Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Listing of the Day: 2030 N. Adams Street Unit 1002

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Address: 2030 N. Adams Street Unit 1002
Neighborhood: North Highland
Listed: $312,000
Open: Sunday, May 6 from 1-4 p.m.

Expansive balcony views from this light and bright 10th floor condo in the Circle Condominium.

You’ll look forward to coming home to this spacious 2 bedroom and 1.5 bath open floor plan with updated kitchen and baths. Enjoy the many amenities including an outdoor pool, rooftop deck, bike storage and barbecue grills.

Steps from the Custis Bike Trail, less than 3/4 mile to the Courthouse Metro, as well as Whole Foods, Crate & Barrel and a variety of restaurants and shops to explore! Additional photos and information at www.CircleCondominium.com.

Listed by:
Donna Hamaker
Buck & Associates
703-582-7779
[email protected]
www.DonnaHamaker.com

remodelmate — Changing the Residential Remodeling Industry

Local residential real estate tech company remodelmate is making it easier for people in the Washington metropolitan area to buy and sell remodeling services.

Their online marketplace allows homeowners and contractors to find and offer services for renovating bathrooms, kitchens, windows, doors, roofs, floors and even your man (or woman) cave.

The DC-based company was founded on the idea of re-establishing trust in an industry that has been historically unpredictable. And they are growing quickly.

Customers benefit from fair, upfront pricing, clear project timelines, and, for an additional fee, a dedicated project manager to help see your masterpiece through to completion. And for contractors, the jobs come to you without having to scour the marketplace.

It all works through a simple process: customers answer a few questions about their project and share what they’d like to accomplish; then they receive a no-commitment quote and in-person project consultation. From there, customers pick a date for the job to begin and pay seamlessly and securely through remodelmate — BOOM, done.

Rest assured, every “remodelmate” is licensed, bonded, insured, and thoroughly screened, including background, quality and identity checks.

For a limited time, ARLnow readers can get $500 off their next remodelmate order so you can start that renovation project you’ve been putting off.

Arts Focus: Synetic Theater & Gallery Underground Take The Reception on the Road

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.

In a typical office building, two companies can be located just down the hall from one another for years and barely have an inkling about what the other does. But collaborating with partners is a great way for organizations to network and increase visibility.

Synetic Theater and Gallery Underground, two notable cultural organizations based in Arlington’s Crystal City neighborhood, are partnering for a special one-night only performance and reception!

Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili return to the stage together in a one-night only presentation of Pygmalion & Galatea for the First Annual Synetic Theater Celebration.

The performance honors the theater’s Founding Company Member Philip Fletcher and Founding Board Member Ina Milton. The cast includes Tori Bertocci, Irina Kavsadze, Alex Mills and Dallas Tolentino, well-known names to devotees of this Arlington-based company, the winner of 27 Helen Hayes Awards.

The party then literally moves across the street to Gallery Underground, where the post-performance reception will take place amid their current national juried all-media show, Hot/Cool.

The terms “hot” and “cool” can describe color, temperature, popular culture, appearance, personality… or a theater performance. The works on display will explore and interpret these qualities. Also featured, along with new works by Gallery members, are works by painter Anna Schalk.

Taking the reception on the road is a great way to way to introduce loyal theatre goers to another cultural amenity just steps away from Synetic. The event takes place on Tuesday, May 15 with cocktails starting at 6 p.m. and a 7 p.m. curtain.

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 is not the listing agent of these homes.

Happy May!

It’s an action-packed month on many levels, with this weekend being quite the fiesta to kick it off.

This Friday is Star Wars Day, the perfect opportunity for you to geek out and say, “May the 4th be with you!” to as many folks as possible. And, of course, Saturday is Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy your tequila responsibly, y’all.

In addition to buying lightsabers and margaritas galore, May is also a good time to buy some key items for your home. According to LifeHacker.com, it’s one of the best months to load up on office furniture, a new mattress and refrigerators. So, get moving if you’re looking for a stellar deal.

And, if you’re still looking for the home of your dreams, let’s make that happen. Our team is ready to help you GET MORE this May… and beyond!

