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

“Disruption creates space for entrepreneurs.” — Kevin Sneader and Shubham Singhal, McKinsey & Company

The health pandemic fundamentally changed the way we do business. In 2020, we began operating in a changed world, conducting business online and virtually.

According to an insightful article by McKinsey & Company, our “new normal” is changing how we do business in the short and long term. In 2021, entrepreneurship numbers are up, and the need for technology is high. Access to capital is paramount to ensure an entrepreneur can access the tools they need to compete. How do we blend the increase in small business formation and the ongoing need to access capital to new and existing businesses?

Arlington Economic Development (AED) is committed to providing the professional tools small businesses need to compete in our “new normal.” ReLaunch is a new initiative sponsored by BizLaunch Arlington’s Small Business and Entrepreneurial Assistance Network to help newly launched and existing businesses adjust to the “new normal.” What’s the cost to participate? It is a free tool underwritten by AED.

Hear what businesses are saying about ReLaunch…

“Manoukian Oriental Rugs was grateful to have been selected for Arlington Economic Development’s ReLaunch program,” The Manoukian Family said. “The consultation improved our understanding of a strategic asset, which helped us position our business for better customer service and smarter growth. Thank you, team AED!”

The Manoukian Family owns Manoukian Brothers Oriental Rugs located at 2330 Columbia Pike in Arlington.

The program is divided into three key areas:

  • ReVitalize (access to complimentary professional business consultants)
  • ReNew (access to the latest tech to get online)
  • ReBuild (all the newest info on grants, loans and resources to help small businesses fight the effects of the pandemic)

We identified these critical areas in a recent survey administered by AED, which showed most businesses need access to capital and would spend the cash on technology, consulting and legal assistance. Hence, we designed ReLaunch to meet the needs of Arlington’s small business ecosystem and promote growth, despite the effects of the pandemic.

AED will be accepting rolling applications from eligible Arlington-based businesses from now through Dec. 10, 2021. AED will underwrite costs to build either a website or eCommerce tool and to work directly with a consultant. Businesses will need to pay a small fee after Dec. 31, 2021, to maintain their website and eCommerce tool; however, Arlington County underwrites the development of the solution.

The Service Providers

  • The ReVitalize program is administered by Revby. Revby is an experienced provider of small business consulting services and believes in the importance of businesses’ positive impact on the local community.
  • The ReNew program is powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and administered by Nub8. Nub8 is an experienced provider of online services in the cloud and has excellent expertise in helping small businesses launch online.

If you are an eligible small business located in Arlington, Virginia, we encourage you to apply for ReLaunch today. All you need to decide is what service you’d like to receive. For more information visit www.relaunch.business.


Give some virtual head scratches to Arlington’s latest Pet of the Week, Loki. This sweet, cuddly boy was rescued in November 2019. (His family is still unsure of his breed so any guesses are welcome!)

Here’s what Loki’s humans had to say about him and his life in Arlington:

Loki is a sweet dog who was rescued over a year ago. He enjoys cuddling, head pets, playing with his stuffed animals (his Trump doll is a favorite to tear apart), and going on hikes around the DMV area, especially Donaldson Run. He is still unsure of water but loves to sunbathe.

He also has FOMO (fear of missing out), so he loves that his owner, Katie, has been working from home and that quarantine has kept her and her sister around the house most days. He loves to look at you with his sweet, sad eyes and sit on your lap pretending he is the size of a lap dog.

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!

We are also looking for local pets who look like their owners or like celebrities. Email us photos of your pet and their doppelgänger, explaining the resemblance and whether it has been noticed in your neighborhood.


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.

With the end of April approaching, that means we’re about a third of the way through 2021. It’s hard to believe, right?

This is an incredibly exciting time for so many reasons.

On the local front, the frigid temps appear to be fully in the rearview mirror, and spring days are ahead. On the national front, more and more jurisdictions are easing their COVID-related restrictions, and life may soon return to normal, or at least a “new normal.”

