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Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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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.MrArlington.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.

We’re getting old.

Well, not that old. But, today “Just Reduced” celebrates its birthday! That’s right, for the past year, my team and I have bringing you some of the best deals throughout Arlington County.

These deals have collectively amounted in millions of dollars in price reductions and have hopefully put some of the quality properties available in our area on your radar.

With that being said, we’re not stopping now. And always remember, if there is a property or bargain that you’re seeking, don’t be bashful. I’m always here to help you GET MORE out of your transaction.

As of October, there are 236 detached homes, 62 townhouses and 319 apartments for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 67 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: Best and Worst Months To Advertise Your Rental

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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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: I’m wondering statistically what the best months are to advertise a property for rental. On my own I can figure out it’s probably not the dead of winter, but was wondering the answer from a professionals data driven point of view.

Answer: The best way to measure this is to look at how long a home is on the market and how close the final rent price is to the asking price. Since 2010, the data shows that the best time to list your home for rent in Arlington is from March – June, with June listings moving the fastest and May listings commanding rents closest to the ask price. Homes listed for rent in November spend the most days on the market, taking an average of 25 more days to rent than homes listed in June. Somewhat surprisingly, landlords who list in September cut rents more than any other month, compared to the asking price. My guess is that it’s due to owners offering a higher original price because it’s still summer, but missing out on the spring/early summer rental demand.

Best Months For Landlords To List: March – June

Worst Months for Landlords to List: October – January

The data was pretty consistent across different housing types (detached/single family, townhome, and apartment) and by zip code. Check out each table below for some specifics on your home type and zip.

The Data

The data below represents all 12,256 rental transactions recorded in MRIS (Realtor database of record) in Arlington since Jan 1, 2010. The data is organized by the month they were listed for rent.

There are three data sets presented. The first is all rentals by month, the second is by housing type (detached/single family, townhome, apartment) and month, and the third is by zip code and month, presented in two separate graphs because the table was too long (email me if you’d like to see the data table).

Table #1: Rentals By Month

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The Chew: Your Dog and Your Pregnancy

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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The following bi-weekly column is written and sponsored by Dog Paws n Cat Claws, which provides a heart-centered and safe environment for your pets. Conveniently located at 5818-C Seminary Road in Bailey’s Crossroads, DPnCC offers doggy daycare, boarding, grooming, walking and training services, plus in-home pet care.

“Moose is doing something I’ve never seen him do before,” Jay, one of our midday dog walkers, called to tell me. “He’s barking at nothing! Aggressive barking but there is nothing! No other people or dogs… I don’t even see a squirrel!”

I jumped on my computer to email the client and she had an unusual response: The area they live in has a population of foxes, and since she has become pregnant, Moose has been far more protective of her and the house. Ryan Fochler, owner of Dog Paws n Cat Claws (DPnCC) was sitting next to me and I relayed the information to him. I find it incredibly fascinating that this dog seems to know his mommy has something precious inside her. Ryan turns to me and asks, “Did I ever tell you about Booker?”

Booker is a cranky older black Lab/Hound mix that Ryan and wife Katie rescued years ago from Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, an organization DPnCC has worked with for 11 years. Booker was their first pet and he was never known to be affectionate or particularly sociable. When Katie became pregnant, Booker’s behavior changed so much they became concerned something was wrong. He followed Katie everywhere! He would lie next to her and didn’t like her to be too far out of his sight. He became much more affectionate and very protective of anyone getting too close to her.

When their baby son RJ came home, Booker went back to his usual anti-social behavior. A few years later, Booker for no good reason, began to follow Katie around again, protecting her, demanding affection and would even curl up on her lap, resting his head on her belly. A few days later, they found out she was pregnant! Somehow, Booker knew before his owners. On the day Katie’s water broke, she went into the shower and Booker climbed in with her!

There are several factors that may explain how a dog senses a pregnancy.

When a woman becomes pregnant, her body chemistry changes and for a dog, whose sense of smell is between 1000 and 10,000,000 times stronger than a human’s, it’s going to make the dog take notice that its owner’s scent has changed. A transformation in body shape and posture is another clue your dog could pick up on. Variations in your mood or your normal everyday behavior are also evident to your dog.

