Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Neighborhood Spotlight: Let’s talk about Waycroft-Woodlawn

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

What makes Waycroft-Woodlawn special?

Established in the 1930’s, Waycroft-Woodlawn is a beautiful neighborhood located in Arlington, just north of the Ballston-Rosslyn Corridor and anchored by Virginia hospital to the west. Known for its quiet streets, access to D.C., and rolling hills and gardens, this neighborhood is home to 530 homes.

The tree-lined streets and community spirit are protected and upheld by the Waycroft-Woodlawn Civic Association, which is composed of community members dedicated to keeping residents safe and happy. This tight-knit community comes together often to host community parties and events — like the annual July 4th children’s bike parade and barbeque.

Waycroft Woodlawn is the best of both worlds; minutes from D.C., the hustle and bustle of Ballston, but in between a tranquil neighborhood with beautiful tree-lined streets and natural landscapes. Its location allows for easy travel throughout the region, whether it’s via public transit, car, or bike. The neighborhood sits just north of the Orange and Silver Metro lines with the Ballston-MU metro station just a few blocks away. 

If traveling by car is for you, Waycroft-Woodlawn is convenient to a few of the main thoroughfares in the region, with I-66 bordering on the southern edge, and Glebe Road marking the eastern border. The neighborhood is also notable for having great access for cyclists, and most commutes and daily errands can be accomplished via bike along the Custis Trail, which is great news for anyone looking to avoid D.C. traffic.

There is so much to see and experience in Waycroft and Woodlawn, reach out to me if you want to learn more about neighborhoods in Arlington and around the region!

Felicia Cook | 703-899-5226 | [email protected] | www.feliciacookhomes.com | www.McEnearney.com

McEnearney Associates — Arlington Office

Waycroft and Woodlawn Links & Recommendations

For 40 years, McEnearney Associates has been a premiere residential, commercial and property management firm with 11 offices located in the Washington metro region. With service excellence, hyper-local expertise, powerful data insights, innovative technology and cutting-edge marketing, McEnearney Associates have helped their clients make informed decisions on their most valuable real estate investments. There is an important difference at McEnearney: It’s not about us, it’s about you. To learn more, visit us at www.McEnearney.com.

Listing of the Day: 1400 N. Ivanhoe Street

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Address: 1400 N. Ivanhoe Street
Neighborhood: Tara Leeway Heights
Listed: $1,299,900
Open: Captain Cookie Food Truck Open House Saturday, May 14 from 1-3 p.m.
Also open Sunday, May 15 from 1-3 p.m.

This beautifully updated 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home is located on one of the most picturesque streets in Arlington’s sought-after Tara Leeway Heights neighborhood.

Open the door to 3 finished levels with oak hardwood floors, modern custom paint, and recessed lighting throughout. The spacious gourmet eat-in kitchen has stainless steel appliances, 42-inch white cabinets, a marble tile backsplash, granite counters and a breakfast bar that opens to the dining space.

Lounge in front of the fireplace or entertain in the large living room accented by crown molding, chair rail molding and recessed lighting. The perfect home office is located just off the living room with built in bookshelves and receives great natural light. The main level also has a convenient half bath just off the living room.

The huge primary bedroom suite with a large walk-in closet and updated en-suite bath with dual sink vanity featuring granite counters and a glass enclosed shower lit by a skylight from above. The second and third bedrooms have hardwood floors, built-in bookshelves and are connected by a long, updated Jack & Jill bath with a dual sink vanity and tub/shower combo.

The fully finished basement has a large rec room with a second fireplace and features the fourth bedroom and third full bath, perfect for an au-pair or in-law suite. The large partially fenced yard provides a great space for relaxing or grilling out on the rear Trex deck.

Listed by:
Shawn Battle
The Battle Group
(703) 999-8108
[email protected]

Just Listed in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Andors Real Estate Group.

Good morning Arlingtonians! Welcome to Just Listed!

SURPRISE — rates rose again, and now average 5.3% during the past week. Expect this to continue — buyers, it’s time to lock in your payment for your new home before rates keep rising…

The market is cooling nationally, and despite the resilience we all appreciate in the Arlington marketplace, it is happening here too. I’m starting to see price reductions and days on market creeping upward. This historic inventory shortage will slowly but surely head in the direction of a more balanced marketplace, but I’d be guessing if I told you I thought it would balance out. That’s highly unlikely, for now. What will happen is buyers will get the ability to retain home inspection and financing/appraisal contingencies in their offers — a much needed reprieve in itself.

New listings took a breather this past week; sellers listed just 99 over the past seven days, a reduction of 23 from the week prior. Buyers ratified 82 contracts, a reduction of eight from the previous week. Of the 82 ratified contracts, 45 of those were on homes that spent seven days or less on the market!