As of April 30, there are 205 detached homes, 27 townhouses and 236 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 34 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week.

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

4815 15th Street N., 22205 — NOW: $1,599,000 (Reduced $27,000 on 4/29)
4883 N. Old Dominion Drive, 22207 — NOW: $949,900 (Reduced $20,000 on 4/30)
2719 N. Edison Street, 22207 — NOW: $915,000 (Reduced $20,000 on 4/27)
3855 N. Upland Street, 22207 — NOW: $865,000 (Reduced $30,000 on 4/27)
329 N. Edison Street, 22203 — NOW: $690,000 (Reduced $9,000 on 4/27)
4402 34th Street S., 22206 — NOW: $495,000 (Reduced $10,000 on 4/28)
4390 N. Lorcom Lane #801, 22207 — NOW: $319,900 (Reduced $5,000 on 4/27)

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.

Happy Bike Month! Celebrate with a Car-Free Bike Ride

Want something fun to do in May? How about going on your best bike ride ever?

DC Bike Ride is the regions only closed-road, car-free bike ride! This is your only chance to ever bike DC completely car-free. It’s not a race. It’s not competitive. It’s a recreational bike ride that you can do at your own pace. You can jump on a bike and enjoy the ride even if you haven’t been on two-wheels in years.

Join us on Saturday, May 19 to celebrate life on two wheels. Register now and use the promo code ARLBIKE18 for $10 off standard registration. Kids ages 3 to 7 are always free and youth ages 8 to 17 are always half-price.

DC Bike Ride also has a Finish Festival after the ride along the National Mall with beats, eats and fun for all ages. DC’s famous go-go band Trouble Funk will headline the festival, and attendees can enjoy free yoga by KIND Healthy Snacks, get a bike tune-up by Conte’s, try out a virtual reality bike ride with Events DC or test an electric bike with JUMP Bikes.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is the event’s non-profit beneficiary with funds from DC Bike Ride supporting WABA’s work to make streets safer for all.

Don’t have your own bike? No problem! We partner with Bike and Roll DC to bring you easy bike rentals.

Find us on social media: @dcbikeride on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information visit www.dcbikeride.com.

Make DC Bike Ride your favorite spring tradition and join the ride today. Don’t forget to use the promo code ARLBIKE18 for $10 off standard registration. Online registration will be open through Wednesday, May 16.

Ask Eli: Can a Seller Back Out?

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: Can a seller back-out of a home purchase contract?

Answer: Sellers have practically no way out of a home sale contract in Northern Virginia (or DC), but buyers have multiple opportunities to void an agreement without risking their deposit. The most common ways for a seller to get out of a home sale contract are:

  • Kickout Clause: Kickout clauses allow the seller to give the buyer notice that they intend to void the agreement if the buyer does not perform a specific action. The most common example of this is when a purchase is contingent on the buyer selling their home. Sellers can give a buyer notice of their intention to void if the buyer does not provide a bona-fide contract on the sale of their home or remove the home sale contingency all together. If the buyer fulfills either requirements, the seller must remain under contract and cannot void.
  • Buyer Default: If a buyer falls into default of their contractual obligations such as not making their required deposit on time or not applying for their loan on time (7 days), the seller may void the contract.
  • Technicality: A seller who really wants to back-out of a contract may look through the agreement for a missing initial or some other contractual technicality in an attempt to claim the contract was never formally ratified. This isn’t very reliable and I would not recommend any seller rely on this method.

Buyers (Usually) Have Outs

On the other hand, most contracts afford buyers multiple opportunities to void a purchase contract without losing their deposit. This includes the home inspection, financing and appraisal contingencies found in many contracts.

Also, if the property is located in an Association (condo or HOA/POA), buyers have a non-negotiable right to void within three days of receiving the required resale/Association package (by-laws, budget, rules & regs, etc).

Voiding Without Cause

If a buyer voids a purchase agreement outside of the legal means (contingencies) of the contract, they risk losing up to 100% of their deposit, which is usually 1-3% of the sale price.