Very likely, your dog doesn’t know exactly what is going on during pregnancy, and will still be confused when you bring home the new bundle of joy, but they know something is different. While there aren’t any empirical studies, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence on this matter. Most of the stories I found were similar to that of Moose and Booker but not all dogs react with affection or overprotection.  Some can exhibit such behavior as marking territory, chewing on things they normally would not or being down right uncooperative.

At Dog Paws n Cat Claws, we consider ourselves a very family-oriented business. We have had so many pregnant clients schedule our pet taxi service to doggie daycare when it’s time to go to the hospital that we now provide a free pet taxi run at no charge to Dog Paws when the time comes.

So, a little word of advice: if your dog starts acting unusual, you might want to stop at the pharmacy on your way home. Rover may be trying to tell you something!

Sara Schabach
In-Home Pet Care Manager / Writer Extraordinaire

Listing of the Day: 434 N. Lincoln Street

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434 N. Lincoln Street
Neighborhood: Ashton Heights
Listing Price : $1,210,000
Open House: Oct. 1 and 2 from 1-4 p.m. each day 

This charming property is located in sought after Ashton Heights and is less than a half mile to the Virginia Square Metro, shops, restaurants, Arlington Arts Center, parks and playgrounds.

This vintage bungalow is a rare find, one that includes original hardwood floors, an inviting front porch where you can relax, a regal fireplace, a lovely trex deck perfect for entertaining, new windows, sun-filled family addition and a cozy sunroom. It is nestled in the middle of an expansive tree-lined corner lot (a quarter acre) on a quiet street. This home and location has it all, urban village amenities and a country like setting.

The four bedroom, three bath classic bungalow has an old fashioned ambiance that is hard to find these days, one that takes you back to a less hectic time. When the current owners renovated, they found a journal page dated May 1930, that listed birds in the yard and said, “I cannot imagine a place being more heaven than my front porch, morning, afternoon, or evening in May.”

The home was formerly owned by the last surviving WWI vet in Arlington, Bernard Allison. Mr. Allison, who lived to 102, mowed the lawn himself until he was over 100. A former neighbor once stopped by to ask if she could have a chaise Mr. Allison had left on the porch, explaining that her mother loved sitting on it and visiting with Mr. Allison. Porch and porch swing convey.

Gourmet refreshments will be served at the open houses this weekend compliments of Potomac Title Group Services.

Presented by Natalie U. Roy, Licensed in VA, MD & DC, SRS & MRP Certified, Bicycling Realty Group, Keller Williams Metro Center, 2101 Wilson Boulevard, #100, Arlington, VA 22201.

Contact the listing agent at 703-819-4915 (mobile), 703-224-6000 (office) or [email protected].

Just Listed in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

It just doesn’t seem fair to home buyers.

Only 60 new listings came on the market this week in Arlington during a season that normally is robust with lots of fresh inventory and excited active buyers.

Perhaps Arlington is such a desirable place to live that nobody wants to sell and leave. Ratified contracts again outpaced listings with 63 homes sold this week. This trend is not just in Arlington, but national. The National Association of Realtors said today that the slower pace of sales is because there’s not enough inventory and too few choices for buyers, especially in the moderate to lower price points.

The low inventory here is pushing up prices. Arlington’s current rate of property appreciation is about 5 percent, similar to the national average.

Mortgage rates slipped about 8 basis points this week to 3.54% for a 30-yr fixed rate. Fed Chair Janet Yellen told Congress on Wednesday that she hasn’t ruled out a rate hike later this year. 

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

Ready Arlington: Do You Know Your Smoke Alarm’s Expiration Date?

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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This biweekly column is written and sponsored by the Arlington County Office of Emergency Management. This week, guest contributor Arlington County Fire Department provides fire safety tips to kick off Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15).

Ready Arlington smoke alarmMany people assume that having smoke alarms in their homes automatically protects them in the event of a fire. The reality is that smoke alarms do not last forever. The Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) urges all residents to know how old their smoke alarms are and to replace them every 10 years. Smoke alarms must also be maintained and tested monthly to ensure they are working properly.

