Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Courthouse’s Next Phase Studio Introduces New 6-Week Workout Rotation

Arlington’s newest fitness studio Next Phase Fitness & Strength Training, has launched its Signature Circuit class of creative and effective weekly workouts that minimize members’ time while maximizing their effort to reach their personal goals.

The inspirational team of dedicated coaches of Courthouse’s Next Phase Studio guide members through a strategically designed program that rotates through six different phases built off the four modalities of strength: Power, Hypertrophy, Strength and Endurance. Each week combines two of these modalities into the phases you see below, to consistently keep your body guessing and drive results.

The efficient, no-wasted-time 50 minute workouts employ TRX straps, kettlebells, Versaclimbers and indoor sleds among other equipment drive strength progress in a challenging — but not daunting — workout to keep the body progressing and the mind stimulated.

  • The Endure Phase introduces heavyweight exercises to improve overall strength + lightweight exercises to build muscle endurance.
  • The Grit Phase emphasizes lightweight, explosive exercises + moderately weighted toning exercises.
  • The Contrast Phase adds different explosive movements + opposing, heavier exercise to improve power and continue to build strength.
  • The Elevate Phase focuses on toning + endurance work to stimulate the growth of lean muscle mass.
  • The Drive Phase offers more lightweight, explosive movements + endurance exercises in what NP calls their Cardio and Deload Week.
  • The Gains Phase is all about building muscle and combines heavier strength + moderate toning exercises to trigger strength gains while improving lean muscle tone.

Even if you have never trained like this before, the beauty of consistent change allows you to find which strength modality, or combination of two, is most effective on YOUR body — all without the steep costs of hiring a personal trainer to find out for you.

Next Phase Fitness & Strength Training offers a number of membership packages and class times to accommodate individual budgets and busy personal schedules. Personal training and customized corporate wellness programs are also available.

Contact Next Phase Studios, located at 14th and North Taft Street in Courthouse, at [email protected] or 703-229-3678. Try your first class for free here.

Legal Review: Proposed Laws in Connecticut Shine Light on National Biker Helmet Laws

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

By Personal Injury Attorney Peter Bowman of Billings, Barrett and Bowman, LLC

After two new laws were proposed in Connecticut that would change the state’s helmet laws for motorcyclists, a group of bikers headed to the state’s Capitol in February to oppose at least one of the new laws.

While this is a situation occurring in Connecticut, it has shone a light on the helmet laws for bikers around the country. With the majority of states, 28 in fact, only requiring some motorcyclists to strap on headgear before hitting the road, those in The Constitution State are wondering why their laws need to change.

One of the proposed laws in Connecticut is to increase the required age of younger motorcycle operators and passengers that currently must wear helmets from 17 to 21. The group of bikers that went to the Capitol does not have a problem with this. However, they say that is as much as they are willing to budge when it comes to any new laws.

The other, more hotly contested proposed legislation, would require all bikers in the state to wear a helmet.

“It has been our experience that increasing the following distance, proactive, defensive driving, wearing visible clothes and other safety equipment (jacket, pants, etc.) is the most effective way to be safe on a motorcycle.” says Peter Bowman of Billings, Barrett and Bowman, LLC.

Currently, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Pennsylvania do not require all bikers to wear a helmet. In turn, proponents of the proposed laws pointed to other states that do have universal motorcycle helmet laws. These states include New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and California.

It is worth noting though, that these states have a far denser population, meaning their roads could already be considered more dangerous. That is just not the case in Connecticut.

What it all comes down to, said many of the bikers in attendance, is choice. There are many behaviors that could be described as risky including smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. However, those over the age of 21 are allowed to partake in these activities. Why can that same theory not apply to motorcycle helmets?

Neighborhood Spotlight: Espresso, Nutella Pop Tarts and Wine — Welcome to Northside Social

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

https://www.facebook.com/kerishullteam/videos/778064549233137/

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

At Northside Social in Clarendon, you can work from a laptop and sip lattes on the ground floor — then, when it’s finally time, close your laptop and head upstairs for a glass of wine.

