarian options.
The Fairlington Farmers Market is open every Sunday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through November 19, at the Fairlington Community Center at 3308 S. Stafford St. Parking is available on S. Utah St., S. 32nd Rd., in the community center lot, or along Quaker Lane.
Pre-ordering is available for many vendors for pick up at their booths. New vendors this year include Baguette Republic, Pasta Ilgatto, and Qualia Coffee. As a community-run farmers market, they always welcome volunteers and anyone needing service hours. The volunteer sign up is here.
Opening day will include a visit from the Arlington Art Truck, which will be bringing its current exhibit, Count Your Joys. Arlington artist Heloisa Escudero invites you to her colorful outdoor installation designed for relaxing and reflection as you count the things that bring joy to your life. Then, select a magnet signifying your number of joys and place it on the outside of the Arlington Art Truck. You will see the Arlington Art Truck light up with magnets creating a collage of all the joys we have in Arlington!
Summer officially begins on May 7 from 8 a.m. to noon with the annual switch to summer hours of the Westover Farmers Market. Now in its 11th season, this beloved neighborhood farmers market continues to grow! Thirty-six vendors are approved for this year’s market. Five new vendors have been added to the Cardinal School entrance of the market off of 18th Street N.
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.
We represent federal employees in federal agency investigations. Generally, most federal employment misconduct cases start as a result of a complaint by other federal employees alleging misconduct.
When a federal employee is notified that they are under investigation or suspects that they may be investigated regarding possible misconduct, it is very important to speak to a federal employment attorney for advice and possible representation.
Common Types of Federal Employee Investigations
While it is very difficult to cover each type of potential misconduct that a federal employee might be investigated for, some of the more frequent investigations involve:
Misconduct in the Workplace
Lack of Candor
Misuse of a Government Computer/Internet
Misuse of a Government Credit Card, Vehicle or Travel Card
Discrimination or Harassment in the Workplace
Time Card/Attendance Issues
Off-Duty Criminal, Alcohol or Traffic Conduct
Security Violations
Insubordination
Disrespectful Conduct in the Workplace
A Typical Federal Employee Investigation
The usual process for a federal employee investigation begins when the federal employee is notified (usually with very short notice or even the same day) that an investigator needs to speak with them about an issue. Investigators do not usually provide information about the nature of the complaint or investigative issues until the federal employee arrives at the meeting.
The investigator can be a supervisor, an agency investigator, an individual from human resources, or an agent assigned by the agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). Generally, a misconduct investigation starts with very little advice or information about what a federal employee should expect or what rights are available to them.
The Interview
In many cases a federal employee shows up for a scheduled meeting and an investigator just starts asking them questions. In other cases, the interviewer may start by asking the federal employee to sign a statement agreeing to be voluntarily interviewed and waiving their rights. This is the most usual method and offers little protection to a federal employee.
In other cases, a federal employee may be asked to sign what is known as a Kalkines notice, understanding that they are being ordered to speak to investigators under penalty of disciplinary action for not doing so. In such a case, many investigations can then lead to sustained federal employee discipline and potential appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Deciding when and how to provide testimony to agency investigators is a case-by-case decision. Each case varies, so obtaining legal advice is very important.
Federal Employee Interviews
An interview can last 30 minutes to many hours. Following the interview, many investigators summarize the testimony given by the federal employee and attempt to have them sign an official statement (or sworn declaration) about the information they provided. It is very important for a federal employee to carefully review the written summary. A federal employee will want to ensure that investigators do not insert their own characterizations (many times incorrect) of the statements made into a final written statement signed or sworn to by them.
Retain a Federal Employment Attorney for Advice or Representation
Having a federal employment lawyer represent or advise a federal employee during the investigation process is important. An attorney can advise and/or represent a federal employee before, after, and in many cases, during the investigative interview. It is important to have such counsel early because doing so can help prevent or mitigate potential disciplinary action later.
Furthermore, it can often help that an investigator knows that the federal employee is represented by counsel because they tend to follow the rules for doing so more carefully. Furthermore, should the issues involved turn potentially criminal in nature, it is important to be represented.
Contact Us
It is important for a federal employee to be represented by a federal employment attorney during investigative interviews and misconduct investigations. Berry & Berry, PLLC represents federal employees in these types of federal employment investigations and can be contacted at (703) 668-0070 or www.berrylegal.com to arrange for an initial consultation.
This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
By Alex Held
National Small Business Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of small businesses to our economy and to our communities. From April 30 to May 6, we recognize the hard work and dedication of small business owners and entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our local economy.
This week is an opportunity to shine a light on the challenges faced by small businesses and to provide resources and support to help them thrive.
