Feature

Ask Eli: Making Up for a Questionable Housing Report

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. Enjoy!

Question: I recently read an article by the Sun Gazette that median price per square foot was down since last year in Arlington and the rest of Northern Virginia. Is that what you’re seeing in the market, despite reports of prices going up?

Answer: I read that article as well and was equally confused by the statistic that $/sq. ft. was down 6.8% in Arlington in the first nine months of 2019 compared to the first nine months of 2018. While this data point may be technically correct, it doesn’t accurately represent what’s happening in the Arlington/Northern Virginia marketplace. Even without having access to the data behind it, does anybody believe that with all the news about the Amazon-effect on Arlington’s real estate market, that people are paying less per square foot in 2019?

Price-Per-Square-Foot Is Actually Up (Obviously)

The truth is that while the median $/sq. ft. did drop year-over-year in the first nine months of 2019, it was actually due to a shift in the type of inventory that sold, not because buyers are getting more for their money. As I pointed out earlier this year in an article about a national news story on Arlington’s real estate market, it’s easy to find market data that sounds interesting (aka generates reader clicks) but doesn’t tell an accurate story.

When I drilled into the 2018 vs. 2019 data on median and average $/sq. ft., I found that within comparable sub-markets (e.g. 2 BR condos, 4 BR single-family, etc) median and average $/sq. ft. increased year-over-year. In fact, if you use average $/sq. ft. instead of median, like the article references, there was a 9.5% increase across Arlington.

In this case average is a better statistical measure than median, but of course the median $/sq. ft. made for a better story.

Accurate Headlines From The First Nine Months

While I have the data together comparing the first nine months of 2019 to the first nine months of 2018, I’ll go ahead and offer up five headlines that accurately represent the Arlington real estate market through September 2019:

  • The market is up, but not by as much as you might think based on some news stories. The average purchase price in Arlington jumped 5.8% to just over $722,000.
  • A lack of inventory drove total sales down by 8%, with the biggest drop-off showing up in the condo market which suffered from a 12.3% drop in sales, led by a 13.6% drop in two-bedroom condo sales.
  • The price range of the middle 50% of homes jumped from $380,000-$864,300 in 2018 to $415,000-$916,000 in 2019, a 9.2% increase in the lower limit and a 6% increase in the upper limit. This indicates that the Amazon-effect is impacting lower price points faster than upper price points which makes sense because investors and other speculators are more likely to purchase at lower prices.
  • Good properties sold much faster in 2019 with 62.7% of homes selling in the first 10 days, compared to 46.4% in 2018. The craziest stat? 85.5% of 2 BR townhomes/duplexes sold within the first 10 days.
  • Price growth in the 22202 zip code, the area surrounding Pentagon City and Crystal City aka National Landing aka Bezosville, led all Arlington zip codes with a 13.7% jump in average sold price.

If you ever run across market data you’re not sure about or would like a customized data analysis, please reach out to me at [email protected].

If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column or to set-up an in-person meeting to discuss local real estate, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at www.EliResidential.com. Call me directly at (703) 539-2529.

Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, (202) 518-8781.

Startup Monday: Virginia Tech Professor Develops Image Geolocation Program

By Kalina Newman

Editor’s Note: Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

Kurt Luther, an assistant professor of history and computer science at Virginia Tech, is well acquainted with the capabilities of artificial intelligence technology, recently launching an AI program used to rediscover lost identities in Civil War photographs.

Now, based out of the Virginia Tech Research Center (900 N. Glebe Road), Luther has moved onto his next project: GroundTruth.

Lead by Luther and Virginia Tech PhD student Sukrit Venkatagiri, the National Science Foundation-funded project utilizes AI software to narrow down the geolocation of any photograph, taken anywhere in the world.

During a presentation at the Virginia Tech Research Center on “The Future of AI and What it Means for Humans,” Luther showcased how his group of 11 expert researchers, along with 567 crowdsource workers, used GroundTruth to narrow down a framed shot taken from a video of a terrorist organization to its location with 98% accuracy.

“We’re in our third phase now,” Luther said, “Where we’re asking investigators, like journalists, to use the software for their real work to see how well it works in the wild, if you will.”

On November 11, Kurt and Venkatagiri will present the software at the Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) 2019 conference in Austin, Texas.

Once finalized, Luther hopes the software will not only be used by investigative journalists, but by professionals in law enforcement and national security.

