Author: ARLnow.com Sponsor

Legal Insider: Social media tips 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 Melissa L. Watkins, Esq.

Social media has a very long half-life, possibly longer than radioactive material.

As a federal employee, you are subject to certain limitations regarding your social media activity. There are five basic rules you should keep in mind as you engage with social media:

  1. Don’t: Use Personal Social Media During the Workday
  2. Don’t: Give the Impression You Are Posting in An Official Capacity
  3. Don’t: Share Non-public Information.
  4. Don’t: Violate the Hatch Act
  5. Don’t: Post Content that Could Raise a Security Concern

These rules will help you to avoid violations of the Federal Government Standards of Conduct and the Hatch Act.

The Federal Government Standards of Conduct do not prohibit federal employees from establishing and maintaining personal social media accounts. However, employees must ensure that their social media activities comply with the Standards and other applicable laws, including agency supplemental regulations and agency-specific policies.

When federal employees are on-duty, the Standards of Conduct require that they use official time in an honest effort to perform official duties, and that they use government property only to perform official duties, unless they are authorized to use government property for other purposes. Where agencies have established policies permitting limited personal use of government resources by their employees, those policies may authorize employees to access their personal social media accounts while on duty.

However, you should keep in mind that there is no right to privacy on work devices. If you do use your work device, whether desktop computer or mobile phone, to access personal accounts, understand that your activity may be monitored by the agency. The Standards of Conduct also prohibit employees from using their official titles, positions, or any authority associated with their public offices for private gain.

In addition to rules arising from the Federal Government Standards of Conduct, federal employees are also prohibited from engaging in certain activities on social media due to the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from sending messages through social media that advocate for a political party or candidate for partisan public office while on duty or in a federal building. Engaging in such activity may subject federal employees to disciplinary action.

There are three general prohibitions under the Hatch Act that apply to all federal employees:

  1. Employees may not engage in political activity while on duty or in the federal workplace.
  2. Employees may not knowingly solicit, accept, or receive a political contribution for a political party, candidate in a partisan race, or partisan political group at any time.
  3. Employees may not use their official authority or influence to affect the outcome of an election.

Beyond the rules established by the Federal Government Standards of Conduct and the Hatch Act, federal employees, contractors and applicants should also be mindful of the impact that social media can have on possessing or applying for a security clearance.

Federal agencies may also consider publicly available social media information in connection with an application for a security clearance. While the government has been quick to point out it has not yet created a good process for ‘checking’ social media in the background investigations process, the government has been clear that publicly available social media information may be a part of the government’s continuous evaluation process. It is advisable to change your privacy settings to “friends and family only” and to not accept new friend requests from people who you don’t know.

Contact Us

If you are a federal employee in need of employment law representation, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook and Twitter.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Shirlington edition

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

What makes Shirlington a Special Neighborhood in Arlington

The charming sense of community truly makes Shirlington special.

While it has evolved over the years, it has always stayed true to its community. It is a vibrant, welcoming and diverse area that has everything you need. Whatever you are craving from food to entertainment, Shirlington has it. It’s a place where you can live, work, shop and play.

Whether you are attending a show at the Tony Award Winning Signature Theater, enjoying tapas with friends at Palette 22, or taking a sweat-filled workout at F45 Training, this is a neighborhood shared by all, including your four-legged family members. You can let your dogs run abound at Shirlington Dog Park, a 2-acre off-leash play area, and then head over to Dogma Bakery for a dog-friendly sweet treat. Top off a great day by treating yourself at either Le Village Marche or a massage at Massage Forever.

Conveniently located off of 395, accessibility is a major selling point to the neighborhood. Home to the city’s only indoor bus station, Shirlington is connected to major bus routes that take you throughout Arlington and into D.C.

It’s not just bus and car friendly, but also a great location for pedestrians, runners, and bike riders as it is right off the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail and Four Mile Run Trail. The location leads to a perfect blend of urban and suburban, allowing neighbors and visitors alike to share in the vibrancy of the neighborhood.