However, sellers are not required to make a similar type of deposit as security for performance under the terms of the contract. If a seller decides to back out of an agreement without cause, the buyer is faced with a decision to accept the seller’s decision and walk away, accept a buy-out/settlement from the seller (if offered), or take legal action and sue for specific performance (force the sale) or financial remedy.

As a buyer, you hold the cards and command the most leverage over the purchase agreement remaining in force or being voided.

If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at www.EliResidential.com. Call me directly at (703) 539-2529.

Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, (202) 518-8781.

Legal Review: Court Finds US Army Corps of Engineers Liable for Property Damage

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

By property damage attorney Gary Burger, who is barred and practices in the state of Missouri, with Burger Law.

A Federal Court found that the US Army Corps of Engineers’ management of the Missouri River since 2004 caused flooding that damaged the properties of landowners along the river and that the management and resulting damage was effectively an unconstitutional taking of the property of those landowners.

So, what is a taking? “A Taking is a Constitutional claim that arises under the Fifth Amendment and requires showing that the actions of the government resulted in an individual being deprived of their property unjustly and without compensation,” said Gary Burger, a property damage attorney with Burger Law in St. Louis, MO.

Takings happen all the time, more commonly at the state level. One of the most common forms of “taking” is when a landowner is forced to sell or hand over property for a new highway”, said Burger. Those types of takings are allowed, provided that the landowner is fairly compensated and the request is reasonable.

However, as evidenced here, takings can occur even when the property taken is not taken for use by the government. It can also occur when a landowner’s use and enjoyment of the property is eliminated due to the actions of the government or its agency.

In this lawsuit, the plaintiffs claimed that the management style employed by the Corps of Engineers — which favored environmental protection over flood avoidance — resulted in the flooding of their properties that reduced or eliminated their ability to use and enjoy those properties.

The Agency argued that it was impossible to show that its actions were the cause of the flooding and that any connection between the steps taken by the agency and the flooding suffered by the plaintiffs was too remote, if it existed at all.

In this case, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that previous rulings supported the possibility that even remote actions could set off a chain of events that led to the taking in question. Here, the court found that the agency’s focus on encouraging environmental protection over flood avoidance led to the flooding of the properties in question and that such flooding was a reasonably foreseeable result of the agency’s steps.

Takings claims are incredibly complex and require a thorough analysis of the actions of the government and the damage claimed. If your property is subject to a partial or full takings action, you should have it reviewed by an attorney well-versed in these matters.

VIP Limo Tour of New Construction Homes in Loudoun County — May 12

Interested in buying a new home or designing your own?  Get a glimpse of the best new construction homes that Northern Virginia has to offer — on Saturday, May 12 at 12 p.m.!

Join the Keri Shull Team for an exclusive luxury tour around the latest and greatest new construction communities of Loudoun County including Toll Brothers, Beazer Homes and NVR Homes.

Hosted by New Construction Specialists from the Keri Shull Team, this luxury tour around Loudoun will take you through these new communities, while going over the ins-and-outs of building or buying a brand new home.

Perfect opportunity to discover your new home, meet your future developer or find your next inspiration!

Ride in style with the Keri Shull Team — Saturday, May 12! Wine and hors d’oeurves are included free of charge.

What’s Included With Your $49.99 Refundable Deposit

  • Executive limo van transportation from Reston Limousine
  • Boxed lunch from Pinstripes
  • Keri Shull Team wine opener
  • Expert guidance from the areas top new construction agents
  • Private arranged VIP tour; exclusive insights for this tour only
  • $250 Moving rebate from Town and Country Movers
  • $100 credit towards labor from Charles Graves Painting
  • Free staging consult if you have a home to sell
  • Lifetime membership to our exclusive client events

For your deposit to be refunded, you must buy any home within the next 12 months from your tour date. Space is limited to 20 attendees, so sign up today before it fills up! Click here to register.

Event details

  • What: VIP New Construction Limo Tour
  • When: Saturday May 12, from 12-3 p.m.
  • Where: Toll Brothers, Beazer Homes, and NVR Homes
  • Cost: $49.99 refundable deposit
  • Contact:  [email protected]or call 571-969-7653

Space is limited to 20 attendees, so sign up today before it fills up! Click here to register.