“In those cases, the time pressures are similar, and the stakes are potentially even higher, so it’s extra important we get it right and through our studies with journalists, we’re learning,” he said.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Punch Bowl Social Brings Burgers, Brews and Board Games to Ballston

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.

For this Neighborhood Spotlight, we’re joining Sean Sneed of The Keri Shull Team as he gives us the rundown on Punch Bowl Social, a hot new spot for food, drinks and games in Arlington.

Originally founded in Denver, Colorado, Punch Bowl Social has expanded to include many locations across the country, each with its own unique theme in decor and menu. The Arlington location — which sits in the Ballston Quarter alongside some of our previous spotlights — is designed with a circus in mind.

Brett Ramsdell, the general manager of Arlington’s Punch Bowl Social, shed some light on this design choice. The team became fascinated by the “Great Elephant Escape” — an event that saw 4 elephants escaping from a traveling exhibit in 1906, in the area that is now known as Arlington. Though the elephants were eventually rounded up after several days, some managed to travel dozens of miles from their enclosures.

This circus theme is a perfect fit for the whimsical atmosphere inside Punch Bowl Social. With its bright lights and vast collection of games, Punch Bowl Social is a bastion of pure fun. Customers can pay to play table tennis, sing karaoke, or even go bowling inside the arcade, all while sipping on a signature cocktail.

For the retro-inclined, Punch Bowl Social also offers a traditional arcade experience of cabinet-mounted video games.

What’s more, Punch Bowl Social is also equipped with a full collection of classic and modern board games, all of which customers can play for free at their tables.

Punch Bowl Social doesn’t skimp on fun when it comes to food and drinks, either. Customers can enjoy any of the three signature punches — or the Punch of the Day — in a shareable bowl, true to the arcade’s name. For food, Ramsdell recommends the Knockoff Burger, a two-patty sandwich that’s designed to mimic an iconic fast food meal.

Don’t feel like drinking punch? That’s okay! Punch Bowl Social also boasts an enormous menu of wines, beers and mixed drinks, all made with the freshest possible ingredients. And if you’re worried about missing work tomorrow, don’t fret — the drink menu features an impressive collection of non-alcoholic beverages, made with the same craftsmanship as the stiffer stuff.

With so many options for artisan food, delicious cocktails and games for all ages, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to unwind after work than Punch Bowl Social.

Are you interested in living in Ballston, or any other of the unique neighborhoods in the D.C. Metro area? Contact The Keri Shull Team today to learn about how we can help you find your dream home — for a price you’ll love!

Your Beermonger: Port City’s Got the Ways & Means… Again

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway). Sign up for Nick’s email newsletter and also receive exclusive discounts and offers.

During my time working for Port City, the decision was made to bring its Session Rye IPA, Ways & Means, off the wider market and make it a tasting room house beer, I understood, but never completely got over it.

Beyond the recognition Ways & Means got in awards, it got national attention as a great example of what Session IPA could be. Also, I was a sucker for its combination of spicy rye malt character with big hop aromas and flavors, so I was happy to hear that six-packs of Ways & Means were coming back out.

With their arriving this week, I reached out to my former boss, Port City’s Bill Butcher, to get some more info on this returning favorite.

The first change you’ll notice with Ways & Means is its packaging. It has a very nice new label and six-pack design, a harbinger of full package rebranding to come in 2020. Changes can be found in the bottle as well as outside of it: over the time it spent as a house beer, the Ways & Means recipe was tweaked slightly but not insignificantly.

Like all Port City beers, Ways was and is packaged unfiltered; Bill Butcher told me during its time in the tasting room Ways started to be kegged unfined as well, with a warm dry-hop addition of 100% Citra hops to punch up the aromatics. Butcher tells me PCBC Head Brewer Jonathan Reeves likes to say they’re “‘using hazy techniques for our non-hazy beer’,” but you may notice a touch of cloudiness to your new Ways & Means.

Asked why Ways & Means is reappearing now, Butcher cited “quite a bit of great feedback and demand for package” the beer had been receiving since going in-house. That’s not the only reason, however.

“Also, we are seeing lots of interest in lower alcohol, lower calorie beers. At 4.5% ABV, and 122 calories per bottle, this one fits the bill nicely.” He and the team at Port City decided to roll Ways back out now because they think “the hoppy flavor profile makes for a great fall session beer.”

