Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Listing of the Day: 635 N. Jackson Street

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Address: 635 N. Jackson Street
Neighborhood: Ashton Heights
Listed: $1,885,000

On the market now, a 6 bedroom, 4.5 bath stunning home custom designed by the award winning architectural firm of DWRicks Architects + Associates, PC.

The unique design blends 21st Century functionality with modern elegance. It is a sophisticated home nestled on a quiet neighborhood street that gets top grades in the environmental and energy efficiency departments with geothermal heating and cooling.

The urban amenities of Clarendon, VA Square & Ballston Quarter are close by. D.C. is a short Metro ride away.

The heart of this stunning home is on the main level. It is an open floor plan where the kitchen, dining room and living room all flow together seamlessly and face a south-facing courtyard.

There is a full master bedroom suite on the main level and a second master suite on the upper level.

The icing on the cake: The home is located on one of the most neighborly locations in Ashton Heights, on the famous Jackson Street that takes its Halloween decorating seriously.

Listed by:
Natalie U. Roy
Keller Williams Realty-Arlington
Office: 703-224-6000
Cell: 703-819-4915
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.bicyclingrealty.com

Healthy Paws: Ensuring a Safe Independence Day for the Fur-Kids of the Family

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.

A good rule of thumb is that your dogs and cats likely don’t want to watch the fireworks with you and should not be around those backyard/neighborhood displays.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but we see far too many cases of injuries, burns and ingestion of the toxic substances found in many fireworks. Additionally, the sounds, smells and sights can be downright terrifying for some.

Noise phobias, especially, can be very distressing (to both owner and fur-child) and while many animals may just get a little anxious with the sound of fireworks — some go into an all-out distressed panic.

If you know that your pet is noise-phobic please have a discussion with your veterinarian about the use of anti-anxiety medications, sedatives and non-pharmacologic strategies to manage noise-phobias… NOW (don’t wait until right before the festivities!); and have a safe, quiet and escape-proof place to keep your pet.

Additional considerations and tips for a safe 4th with your fur-kids are below:

  • Keep your pets safe and indoors!
  • Have your pets identified — make sure they have a collar with an identification tag and/or a microchip that is up to date on its registration.
  • Resist feeding cook-out/table scraps… many pets do not tolerate dietary change, and these foods can lead to inflammation of the stomach, intestine and pancreas; and some items may require surgical removal (corn cobs, cooked rib bones, skewers, etc.)!
  • Glow sticks and citronella candles/repellants are also irritating to your pet’s GI tract and should be kept away from them
  • Overheating, stress and anxiety are common issues seen with pets in these situations. While celebrating the 4th is fun for most of us bipedal human folk, our fur-kids have no idea what’s going on other than that their normal routine just got thrown out the window and we expect them to be OK with that.
  • Our pets are very sensitive to the effects of alcohol — so please don’t give them any. It’s not cute to see them vomiting, having seizures or going into respiratory arrest from alcohol intoxication.
  • Don’t assume your pet knows how to swim. If you’ll be spending your day pool-side on a boat or at the beach/lake/other large body of water, be sure you are watching your pet at all times and have a life-preserver for them to keep them safe.

Keep these tips in mind, and we hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July! And while we hope you don’t need it — information on a few of the local 24/7 veterinary emergency hospitals can be found here.

Legal Review: Virginia Supreme Court Wants Lower Court to Define Automated Plate Reader Database

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

By Virginia criminal law attorney Steve Duckett with Price Benowitz, LLP.

“What constitutes personal information?” is the question that the Virginia Supreme Court wants answered by lower courts, according to a decision issued by the Court in April.

The case involved the data collected by Automated License Plate Readers — the devices on the trunk lids of many police vehicles that take pictures of thousands of license plates per hour and check those numbers against list of plates stolen or wanted vehicles.

A Washington Post investigation discovered that several state agencies were not complying with the nonbinding opinion of the state’s Attorney General, who had determined that retention of the photographs for an extended period was not allowed. The Virginia State Police currently purges its photo database every 24 hours.

The Fairfax County Police Department — the defendant in the case in question — had a policy of retaining the information for one year and claimed that the information was not “personal” because the plate information generated did not have an owner’s name associated with it.

However, the Supreme Court felt that this was too narrow an interpretation, finding that the other information in the photograph — the type of vehicle, the time of day, and the surroundings in the photograph, were of a nature that might allow individuals to determine more personal information.

Additionally, when combined with the other resources available to the department, the photographs could quickly become personal in nature. It sent the case back to the lower court to make a determination based on that definition of “personal information.”

