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: I’m beginning my home search and want to be within walking distance of Metro. What do my options looks like?

Answer: It’ll be interesting to see if buyers value Metro proximity differently long-term because of lifestyle and professional changes brought about by COVID. I’ve certainly noticed a reduction in the number of buyers I meet with who include being walking distance to Metro as a core requirement, but it seems that we’re quickly returning to previous buying habits so I think preferences for Metro will mostly return to pre-COVID patterns.

If you’re searching for a home in Arlington within walking distance to a Metro, it’s helpful to go into your search understanding what type of inventory you’ll find. Unsurprisingly, condo buildings dominate the market within walking distance of Metro stations, making up over 69% of total sales over the last two years.

The following table summarizes sales over the last two years within 2/3 of a mile of each Arlington Metro station. I left out the Arlington Cemetery and Pentagon Metro stops.

  • The Metro with the highest average sale price is East Falls Church, but that is because it’s the only Metro station where the majority of sales within walking distance are detached homes
  • Pentagon City and Crystal City, the Metro stations that make up National Landing, are the most difficult locations to find homes to purchase because so much of the surrounding housing is rental apartments
  • Virginia Square has had the most homes for sale within walking distance
  • Clarendon and Virginia Square are surrounded by the most expensive detached. Rosslyn and Clarendon boast the most expensive townhouse/duplex homes.
  • Rosslyn’s luxury condo buildings make it the most expensive condo market by average sold price, price per bedroom, and price per square foot
  • On average it costs $552 per SqFt and over $368,000 per bedroom to live within walking distance of a Metro in Arlington

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.


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.

Hey there, Arlingtonians, and welcome to Just Listed! Don’t you just love the spring!? Sellers love the spring, especially in Arlington! It all seems to come together at the same time — sellers still have a “mostly outdated” mentality that the grass should be green, the azaleas in bloom and the snow melted, before they can sell their home. While that approach certainly works, those who are ahead of the curve have less other sellers and properties to compete with.

Needless to say, us real estate agents are super busy this time of year — us and the accountants. These are long days, made longer by the fact that the sun stays up later into the evening, allowing for more showings of properties across the DMV.

You may have seen the news, on Wednesday, the Fed raised interest rates .25%. No, this is not the mortgage rate, but everything is interconnected. As a result, interest rates just spiked after a couple weeks of stagnation, and my lender said he is now seeing rates that start with a 5! Per Freddie Mac’s most recent data this morning, the national average is 4.16%, but most of that data is from before the Wednesday announcement. Rates today are up, and this is going to continue to squeeze the pockets of buyers across the nation.

Inventory remains super, super tight — we have two more properties available in the county than we did last week, totaling 248. Sellers listed 111 homes for sale, 12 more than last week! Buyers worked their hardest to keep pace with sellers and ratified 82 contracts! 49 of those were homes listed just within the past seven days.

Of the 248 homes currently available for sale, 50 are detached homes, 30 are semi-detached/townhomes, and the remaining 168 are condominiums. These properties range in price from $100,000 all the way up to $3,750,000.

Average list price for currently available homes is $771,414, and the median price is $522,500. These homes have been on the market for an average of 62 DOM (days on market) and a median of 22. This week last year, there were 417 homes available for sale throughout the county. Sellers had listed 120 homes for sale and buyers ratified 91 contracts.

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. If you see a home that you’re interested in purchasing, give us a call!

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

2621 12th Street S.

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.

As the war in Ukraine continues, the United States government has taken steps to protect Ukrainians in the United States. On March 3, 2022, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, announced that Ukraine has been designated for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for 18 months.

Our immigration laws allow the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate specific countries for TPS. The Secretary may designate an entire country or part of a country for TPS if (1) there is an ongoing conflict and returning nationals to that country would pose a threat to their personal safety; (2) if there has been a natural disaster and the country in question cannot handle an influx of returning nationals; or (3) there are existing extraordinary circumstances that prevents a country’s nationals from returning to the country safely.

TPS grantees will benefit from not being physically removed from the United States while their TPS is current. Additionally, they can apply for work authorization and a social security number. In the case of Ukraine, Ukrainian nationals will be eligible for TPS if they were continuously residing in the United States since at least March 1, 2022 and do not have negative discretionary factors.

TPS applicants should be prepared to pay an estimated government filing fee of $545.00 if applying for both TPS and a work permit. Without a work permit, the estimated government filing fee is $135.00. Always check the instructions and USCIS webpage to ensure that you are submitting the correct government filing fee.