Ways & Means isn’t going to be the only session-strength offering we’ll see from Port City during the next year; a new Session Ale will arrive for the spring, replacing Ways & Means on the market until the season comes around again. You can find Ways & Means in stock at Arrowine and stores around the area — but c’mon, buy it at Arrowine.

Until next time, which should be very interesting.

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Looking for a home? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing this weekend.

Check out the Arlington Realty website for a full list of homes for sale and open houses in Arlington. Here are a few highlights:

928 26th Street S.
5 BD/4 BA single-family home
Agent: Neighborhood Real Estate, Llc
Listed: $1,299,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

 

6930 27th Road N.
4 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Redfin Corporation
Listed: $939,999
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

112 S. Barton Street
4 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed: $839,900
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

4820 8th Street S.
3 BD/2 BA single-family home
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $699,900
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

2428 S. Oxford Street
3 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath villa/townhouse
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $560,000
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

2100 Lee Highway #224
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $459,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

4401 Lee Highway #78
1 BD/1 BA condo
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $249,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

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 Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

Arlington’s real estate market took a siesta this week. Both buyers and sellers were napping big time.

Sellers listed only 45 homes, and buyers ratified only 36 contracts. What’s up with that? Last October, sellers were averaging 60 new listings a week, and buyers were ratifying 58 contracts.

Mortgage rates did increase earlier this week, then fell back a bit to settle at 3.75% for a 30-yr fixed rate. A year ago, that rate was 4.86%. The gradual drop in interest rates has helped home prices continue to grow.

Nationally, the average price of homes rose 5.9% over last year. In Arlington, detached home prices rose 6%. But Arlington condos are a tale of two markets. Condo prices in North Arlington actually dropped 0.2% as more inventory entered the market, while prices in South Arlington were up 23%. Remember, the Amazon announcement came in November last year.

There’s some good news for veterans. The Veterans Administration has announced that its coveted “no money down” mortgage program will no longer have limits on purchase price. Previously, the 100% loan program capped out at about $726,000 for our area. Soon, there will be no cap. For more information, ask Team Cathell or contact your preferred lender.

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

Thank You VIDA Fitness for Supporting Local News in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

ARLnow is a free resource for the entire community thanks to the support of our advertisers.

Our site is free of paywalls and popups because we have high-quality local businesses and organizations that advertise on ARLnow. All we ask is for a bit of your time and attention to consider what they’re offering.

Today we’re toasting VIDA Fitness, the D.C.-native health and wellness club, which is opening its newest location at 4040 Wilson Boulevard in Ballston early next year.

Here are some reasons we think they’re the GOAT:

  • It’s really nice. I mean, have you been in one of the D.C. clubs?
  • It’s a welcoming place for everyone and anyone
  • There’s a spa and a smoothie-and-bowl bar, too
  • Customized personal and partner training with top notch trainers
  • Nutritional counseling with registered dietitians
  • “The reason I like VIDA is that it is well-run and people are friendly. Each time I’ve approached the management, they were extremely helpful, effective and attended to me immediately” — testimonial from Justin
  • They help ARLnow hire professional, full-time local news reporters and bring you the local happenings week in and week out

Please join us in thanking VIDA Fitness by starting a new habit. You can also contact them at [email protected] or to contact a specific gym visit vidafitness.com.

— The ARLnow business team

Boring Title: Thad Wise from First Savings Mortgage

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.

This week, we sat down with Thad Wise of First Savings Mortgage, to talk about the low rates we’ve had the past 3-4 months, whether or not now is a good time to purchase a property, and how to select a lender and/or agent.

If you have any questions about the market, or are looking for a great loan officer, send Thad an email at [email protected].

Have questions related to title insurance? Email Latane and Matt at [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!

Arlington Pet of the Week: Phil

By ARLnow.com
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Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week is Phil, a one-eyed “pirate kitten”.

Here is what Phil’s owner has to say about his life here in Arlington:

Phil is our little one-eyed “pirate kitten” who we adopted through CityKitties DC, a wonderful local organization that rescues pets from overcrowded shelters in surrounding states and brings them to the DC area to find loving forever homes.