For Arlington small business owners, BizLaunch, Arlington’s small business and entrepreneur center, has been providing small businesses and entrepreneurs with tools and resources to thrive since 2001. Since its inception over 20 years ago, BizLaunch has helped more than 75,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses in Arlington and throughout the Washington metro area.
BizLaunch provides numerous tools and resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses such as:
Robust Business Coaching and Technology Services through ReLaunch
“Small businesses are what make Arlington unique and a great place to live. If our small businesses are successful, then so is our community,” says Tara Palacios, Director BizLaunch.
Small businesses have three upcoming events taking place in May, allowing them to network with their peers and connect with new customers. Check out our events calendar for a list of upcoming programs.
National Small Business Week is also a time to discover new businesses in your community. Through our Open Rewards Program, shoppers can get 5% in cash back rewards for every purchase made at Arlington small businesses. More than 900 businesses are currently listed on the platform, and more are being added every day.
This National Small Business Week let’s celebrate and recognize the contributions small businesses make to Arlington’s economy. For more information about BizLaunch visit: www.bizlaunch.org, or schedule your one-on-one consultation today.
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.
As of May 1, there are 142 detached homes, 17 townhouses and 140 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 15 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:
Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.
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. Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Eli Residential channel. Enjoy!
Question: How much of a difference do schools make in the value of homes in Arlington?
Answer: Nothing drives home values like schools and for most buyers around here, that is determined by the 10-point scale ratings on the all-powerful GreatSchools.org. Let me be clear, this article is not meant to validate or contest the quality of GreatSchools ratings, rather an acknowledgement of the weight the website’s school ratings have on home purchase decisions and therefore, home values.
Quick Tips for Using Schools in Your Home Search
Families define a “good school” differently. Whether that’s test scores, socioeconomic diversity, language instruction, athletics, or a STEM focus think about what matters most to you and target schools that fit your values.
GreatSchools offers more than just a single rating, they offer component data as well. Dig deeper and look at the components of a school’s rating and review them based on what you value.
I have spoken to parents who have had both excellent and terrible experiences at top and low rated schools alike. The GreatSchools rating is not everything.
There are excellent public resources available for research including the Virginia Dept. of Education’s School Quality Profiles and information nights for each school where you can see a school and interact with teachers first-hand.
There are numerous message boards with loads of information about school operations from disability support, to college readiness, to athletics.
There are other private ratings websites like Niche.com and US News and World Report that offer different perspectives and ways of ranking schools.
Arlington County ranks as the #2 school district in Virginia, just behind the City of Falls Church, with an overall A+ grade. Loudoun County ranks # 5 and Fairfax County ranks #6 in Virginia with an overall A grades.
How Much Does Each GreatSchools Point Cost?
If you want to buy a detached house or townhouse within a top-rated school boundary, you’re going to pay a lot. However, if school ratings and budget are your top focuses, you can use the table below to figure out what the most efficient use of your budget is to maximize your GreatSchools rating per dollar spent.
The table is sorted by the average cost per point of the GreatSchools.org rating (GS rates schools on a 1-10 point scale) for each neighborhood school in Arlington with the most “cost-efficient” schools to buy a home in listed first.
The data uses sales since January 1, 2021 of detached and townhouse homes with at least three bedrooms. Net sold price is the sold price less any seller credits. Only the neighborhood schools are included in this analysis, not the magnet/option schools. Fleet and Arlington Science Elementary and Hamm Middle are not currently rated on GreatSchools.org
The most cost-efficient elementary schools are Tuckahoe (9), Ashlawn (7), and Glebe (8)
The most cost-efficient middle school is Swanson (7)
The most-cost efficient high school is Wakefield (4)
The most expensive school to buy housing in on a total cost basis is Jamestown Elementary (9), but the most expensive per bedroom and per square foot is Innovation Elementary (6)
The least expensive school to buy housing in on a total cost and price per bedroom basis is Abingdon Elementary (3) and the least expensive per square foot is Carlin Spring Elementary (2)
The most difficult school to find a 3BR+ detached/townhouse home is Hoffman-Boston (5)
Barrett Elementary (3) is the only North Arlington school with an average price under $1M and Oakridge Elementary (4) is the only South Arlington school with an average price over $1M
A purchase of a 3BR+ detached or townhouse home in the top rated school pyramid of Jamestown Elementary (9), Williamsburg Middle (9), and Yorktown High (6) averages nearly $1.45M and an average of $332k per bedroom
If you’d like some more personalized data run for you using home sales and GreatSchools ratings, you’re welcome to reach out to me at [email protected]. I’m happy to help.