Right now, in Arlington, there are 301 properties fully available for sale, three less than last week. Of those 301, 80 are detached properties, 33 are town homes/semi-detached properties, and 188 are condominiums.

The average sales price for currently available homes in Arlington is $846,450 and the median is $600,000. Days on market has ticked up just a bit, with the average sitting at 48 days and the median at 29 days. Median days on market is now up a by seven days, or 33%, in just the past three weeks — make no mistake this represents the start of a significant slowdown in overall activity!

This week last year, sellers had listed 116 homes for sale and purchasers ratified 73 contracts. There were 477 homes for sale. Interest rates averaged just 2.94% — wow!

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. If you see a home that you’re interested in purchasing, give us a call! Our team are experts at WINNING when it comes to Arlington real estate — our agents routinely outmaneuver others when it comes to multiple offer scenarios — call us to find out how!

Call the Andors Real Estate Group today at (703) 203-1117 to talk more about buying or selling Arlington real estate. Below are eight properties I think you might light to check out.

810 N. Daniel Street

Listing of the Day: 834 N. Frederick Street

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/5

Address: 834 N. Frederick Street
Neighborhood: Ballston
Listed: $699,000
Open: May 15 from 1-3 p.m.

Less than a mile to the Ballston metro, this spacious 3-level 2-3 BR/3 BA townhome offers the perfect blend of convenience and quiet. Private fully fenced brick patio off of main level living room. Open gourmet kitchen with bar seating plus eat-in space.

Upstairs features two bedrooms, primary with en-suite bath and separate hallway bath. Lower level includes a bonus room/3rd bedroom and rec. room with wood-burning fireplace and built-ins. Laundry and 3rd full bathroom on lower level. Wood floors on main and upper levels. New paint and new light fixtures throughout. New carpet installed on entire lower level.

One assigned parking space. Low HOA fee. Steps to Safeway, Puputella, and charming Covet/Urban Farmhouse shops. Easy access to I-66, 395. Less than a 1/4 mile to Bluemont and Custis trails, and a 1/2 mile to Four-mile Run and W&OD trails. Ashlawn ES/Swanson MS/Washington-Liberty HS pyramid.

Listed by:
Liz Lord
Compass Real Estate
571-331-9213
[email protected]
www.arlvahomes.com

Statutes of Liberty: USCIS extends certain work permits by 540 days!

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Doran Shemin, Esq., and Laura Lorenzo, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Arlington, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.

Everyone wants to be able to work, but not everyone can work legally.

For most non-citizens, proving that you have the right to work legally means producing a work permit. There’s the rub: getting a work permit can take years, even if you’re eligible for one today. We’ve previously explained the ways that USCIS handles work permit applications; the answer is slowly. But, in a rare bit of good news, USCIS has finally done something to assist applicants in the endless queue.

Previously, USCIS issued an automatic 180-day extension if the applicant was filing her work permit renewal application under certain categories as long as the applicant applied to renew before the current work permit expired. Most applicants can file the renewal application at least 180 days before the expiration of the current work permit.

However, USCIS has not been capable of processing a work permit renewal in 180 days, let alone 360 days. For example, the California Service Center is currently taking 20 months to issue a work permit based on a pending green card application.

USCIS has finally acknowledged that it cannot process work permit renewal applications in a timely manner, and that this harms not only the immigrants waiting for their new work permits, but it also harms U.S. businesses who cannot maintain their workforce due to a lapse in employees’ work authorization.

To keep applicants from experiencing that lapse, USCIS has decided to issue 540-day automatic extensions for certain applicants. Now, as long as an immigrant presents the current work permit and a receipt notice showing that a renewal under the same category was timely filed, the immigrant will be authorized to work an additional 540 days after the expiration on the face of the work permit.

But the question is: is this solution a good one or just a band aid on a bigger problem? We say it’s a band-aid on a total hemorrhage.

USCIS has long struggled to process work permit renewal applications, despite each application only taking about 12 minutes to adjudicate. This rule is meant to be temporary while USCIS tries to reorganize and create more efficient workflows; USCIS hopes to meet that goal by October 27, 2023. However, we believe that the rule will be extended past that date. USCIS not only struggles to adjudicate these applications in a timely manner, but also cannot adjudicate almost every other application in a reasonable amount of time.

For example, as of today, May 12, 2022, the USCIS Potomac Service Center is taking around 11.5 months to issue a renewed green card. The form used to request a renewed green card is only seven pages long, and most applicants pay $540.00 for the application. The same service center is taking 30 months to issue a decision on a family petition filed by a permanent resident on behalf of a spouse or child.

The USCIS Nebraska Service Center is also taking 11.5 months to issue refugee travel documents, an application which is filed on a five-page form and costs most applicants $220.00.

Don’t get us wrong — this temporary extension is excellent for our clients and we are glad that USCIS has done something to alleviate the pressure on work permit applicants. We have had many clients lose jobs due to a lapse in work authorization.