In this video, Drew Carpenter of The Keri Shull Team takes us inside Northside Social.

“It’s a very tight-knit group of people; you see people at the store and walking down the street, at the bank and you see them in Northside. That always makes you feel good — that you know everyone’s name,” says Randi Milton, Northside Social’s general manager.

“People hang out here in the wine bar for a date night, but they’re also here for their morning coffee on their way to work.”

Northside by Day: Coffee, Baked Goods, Sandwiches and More

The first-floor coffeehouse offers freshly-made pastries and light café fare: salads, quiches and sandwiches. Northside by day is a great place to work or study.

Randi’s favorite drink is that famous, simple classic: the cappuccino, with its two shots of espresso, equal parts steamed milk and milk foam. It’s simple, delicious and Northside’s baristas prepare it well.

Northside’s café baked goods include gluten-free treats (like the No Gluten Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Scone). The Nutella Pop Tart is one of Northside’s signature baked goods — try it if you want something especially sweet. Those who like savory pastries might be tempted by Northside’s Ham and Cheese Croissant.

Randi’s favorite food item is the bacon and egg sandwich. Their bacon is actually house-smoked by Liberty Tavern across the street.

Northside Social’s wine bar also hosts full-service brunch on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Try the House-Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartine, and choose from a variety of single origin manual brew coffees.

Northside by Night: Wine, Wine Cocktails and Beer

Northside Social’s wine bar opens after 5 p.m. every day of the week, and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The bar serves wine, wine cocktails like the Elderflower Fizz, draft beer and a huge selection of bottled beer. Northside sells wine by the bottle, half bottle and glass.

If you enjoy Northside Social in Arlington, you may also want to stop by their second location in Falls Church when you’re in the area.

What’s your vote?

Let us know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to watch for our upcoming articles as we explore the best entertainment venues Arlington has to offer. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in the DMV area, The Keri Shull Team is here to help.

Rethink Energy: Look Up!

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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This regularly-scheduled sponsored column is written by the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy team (AIRE). This county program helps you make smart energy decisions that save you money and leaves a lighter footprint on the environment.

The snow we’ve had over the past week, again last night and in the coming days can be very useful.

Even a little snow can tell a lot about the energy efficiency of a home. Under-insulated homes are snow laughing matter. As snow melts, you may be able to identify issues in your home. Fast-melting roof snow can be a symptom of inadequate insulation.

Not all areas of missing snow are indications of energy issues. Hone your eye by taking note of tree limbs over a home, high winds and areas where direct sun may create funky patterns on a roof.

Nevertheless, watching snow patterns on the roof is a quick way to take inventory of what might be happening in your home.

Unsure where to start? Check out this list of contractors that participated in our previous Home Energy Rebate program. Give an insulation contractor a call today to get an estimate.

The sooner you act the more comfortable your home will be!

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:

3600 N. Peary Street
6 BR/5 BA, 1 half-bath single-family home
Agent: Compass
Listed: $2,750,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1814 N. Lincoln Street
6 BR/4 BA, 2 half-bath single-family home
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $1,798,000
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

1847 N. Columbus Street
5 BR/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Washington Fine Properties, LLC
Listed: $1,399,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

2217 S. Oakland Street
5 BR/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $975,900
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

1245 N. Pierce Street, #7
3 BR/2 BA condo
Agent: Rlah Real Estate
Listed: $825,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

842 S. Dinwiddie Street
3 BR/2 BA, 1 half bath villa/townhouse
Agent: Avery-Hess Realtors
Listed: $549,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

4500 S. Four Mile Run Drive, #804
2 BR/2 BA condo
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $347,500
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.”

It may be cold outside but Arlington’s spring market is warming up!

The past week’s snow didn’t slow anyone down: buyers ratified 40 contracts and seller’s listed 31 homes. Of the 40 ratified contracts, 15 sold within a week of hitting the market.

Mortgage rates are in a hold pattern right now at around 4.5% for a 30-yr fixed rate with no points. This is still lower than rates we’ve seen in the last 9 months and has spurred an increase in loan applications.