Phil is from Roane County, WV and lost his eye due to an infection he had when he was rescued. He camped in the District for a bit with a CityKitties foster mom who took great care of him until he got matched with us. He still had a few issues when we brought him home, but the wonderful folks at Arlington’s very own NoVA Cat Clinic helped us get him all fixed up. Arlington cat owners – Phil cannot recommend them enough!

Now that he’s back in good health, he loves running “Phil-speed” around our condo and wrestling with his big brother, Rudi. He has a big sister too, but she’s a pretty reserved gal, so he’s still working on charming his way over to her good side. He loves playing with tinsel balls, his cat tunnel, and anything dangly, but can also be counted on to provide plenty of snuggles and purrs on your chest when you’re relaxing on the couch or home sick from work. He also has some pretty neat “tuxedo” markings that include a little black goatee, a perfect wishbone design on his belly, and a little white smudge that grew in over the scar from his eye surgery.

Famed fashion designer Marc Jacobs said; “I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect – they are much more interesting.” That’s exactly how we feel about Phil.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of eight consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

Arts Focus: Creative Gifts for the Holiday Season

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

Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts this holiday season? Arlington’s artists and creatives have the answer via two upcoming events to help you #shoplocal for unique treasures for holiday gift giving!

Lee Arts Center Fine Crafts Show and Sale
November 9-10
Saturday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Sunday (12-4 p.m.)

Handmade ceramic vessels. Vibrant prints. Luminous jewelry… Undoubtedly the studio artists of Arlington’s Lee Arts Center have created something to delight those on your gift list, and it’s waiting for you to discover at their annual show and sale. Some of our regions finest artists work out of Arlington’s Lee Arts Center, a quaint 1920’s elementary school on Lee Highway that, when it was deemed too historic to demolish, but too impractical for continued school usage, was converted into a community cultural center by Arlington Arts.

Participating artists include:

Ceramics — Connie Bergere, Dana Lehrer Danze, Donna Downing, Susan Elliott, Laura Fall, Jan Filsinger, Mami Grignol, Jyotshna ‘J’ Herbert & Maddie Palmer, Helen Hensgen, Veronika Jenke, Scott Kaye, Klaudia Levin, Polina Miller, Hiromi Minemura, Catherine Satterlee, Victoria Truhn and Terry Young.

Prints — Sue Mason, Wes Muntain and Janis Sweeney

Prints and Ceramics — Janet Gohres

Ceramics and Jewelry — Marsha Lederman, Darlene Tsukamoto and Alanna Rivera

For information on the annual sale, call the Lee Arts Center at 703-228-0560 or click here.

Made In Arlington Pop Up Shops
Thursdays (11 a.m.-2 p.m.)
November 7-December 19 (excluding Thanksgiving Day)

Sponsored by Arlington Economic Development’s Creative Economy program, Made in Arlington returns just in time for the holiday season! Visit the Plaza Branch Library (in Courthouse Plaza lobby) for this pop-up retail market dedicated to unique things beautiful, wearable and edible from innovators and artisans in Arlington.

Find favorites like Livin the Pie Life and Kingsbury Chocolates and welcome new vendors like Tried and Truhn pottery and Artisan Confections. Click here for details.

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by licensed broker Aaron Seekford of Arlington Realty, Inc. GET MORE out of your real estate investment with Aaron and his team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6116 today!

Please note: While Aaron Seekford provides this information for the community, he may not be the listing agent of these homes.

We hope everyone is enjoying these beautiful fall days.

With high temps in the mid- to upper-60s forecasted through next week and foliage hitting near-peak, this is the time of year many of us wish would last forever. Unfortunately, Old Man Winter and his frigid temps (and perhaps an onslaught of snow?) will be here before we know it. And, we should all be getting ready.

Among your fall to winter transition list in Arlington County, take a look at your window and door sealings. When it’s time to crank the heat, you won’t want heat (and money!) seeping out of your home.

Additionally, give those gutters a look. Sure, some leaves are still clinging to our trees. But, once they’ve all fallen, you’ll likely find a good chunk of them in your gutters. Snow and ice on top of whatever is already there can equal a potentially hazardous disaster, so now is the time to clean them out.

In addition to many of our team members calling Arlington home for generations, Arlington Realty, Inc. has been serving locals since 1984. Whether it’s the seasons or your real estate transaction, we’re ready to help you weather (pun intended) any scenario.

As of October 21, there are 162 detached homes, 22 townhouses and 103 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 28 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week:

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.

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