The Chew: Seasonal Allergies for 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, Writer and Animal Enthusiast

While springtime can mean warmer weather and outdoor adventures, for many humans it has them reaching for the allergy meds and tissues. Just like us, our pets can also suffer from seasonal allergies. If not treated, they can make life miserable for your furry friend.

We’ve collected some tips for determining if your pet has seasonal allergies, and how to help them.

Signs Your Pet May Have Seasonal Allergies

For humans, allergies commonly manifest as respiratory issues — sneezing, runny nose, etc. For pets, allergies take the form of a condition called allergic dermatitis. What this means is that if your pet has seasonal allergies, it will result in skin irritation or even inflammation.

Due to this, one of the most common signs of allergies is excessive scratching. In some cases, the animal might even bite at their own skin to relieve the itchiness. This can lead to sensitive, inflamed skin that only hurts more, and may even develop into hot spots, an infected area that will be bright red and may bleed. Hot spots are more common in dogs, but not unheard of for cats.

Another symptom that your pet might be suffering from allergies is obsessive licking of paws, face and other areas. This is related to the fact that histamines, triggered by the allergies, are pushed to the extremities in dogs and cats, and so these areas become the most irritated. Licking is one way your pet is trying to relieve the irritation at these areas, along with rubbing their face with their paws or scooting their rear end along the ground.

If your pet is shedding or dealing with dandruff more than normal, this may be a sign they are dealing with allergies. The allergies make their skin dry, resulting in dandruff. Excessive shedding could be a result of your pet over-grooming as they try to relieve themselves from the irritation. (more…)

Rethink Energy: Two Events this Week, Two Ways to Save Energy

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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. This post focuses on the Arlington Solar + EV Charging Co-op, currently open for Arlington and other Northern Virginia residents interested in purchasing solar or an electric vehicle charger at a discount.  Have a question? Email us at [email protected]!

The solar cooperative movement has grown far and wide, creating sustainable enterprises that generate jobs and strengthen local economies. In Virginia, there are more solar jobs than coal jobs. Arlington is #1 for solar jobs among all counties in Virginia.

To date, more than 120 Arlington families have installed solar with the Arlington Solar Co-op.

Have you thought of going solar or purchasing an electric vehicle (EV)? Maybe you already bought an EV but don’t have a great place to charge it.

For a limited time, you can purchase a solar system or an electric vehicle charger for your home at a discount through the Arlington Solar + EV Charging Co-op.

The Co-op is holding two events this week for folks interested in joining or learning more:

  1. Informal Solar Celebration and Kickoff
    Tuesday, May 1 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
    Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill,  2424 Wilson Blvd.
    RSVP here to chat about solar, EV’s or simply to celebrate the solar movement!
  2. Solar + EV Charging Co-op Information Session
    Wednesday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m.
    Navy League Building, 2300 Wilson Blvd.
    RSVP here to learn how solar systems, electric vehicle charging stations, and the co-op concept works, and get your questions answered.

You don’t need to attend an event to participate in the group. Simply visit the website and click “Join Our Co-op”.

We hope to see you there!

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:

936 N. Danville Street
4 bed/3 bath, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Christine Vanderhyde
Listed: $1,479,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

4822 15th Street N.
4 bed/3 bath, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Natalie Roy
Listed: $1,195,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

2601 S. Grant Street
6 bed/4 bath single-family home
Agent: Louis Andors
Listed: $1,024,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

3300 N. George Mason Drive
5 bed/3 bath single-family home
Agent: Keri Shull
Listed: $875,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

701 S. Barton Street
3 bed/2 bath single-family home
Agent: Scott Carpenter
Listed: $699,900
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

4404 8th Street S.
3 bed/1 bath single-family home
Agent: Casey O’neal
Listed: $550,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

888 N. Quincy Street
1 bed/1 bath condo
Agent: Keri O’Sullivan
Listed: $430,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

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