To find out how old your smoke alarm is and its expiration date, simply look on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. The smoke alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date (not the date of purchase).

A recent survey conducted by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) revealed that only a small percentage of people know how old their smoke alarms are or how often they need to be replaced.

To increase awareness, the NFPA has declared the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week as “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years.” Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15, 2016.

Fire prevention week flier 2016To support Fire Prevention Week, ACFD will be hosting an open house at all 10 of their fire stations on Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are invited to tour the station, see the equipment, climb in the trucks, talk with firefighters and paramedics, and participate in fire safety activities.

Acting ACFD Fire Chief, Joseph Reshetar has been with the fire service over 31 years and has witnessed the difference working smoke alarms can make in a home fire. “Time and again, I’ve seen the life-saving impact smoke alarms can have in a home fire. I’ve also seen the tragic and even fatal results when smoke alarms aren’t functioning properly. That’s why we are making a concerted effort to ensure all Arlington County residents have working smoke alarms and know how to maintain them,” says Chief Reshetar.

Firefighters checking smoke alarmsBesides educating residents on the importance of smoke alarms, firefighters have also been providing free home fire safety checks and smoke alarm installations as part of “Operation Firesafe”. Firefighters spend two hours a week going door to door offering residents these free services. In the past six months, firefighters installed 695 smoke alarms in Arlington County homes. Firefighters found that 89 of those homes had no working smoke alarms before they visited.

For more information on requesting a home fire safety check, smoke alarm installations or this year’s Fire Prevention Week open house, visit ACFD online at https://fire.arlingtonva.us.

Some additional smoke alarm guidelines:

  • Install smoke alarms in every bedroom and in a common area on each level of your home.
  • Test your smoke alarm monthly.
  • Change your smoke alarm batteries twice a year.
  • Replace all smoke alarms every 10 years.
  • Make and practice a home fire escape plan with everyone in your home.
  • Remember when the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and then call 9-1-1.

Listing of the Day: 1700 Clarendon Boulevard, Unit 116

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1700 Clarendon Boulevard, Unit #116
Neighborhood: Rosslyn
Listed: $777,900
Open House: Sunday, October 2 from 2-4 p.m.

Welcome to Arlington urban living at its finest at Gaslight Square!

Steps from Rosslyn-Courthouse shops, restaurants and both Orange Line Metro stations, this unit is a 1 bedroom + den / 1.5 bathroom home with direct access elevator. Experience over 1,110 square feet of window-filled and bright living space with a private balcony.

There’s also an open concept gourmet kitchen with large quartz countertop bar, Wolf gas range and stainless steel appliances. En-suite master bathroom with a walk-in shower, dual-shower heads and custom tile. Designer lighting and gorgeous wood floors throughout. Abundant closets all with California Closet organizers. Reserved underground garage parking space with storage.

See more pictures and the floorplan here.

For more details, please contact Liz Lord with Arlva Homes at Keller Williams — [email protected] or 571-331-9213.

Property Pros: Tips On Living Through A Remodel

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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This is a sponsored column by Jim Muldoon, a Northern Virginia native, Arlington resident and one of the real estate and remodeling experts at Legacy Home Improvement Consultants. Legacy HIC is your source for all real estate and home improvement needs. Please email with any questions or topics you would like covered.

Right before most construction projects begin there is the excitement about the project, but also the anxiety of living through it. The end product is always very important, but equally important is my client’s experience during this process. Living through construction does not have to be uncomfortable. Here are some tips to improve your experience.

Start with your schedule. Figure out what time construction can start without disrupting your morning routine. At the end of the day, you want to be able to wind down. Always factor in clean up and organizing construction material into the time you want everything done in your home. I recommend using an electronic lockbox to give your contractor accessibility to a key on the door you want them using. Most will let you program the days and times that your keys can be accessed. You can also make different pins for different people so you can track on the digital log who has accessed the lockbox and at what time. Giving accessibility to your contractor will go a long way towards keeping your regular schedule and not being handcuffed to the project.