“Retention of certain personal information by law enforcement agencies may be considered an invasion of privacy when that information is not related to a crime or investigation,” said Steve Duckett, an Alexandria traffic lawyer.

The license plate data is being legally collected. It is only being used to determine whether the plate number in question is associated with any outstanding stolen or wanted vehicles. It is not being used to identify the individual in the vehicle.

However, retaining that information in a database for an extended period creates another pool of information that can be used to identify individuals and their activities. The lower court will need to decide whether that constitutes an invasion of an individual’s privacy.

Job of the Day: Youth Baseball Coach (Part-Time)

Arlington Travel Baseball (ATB) is a 501(c)3 non-profit youth baseball organization that provides an opportunity for players ages 9-12U to acquire superior skills through higher levels of competition. ATB is seeking head and assistant coaches who have a passion for the game and want to join a “winning” team. Ideally, we are in search of former college baseball players who want to teach the game they grew up playing

Coaches will be compensated a competitive wage and required to pass a background check. Coaching experience is a plus but not required and training is available as needed. Coaches will report to the Director of Player Development, who will set team goals and assist with practice plans and specific skills development.

Typical responsibilities include:

  • Manage the day to day field activities of the team. Teaching relevant skills, tactics and techniques.
  • Arrive on time and have a practice plan for each practice.
  • Lead the team at all regular season, playoff and tournament games.
  • Coach in a positive manner. (Coaches will have coach of conduct form)
  • Communicate with Team General Manager with administrative needs of team.
  • Prepare the players for the physical and mental challenges of competitive baseball.
  • Identify player strengths and weaknesses and provide progress reports at end of summer season.
  • Attend annual tryouts in June and July

If you’re interested or know someone who might be please contact us at [email protected] or call 703-801-6297.

Arts Focus: Arlington’s CostumeLab Helps Superheroes Keep It Together

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

Wonder Woman’s bullet-proof bracelets are falling off… Black Panther’s impenetrable vibranium suit is torn… Superman spilled soy sauce all over his cape… What’s a superhero to do?

Well, CosPlay enthusiasts in the DC Metro area are getting used to stopping by the Arlington CostumeLab Cosplay Repair Booth at local conventions.

CosPlay, a contraction of the words costume play, involves participants wearing costumes to represent a character from anime, cartoons, films or comic books. The conventions, or comi-cons that welcome this growing community of hobbyists are big business, and Crystal City is a major stop on the nationwide convention circuit.

The initial collaboration was sparked a couple of years ago when Arlington’s Convention and Visitors Services (ACVS) called on Arlington Cultural Affairs (which is also a Division of Arlington Economic Development) to see how we might partner with a new cosplay event: Blerdcon.

Derived from the term “Blerd” which is short for ‘black nerd’, Blerdcon welcomes all while celebrating the connection with the differently-abled, and people of color, international and LGBTQ communities.

An immediate hit with CosPlayers, the Booth offers micro-classes, cosplay material/technique demonstrations and a full repair booth with talented costume crafts artisans to mend your cosplay right on site!

Word continues to spread, and now the Arlington CostumeLab Cosplay Repair Booth is a presence at several regional events, including Escape Velocity 2017 and 2018. Blerdcon returns to Crystal City on July 27-29.

The Arlington CostumeLab has been serving the theater and film community in the Washington DC, metropolitan area and nationwide for over 50 years. Offering high quality, theatrical grade costume rentals to nonprofit performing arts organizations and companies in the for-profit theater, television and film industries.

You have seen pieces CostumeLab’s collection in productions as varied as HBO’s The Wire and The History Channel’s Lincoln, to Signature Theatre’s watershed production of Passion.

Managed by Jennifer Biehl, who has a B.F.A. in Fashion Design and Marketing and an M.F.A. in Costume Design and Technology, the costume rental stock includes over 22,000 pieces including period garments for men and women, modern dress, hats, shoes, military service uniforms, capes, corsets, armor and more.

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by licensed broker Aaron Seekford of Arlington Realty, Inc. GET MORE out of your real estate investment with Aaron and his team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6116 today! 

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

Well, 2018 is officially about halfway in the books. That was fast, wasn’t it?

It’s never a bad time to reflect on how your annual goals are going. Sure, you may not be hitting the gym quite as hard as you were in January. Or, maybe that new hobby that you vowed to get into isn’t going too hot, either.

But, there is still time, folks!

Among those 2018 goals may be a new place to call home. And just as there is time to accomplish everything else, there is plenty of time for to you settle in the home of your dreams by whatever 2018 deadline you need to meet.