Unfortunately, the government has yet to issue an official notice with the Federal Register, which dictates any other specific rules or guidelines for Ukrainian TPS. Unless and until that happens, no one eligible for Ukrainian TPS should apply. Once the government is able to accept Ukrainian TPS applications, we will be here to help.

We also wish to use this opportunity to highlight a good cause that one of our clients brought to our attention.

The St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Silver Spring, Maryland, is collecting monetary, medical, food and personal hygiene donations to aid Ukrainians in Ukraine. They have even created an Amazon list of items that are in high demand so you can donate without making a trip to drop off your donation in person. If you are interested in donating or helping via the church, here is a link to their webpage with all the relevant information.

As always, we welcome comments and will reply to all that we can.


This article is sponsored by Arlington Economic Development in partnership with Arlington Transportation Partners.

Is your workplace located within three miles of I-66 inside the beltway? Are your employees stuck in traffic on I-66? If this is the case, then you may want to consider joining the Sustain & Save commuter benefit program to help the environment, to improve your team’s wellbeing and save money.

The Sustain & Save* program is a unique commuter benefit program where employees who commute alone on I-66 and pay tolls can receive $100 each month they commit to a sustainable commute. By switching from driving to one of the eligible options you are taking a vehicle off the road or helping your company to improve employee retention. Eligible options include public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, walking or biking.

Companies enrolled in Sustain & Save will receive support for those who are currently going into the office, those who are considering it, or if the return to office date is a couple months away.

Start today with our quick enrollment process:

  • Reach out to a Commute66 rep to express your interest in Sustain & Save
  • Meet with a Commute66 rep to verify your company is qualified
  • Sign the Employer Participation Form

Commute66 has strived to make a low-maintenance program for enrolled companies. To achieve this, Commute66 manages the program, the enrollment of individual participants, and the covers the monetary contribution.

*Sustain & Save is I-66’s incentive program managed by Commute66 — an Arlington County and Northern Virginia Transportation Commission initiative to provide transit consultation to businesses and properties located inside the beltway along the I-66 corridor respond to the Transform66 Program.


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.

Iron out your green garb because you’ll need it tomorrow.

That’s right, St. Patrick’s Day and all of its Irish glory is among us. And, Arlington County sure knows how to do it right. Among so many activities, make sure to give our Irish pubs some love tomorrow through the weekend, with Ireland’s Four Courts (Courthouse), McNamara’s Pub (Crystal City) and O’Sullivans (Clarendon) being communal faves.

Speaking of green, our local real estate market continues to equate to green for the sellers out there. A big driver of this has been the limited inventory which, according to our local MLS service, is down from 486 new listings in March 2021 to just 289 new listings last month. Translation: If you’ve been considering selling your home, now is an excellent time to consider it.

Just as with any major transaction, it’s important to have a trusted professional and/or team advocating for your best interests. And for that, the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to roll on your behalf. Until then, here are this week’s Just Reduced numbers.

As of March 14, there are 81 detached homes, 29 townhouses and 181 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 9 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

901 N. Monroe Street #1305

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.


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: The market seems even more intense this year than last, is that accurate?

Answer: I didn’t think the market had much more room to absorb higher prices and intense competition again this year, but that has proven to be wildly untrue. From single-family homes to condos, the first ten weeks of 2022 has given us even more competition and price escalation than last year, all while interest rates have spiked.

High Escalations, Fast-Paced Sales Across All Property Types

I compared sales of Arlington properties that were listed and under contract in the first ten weeks from the last five years to measure how the start of 2022 has compared to previous years.

Detached/townhouse properties are selling for an average of 4.9% over asking price with 85% selling within seven days on market and 92% going for at or above the asking price. These numbers dwarf what had been historically competitive first quarter markets in the previous four years.

The condo market, which suffered through much of the pandemic, is officially back with competition and escalations picking back up to levels close to what we saw during the post-Amazon HQ2/pre-pandemic market. We’re still seeing above an above-average volume of condos being listed for sale (based on 5yr averages), which is keeping the condo market somewhat in-check, but I expect the intensity of this market to increase through the spring and deep into the year.

What About Higher Interest Rates?

Thus far, the market has mostly shrugged off intense headwinds created by rapidly increasing interest rates (see chart below), plummeting stock prices, and the war in Ukraine. Just yesterday rates jumped another .125-.25%.

There must be an inflection point somewhere, but so far hyper-low inventory, rising incomes and high demand have kept us from it.