However, we do not foresee any major improvements from USCIS between now and October 2023. Inefficiency and slowness have been issues at USCIS for a long time — certainly for as long as any of the lawyers in our office have been in practice. We hope for the best, but we expect the status quo to continue.

As always, we welcome any thoughts or questions and will do our best to respond.

Small Business Focus: Arlington is for cat lovers?

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
Photo courtesy Andrew Deer

This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

In a previous Small Business Focus, we mentioned the release of two new market research databases that you can access for free with your library card, Statista and Demographics Now. We thought we’d use this week’s Small Business Focus to describe the advanced business intelligence you can discover for FREE using these two databases.

While Statista is good for gaining broad-based national and global statistics, Demographics Now is highly useful in seeing demographics within a city, state or even within one mile, three mile or five-mile radius from a particular address. One of the demographic traits you can view is pet ownership, available through the Simmons Pet Related Summary Report found in Demographics Now.

After walking Wilson Boulevard or visiting the Shirlington Dog Park, one would think that dog ownership in Arlington would be high. However, based on the reports in Demographics Now, dog ownership in Arlington is 41% below the national average. At the same time, cat ownership in Arlington is 27% below the national average. Based on the Simmons Pet Related Summary Report in Demographics Now, Arlingtonians are more likely not to have either a dog or cat. Among pet-owning residents, Arlingtonians are more likely to own a cat over a dog.

While the Simmons Pet Related Summary Report in Demographics Now seems to conflict with many people’s assumptions, the low pet ownership rate compared to the national average makes sense when understanding household demographics. For example, most housing units in Arlington (57.2%) are renter-occupied.

Many landlords don’t allow pets or have pet restrictions that may allow cats but not dogs, which may explain why pet ownership for dogs and cats is lower than the national average in Arlington. In the same report for Fairfax County, dog ownership is only 12% lower than the national average; however, the housing units are mostly owner-occupied (67.7%). The owner-occupied housing rate for Fairfax is 25% higher than that of Arlington.

Demographics Now offers a wealth of information on consumer demographics. If you have an existing business or plan on starting a business, this is a valuable resource to understand consumers’ demographics and spending habits within a particular area.

As mentioned in our previous Small Business Focus, the best thing about these databases, they are FREE to use with your library card. Additionally, anyone living within the DMV can access a free library card from the Arlington Public Library.

Is there a demographic question that you have? Drop it in the comment section, and it might be the focus of a forthcoming Small Business Focus. For more information about BizLaunch and to access our free market research tools visit www.bizlaunch.org.

Listing of the Day: 1051 N. Manchester Street

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/5

Address: 1051 N. Manchester Street
Neighborhood: Paisley/Madison Manor
Listed: $1,100,000
Open: Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Well loved and cared for by the same family for 52 years, this expanded Arlington colonial is brimming with updates and desirable details.

Recent roof, HVAC, gas water heater, Trex deck, front portico and walkway plus extensive built-ins and a laundry and craft room with extensive cabinets and work surfaces.

The addition begins with a two car garage with space for sports and gardening equipment plus another storage area that could be a gym, workshop, or hobby area.  Above is a family room, featuring a bay window, gleaming wood floors, large closet and a separate pantry for the vacuum and cleaning supplies. The family room flows into the breakfast area with doors to the screen porch with vaulted ceiling and treed views. A door opens to the deck with grilling and dining areas, and steps to the lushly landscaped yard.

Follow the stone path through the portico to an inviting foyer open to traditional living and dining rooms. Built-in bookcases and cabinets are the focal point of the living room, and the dining room accommodates a cupboard or serving piece. Upstairs, the primary bedroom has a wall of built in cabinets and drawers along with several fitted closets. The second bedroom has shutters at the windows and a double hung closet. Now used as an office, the third bedroom is an ideal nursery or whimsical children’s room. A renovated hall bathroom serves the three bedrooms.

Downstairs, the private fourth bedroom is ideal for an in-law, au pair, or pampered guest. The second updated bathroom is on this level along with that fabulous laundry and craft room. The home is near the bike bath and walking trail, Madison Manor and Benjamin Banneker Parks, and Westover Village’s shops, restaurants, library, and Sunday farmer’s market. Cardinal Elementary School, Swanson Middle School and Yorktown High School.

This home awaits the stewardship of the next fortunate buyers to make it their own.

Listed by:
Betsy Twigg
McEnearney Associates
703-967-4391
[email protected]
www.betsytwigg.com

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 Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!

Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes. 

As of May 9, there are 122 detached homes, 35 townhouses and 209 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 21 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

5806 4th Street S.

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 Arlington Realty, Inc.