Our team is ready to help you GET MORE out of your transaction. Whether you need to close by the end of the year, by the beginning of the next school year or in the next month, we’re ready to roll with you!

As of June 25, there are 231 detached homes, 52 townhouses and 264 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 49 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.

Thousands Share Feedback for Crystal City’s “Future Cities Project”

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More than a thousand people have given their feedback on how to make Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard — Arlington a better place — and that’s just online.

Hundreds more have shared their thoughts at close to a dozen on-site engagement activities throughout the area, and the project will continue to gain momentum throughout the summer.

The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) is now several months into a multidimensional strategic planning process exploring the nature of the greater submarket that includes Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard — Arlington.

The process, called the Future Cities Project, includes an extensive community outreach effort via Neighborland, a platform that enables the public to engage in an accessible and equitable way both online and in person.

In addition to engaging online via www.futurecitiesproject.org, the Crystal City BID has been staging onsite engagement efforts at busy locations around the area, including Metrorail stations, residential and office lobbies, shopping areas and local events. Over the next two weeks, Crystal City BID staff will pop up at various locations soliciting immediate feedback via the effort’s signature whiteboard.

New questions — which focus on enhancing the quality of life, maximizing inclusivity and adding cultural attractions and destinations — will be posted every few weeks to maximize participation and maintain interest over the course of the next three months.

For a complete and detailed schedule of upcoming dates and locations, please visit the Future Cities Project website. You may also share your feedback online, see what others have shared and vote on ideas that you agree with.

“The public feedback collected from the community through Neighborland will be a key input into our efforts to rethink the strategic priorities for the BID as an organization and the area,” said Crystal City BID Chief Operating Officer, Robert H. Mandle. “What we learn will help drive thinking about the area’s identity and what is most needed to create an integrated and vibrant walkable urban center.”

The Future Cities Project is guided by a Steering Committee drawn from the Crystal City BID’s Board of Directors, civic associations, business and arts groups and major property owners in the Pentagon City and Potomac Yard areas, along with other public and civic sector leaders and officials. Visit www.futurecitiesproject.com to get involved and learn more.

Ask Eli: Best Time To Sell a House

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: When is the best time of year to sell a house?

Answer: Statistically, the best time to put a home on the market in Arlington is in March, with February and April a close second. August and September seem to be the worst statistical months to put a home up for sale, with December a runner-up.

However, this is simply based on historical averages and doesn’t mean you are guaranteed success in March and can’t have a wildly successful sale in August.

Remember, all it takes is one person to buy your home, so don’t let the data get in the way of the timing that makes the most sense for you.

The Data

I broke down past sales in Arlington from 2015-2017, broken out by single-family homes, townhouses and apartments (condos) based on the month they were put on the market for sale.

Cells highlighted in green historically perform better than the market in that category for the month listed. Average Negotiated Discount is the amount buyers are able to negotiate off of the original asking price.

I debated including Purchase Price because the data is a bit misleading.

For example, the average purchase price for a single-family home listed in March is about $100,000 more than the average purchase price of a single-family home listed just two months later in June, but that doesn’t mean that if you list your single-family home in March vs June, you can expect to sell it for $100,000 more.

I think the first three columns are the most important because they highlight the amount of bargaining power you command or lose (Negotiated Discount), how time of year impacts expected time to sell (Days on Market), and how much new competition you’re likely to face (New Listings).

One of the big advantages of listing in an unfavorable time of year, when buyers bargain more and sellers have longer sales cycles, is that you face less competition, which if you take the right home sale approach, may actually work in your favor.

The Data

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Legal Review: Changes in Tax Law Impact Alimony Payments

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

By New York family and matrimonial attorney Mario D. Cometti, a partner with Tully Rinckey PLLC.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was passed at the end of 2017 and went into effect for the 2018 tax year, has a multitude of new provisions that will have both positive and negative impacts on millions of individuals, including those paying and receiving alimony.

Under previous tax laws, alimony payments under a divorce settlement or decree were deductible for the party making the payments and taxable income for the receiving party. This effectually shifted the tax burden to the lower-earning individual and reduced the taxes owed on that alimony payment, thereby opening a bigger pool of money to pay alimony from.

“Under the TCJA, alimony payments are no longer deductible for the paying party, nor or they considered taxable income for the recipient party in any divorce entered after December 31, 2018,” said Albany matrimonial attorney Mario D. Cometti with the law firm Tully Rinckey, PLLC.

Although this may seem like a win for the recipient and an increase in tax receipts for the government, the actual effect may be less positive.