In the heart of Shirlington, you’ll find high-rise condominium living. As you step further slightly out of the Village, you’ll find a wide variety of townhomes, condominiums and single-family homes.

Connect with neighborhood expert Sallie Seiy to learn more about Shirlington and other surrounding areas!

Sallie Seiy | 703-798-4666 | [email protected] | www.SallieSeiy.com | www.McEnearney.com | @soldbysallie on Instagram

Shirlington (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.

Your Beermonger: Big Game pairings

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is written by Todd Himes, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Order from Arrowine’s expanding online store for curbside pickup.

This weekend is going to be a snack food extravaganza with plenty of commercial breaks, a whole lot of Snoop Dogg (performing in a halftime show and hosting/coaching the Puppy Bowl!) and rumor has it there will also be a football game going on around all of this.

There’s also going to be plenty of beers to go around, both in those commercials and in many of our hands. The sort of light lagers you’ll mostly see advertised will certainly have their place at many parties and on bar tops but if you’re interested in stepping up a few of your pairings I’m here with a few suggestions for you. Now, I’ll say a great craft lager or your favorite IPA could just as easily go with any of these foods and you can feel free to mix and match any of these as well, but I’m going to throw out a few of my favorites and give what you’ll hopefully find to be inspired pairings.

Nachos and Witbier

This pairing works incredibly well because the Wit will introduce a bright and fresh element with some citrus and spice. If you’re loading up nachos with fresh guac, pico de gallo and lots of shredduce, a tasty witbier can compliment all those flavors. If you prefer your tortillas smothered in queso, refried beans or chorizo then the higher than average carbonation of the style can cut through those denser, rich flavors.

Beermonger’s Choice — Port City Optimal Wit

Chili Con Carne and Smoked Lager

I really love this pairing because the smoke flavor really incorporates well into chili but a crisp lagered finish can help keep your palate from getting overwhelmed. There’s lots of suggestions out there for porters and stouts here which I love, but in the interest of keeping this party going until at least when the halftime show is over I like the low ABV options.

Beermonger’s Choice — Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier

Pepperoni Pizza and Brown Ale

Plan ahead if you’re looking to get delivery on this day since it is one of the busiest of the year for pizza shops or if you’re like me grab some of the Calabrese Salami from our deli and make your own spicy take at home. Brown ale is going to really pair well with the crust, cheese, sauce and meat without overpowering any of them. It can be tempting to grab an IPA or Pilsner here as well but when the cured meats start to join the party I really enjoy the toasty malty compliment here.

Beermonger’s Choice — Bingo Brown Ale

Wings and New England IPA

Hops are going to play up the spice here but a juicy IPA with low bitterness will keep you from burning your tongue off. I really enjoy the way the heat can play with some of the super tropical or citrusy hop varieties. The nice thing with this pairing is neither one of these are particularly known for their subtlety, the big flavors here can go up against each other for the entirety of four quarters.

Beermonger’s Choice — Commonwealth Big Papi

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.

It’s 5:30 a.m. here in Arlington, do you know where your Realtor is?!

At Andors Real Estate Group, we’re up before the crack of dawn working on connecting our buyers with sellers, and our sellers with buyers. In this kind of market environment, you need an agent who is knocking on doors, making calls and getting it done! This market is not for the faint of heart, as lost contracts are becoming the norm very quickly, prices are escalating sky-high, and

Expect more frenzy from buyers in the short term, as rates took another jump (after three weeks of stagnation) rising from 3.5% last week to 3.69% this week. Remember, these rates are still super, super low and historically excellent, but they will start to shake some people’s confidence. Buyers shouldn’t be too worried, consensus is they’ll stop going up once they get to around 4%, but it’s definitely going to feel like a fire, especially for those actively in the market.

Despite sellers putting 77 new homes on the market over the past seven days, inventory dropped another 13, to a record low of 226 available properties (down from 237 last week). If buyers continue to ratify at these levels, we’re barely scratching three weeks’ worth of supply! Expect prices to continue to rise, fast, if this keeps up!

Buyers ratified 71 homes in the past week, so while that doesn’t perfectly keep pace with new inventory, a lot of the holdover inventory is also being absorbed (those sitting on the market for a month or longer) and of the 71 properties that went under contract, 38 of those spent less than seven days on the market.

Of the 226 homes currently available for sale, 53 are detached homes, 22 are semi-detached/townhomes, and the remaining 159 are condominiums. These properties range in price from $100,000 all the way up to $3,850,000.

Average list price for currently available homes is $872,076, and the median price is $562,000. These homes have been on the market for an average of 77 DOM (days on market) and a median of 38. Median days on market is dropping fast and serves as a much better barometer for how the market is moving; the average is heavily weighted by overpriced properties that sit on the market a long time.

This week last year, there were 376 homes available for sale throughout the county. Sellers had listed 64 homes for sale and buyers ratified 72 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.

5702 11th Road N.

Listing of the Day: 2349 Chadlington Road

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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Address: 2349 Chadlington Road
Neighborhood: Chestnut Place, Falls Church
Listed: $1,325,000
Open: Saturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Walk to West Falls Church Metro, newly renovated Birch & Broad Center, and bike path from a light filled three level end townhouse with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and a 2 car garage.

With 3,000 square feet brimming with style and upgrades, this home provides the versatile space needed today. The entry level fourth bedroom with windows on two sides and a full bathroom accommodates a guest, in-law or home office. The adjoining den has doors to the lushly landscaped, fenced yard brimming with bay laurels to ensure privacy on the stone patio. Even the garage doubles as a gym with room for cars and fitness gear.

A chef worthy kitchen is the centerpiece of the main level with crisp white cabinets, quartz countertops and gas cooking. The center island provides casual dining or a spot for participatory cooking and baking. An expansive dining room flows into the living room, ideal for gatherings or daily living. The focal point of the living room is a gas fireplace flanked by built-ins, and there are doors leading to a large deck overlooking the yard.

Upstairs, the primary bedroom has room for a sitting area, a desk, or media. Two walk-in closets provide organized storage. The adjoining primary bathroom features a double sink vanity and oversized shower. Two bedrooms on this level share the hall bathroom, and the laundry room completes the floor.

A lovely home awaits those who appreciate fine appointments and an enviable location in Chestnut Place.

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

Boring Title: Making financed home purchase offers more competitive in 2022

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 feature will explore the mundane (but very necessary!) world of title insurance while sharing interesting stories of two friends’ entrepreneurial careers.

While we are still in the early days for the 2022 housing market, experts are advising buyers to brace themselves for another competitive year.

New data in Realtor.com‘s Monthly Housing Report shows home buyers are already off to the real estate races. In the first month of the year, the typical home sold faster than in any prior January in recent history, according to the report released earlier this week.

The bottom line is that buyers need to be prepared before they start shopping around. This week we sat down with David Piatek of Summit Funding to discuss the major changes for loan products that consumers can take advantage of in 2022 in order to be more competitive in the current real estate market.

Questions for David? Learn more at summitfunding.net/sites/dpiatek.

Have questions related to title insurance? Email [email protected]. Want to use Allied Title & Escrow when you buy a home? Tell your agent when you buy a house to write in Allied Title & Escrow as your settlement company! 

Arts Focus: Explore a civil rights milestone through the lens of art during Black History Month

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
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This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

History is all around us every day, but Black History Month offers the perfect time to highlight important milestones in the County’s history.

For the last four years, Arlington Arts has been working with an artist to highlight various aspects of this history through art, culminating in The Desegregation of Arlington Lunch Counters: 60th Anniversary Tribute by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.

Being received at a restaurant with a welcoming smile and a warm meal would seem the basic expectation for any customer. Sadly, well into the 1960s widespread segregation denied such everyday courtesies to African-Americans and other people of color. While the sit-ins at Maryland’s popular Glen Echo Amusement Park are better remembered today, they were in-fact precipitated by the sit-ins at Arlington earlier that same summer, between June 9 and 22, in 1960.

In one of the photos above, sit-in participant Joan Mulholland (resting elbow on counter) watches as fellow activist Dion Diamond is confronted by angry youths. The protests were a resounding success, and on June 22, most Arlington lunch counters announced that they were desegregating.

The original project was curated by the Arlington Art Truck and Arlington Public Art which are programs of Arlington Arts. It is in collaboration with the County’s Historic Preservation Program, Arlington Public Library, Center for Local History and Arlington Transit’s Art on the ART bus program. The community partner for the project is the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.

Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., creates prints, posters and postcards from handset wood and metal type, oil-based inks, and eco-friendly chipboard. Much of his work is inspired by proverbs, sayings and quotes that are significant to the place he is working. Kennedy interviewed local residents, historians and participants in the sit-ins, and the placards contain poignant quotes from several of these individuals.

Initially planned for the Anniversary year (Summer, 2020) and delayed by the pandemic, the project launched in the Summer of 2021, with installations at or near the site of the original lunch counters. Upon the conclusion of those activations, the additional facets were developed to allow for continued engagement with the history.

Riders of public transportation can see the series of posters the Artist designed along the same themes via the decade-old Art on the ART Bus program — a partnership between Arlington Arts and Arlington Transit.

Instead of the ads for soap, salsa and soda that riders expect to see in the overhead frames, thousands of Arlington commuters regularly experience original artwork as they head to their jobs. Sometimes there are up to three specially outfitted Art on the ART Bus vehicles in circulation, each scheduled randomly each day, bringing art to a different route through Arlington.

Our collaboration with the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington resulted in an exhibit which features images of the landmark sit-in’s, which will be on display through December, 2022. During your visit, you can pick up a free set of Amos Kennedy’s postcards (while supplies last). You can take a sneak peek at the exhibit via this feature that aired on WRCTV NBC4.

For more information about The Desegregation of Arlington Lunch Counters: 60th Anniversary Tribute by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. and how to engage during Black History Month and beyond, visit our website.

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.

It’s a hot market, but folks out there are still getting creative.

Case in point: For the first time ever on this column, we’re seeing two condo units for sale… in a single listing! It’s packaged as “buy both… live in one and rent out the other!” (Of course both may rented, but it’s a clever way of getting potential buyers to think about a spot. And, it certainly sticks out.)

Whether you’re a seller or a buyer out there, it’s never been more important to be creative, unique and distinguish yourself from the competition. Depending on which side of the transaction you find yourself on, this can involve closing costs, credits and so much more.

When you’re ready to get strategic and creative, the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to go to bat for you. Until then, here are this week’s Just Reduced numbers.

As of February 7, there are 78 detached homes, 22 townhouses and 169 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 17 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

2125 19th Street N. #6

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.

Building your dream home: New construction seminar

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Building a new home is exciting and full of possibilities!

However, there is a right way to approach new developments to avoid costly mistakes. Here’s your chance to learn everything you need to know about new construction properties from successful agents on the top-selling real estate team in the D.C. metro area.

Lauren Longshore, one of Keri Shull Team’s most experienced Buyer Success Agents, is leading this virtual seminar.

We will cover:

  • Advantages of New Construction — At the event, we’ll take an in-depth look at how you can design the exact home you are dreaming of!
  • Buying a Builder-Owned Lot vs. Finding Your Own — Which solution is best when finding a lot? In the D.C. metro area, land can be rare, we’ll show you how to find it.
  • Choosing the Right Agents and Specialists — Don’t risk costly problems or losing your dream home! A good agent will help you close faster and pay less.

Join us on Tuesday, February 15 at 6 p.m. for this FREE Zoom seminar. Make your new construction dream home a reality with expertise by your side!

Register for this event today.

Ask Eli: Home design trends from an expert

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!

The 2022 Colors of the Year were recently released and this year we have Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog, a subdued green, and Pantone Very Peri, a bold purple.

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog & Pantone Very Peri

… And announcing colors of the year is about as far as I should take my commentary on interior design, so I’d like to re-introduce Caroline Goree ([email protected], (703) 994 5921), a fantastic Designer with a boutique Residential Interior Design Firm, Madigan Schuler, located in Alexandria, to provide insight into what trends she’s seeing in local home design.