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column or to discuss buying, selling, renting, or investing, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at EliResidential.com. Call me directly at (703) 539-2529.
Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N Fairfax Dr #10C Arlington VA 22203. (703) 390-9460.
Home ownership means keeping up with maintenance items to have our homes looking their best. Waiting to tackle repairs around your home can end up being costly when little problems grow bigger over time.
No one wants to spend tens of thousands of dollars to handle those deferred maintenance items right before listing. So put money in the budget each year for general upkeep and repairs. Spring is a great time to walk around your house to see what needs to be addressed.
So what items can you do yourself and what items do you need to hire a contractor to handle? I asked Paul Fisher, owner of DomestiCall360 to take a look at my house and give me advise. Since spring can mean rain and water intrusion and it can be one of the costliest and most damaging repair items, we focused on outside water issues.
Wood trim around the house can develop dry rot from clogged gutters and exposure to the elements. We quickly found facia boards and trim that need to be replaced. If the rot is easily accessible, like in a door frame, this can be a great DYI project. There are several places around my house I can handle but the facia boards on my 3rd story — that is definitely a contractor fix for me.
Keeping your decks stained and painted is a great spring project you can do yourself that will help prevent damage that may require costly repairs. In a “do as I say, not as I do” moment, we found a very neglected wood stair railing that now needs to be completely replaced… YIKES, that is expensive.
Even though I had painted it a few times, I waited too long before realizing I needed to start painting it every year or so to prevent dry rot. So make sure you are painting your exterior wood and staining your deck to keep water from creating a very expensive replacement.
Another easy and valuable DYI project involves gutters and downspouts. Almost every home inspection I have been on, has found issues with improperly directed water flow away from the house. Make sure your gutters are not clogged or broken and that the downspouts have extensions that direct the water away from your house.
After this eye-opening tour of my home, Paul went with me to Bill’s True Value Hardware to pick up the paint, stain and wood filler I needed. I even grabbed some caulk to prevent water issues inside my bathrooms. Keep in mind that warm weather also means cookouts and bugs. Bill’s True Value even repairs screens and sells BBQ grills!
After my spring cleaning and maintenance projects I recycled and disposed some of the hazardous materials I found rather than disposing of them in the trash. I found old paint and CFL light bulbs that needed to be disposed of properly.
Of course spring cleaning isn’t just about DYI projects, it’s also about going through and organizing your home. My last stop was a trip to the Goodwill on S Glebe and route 50, and is a fantastic donation facility. This is a busy location for donations and purchases. Even if the wait looks long, the car line moves quickly and the people that work here are so helpful. Sometimes I don’t even need to get out of my car. Make sure to launder all clothes before donating and that whatever you donate — games, furniture — are not broken and have all their pieces.
Spring is such an exciting time, especially for those looking to buy or sell a home. As a seller, you want to ensure that your home looks its best to attract potential buyers and get the best price possible. So, it’s crucial to make sure your home is well-maintained and in excellent condition. Don’t worry, though — it’s nothing too complicated! With a little effort, you can make your home shine and appeal to buyers looking for their dream home.
For 40 years, McEnearney Associates has been a premiere residential, commercial and property management firm with 11 offices located in the Washington metro region. With service excellence, hyper-local expertise, powerful data insights, innovative technology and cutting-edge marketing, McEnearney Associates have helped their clients make informed decisions on their most valuable real estate investments. There is an important difference at McEnearney: It’s not about us, it’s about you. To learn more, visit us at www.McEnearney.com.
Are you looking for something fun to do on a rainy Sunday? Isn’t it time we met?
Join us at Arrowine (4508 Cherry Hill Road in Arlington) this Sunday, April 30 from 1-4 p.m. for a Very Special French Wine Supertasting featuring the selections of Edward Addiss and Barbara Selig of Wine Traditions of Falls Church.
Ed and Barbara have been importing French Wines for thirty years, and have a keen eye and “nose” and represent some of the best values in French Wine.
This Sunday, at no cost, you can taste classic examples from France’s renowned wine regions like the Loire Valley, Rhône Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and more! And they’re all on sale during the event. Tasting discounts are “on”!
We’ll have wine available for purchase, and if you want more than we have available, discounts will apply to tasting wines you order (at least 10% off the regular price) during the event, too! These are exciting wines representing textbook examples of classic styles from prestigious regions. They’ll even be on sale during the tasting, so you can stock up and save!
This event is byreservation ONLY.Attendance is limited to ensure a great experience. All attendees must be 21 and possess a valid picture ID. We will be checking.
This event will be popular. We ask that you email us at [email protected] and let us know you plan to attend. Please include the following information:
