Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Rethink Energy: Plug into the Energy Lending Library

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.

National leaders are meeting in Poland to discuss climate change. We in Arlington are addressing carbon emissions and climate change through Arlington’s Community Energy Plan.

How can you take action to reduce your carbon footprint? The Energy Lending Library is just one of many ways the county is working to achieve the goals of the Community Energy Plan.

Every action makes a difference. Stop by the Arlington County Library to borrow free energy efficiency tools, along with the information needed to identify and act on energy efficiency opportunities.

Use Knowledge to Take Action

  • Thermal imaging cameras see what your eyes can’t. They help identify hot and cold spots in your home, indicating where insulation is missing and where air leaks occur.
  • Energy meters show exactly how much electricity appliances and electronics consume.  Understanding energy use in your home is the first step to taking action toward a “greener” home.
  • The curated booklist offers energy saving tips and will help your complete “do-it-yourself” projects to save energy and money to make your home more comfortable. The list also includes some Spanish titles.

The Energy Lending Library and other AIRE programs offer you energy-saving resources to help rethink energy use and achieve the goals outlined in Arlington’s Community Energy Plan, which calls for a 75 percent reduction in energy consumption countywide by 2050.

Join us to create a climate of change here in Arlington. Start by reserving your thermal camera, energy meter and energy books here or stop by your local library.

Listing of the Day: 4525 35th Street N.

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Address: 4525 35th Street N.
Neighborhood: Country Club Hills
Listed: $1,499,900
Open: Sunday, December 16 from 2-4 p.m.

Renovated, expanded home in sought out neighborhood of Country Club Hills. Home had a massive renovation in 2002 to include addition with master suite overlooking private 16,000 sq. ft. lot.

Features: Eat in kitchen with wood burning fireplace, granite countertops and lots of natural light. Formal living and dining room blend seamlessly with great room with vaulted ceilings. Basement features large rec. room with fireplace, mud-room, attached 2 car garage and ample storage space. Plat available.

Listed by:
Billy Buck
Billy Buck & Company
(703) 524-9000
[email protected]
https://www.billybuck.com/

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:

2500 N. Nottingham Street
6 bed/4 bath, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Wydler Brothers
Listed: $1,830,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

4117 27th Street N.
4 bed/3 bath single-family home
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $1,199,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1881 N. Nash Street #1504
1 bed/2 bath condo
Agent: Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Listed: $1,050,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

1805 S. Crystal Drive #613S
3 bed/2 bath condo
Agent: Redfin Corporation
Listed: $850,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

1029 N. Liberty Street
3 bed/2 bath single-family home
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $749,900
Open: Saturday and Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

2522 S. Monroe Street
3 bed/2 bath villa/townhouse
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $399,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

4600 S. Four Mile Run Drive #1019
1 bed/1 bath condo
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $199,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

WWBG: Charles Towne Fermentory

By ARLnow.com Sponsor


Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This week’s Guide is written by Sam Dial.

As the brewery scene becomes more and more hyper localized, there are a select few that transcend that and reach national appeal. Founder and head brewer Adam Goodwin has had his hand a couple of these breweries on his way to opening up Charles Towne Fermentory (CTF) in 2016.

Picking up experience from Tired Hands Brewing, Philadelphia, and as founder and head brewer of Trillium in Boston, Goodwin, alongside partner Justin Slotnik, started his own project to focus his beer around quality and simplicity. They set up shop in the the old Lyerly’s Dry Cleaning building brewing on a 15-barrel system, which is a major scale reduction from Trillium, who houses 30 barrels at just one of their locations. Reason being, smaller production scale gives Goodwin the freedom to experiment more, while still allowing his large production experience to shine through.

Brewing on a limited system means that CTF originally only allowed customers to fill growlers at the brewery to take home, adding crowlers and cans over their two years of business. Their limited production also means CTF has to be selective with where they send their liquid, and we are thrilled be featuring their beer for the first time!

  • ‘Sidestepper’ — 8.3% New England Double IPA with Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe. Not just another haze crazed IPA like most these days, this beer is about showing off the depth of flavors of the hops. It is floral and neon-lights bright, with juicy with notes of tangerine that are all balanced by an incredibly pleasing bitterness that lingers throughout. Not even boozy sweet, this is a dangerously drinkable DIPA.
  • ‘Infinite Yawn’ — 4.7% Dry Hopped Blonde Ale. So, this is a style of beer that I especially enjoy. A delightful, easy drinking light beer dry hopped with Motueka and Mosaic. Don’t think that this a plane-jane beer made to carry hops, this isn’t like getting chips so you can eat guacamole. It’s dry and slightly bready which plays as a great backbone to the passion fruit, peach, and orange peel from the hops.

Crazily crushable, tremendously tropical, brilliantly balanced, Charles Towne Fermentory shows what they are about with these two beers.

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.”

The real estate market in Arlington returned to a normal December pace this week with 34 new listings and 48 ratified contracts.

Sellers generally avoid putting their homes on the market between Thanksgiving and Christmas because historically it’s the slowest time of the year. But for Arlington, the Amazon HQ2 decision has sparked heightened home buyer and investor activity. Of those 48 homes that sold, 10 were gone in less than seven days on market and some of those enjoyed multiple contracts.

Economists from the Fuller Institute at George Mason University said on Wednesday that the Amazon impact on housing will likely not be as broad as many anticipate. They studied the impact in Seattle and found that properties within about 1 mile of Amazon’s HQ experienced about two percent higher value than other areas.

The average Amazon salary in Arlington will be about $150,000 which can support a home price of about $800,000 with today’s mortgage rates. So, the market priced $800,000 and below should see a bump. Also, these new jobs will be phased in over 12-16 years.

Meanwhile, mortgage rates started the week at their lowest since early September at 4.65% for a 30-yr fixed rate, but by the end of this week had inched up 5-10 basis points to about 4.75%.

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.

Celebrate the Holidays with The View at Liberty Center

‘Tis the season of giving and The View is spreading the joy.

You’re invited to our first Holiday Pop-up Shop this Saturday, December 15 from 10-2 p.m.

Join us in the lobby and browse through festively curated pop-ups, like Mission Edit clothing boutique, Wine Time Crafts, Creations by Sasha and more featuring exclusive deals for the holidays. Enjoy holiday cookies, hot chocolate and a complimentary holiday wreath.

During the event, help The View team in donating to the Toys for Tots fundraiser, hosted by the United States Marine Corps.

We’re celebrating the community and the season of giving, so grab a friend and join in on the fun. Click here to learn more!

Healthy Paws: Can I Catch Toxoplasmosis From My Pet?

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

Can I catch that from my pet? This is a common question we hear as veterinarians, and as such have made this a recurring topic.

This week we cover Toxoplasmosis… for a few reasons;

  • It’s a freaking cool parasite with a really neat life cycle and can manipulate the brain (what!?)
  • You can catch it from your pet
  • But you’re more likely to catch it while gardening…

Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic protozoal parasite that is found in the environment. It’s main life cycle is between cat and mouse.

A mouse will become infected with Toxoplasma oocytes (eggs) in the soil and water. The oocytes hatch and the little baby Toxoplasma go to the rodents’ muscles and brain.

This is the cool part: Toxoplasma actually changes the way a mouse thinks and causes the mouse to become attracted to cat urine and makes them no longer afraid of cats. Basically, it makes the mouse a very easy target.

The cat eats the mouse and the baby Toxoplasma grows up in the digestive tract of the cat, so that new oocytes can be spread through the stool. In humans, this brain manipulation is being studied and there are suspected links between Toxoplasma infection and certain human psychoses.

Humans are “dead end hosts” of Toxoplasma, which means that the parasite can infect us, but cannot reproduce in our digestive tract like it can in the cat. Toxoplasma that is shed in a cat’s stool is infectious only after it’s been out of the cat for at least 24 hours.

This means scooping the litter box at the same time every day along with wearing gloves and washing hands thoroughly afterwards can decrease the risk of contracting Toxoplasmosis.

In certain cases, it can cause serious illness. Those that are more prone to the serious effects of Toxoplasma are YOPI’s: Young, Old, Pregnant or Immunosuppressed. If you or any of your family members fall into one of those categories, and you have a cat that hunts or goes outside, please discuss this with your physician.

This is especially true for pregnant women, as Toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects. Please note that if you are pregnant, you do not need to give up your cat. If you have concerns, please discuss this with your physician.

There are other much more common ways to get Toxoplasma and the two big ones are gardening and eating undercooked meat, especially pork, lamb, mutton and wild game as these are other common dead end hosts.

Wearing gloves and thorough hand washing after working in the garden are highly recommended and always cook your meat to 145 degrees or higher. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be peeled or washed thoroughly.

If your child likes to play in sandboxes, make sure to only play in ones that are covered when not in use, don’t allow your child to eat the sand and wash yours and your child’s hands thoroughly. After all, sandboxes are just big o’ litter boxes to a cat!

While Toxoplasma can be a serious illness for some people, there are ways to significantly reduce risk to you and your family. For more information, check out these additional tips from Worms and Germs Blog or the CDC.

Listing of the Day: 1805 Crystal Drive Unit 1002S

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Address: 1805 Crystal Dr. Unit 1002S
Neighborhood: Crystal City
Listed: $639,000

Sunny western exposure and amazing view of Crystal Drive and the new Amazon HQ2 building across the street. Short walk to Metro, future VRE station, restaurants, shops, nightlife and pedestrian bridge to Reagan National Airport.

Fully remodeled in 2016 with an eye toward quality and style, this upscale 990 square foot condo has 2 bedrooms, 2 garage spaces and extra storage. The eat-in kitchen features B. Jorgser & Co. cabinets, LG stainless kitchen appliances, washer, dryer and Black Galaxy granite countertops.

The expanded bathroom has a large tub, vanity with Ivory Chiffon granite top, Kohler fixtures and Pegasus medicine cabinets. The new Carrier HVAC has a Air Knight UV purifier and there is new lighting throughout.

Desirable details included gleaming Brazilian cherry wood floors throughout, customized closets with Elfa shelving, motorized sun shades on windows and a screen door.

The home is freshly painted and in pristine, move-in condition. Crystal Park is a full service building with a swimming pool, gym, gathering room, library, sun filled lobbies and front desk. Easy commute to Washington, Old Town Alexandria and the Northern Virginia business centers.

Listed by:
Betsy Twigg
Associate Broker, Licensed in Virginia
McEnearney Associates
4720 Lee Highway
Arlington, Va 22207
703-967-4391

Arts Focus: Workshop for Artists On Writing Successful Grants

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

As we head into the busy holiday season, artists and creators in all genres are invited to mark your calendars for Saturday, January 12, and sign-up for an Arts Grant Writing Workshop.

Gain a greater understanding of writing a competitive and compelling grant proposal as you get a better grasp of basic grant writing skills for national, regional, and local arts grant proposals!

The workshop is part of an ongoing series presented by the Arts Enterprise Institute, a project of Arlington Arts.

Instructor Glen Kessler is an internationally collected and awarded artist, as well as the founder of The Compass Atelier in Rockville, Maryland. Kessler has an MFA from New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has work in the public collections of Prince Charles, Amazon Web Services, Ford’s Theater and Capital One Bank, as well as hundreds of private collections around the world.

He is a 2-time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant for Outstanding Figurative Art, a Prince of Wales Fellow and a Maryland State Arts Council Grant awardee. He has taught at Maryland Institute College of Art, George Washington University, George Mason University, among other institutions.

In 2013 he founded The Compass Atelier in Rockville in order to teach a cohesive curriculum of artistic study of his own design. Check out the video below about the school!

The workshop takes place on Saturday, January 12, from 1-4 p.m. at the Arlington Cultural Affairs Arts Enterprise Institute.

Note: Registration for this workshop will close at 7 p.m. on January 11, but class size is kept small in order to maximize the benefit to the participant, so register now as sessions fill up quickly.

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.

Virginia means business.

According to Forbes’ prestigious Best States for Business annual rankings, the Commonwealth is the No. 4 state in the country based on a variety of criteria, including economic climate, labor supply and business costs. We moved up a spot from our 2017 ranking of No. 5.

A couple of interesting nuggets within these rankings, Virginia ranked No. 1 in the regulatory environment ranking and No.1 for quality of life. Taking one look around Arlington County, with easy access to a number of heavy-hitting corporations as well as community amenities galore, it’s easy to see how and why Virginia is a must for businesses.

When you’re ready to explore the business and residential landscape in and beyond Arlington County, our team is here to help you GET MORE out of your transaction. With the pending arrival of Amazon’s HQ2, among a number of other stellar businesses, there’s never been a better time to call Virginia home.

As of December 11, there are 134 detached homes, 21 townhouses and 120 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 17 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week.

Here is this week’s selection of Just Reduced properties:

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 Seller-Paid Closing Costs Can I Negotiate?

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: Is it realistic to expect a seller to pay all of my closing costs?

Answer: Over the last 18 months, Arlington sellers have paid for a buyer’s full closing costs in less than 4% of transactions. In May, I wrote a column explaining that in a standard transaction with a mortgage, buyers are responsible for paying about 2.5-3% of the purchase price in closing costs (reference the article for a breakdown of what is included).

Closing Cost Assistance vs Repair Credits

Seller contributions towards closing costs are often referred to as Seller Credits or Seller Concessions and serve to reduce the amount of cash a buyer needs to put up at settlement. If a seller offers a credit for a broken washing machine, painting or something that comes up during the home inspection, that credit falls into the same bucket of money.

In other words, regardless of whether the money was negotiated under the pretense of closing cost assistance, repairs, updates or a combination of the three, it is all considered a Seller Credit/Concession and deducted as one lump sum against closing costs at settlement.

Lender Limits

In some cases, lenders limit the amount of closing costs a seller can pay for (e.g. investor loans), but most of the time buyers can try to negotiate for the seller to pay up to 100% of those costs and sometimes more than 100%.

You should always ask your lender to confirm how much seller credit you can negotiate because if you negotiate for a 4% seller credit, but are capped at 2%, you may end up losing out on the extra 2% you negotiated for.

The Data

Let’s take a look at how much Seller Credit Arlington buyers have been able to negotiate over the last 18 months. Note that there is no way of knowing whether the credits were offered up-front by the seller as incentive, negotiated during the initial offer negotiations and/or as a result of defects found during the home inspection.

  • On average, buyers negotiate Seller Credits worth .4% of the purchase price or just over $2,000 per transactions
  • 5% of transactions did not include any Seller Credits
  • Buyers negotiated a Seller Credit worth 2.5% or more of the purchase price in just 3.8% of transactions

The higher the purchase price, the less likely buyers are to negotiate a Seller Credit. There is a huge drop-off in average negotiated Seller Credit on homes worth over $500,000.

If you have a limited savings and require the seller to pay some or all of your closing costs in order to comfortably purchase the home you want, it’s important to discuss that early on with your real estate agent and build it into your purchase strategy.

If you don’t create an appropriate strategy around closing cost assistance, you may find yourself wasting a lot of time during the search process and losing out on multiple offers. If you ever want to discuss a purchase strategy, send me an email at [email protected] to schedule some time to talk.

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.

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