In 2018, Caroline introduced us to one of my favorite design quotes from Matthew Frederick’s book, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, “Being nonspecific in an effort to appeal to everyone usually results in reaching no one.”

Take it away Caroline…

As I began to brainstorm the trends of 2022, it made me reflect on the 2020 design trends column I wrote for you just a month before the pandemic started. While many of the décor aspects are still quite relevant, so much of the residential design world has not only been impacted (thank you supply chain issues) but also influenced by the pandemic.

Although I would love to design with the sole purpose of creating a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing room, the functionality of spaces, furniture and fabrics has become more important than ever.

Built to Last

Between remote working, virtual learning and cancelled day care, our homes are being used hard, or as I say, being “loved” more than years prior. With this additional love comes lots of spills, crumbs and crushed cushions in the coveted corners of furniture for prime movie watching.

The additional wear on soft goods has created a spike in the “performance” product world (think indoor/outdoor rugs, fabric, etc). Instead of a beautiful natural fiber rug, we replaced these selections with polypropylene carpets that mimic the look and patterns of the sisal and seagrass products but are much more durable and easier to clean.

When reflecting on my business last year, 100% of my clients chose an indoor/outdoor material (Sunbrella), performance fabric (Crypton), or had their goods treated with a spill repellant technology (Fiber-Seal) for any furniture in the main spaces of their home. Furthermore, people quickly saw the downside of “disposable” furniture and were more open to investing in pieces built to last against the hours of lounging.

Pro Tip: When purchasing a new sofa, do your research. Ask if it is built with an “8-way hand tied coil” where craftsman tie springs eight ways from side to side, front to back and diagonally. This helps build furniture that is soft, flexible, comfortable and long lasting.

Textures, Wovens and Rattans… Oh My!

A trend we are seeing across the board is the use of texture within design. This could be a fabulous set of caned antique dining chairs to go around a fresh new table or a fun rattan accent chair to sit in the corner of an inviting family room. Even a piece as simple as woven framed mirror or foot stool can add that pop in a space that felt dull and tired.

Fabric like as Boucle’s (think fuzzy/curly multi-dimensional material) is not only used in the custom furnishings world but now a standard offering in many retail stores on their soft goods. I recently used a plush emerald green cable knit fabric for pillows on a simple white sofa to add depth and a punch of color (also a 2022 trend!)

Pro Tip: A little rattan goes a long way. Although it is one of my favorite trends, just a sprinkle throughout a room does the trick. No need to make your family room feel like a Palm Beach sun porch!

(more…)

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, Arlington — it’s rainy and soggy out, but at least the temps are above freezing! What lovely weather for my ##’nd birthday…!

Quick update on mortgage rates; they remain flat, and now we’ve had three weeks of hovering right at about 3.5% on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. Frenzied market condition continues (SURPRISE) and the words in the halls of real estate brokerages are “price escalation,” “no contingencies” and “cash offer.”

Remember, cash offers make up less than 10% of transactions locally, but they are out there, and they are winning. Having said that, if you’re a buyer and you’re looking for an expert to help you get a competitive advantage, CALL ME as we’ve got programs in place to help you compete against the cash offers and win. You can reach me at (703) 203-1117.

Inventory in the county shifted around a lot due to buyer and seller activity, but available units is unchanged from last week — sitting at just 237. That’s barely over a month’s worth of supply!

Sellers listed 61 homes in the past week, up six from the prior week, and buyers ratified 54 contracts, 23 of which were on homes listed in the last seven days.

Of the 237 homes currently available for sale, 58 are detached homes, 20 are semi-detached/townhomes, and the remaining 159 are condominiums. These properties range in price from $100,000 all the way up to $3,850,000.

Average list price for currently available homes is $855,272, and the median price is $559,000. These homes have been on the market for an average of 77 DOM (days on market) and a median of 49.

This week last year, there were 374 homes available for sale throughout the county. Sellers had listed 64 homes for sale and buyers ratified 41 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.

4915 25th Street S.
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