Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

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.  

Congratulations! If you are reading this, you’ve survived another Tax Day. Hopefully Uncle Sam was nice to you this year and you’re left with a hearty refund.

As the countdown for the next Tax Day begins, it’s important to keep the tax benefits that come along with owning a home of your very own. You can deduct interest expenses, report rental income expenses, defer capital gains taxes… and so much more.

But, before you utilize the tax code to your real estate-owning advantage, you need to make a wise investment decision.

When you are ready to GET MORE out of your real estate transaction in Arlington County (or beyond), my team is ready to roll. We promise it won’t be a taxing (pun absolutely intended) experience.

As of April 16, there are 186 detached homes, 33 townhouses and 233 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 23 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.

Legal Review: Neighborhood Commissioner’s Discrimination Suit Against Zoning Authority Heard by D.C. Court of Appeals

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

By employment law attorney Tom Spiggle, who is barred and practices in the state of Virginia, with The Spiggle Law Firm.

Arguments in a lawsuit filed by a D.C. neighborhood commissioner in her individual capacity against the D.C. Zoning Commission were heard by the D.C. Court of Appeals.

The suit, filed by Bertha Holliday, alleges that the development proposed by Vision McMillan Partners (VMP) is racially discriminatory because it segregates the housing for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) supported individuals from the non-HUD housing, and therefore should never have been approved.

Ms. Holliday, in making her case, claims that 90 percent of the individuals that receive housing assistance from HUD are African-American. VMP’s proposed plan shows the low-income housing units of its development being in one area, having their own entrance, common areas, elevators and ventilation units. The effect, she said, was to segregate African Americans from others.

“Race is a protected class under the United States Constitution, meaning that any attempt to discriminate based on an individual’s race may be found unconstitutional and unlawful,” said Tom Spiggle, an employment law attorney with The Spiggle Law Firm. “This lawsuit is against the D.C.  Zoning Commission, alleging that, in approving the proposed development, the Commission is allowing discrimination based on race.”

“Racial discrimination claims are very complex and require a very involved understanding of the Federal laws governing those claims,” said Mr. Spiggle. “Ms. Holliday’s claim, however, seems to satisfy many of the requirements of a prima facie claim, including the individuals being members of a protected class, the discriminatory result, and the fact that there are other alternatives to the layout of the development that do not require separation of low-income housing from non-low-income housing.”

In addition to being complex, each Federal Appeals Court Circuit has different standards for successful claims of discrimination. This means that a plaintiff in one of these actions must know the specific standard they must use to show for a prima facie case of racial discrimination. However, as a general rule, the complainant must show that he or she was the member of a protected class (race in this instance), that the law or rule in question had a discriminatory effect, and that discrimination caused injury to the complainant.

In the meantime, the development of the 25-acre tract being questioned by Ms. Holliday is on hold, and has been on hold since 2016, when the Appeals Court entered an indefinite stay on construction. At the very least, the site will not be developed until a decision regarding its discriminatory nature is reached.

Ask Eli: Arlington Is Running Out Of Homes For Sale

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: We have been searching for a home for over 6 months and have expanded both our criteria and budget, but still not finding something we like. We have heard that the housing supply is low, is that true for Arlington?

Answer: The housing supply shortage in Arlington is a big problem and it’s not just Arlington that is feeling the pain, it’s most of Northern VA and the greater DC Metro (nationwide as well).

You’re not alone in your experience either, we have a handful of clients who have been looking for the better part of a year while also expanding their search area and budget, but unhappy with what’s available.

So, is the housing shortage mostly anecdotal and buyers are just too picky or to cheap? Nope… here are some charts that highlight the alarmingly low housing inventory in Arlington:

Eight Consecutive Quarters of Fewer Homes For Sale, Year over Year (YoY)

After seven straight quarters of YoY decreases in the number of homes for sale, Q1 2018 brought us the largest drop in YoY homes for sale with 21.1% fewer homes for sale than Q1 2017, which was already 7.2% lower than the number of homes for sale in Q1 2016. The chart below represents all homes for sale in Arlington.

Existing Housing Supply Would Only Last 1.5 Months

Months of supply measures how long the existing housing inventory would last given the last 6 months of demands (absorption). Most economists say that 4-6 months of supply represents a well balance housing market and Arlington has hovered around 1.5 months of supply for the last 6 months.

I broke out the chart below by housing type (detached, townhouse, and condo) to highlight the fact that the problem exists across all housing types, but town-homes have historically been the least supplied type of housing in Arlington.