As the “new normal” approaches, now is the time to tackle your to-do lists before you inevitably want to get out there and make up for lost time! If and when a real estate item is on that list, the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to roll on and advocate on your behalf.

Until then, enjoy the rest of your April. Now to this week’s Just Reduced figures…

As of April 26, there are 145 detached homes, 45 townhouses and 324 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 38 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

Please note 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.


Located just minutes from downtown D.C., the Townes at South Glebe II boasts a desirable South Arlington location.

These three-bedroom townhomes by the Christopher Companies offer the perfect blend of modern luxury and urban convenience. From your new home at the Townes at South Glebe II, the entire Metro/D.C. region is at your fingertips.

Take a 3D tour, and book your appointment today.


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: Can I get proof that there are multiple/competing offers on a property?

Answer: The short answer is no. There’s no way to get absolute proof of another offer, except when an Escalation Addendum is used (which I’ll address later), but there are strategies to help determine how legitimate a listing agent’s claim of multiple offers is.

Ask Questions

There’s a myth that agents aren’t allowed to disclose the details of an offer to another agent when, in fact, it’s perfectly legal unless the seller declines it in the listing agreement (rare). When I’m told about another offer, I usually ask questions about the competing offer’s terms, how/when the seller will make a decision and anything else that’s relevant to the offer. In most cases, I’m able to judge with a high level of confidence whether or not the other offer is legitimate and the strength of that offer(s).

Situational Awareness

Here are a few factors to help determine the likelihood of multiple offers:

  • Days on Market: The highest chance for multiple offers is within the first week a property is listed, with the likelihood decreasing with each week that passes.
  • Price: If you think the list price seems below market value, you’re probably not the only one. In some cases, homes are priced slightly below market value to encourage multiple offers. It’s also important to understand buyer volume/demand at different price points. There are a lot more buyers searching Arlington for a $900,000 three-bedroom detached home than there are buyers searching for a $3 million eight-bedroom home, thus a much higher probability of multiple offers on the $900,000 home.
  • Market Conditions: In the current market, nearly every detached home or townhouse that is priced at, below or just above market value is getting multiple offers. Pay attention to data points like Months of Supply in the area/sub-market you’re searching to gauge supply and demand for a good indication of how likely multiple offers are.
  • Uniqueness: A unique home, with uniqueness coming from positive features like lot size/quality, has a much better chance of getting a lot of offers than a property that’s easier to find, like a 700-square-foot one-bedroom condo in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor.

Of course, multiple offers can come at any time. I once had a listing that had one offer in over a year and then ended up with two offers on a random Monday. I couldn’t explain it, and it was certainly an interesting conversation with the two agents who submitted offers.

Risky Business

Made-up offers are a lot less common than you’d imagine because most agents understand how much riskier it is to negotiate using a fabricated offer instead of negotiating through strong counteroffers and honest negotiations. In the hundreds of multiple/competing offer situations I’ve been involved in, I’ve never once walked away knowing for certain an agent fabricated an offer and only had reason to think it might have happened a few times.

Proof via Escalation Addendum

If the seller chooses to accept your offer using an escalated price through the Escalation Addendum (allows you to automatically beat another offer, up to a maximum price), they must provide “a complete copy of [the] other offer used to justify the escalated sales price.” This is the only contractual obligation a seller/seller’s agent would have to provide proof of a competing offer and the requirement is only to provide proof of the offer used to justify the price escalation, not all offers.

Like most real estate decisions, deciding whether to believe information about a competing offer comes down to a risk-benefit assessment based on the information available to you. The risk of not trusting it could mean losing out to a better offer that proves to be legitimate. The benefit is potentially securing the home at better terms by ignoring the information about a competing offer. I think that helping you (the buyer) understand these risk-benefit scenarios and make decisions about them is one of the most important roles an agent plays in the transaction.