The Washington Post reports this as the highest loan application volume since April of 2010! While loan applications don’t necessarily equal ratified contracts, they are an important indicator. What we do know is that ratified contracts in Arlington increased by 38% since just last week.

The federal government shutdown has impacted access to the usual economic data for lenders and this uncertainty has led to no significant changes to rates. The result of this pause is some surprisingly good news for both buyers and sellers as we are seeing an increase in market activity.

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

Listing of the Day: 1018 Railroad Avenue

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
Neighborhood: Falls Church City
Listed: $765,038
Open: Sunday, December 20 from 2-4 p.m.

Smaller house, bigger life!  

The Railroad Cottages are the best new construction value inside the beltway. These cottage homes offer a simple, beautiful and low-maintenance lifestyle through thoughtful design. These beautifully built, highly energy efficient, right-sized, age-qualified homes are in a wonderfully walkable location near public transit, shops and entertainment. 

The front porches and orientation around the common area and Common House encourages conversation and neighborliness, while still providing personal privacy.

With geothermal heating, cooling systems and solar powering the community lighting and Common House, the community will have some of the highest efficiencies found in the National Capital Region. Residents will enjoy the privacy and natural light of a single-family home with all of the conveniences of luxury condominium living.

Centrally located in Falls Church City and on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, The Railroad Cottages are building a sense of community through good design.  

Come see the progress! Open every Sunday from  2-4 p.m. or call Theresa today for a private tour that works with your schedule.

Listed By:
Theresa Sullivan Twiford
Advon Real Estate
307.413.2872
[email protected] 
railroadcottages.com

Small Biz Focus: Looking Beyond Amazon… The New Way Forward

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

By Victor Hoskins, Director at AED. 

It has been two months since Amazon announced its plan to bring its major new headquarters to Arlington.

In that time we have been busily planning and answering Arlingtonians’ many questions about the project. However, here at Arlington Economic Development, we are already looking ahead.

What’s next for Arlington’s economic landscape?

The Amazon effect, as it is being called, has been a game-changer for Arlington’s business community. Not only does Amazon’s decision really cement Arlington as a technology leader on the East Coast, the revenue generated from this company in the coming years will go a long way toward restoring stability to Arlington’s office environment, which has suffered from years of high vacancies.

Amazon will gradually reduce the eight million square feet that currently stands vacant in Arlington. Each one percent of vacant office space that we fill yields $3.4 million annually in new local tax revenues– revenues that help to provide resources and amenities valued by our community.

In a time when we all have faced difficult decisions regarding the County budget, this needed revenue comes at the perfect time.

But by no means is this a time to sit on our laurels. It just changes the conversation a little. In addition to putting a dent in Arlington’s office vacancy rate, what Amazon has truly done is put us on the map as a desired location to do business. That is where the real work begins.

The AED team is always working to find the next innovative company that is considering making Arlington its home. We are focusing on diversifying our economic base. We have come a long way in the last four years, but there is still work to be done to ensure Arlington’s place as a leader in the innovation economy.

The Amazon deal did something else that will also help to propel us into the future. That deal set truly unprecedented levels of partnership between jurisdictions and the Commonwealth of Virginia to ensure success, and that partnership around the region is something we only see growing. It is truly a regional economy now, and we need to think that way moving forward.

I look forward to working closely with my colleagues at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership as well as the counties throughout Northern Virginia. In addition, D.C. and Maryland Counties across the river are colleagues I have come to value not just as coworkers, but also as friends.

We have all discovered that by working together, the entire region benefits, and I believe that is the true Way Forward formula that will bring economic success to Arlington.

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.

Each year, we see an understandable downtick in the number of listings and “Just Reduced” activity surrounding Christmas and New Year’s.

Well, we’re now through the holiday lull, folks. Within the last week, we’ve seen a 10 percent uptick in active listings.

So, let’s find you the home of your dreams, why don’t we?