Alimony payments were an “above the line” deduction, meaning they reduced the taxable income of the individual making the payment. This could provide recipients with leverage in negotiating amounts by showing the tax savings associated with the payments. The result was that an individual could make alimony payments without feeling the full impact of those payments on their net income.

With the new law, the recipient no longer must show alimony as taxable income, but the actual result puts the leverage into the hands of the paying party. The paying party will now be able to argue there is a smaller pool to make payments from because of the lost deduction, while also being able to argue the recipient should be able to do more with a smaller amount because it is tax-free.

If you have questions about this shift in tax law, or alimony and divorce in New York, contact a knowledgeable attorney with Tully Rinckey, PLLC today to schedule your initial consultation.

The Chew: Tips for Summer Travel with Pets

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.

by Chelsea Pennington, Bark + Boarding Writer and Animal Enthusiast

Summertime means vacations, and many of us want don’t want our pets to miss out on the fun! If you’re planning on traveling with your pet or looking for pet-friendly destination, we’ve got you covered.

Road Trips

When bringing your pet on a car ride, it’s important to make sure you’re prepared so that you and your pet have the best experience.

Before you leave for the trip, make sure your pet is familiar with riding in a car by taking them on drives, slowly building up the amount of time they stay in the car and rewarding them with treats.

When it’s time to leave for your trip, be sure to secure your pet. They may seem completely comfortable roaming free in the car, but you never know how they might react to the many loud noises that can happen on the road, and securing your pet will make sure they aren’t injured in case of any sudden stops.

Preferably, use a crate that the animal is able to sit, stand up, and lie down in and secure the crate within the car. If you decide not to use a crate for your dog, there are “doggy seatbelts” available, which are typically harnesses that can buckle into a seatbelt.

Be sure to bring lots of water and food for your pet, even more than you might think you’ll need, since traffic, car troubles or any other unexpected delays may extend your travel time. Make regular stops to let your dog use the bathroom or to clean out kitty litter, and ensure they are drinking enough water.

Never leave your pet unattended in the car, even if you have the windows rolled down or A/C running.

Air Travel

Flying with your pet may seem like a stressful situation, but with preparation and diligence it doesn’t have to be.

If possible, book a direct flight to your destination to minimize travel time for the pet and decrease chances of them having to sit out on the tarmac while luggage is relocated.

Buy a USDA-approved crate big enough for your pet to sit, stand and lie down comfortably in, and line it with bedding such as shredded towels that can absorb any accidents.

You can tape a small pouch of food on the outside of the crate for the airline staff to feed your pet if the travel time increases unexpectedly. For water, fill a bowl that can attach to the crate door and freeze it the night before. This way, it won’t spill during loading but will melt for your pet to drink as they get thirsty.

Be sure your pet has proper identification, and consider having your pet microchipped for extra security. Mark the crate with “Live Animal” and include your name, cell phone and destination number, and a photo of your pet, just in case they escape. You should also keep a photo of your pet on your person.

Don’t be afraid to be assertive when it comes to your pet’s well-being. Tell airline employees you talk to, whether on the ground or in the air, that you are traveling with a pet in the cargo hold, so that if there is a delay they’re aware and you can decide the best course of action, even if that means removing your pet from the cargo hold and deplaning.

If your dog meets certain size and weight requirements you may be lucky enough to bring your pet into the cabin of the plane with you! Check with your airline first and always be sure you have an airline approved travel bag where your pet can rest comfortably under the seat in front of you.

Before traveling whether by car or by plane, check with your vet first. Make sure your pet is in good health and up to date on their shots. If you’re concerned, you can ask about ways to relax your pet. Don’t try to sedate your pet without consulting with your vet first.

Now that you know how you’re getting there, where are some of the best places to visit with your pet?

Pet Friendly Destinations

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This Weekend’s Deals & Events in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Each Friday, Tim’s Arlington sets the table with deals and events for the weekend ahead in Arlington.

Highlights for the upcoming weekend include:

Event of the Weekend: The West Columbia Pike Food Truck Party is this Saturday @ Four Mile Run Drive & Columbia Pike from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m..

Friday: Outdoor Movies @ Arlington Mill & Rosslyn Gateway Park

Saturday: Farmers Markets @ Arlington Mill & Lubber Run

Sunday: Several new additions for Bottomless Brunch including Ambar & Wilson Hardware

Scroll through the entire list here:

Follow Tim’s Arlington on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, & his newsletter for new deals and events, posted regularly throughout the week (typically 10-20 new deals & events are added daily)!

Interested in special promotion as the Deal or Event of the Week or Weekend? Have a deal or event tip? Comments? Suggestions? Email Tim at [email protected]!

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