Designate areas for construction use. Let your contractor know where he can park. In your home, find the most direct path from the construction site to an area outside that can be used for cutting, sawing, and storing construction material. Carports and garages are the most common areas. Some materials, like hardwood, require a certain amount of time being at room temperature before they can be installed so an area in the home might be necessary. Along that path, designate a bathroom to use. Remove all the personal items you can from these areas so they don’t get damaged. Designating areas for you and your family is helpful as well. Checking on progress is important, but the more you go through the construction areas the more chance dust will appear.

Discuss with your contractor his plans for controlling the construction zones. Plastic zip walls are great for keeping dust and debris in. They tend to limit foot traffic as well. I like to use extra air filters on the hvac returns and change them frequently. Use carpet protection adhesive for your carpeted areas and ram board on hard floor surfaces that run to and from the designated construction areas. I like to schedule professional cleaners throughout the process. Everyday the site should be cleaned and organized, but no matter how clean a company is some dust escaping is inevitable.

Setting up ways to stay in the loop that works for you and your contractor should be established as well. We like to use web based platforms like Co-Construct, but setting up a Google Drive is free and effective. Having a central location where updates, progress, and questions can all be addressed will take a ton of stress off your shoulders.

These are the basics that have really worked well for my clients. If you have more specific questions about setting up your home for construction email me at [email protected].

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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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.MrArlington.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.

What a debate we had this week – talk about the exclamation point on this fun election season, right?

When it comes to real estate in Arlington County, the debate isn’t quite as ugly. In fact, there isn’t much of a debate at all. Our region is anchored by one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, comparatively high-paying jobs and home values that continue to tick up.

The winner most housing debates is you, the homebuyer, so long as you have someone by your side that helps you GET MORE out of your transaction. While picking a home may be easier than picking a president this election cycle, I’m here to help you make the best decision possible for your future.

As of September 25, there are 228 detached homes, 64 townhouses and 324 apartments for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 58 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: Rosslyn/Courthouse Neighborhood Profile

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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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!

Our interviewee, Peter Zell, has spent the last 5+ years living in Courthouse (Colonial Village) and downtown Rosslyn (Normandy House), so we covered both neighborhoods during our interview.

Where is it? Rosslyn and Courthouse are the first neighborhoods along the Wilson Blvd/Clarendon Blvd corridor, also known as the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Sitting on the eastern edge of Arlington, both offer views of the Potomac and Washington DC. Downtown Rosslyn is Arlington’s most expensive and sought-after business hub due to its proximity to DC and the only location in Virginia with three different metro lines (Silver, Blue, and Orange). Over the past 5 years and for the next 10 years, downtown Rosslyn is transforming itself from a government-centric business district to high-end Class A office, residential, and retail district. Just up the hill to the west is the more residential Courthouse, boasting many long-time Arlington residents and some of Arlington’s favorite bars, restaurants, and shops. It also plays host to the Arlington County offices, police station, and…the courthouse! If you’re walking, jogging, or biking from Rosslyn to Courthouse, be wary of the steep climb from metro to metro.

Peter ZellAbout the interviewee: Peter Zell represents the area well — a young professional, hailing from out-of-town (Ft. Myers Florida), and working as a contractor in the Pentagon. Peter spent most of the last 5+ years in Colonial Village, a sprawling campus of garden-style condos built from 1935-1940 that straddles Rosslyn and Courthouse. Recently Peter moved to Normandy House in downtown Rosslyn, enjoying great views of the Potomac, D.C. skyline, and National Mall from the rooftop.

What do you love about the neighborhood? The lifestyle here is fantastic. I’m minutes to my job at the Pentagon and get to enjoy being near all the benefits of D.C., but in a quieter, more relaxing environment. From where I live, I can walk into Georgetown, the National Mall, or hike Roosevelt Island in just a few minutes. I also take advantage of the great views from the many high-rise apartments in the area. When I lived in Colonial Village, I fell in love with the great sense of community I experienced. The way the neighborhood is laid out gives it a campus-like feel, with each building often hosting its own events through out the year. Unlike other areas of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, I think Colonial Village is less transient because I met a lot of people who have lived there for a long time. I think that the area has a reputation for being post-college Greek life, but I’ve always felt that the mature, professional crowd defines Rosslyn and Courthouse.