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 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 DC, and Maryland with RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N Fairfax Dr #10C Arlington VA 22203. 703-390-9460.


This is one of the most popular neighborhoods for new construction homes in the D.C. area — but why do developers love it so much? Join the Keri Shull Team as we tell you everything you need to know about the Ashton Heights neighborhood of Arlington.

And, as always, if you have any questions about Arlington real estate, please contact the Keri Shull Team, the No. 1 top-selling real estate team in the Washington, D.C. area.

Finding the Heights of Arlington

Ashton Heights is a tree-lined, residential neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia. It sits just to the south of the bustling Orange Line neighborhoods, meaning Ashton Heights offers amazing access to Arlington’s urban conveniences. Although new housing developments are moving into Ashton Heights, the neighborhood has retained a friendly and peaceful community atmosphere.

Like many neighborhoods in Arlington, Ashton Heights has a history stretching back to the early 20th century. At the beginning of the 1900s, the area that is now Ashton Heights was mostly farmland. However, as the trolley system began to connect Arlington’s disparate neighborhoods, more and more homes were built in Ashton Heights. The area saw another boom beginning in the 1980s, when the Washington Metro further improved transit in Arlington and Ashton Heights.

Living in a Slice of History

Ashton Heights is a protected historic district. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, over 80 years after it was first subdivided. The 781 contributing properties in the neighborhood represent an important sector of architectural history. All told, the beautiful and historic homes in the area are crucial to the unique character and atmosphere of the neighborhood.

Although there are many styles of homes in the protected district of Ashton Heights, the most notable properties are indicative of early 20th century fads. Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Cape Cod are all common architectural styles in Ashton Heights, though other home layouts are increasingly popular in the housing market.

Getting Around Arlington

Because Ashton Heights is so close to the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, residents can easily access the Orange Line via Ballston-MU Metro station with no hassle!

If you would rather eschew public transit, Ashton Heights also offers convenient access to some of the main throughways in the D.C. area. The neighborhood is bordered on three sides by major roads. Arlington Boulevard lies to the south and Glebe Road lies to the west. Because of this, people living in Ashton Heights should have no trouble taking advantage of everything offered in Northern Virginia and the D.C. area.

Finally, Ashton Heights is notable for having great access for cyclists. With a Bike Score of 90, most commutes and daily errands can be accomplished via bike. This is great news for people looking to live on a budget in the Washington D.C. area or skip D.C.’s infamous traffic.

Owning a Home in the Heights

In general, houses in Ashton Heights hold their value and appreciate well, meaning buying a home in the neighborhood can be a smart investment for many people.

There are many different types of homes on the market in Ashton Heights, a relic of the neighborhood’s history. Just by walking down the streets of this area, you can find homes varying from colonials, craftsmen, bungalows, cape cod homes and more.

Many residents of Ashton Heights own their homes — and it’s not hard to see why! The neighborhood offers amazing access to public transit and urban conveniences without sacrificing a close-knit community atmosphere.

Finding a Home in Ashton Heights

At the Keri Shull Team, we have hundreds of off-market properties that you cannot find online or anywhere else…and we want to give you priority access to these homes before they even go on the market!

The market is red hot in Ashton Heights right now, with lots of new construction homes going up in the area… so if you want to find a home in this neighborhood, you need to have every advantage that you can get!

And if you are selling a house in Arlington, it’s more important than ever to make sure you are taking the proper precautions to protect your investment. The best way to do that is to speak with a top-tier real estate agent and create a completely customized home selling strategy.

So what are you waiting for? Just click here to schedule a time for a free, no-pressure consultation with one of our Real Estate Needs Analysts!


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.

One thing you might not always think of when you finally get the chance to step back into our store here at Arrowine (it is coming soon, I promise!) is that we sell agricultural products. The milk for our cheeses comes from well cared for and respected grazing animals, and the wines we sell are made great by growing high-quality grapes in the vineyards — not in a lab where they can be manipulated and fussed with (highly technical terms).