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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 Melissa L. Watkins, Esq.

If you are a federal employee and believe you are regularly asked to perform duties that are outside the scope of your grade, job series and title, there is a path to address such an issue.

The procedure is referred to as a “desk audit” or a classification appeal. A desk audit is simply a procedure where the duties and position of a federal employee are evaluated to determine whether the employee’s position should be upgraded in terms of grade, pay level, title or classification series.

Prior to a Desk Audit — Ensuring Accuracy of Position Description

Before requesting a desk audit, the federal employee should make sure that their position description accurately identifies the major duties assigned and performed. If the position description is significantly inaccurate, the employee should try to resolve the problem first by discussing it with a supervisor and perhaps a representative of the human resources office.

If unable to resolve the problem at this level, the employee could potentially use the agency’s negotiated or administrative grievance procedure. If the agency is unwilling to correct the position description, the federal employee can still pursue a desk audit and the inaccuracies will be reviewed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) later in the appeal process.

Desk Audit Process for General Schedule (GS) Employees

Usually, the first step in pursuing a desk audit is to speak with the individual’s supervisor to discuss the issue of whether their position is properly classified. It is important to stress the major areas of daily work and how these duties fit into the overall agency’s structure.

The federal employee will want to review their position classification standards prior to this discussion. If a federal employee’s supervisor believes that the individual’s position should be possibly re-classified, they can contact the federal agency’s human resources office to request a desk audit. The federal employee can also try contacting human resources directly if the supervisor is not receptive to the request.

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What makes North Ballston a Special Neighborhood in Arlington?

A major crossroads since 1740, Ballston is home to more than 14,000 people today.

Named after the Ball family and Ball’s Tavern, which was located at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard in the early 1800s, Ballston has been an important crossroads and transportation hub for centuries. In 1896, an electric trolley began operating along Fairfax Drive to eventually serve Fairfax City, Falls Church and Clarendon where it branched off to Rosslyn and downtown D.C. Then in 1979, the Ballston Metrorail Station opened and ushered in new development.

Home to more than 14,000 people, Ballston offers an urban lifestyle with many high-rise condominiums at the core, then townhomes and single-family homes as you travel further north. The convenience of shopping, dining, entertainment and transportation south of Fairfax Drive is matched by access to athletic facilities at Quincy Park and Washington-Liberty Aquatics Center, and the Arlington Central Library to the north.

All these lifestyle amenities have made North Ballston a great place to live and play, which has also attracted some top corporations and universities including the Office of Naval Research, the Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research… just to name a few. Some of the most exciting recent additions to the neighborhood include the renovated and expanded Ballston Quarter — featured in our January 15 Neighborhood Spotlight.

Connect with neighborhood expert Bob Johnson to learn more about North Ballston and other surrounding areas!

Bob Johnson | 703-822-1550 | [email protected] | www.BobJohnsonRealty.comwww.McEnearney.com

North Ballston (and Nearby) Neighborhood 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.


Address: 1100 N. Inglewood Street
Neighborhood: Lacey Forest
Listed: $1,075,000
Open: Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Walk, bike, or scoot to Westover Village from this light-filled 1940s brick colonial on a large, level, fenced lot with a rare two car garage.

The renovated kitchen is open to the dining room and features white cabinets, granite tops, wood floors, ceramic tile backsplash, and KitchenAid appliances with a separate baking drawer in the gas range and a convection element in the microwave.

Knotty pine panelling in the rec room was replaced with drywall, and the lower level has abundant recessed lighting with new carpeting in the rec room, and luxury vinyl flooring in the laundry room, utility and storage room, and wine closet. A gas fireplace is a focal point of the space, and a door to the yard provides a handy entrance for children and gardeners to clean up after time in the sunny garden.

Exterior shades and a bamboo floor make the sunroom even more inviting for nearly year round use. Desirable details: gas fireplace in the large living room, wood floors on the main and upper levels, a powder room on the main level and a second half bath in the lower level, great storage in the attics over both the house and the garage. The large garage has 110V wiring and offers potential for an ADU, office, gym, bike shop or housing cherished cars.

Conveniently located blocks to the W&OD bike and walking trail, Lacey Woods Park and Westover Park, the home is served by Cardinal Elementary School, Swanson Middle School and Washington-Liberty High School.

A classic home in one of Arlington’s prettiest neighborhoods.

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


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, Arlington, and welcome to Just Listed! I was feeling creative today so I wrote you a little bit more in depth about price escalations relative to market conditions — let me know what you think!