What are your favorite places to go for entertainment, dining, and groceries? I’m a huge soccer fan and Ireland Four Courts and Summers are two of the best soccer bars in the D.C. area, so I frequent both. I also play in a competitive soccer league that’s a quick trip into D.C. You can’t beat a weekend bagel at Brooklyn Bagel, coffee at Bayou Bakery, or a good steak from Rays the Steaks. I do most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joes in Clarendon, but head to the Lee Highway Giant for meats.

Is the area family and dog friendly? I wouldn’t consider Rosslyn to be very family-friendly, but as far as urban living goes, Courthouse is pretty family friendly. As with most of Arlington, it seems like half of Rosslyn and Courthouse residents have a dog and the variety of nearby trails and quiet neighborhood streets make it very dog friendly.

What are your favorite community events? There are constantly events in Rosslyn Gateway Park like the Jazzfest, Parkour festival, and summer outdoor movie nights. I also enjoy the weekly farmers market in Courthouse and there were constantly community potluck dinners in Colonial Village.

How has your overall experience been? Very positive. I’ve enjoyed a great social life, easy accessibility to D.C., a fast commute, have always felt safe, and when I was in Colonial Village I was pleasantly surprised at the sense of community.

What are you expectations for the future? It’ll be interesting to see if we’re getting close to a saturation point for new development and if the current trajectory will continue. I think that the development that has occurred to transform Rosslyn from a business district to a more welcoming location for residential and retail has substantially increased its appeal and a lot of people are considering it as a great alternative to living in D.C. while still having easy access to all of the benefits of D.C.

Peter, thank you very much for sharing your experience living in Rosslyn and Courthouse!

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 http://www.RealtyDCMetro.com.

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 Insider: Banning Salary Inquiries During Job Interviews

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement, and private sector employee matters.

By Kimberly H. Berry, Esq.

We are seeing the start of what may be a nationwide trend after Massachusetts recently became the first state to ban employers from asking job applicants about their salaries during the job interview process.

The bipartisan legislation that was signed into law in early August requires an employer to state a position’s compensation upfront based on what the job applicant is worth to the employer as opposed to what the job applicant made in his or her previous employment position.

Now other legislators are working at the Congressional level, as well as at the state level, to use this law as a model to create similar legislation. On September 14, 2016, a bill was introduced in Congress by Washington, D.C. Representative Eleanor Homes Norton and Democratic Representatives Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut and Jerrold Nadler from New York. Under the Pay Equity for All Act of 2016 (H.R. 6030), an employer could be subject to a fine of up to $10,000 if it asks questions about an applicant’s salary history. Employers could also be liable to employees or prospective employees for special damages up to $10,000, in addition to attorneys’ fees.

There has already been an effort, although not entirely successful, to strengthen equal pay laws. However, there is hope that a bill prohibiting employers from asking about salary history before making a job offer will help to eliminate the wage gap that women and people of color often encounter. A news release announcing the bill indicated that while many employers may not intend to discriminate based on gender, race, or ethnicity, asking for previous salary information prior to offering employment to a job applicant can have a discriminatory effect in the workplace. Holmes Norton’s office also indicated: “Because many employers set wages based on an applicant’s previous salary, workers from historically disadvantaged groups often start out behind their white male counterparts in salary negotiations and never catch up.” Other states have created or are creating similar legislation, such as New York and California.

There is a prevailing belief that many factors should be considered when establishing a salary for a certain employment position, such as position duties and responsibilities, past experience, educational requirements, industry and market standards and practice. As such, this bill and other similar efforts aim to eliminate the wage gap and discrimination that may intentionally or unintentionally exist when an applicant’s previous salary is the sole or main method for establishing that applicant’s starting compensation.

If you need assistance with an employment matter, please contact our office at (703) 668-0070 or at www.berrylegal.com to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BerryBerryPllc.

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