Good Homes Are Selling Much Faster

This chart shows the YoY change in the number of homes sold within the first 10 days on market, which has increased the last six quarters in a row. There was an impressive 53.4% YoY increase from Q1 2016 to Q1 2017, followed by yet another double digit increase in homes sold within the first 10 days from Q1 2017 to Q1 2018. (more…)

The Chew: Flea and Tick Control for Springtime

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

As the weather warms up, no one may be more excited than our pets.

Spring and summer mean long walks, exploring nature and maybe even a hike through the woods. Unfortunately, these places are also common hiding spots for fleas and ticks. Whether you have an adventurous pup or an indoor cat, these pests can cause major problems.

To prevent fleas and ticks from bothering your pets and make sure they can enjoy the outdoors as much as possible, try following these tips.

Be on the lookout for pests

Whenever your dog comes in from the outdoors, especially if they’ve been near tall grass or wooded areas, inspect them for fleas and ticks. Fleas are usually too small to see, so look for “flea dirt,” or feces, which look like tiny dark clumps caught in your pet’s fur. Especially look for them in areas where the coat is thin, such as the belly, inner side of the hind legs and armpits.

If you see this telltale sign of fleas, you’ll need to bring you pet to your veterinarian for treatment. Ticks, however, can often be handled at home. Inspect for ticks, paying careful attention to your pet’s feet (including in between toes), on lips, around eyes and ears (including inside ears) and under the tail.

Use your hand to feel for small bumps in your pet’s fur — these could be ticks.

If you do find one, you might be able to remove it yourself. Using tweezers, grip the tick as close to the pet’s skin as possible. Pull the tick from the skin with gentle, steady pressure, being sure not to twist or crush it. Make sure you remove all parts of the tick, and if you think the head might still be lodged in the skin, take your pet to the vet for proper removal.

While the timely removal of ticks can help prevent secondary illnesses that can result from a tick bite, if you don’t feel comfortable doing it on your own, bringing your pet to the vet is the safer choice.

If you do remove it, you can either dispose of it by wrapping it in tape and putting it in an outside trash can, or you may want to keep it in a container to show your vet so they can know what kind of tick it was. (more…)

Rethink Energy: New Arlington Solar + Electric Vehicle Charging Co-op

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.  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. Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

Installing solar or purchasing an electric vehicle are both great ways to slash your carbon footprint and energy bill. But like any major purchase it’s hard to know if you’re getting a good price or what questions to ask.

If that sounds like your experience, you’re in luck! 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. You’ll also have the support of experts to guide you through the process.

Solar systems cost less than half of what they would have just five years ago and you can make use of the 30% federal tax credit in addition to the co-op discount. Solar panels are becoming increasingly common place in Arlington. Over 100 residents have purchased panels through co-ops like these and a Solar Foundation study found Arlington was home to more solar jobs than any other county in the state.

Get started by providing some basic information on the website. Folks interested in solar will receive a no-obligation roof screening.

Attend the upcoming information session to learn more on May 2 at 6:30 pm in the Navy League building 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA — RSVP here.

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:

3188 N. Pollard Street
6 bed/6 bath, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Michelle Sagatov
Listed: $2,199,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

219 N. Garfield Street
6 bed/4 bath, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Ronald Cathell
Listed: $1,750,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

2515 Custis Road
3 bed/3 bath, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Sheri Grant
Listed: $1,350,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m., Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

407 N. Harrison Street
4 bed/4 bath. 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Billy Buck
Listed: $1,095,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

1535 N. Glebe Road
3 bed/4 bath single-family home
Agent: Sarah Webster
Listed: $929,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

300 S. Edgewood Street
3 bed/2 bath single-family home
Agent: A. Casey O’Neal
Listed: $679,000
Open: Sunday 1-3:30 p.m.

 

1300 Army Navy Drive
1 bed/1 bath condo
Agent: Theresa Welch
Listed: $279,000
Open: Saturday 12-2 p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m.

Flying Colors: The Symphony at Dawn

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Flying Colors is a sponsored column on the hobby of backyard bird feeding written by Michael Zuiker, owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited store at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center. Visit the store at 2437 N. Harrison Street or call 703-241-3988.

The maestro is ready. Resplendent in his red garment, he mounts the stage. The arena is respectfully still and quiet. The maestro sings his 8 note song to get the attention of the musicians.

Slowly, the musicians awaken and test out their vocal instruments. There are long, slow base notes. There are high pitched notes. There are repetitive notes. There are melodic notes.

The musicians begin to interact and the notes and songs begin to intertwine to become a symphony of grand proportions. When you think another layer could not be offered, the percussion comes in and anchors the performance.