Last week I told you about properties selling for $300,000 over their asking price, and this week I’ll tell you more! This continues to happen; in fact, it seems to be ramping up in frequency. Besides the obvious lack of inventory, there are other reasons why this happens. No, most of the time the agent or the seller did not underprice the property.

In fact, it probably was simply priced perfectly! Pricing with data, based on the location of the property and its overall condition relative to recent sales isn’t always easy, but it’s the only way to do it. Once a property hits this hot of a market and it’s priced properly, market forces do the rest, allowing for prompt validation, fear of loss by other purchasers and an escalated sale price.

This does not mean that sellers should price where they “think” or “hope” it will sell! In fact, doing this is a perfect recipe to NOT sell your house! The aggressive price escalations happen when value, and in these cases, extra value, is perceived and then willingly paid for through market forces. Starting too high is obvious to the marketplace and results in your property being ignored in favor of other options. Price with recent data and allow the agents and marketplace to do the rest.

We’ve been experiencing constant price appreciation in Arlington since the Great Recession. That price appreciation is not linear, it jumps during certain periods of time, and stays stagnant for others. This results in an average that can be applied over longer durations, but a lot of it happens in short bits when the conditions are just right, such as this year’s spring market.

Say we experienced 12% appreciation year over year, for example. This could be applied as 1%/month, or $10,000/month on a $1,000,000 home, or it could all happen in March with a single sale for 10% over asking price, and then prices stop jumping for the remainder of the year. The latter is more of what we’re experiencing, as last fall prices were much more stagnant due to fewer buyers in the market, at the time.

Simply put, if prices jumped hundreds of thousands of dollars constantly, many, many times per year, we’d all be buying and selling homes that are worth $5,000,000+ before too long, but that’s certainly not what we’re experiencing in Arlington.

Fewer buyers in the market at any given time does not result in prices decreasing, they simply stop going up, for a time, hence the idea of average price appreciation being applied as a year over year, or month over month, metric.

I’m super excited to tell you about our teams newest listing — our PICK OF THE WEEK! 925 19th Street S., Arlington, VA 22202 — $1,074,900.

925 19th Street S.

Welcome home to this expanded and recently renovated Cape Cod! It exudes charm and lives comfortably! Five bedrooms, two full and one half bathroom and the ability to live on the main level are just the beginning! Perfectly situated on a flat, 6,000sf fully fenced lot with driveway parking for two or more cars. An inviting front entryway leads into a foyer with views of the open kitchen, dining and family rooms.

Chef’s kitchen with gorgeous white cabinetry, Quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and bar seating. A family room in the rear steps out onto one of two decks and overlooks the backyard. Upstairs has three bedrooms, a brand-new hall bathroom, and a second private deck from the primary bedroom. Bonus space upstairs, loads of storage throughout, including basement, and a flexible floorplan for all work from home, home school or multi-generational needs.

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Address: 5298 Old Dominion Drive
Neighborhood:Williamsburg Village
Listed: $2,395,000
Open: Sunday, March 13 from 1-4 p.m.

Perfect for the buyer who values quality, space, history and a private oasis. This beautiful home was built in 2005 and is situated on a 26,000 square foot private lot with an original D.C. boundary marker stone in back yard.

Generous room sizes and open floor plan, perfect for entertaining. Main floor features a living room, dining room, a chef’s kitchen, den, great room with a gas fireplace, plus a bonus office/studio/playroom space with heated floor and spiral staircase to upper level. Gorgeous kitchen with granite, stainless appliances including Viking range, wall oven, microwave convection oven, warming drawer and wine refrigerator. Upper level provides five bedrooms, three bathrooms, laundry and office. Lower level with sixth bedroom, full bath, and theater room. Refinished hardwood floors on upper two levels, new carpet in lower level and freshly painted throughout.

Expansive patio, built in grill and private fenced 26,000 square foot lot. Natural gas fueled backup generator. Three attached garage spaces with ample storage and ceiling height.

Under the authority of President George Washington, the D.C. Boundary Stones were laid out along the former D.C. boundary lines (1791-1792) marking the border between Washington, Virginia and Maryland. The boundary marker in the backyard is one of the original markers.

Discovery, Williamsburg, Yorktown school pyramid.

Listed by:
Marga Pirozzoli/Justine Pope
Compass
3001 Washington Blvd, Suite 400
Arlington, VA. 22201
(703) 584-4844/(703) 266-7277
margaplusjustine@compass.com


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