Ask Eli: The effect of Boeing’s headquarters on Arlington real estate

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This regularly scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. Please submit your questions to him via email for response in future columns. Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Ask Eli, Live With Jean playlist. Enjoy!

Question: What effect will the recently announced move of Boeing’s headquarters to Arlington have on our real estate market?

Answer: I got this question from quite a few people over the past week, but it wasn’t until my Mom asked that I decided it needed to be this week’s topic!

The news itself, Arlington becomes Boeing’s Global Headquarters, seemed to be another massive shock to our real estate market just a few years after Amazon’s HQ2 announcement sent demand through the roof. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on whether you’re on the buying or selling side), that is not the case and it’s unlikely to have a material effect on the housing market in the near or mid-term.

For now, Boeing is not planning much of a change in their workforce in Arlington or Chicago, where they’re currently headquartered. The CEO and CFO offices will move to Arlington, but that seems to be the extent of the immediate workforce changes planned.

It’s possible that in some one-off scenarios, this news will give more confidence in our local housing market to some buyers and investors and result in a willingness to make a better offer or an offer they otherwise may not have. However, it’s unlikely these cases will cause any sort of noticeable trend in an already thriving real estate market.

I do expect a longer-term positive effect (4-5+ years out) on the Arlington real estate market for a few reasons:

  • It’s probably a safe bet to assume that future workforce growth, office expansion, and community investment will focus in Arlington
  • As with Amazon, smaller companies and start-ups in the Boeing orbit will be more likely to carve out space in and around Arlington
  • Hosting powerful and diverse corporate name brands like Boeing, Amazon, and Nestle significantly increases the likelihood of Arlington (and surrounding markets like Tysons and Reston) landing at the top of the list for other Fortune 500/1000 companies to relocate their headquarters here. In my opinion, this is the most important effect of Boeing’s Global HQ announcement.

As we grapple with some difficult and unique market forces — supply/demand disconnect, surging interest rates, soaring inflation, plummeting stock-market, and signs of a potential recession — news like Boeing’s choice to move its Global HQ to Arlington is an important reminder of the long-term strength of our housing market and its resilience in the face of economic headwinds.

If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].

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

Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Ask Eli, Live With Jean playlist.

Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N Fairfax Dr #10C Arlington VA 22203. 703-390-9460.

Legal Insider: MSPB appeals for federal employees

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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 John V. Berry, Esq.

When federal employees are fired, demoted, suspended, face Whistleblower issues, retirement problems, military discrimination or a host of other civil service issues they often can take their cases to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

The MSPB is an administrative court that functions much like a civil court for federal employee claims. Here is a summary of the MSPB process, which varies depending on the type of claim.

Filing an MSPB Appeal

The first step in the MSPB appeals process is for a federal employee to file a MSPB appeal. For most types of cases that the MSPB hears (e.g., those involving removals or severe suspensions for federal employees), the deadline to file an appeal is typically 30 days from the effective date of the decision. It is critical to timely file an MSPB appeal or it will most likely be dismissed. Appeals are mostly filed electronically these days through the MSPB e-Appeals website. Different deadlines may apply for some whistleblower, military discrimination and other types of cases so having counsel is very important in MSPB cases.

Receipt of the Acknowledgment Order

Usually, within a week of filing an MSPB Appeal, an administrative judge will be assigned and issue an Acknowledgment Order setting the ground rules and timelines for the appeals case. Of key importance are deadlines to conduct depositions and/or seek documents related to the case from a federal agency. In some cases, the order may also require the federal employee to prove that the MSPB has jurisdiction (i.e., can hear the case) over their case or to require a federal employee to respond to other issues in the appeal.

The Agency Files a Response to the Appeal

Usually, 20 days after the issuance of the Acknowledgment Order, the federal agency involved in the appeal is required to provide their case file to the MSPB administrative judge and the federal employee. This file will include the documents related to the federal agency’s case and also their initial response to the Appellant’s appeal. The file is often helpful for use in the case.

Settlement

The attempt to settle an MSPB appeal can happen at any point of the MSPB appeals process. We often find that it takes place most often before or slightly after the discovery process. The settlement process at the MSPB can take many forms: (1) informal settlement talks between the parties; (2) MSPB settlement judge involvement; or (3) the Mediation Appeals Program at the MSPB. It is very important to focus on settlement early in the process, where appropriate.

Discovery (Seeking Documents and Taking Depositions)

In most cases, 30 days after the issuance of the Acknowledgment Order, the parties are required to submit initial discovery requests to each other if they choose to engage in discovery. The discovery stage is very important as it is the federal employee’s chance to obtain documents, correspondence, emails, video, data or audio in the agency’s possession which can be used to help the federal employee during the hearing. One of the most important aspects of discovery is the ability to question federal supervisors or others, under oath, in depositions. Depositions by a federal employee’s attorney can lead to very important information which can be used in a federal employee’s appeal.

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