You have been to this performance. It is FREE!

You know the orchestra. It is right in your neighborhood. The performances are every day. Right at the break of dawn.

The magic of Spring (when and if the darn wind would ever stop) is the magnificent orchestra of the wild bird’s dawn symphony. Any small patch of woods, shrubs and landscaping will give you a performance of 15-20 different songbirds each calling out their signatures notes.

The cardinal is the maestro, always seemingly the first to awaken the day. Its two to three second call — birdie, birdie, birdie or cheer, cheer, cheer is very easily distinguishable.

The American Robin cheer-up, cherrio is also fast and repetitive. The Carolina Wren tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea has a fast and distinctive rhythm. Listen for the Carolina Chickadee asking for a cheeseburger. But don’t give him one! They prefer seeds, nuts and bugs.

Most yards can easily contain an orchestra of 20-30 different bird species, all with the unique calls. Add to that the percussion of Five woodpecker species banging on trees, telephone poles and metal exhaust vents on your house, and your rock and roll band is grooving.

What makes this even more exciting is that every Spring, guest artists migrate up from the south to join the band. These are Neo-Tropical birds migrating north from their Winter home in the tropics. Many Warbler species, Thrushes, Vireos and other singers can visit your yard.

Being mostly insect eaters, the best way to see them is to offer water. Dripping or misting water is always the best option to attract birds to a bird bath.

Their visit may be short; but their songs and distinct colors are breathtaking. Offering bark butter bits, fruit or dishes of mealworms is another sure way to get these migrating beauties in your yard singing a happy tune.

Customers have been coming in praising the songs of Grosbeaks, Cedar Waxwings and Chipping Sparrows. Stop in and fill up on these specialty foods and tell us about the amazing birds you are seeing this Spring.

Northern Virginia-check out these great birding spots for Spring. (more…)

Just Listed in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Just Listed banner
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 warm weather and blooming flowers inspired 126 sellers to put their homes on the market this week giving buyers their biggest selection for the year. Home buyers quickly ratified 71 contracts. Some 36 of those new listings sold within seven days.

Mortgage rates held steady this week rising only two basis points to about 4.52% with no points. But the Labor Department reported that the consumer price index rose in March to its highest level in several years. Inflation for last month hit 2.36% prompting the Federal Reserve to consider raising its short term rates sooner than later.

The question realtors often hear is: When is a good time to buy? In today’s market, that answer is NOW. Home prices are increasing, mortgage rates are increasing and inventory levels are not getting better. The longer a buyer waits, the less home they will be able to buy. So don’t delay. Go get pre-approved with a lender, connect with a good agent, and find your dream home.

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

Legal Review: Expiration of National Flood Insurance Program Raises Concerns

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

By criminal defense attorney Charles E. Boyk, who is barred and practices in the state of Ohio, with Charles E. Boyk Law Offices, LLC.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the federal program that insures home and property owners who live in certain flood-prone areas. A federal program was necessary because private insurers were unwilling to insure the flood-prone areas for affordable premiums.

Unfortunately, the NFIP expired in 2017, and although the US House has passed legislation that would modernize the program, the Senate has not taken up the legislation, resulting in the passage of stop-gap continuation bills instead of a full-scale reassessment of the program.

“The NFIP’s coverage mandate is to provide insurance coverage to businesses and homeowners that live in a community that participates in the NFIP,” said Charles E. Boyk, an Ohio Insurance Attorney with Charles E. Boyk Law Offices, LLC. “The purpose in requiring communities to participate is to ensure that those communities are properly analyzing floodplains and taking the steps necessary to reduce exposure of homes and businesses to flooding.”

Flood insurance through NFIP is not available unless a community participates. Homeowners may or may not know that most standard home insurance policies do not cover flooding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the NFIP. Flood insurance purchased through this program provides coverage and payment regardless of whether there is a Presidential declaration of emergency.

“This is important,” said Boyk, “because there are thousands of individuals affected by flooding each year that never get national news coverage, let alone rise to the level of needing a disaster declaration.”

If your homeowner’s insurance claims to cover flooding, read the policy carefully and consult with your insurance agent. There may be limitations or requirements on or for payment of claims.

Additionally, flood insurance – even if purchased though the NFIP – will only cover the structure and land. The contents of your home need to be covered by a separate policy. Also, make note of your deductible and how much it is.

Other things to know:

  1. Flood insurance through NFIP pays only to the policy limit. Many home insurance policies are “guaranteed replacement cost” policies, meaning they will pay more than the policy limit if it costs more than that to rebuild the home. Flood insurance does not have that option.
  2. Flood insurance through NFIP is only available through an insurance agent.