It’s an interesting time of year for a home search. There can be weather to combat (as we’ve certainly experienced lately!), we’re in the middle of the school year and there generally aren’t as many options as the spring or summertime. But there is still some stellar inventory available, some of which may be right up your alley… and at a stellar price.

When you’re ready to explore your options and get the most bang for your buck, our team is ready to help you GET MORE out of your transaction.

As of January 14, there are 100 detached homes, 15 townhouses and 101 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 9 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: Arlington 2018 Real Estate Review — Part 2 of 4

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: How did the Arlington real estate market perform in 2018 and what do you expect in 2019?

Answer: Last week I discussed how the detached single-family home market fared in 2018 and this week we’ll take a look at the 2018 performance of Arlington’s condo market. Next week we’ll review the townhouse market and finish up with a detailed look into the sales data following Amazon’s HQ2 announcement.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

2018 was a tale of two markets for Arlington condos. In July, I wrote about how well the condo market was doing for the first time in years, boasting ~10% growth from 2017. However, the net sold price in the second half of the year dropped by ~8.5% resulting in cumulative appreciation of a respectable 3.7% for the entire year.

Most of the growth can be attributed to two-bedroom condos (6%), with very little growth in the one-bedroom market (1%) and losses in the three-bedroom market (-2.5%). While this may not seem like much, Arlington had zero growth in the overall condo market since 2014.

Expect prices to continue to rise in 2019 as inventory continues to drop. Q4 2018 was the 11th straight quarter of year-over-year decline in condo inventory and by far the largest drop thanks to Amazon.

The total number of sales increased slightly in 2018 to 1,276 and the total cost of all of the condo sales topped $555M. The least expensive unit sold in 2018 was a 1 BR/1 BA 610 sq.ft. condo in Southwest Arlington for $115,000… that’s a great deal!

The most expensive unit sold in 2018 was a 3 BR/3.5 BA, 3,045 sq. ft. condo at Turnberry Tower in Rosslyn for $3,050,000. If you missed out on the Turnberry sale, not to worry, there’s a 3 BR/4.5 BA with nearly 4,500 sq. ft. on the top floor currently available for $5.2M.

2018 Arlington Condo Market Highlights

  • Median net sold price increased 5% to $380,000.
  • The average studio (no legal bedroom) sold for $230,000, the average one-bedroom sold for $340,000, the average two-bedroom sold for $504,000 and the average three-bedroom sold for $810,000.
  • 2018 was the 5th year in a row that buyers lost leverage in negotiations, with buyers able to negotiate an average of just 2.3% off the original asking price in 2018 compared to 2.8% last year. 29% of buyers paid at or above the asking price.
  • The average condo sold for a net $442/sq. ft. The most expensive zip codes by square foot are 22209 ($557/sq. ft.) and 22201 ($528/sq. ft.) which represents the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor. The least expensive zip code by a wide margin is 22204 at just $276/sq. ft. 22204 encompasses Columbia Pike and the bordering neighborhoods (hint hint… investors).
  • The pace of the market continued to increase with average days to contract dropping 12%, proceeding a 16% drop in 2017.
  • The average condo sold was built in 1981.
  • The average one-bedroom was 772 sq. ft., the average two-bedroom was 1,126 sq. ft., and the average three-bedroom was 1,751 sq. ft.

(more…)

In Focus: Amazon HQ2 and National Landing

Once it was cutting edge; a few decades later, it was obsolete. Now, Crystal City has a golden opportunity to reinvent itself yet again — as National Landing — after Amazon chose the urban neighborhood in Arlington County, as one of its two new headquarters.

“It’s a decision that I think will be a benchmark and a case study for many years to come,” says Uwe Brandes, faculty director of the Georgetown University Master’s program in Urban & Regional Planning.

Here, Brandes talks with Glenn Williamson, faculty director of the Master’s in Real Estate program, about the decision’s impact on Northern Virginia and the entire Washington, D.C. region.

Crystal City developer JBG Smith “had a portfolio of buildings that were obsolete, and they were like ugly ducklings,” Williamson said. “And what they’ve managed to do now with this property is to turn it into a beautiful swan.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=j0tZY-e2wfw

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