If you are trying to file a claim on a policy, the insurance company may try to avoid paying the full amounts of coverage. Having competent legal representation can help smooth out the process, or at the very least provide a buffer between you and the insurance company.

Arlington Home Show and Garden Expo Returns This Weekend

The annual Arlington Home Show and Garden Expo is coming to Kenmore Middle School (200 S. Carlin Springs Road) on Saturday, April 14, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The home show is a community event – not a commercial event. The goal: to educate Arlingtonians about the best ways to add value to their homes and improve their overall quality of life.

Now in its 12th year, the home show is a one-stop shop for all things related to improving and building homes including permitting, financing and choosing the right contractors. This year the show will focus on informing visitors about resilient remodeling — making sure a whole home is resilient to major weather disruptions.

The free, family-friendly event will include 16 workshops covering a wide spectrum of topics, including Accessory Dwellings (ADUs), Energy Efficiency, Universal Design and Aging in Place, and will feature more than 65 exhibitors, including local builders, designers, master gardeners and more.  In celebration of the 50 years of the Fair Housing Act the Show will offer a special Fair Housing Seminar for Condominiums.

Attendees can also discuss their home improvement or building plans with representatives from a number of Arlington County agencies, who will be available for one-to-one consultation.

Admission and parking are both free. There will be a raffle for a 50-inch television, free energy efficiency kits for the first 150 visitors, many contractor specials and great food will be provided by Cafe Sazon.

The event is organized by Arlington County’s Housing Division and the nonprofit group Resilient Virginia. Gold Sponsor of this year’s show is Alair Homes Arlington.

Boring Title: How Halloween Costumes Led to National Partnerships and More

By ARLnow.com Sponsor


Title insurance is boring, but Allied Title & Escrow is here to decode the jargon and make it (somewhat) more interesting. This biweekly column will explore the mundane (but very necessary!) world of title insurance while sharing interesting stories of two friends’ entrepreneurial careers. 

This week we discuss how Dressing up for Halloween as Ace and Gary led to a partnership with Saturday Night Live, Disney and ABC… oh and the title tip of the week!

Yes we will give you some title tips this week, and I know last week’s horror story version of the title and obstacle-racing industry wasn’t the most motivating, but today we are going to provide you with a slightly ridiculous story of how you never know how choices you make might lead to something much bigger than you ever dreamed.

Approximately 10 years ago, my friend and business partner (Steve Stoloff) and I (Latane) were looking to win a costume contest on Halloween and we always wondered why no one sold Ace and Gary costumes from Saturday Night Live.

If you don’t remember Ace and Gary, click here to see a video from many years ago. Outrageous, ridiculous… everything you want out of a Halloween costume!

We decided to go to Walmart and buy long johns, underwear and food coloring. 3 hours later we had what we thought was a costume, that somewhat resembled the characters on the show.

We went out that night, got offered $250 on the spot by SNL fans and won two Halloween costume contests for $3,000 total. A nice little evening! We decided that maybe we were on to something and we would try to sell them online the following year.

11 months later we remembered our previous year’s success and decided to pop up an Ebay store with pics of us wearing our homemade costumes from the year before. I think we both hoped we could generate some grocery and beer money for the month of October… maybe November.

We launched a small pay per click campaign with keywords similar to “ridiculous costumes” and “Ace and Gary SNL” and what happened next was a bit shocking. Within an hour of the pay per click campaign, we received an order.

We were charging $150 for the set so we thought it would be too expensive for people. Apparently it wasn’t because within a week we had sold over 300 costumes.

Now we were faced with our biggest issue, how the heck are we going to make this many. After buying out all the long johns and underwear in town at Walmart and Target, we made costumes around the clock for a week and we actually fulfilled all the orders.

We had no idea we would sell this many and we knew we couldn’t keep making these costumes unless we actually had a partnership with SNL. I sent in a cold email to SNL about the possibility of working together on Ace and Gary costumes. Shockingly Broadway Video (Lorne Michaels’ company who handles licensing for SNL) responded. I then had a friend of a friend in the licensing business join the call since I had no idea what licensing even meant to help me negotiate a deal.

The experienced licensing rep helped us secure a deal and the next year we manufactured high quality Ace and Gary costumes, which were one of the best sellers nationwide.

It went so well that we sold the company we created, Ridiculous Costumes, to a much larger Halloween company. Still today the costumes are sold online and here is a picture of our friends who we made wear the costumes for our first photo shoot. (more…)

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