With Earth Day having passed us this week, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at a number of the environmental initiatives our brewery friends are undertaking to have a positive impact on our world ecosystem.

Two somewhat newer things you might notice on a label or package these days are Certified B Corporations and 1% for the Planet. Some of the 1% for the Planet member breweries we stock are Maine Beer Company, Vasen Brewing and Bearded Iris Brewing. These companies not only make  financial donations and adhere to sustainable practices in the brewhouse, but they also volunteer their time to different environmental initiatives.

Certified B Corps undergo a certification process that looks at not only their environmental impact but also their social impact. We have beers on shelves from Certified B Corps Allagash Brewing and North Coast Brewing, but you’ll also see the B logo in our freezer from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and in the cheese case on Vermont Creamery products. Allagash also recently started up a recycling co-op for some of the waste products of the brewing process that require special processing. Maine Beer Company and Bissell Brothers, located in the immediate area, also joined in. This echoes a similar program that Bell’s Brewery announced earlier this year that will hopefully inspire more of these collaborations.

Many of our local breweries also make use of local ingredients in order to drive home their commitment to reducing environmental impact. If you’ve recently held a can or bottle of Port City Optimal Wit, you may have noticed that it’s brewed with 100% Virginia wheat grown in the Northern Neck. You’d be forgiven if you haven’t stared at the breakdown of estate-grown vs. regionally sourced malts on any of the bottles from Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery — the beers alone are worthy of all your attention — but if you’re going to geek out a little over that information then we are going to get along great.

One of my favorite locavore beers, though, has to be Salts from Black Narrows. This gose-inspired tart wheat ale harvests natural yeast from oyster shells and also combines a portion of oyster liquor into the brew. The results are not only bright, briny and refreshing, but it also changes throughout the seasons to truly reflect the terroir of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Another essential input to the brewing process that doesn’t even end up in the beer is energy. In cities such as D.C., it can be difficult to grow your own ingredients for your beers — but that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own resources. Atlas Brewing’s cans proudly state that they are “Solar Powered Beer,” and if you ever visit their Ivy City taproom, you can see a display on the wall that shows what power is being harvested from the sun, what is being used by the brewery and what is going back to the grid. Their uptown neighbors Right Proper’s Brookland production facility reduced its energy use by installing LED lights and offset half its energy consumption with a solar canopy out front and an array of panels on the roof. In Vermont, Hermit Thrush Brewery uses wood pellets to power its brewhouse created from sawdust from the local timber industry that would otherwise be considered waste.

Port City’s Optimal Wit in their “Beer Grown Here” branded glasses

I’ve got a collection on the Arrowine online store of all the products covered here. Apologies to anyone I may have missed, but thank you for doing your part as well. If you know anybody I’ve overlooked, please let me know in the comments! Whether it’s a brewery we carry here at the store or not, it’s great to point out and applaud these breweries for their efforts. Cheers!


Address: 1710 21st Road N.
Neighborhood: Rosslyn
Listed: $1,285,000
Open: Sunday, April 25, 1-4 p.m.

Don’t miss this fully updated nearly 3,000 square foot, 4 BD/3 BA farmhouse with a separate two-car garage located just blocks from the Rosslyn Metro.

The main level offers a gracious and open layout with gleaming hardwood floors, recessed lighting, oversized windows and a powder room. The gourmet kitchen, complete with stainless appliances and granite counters, has an eat-in area and island seating for three to four. The large deck off of the kitchen is perfect for entertaining.

Upstairs, find generous-sized bedrooms, including a huge master bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and a massive walk-in closet with built-ins. The master en-suite spa bathroom has a double marble top vanity, shower and tub.

The lower level includes a spacious legal fourth bedroom and an en-suite updated bathroom, a large walk-out rec room with recessed lighting and a gas fireplace. This area also has a separate laundry room with a utility sink. There’s great light throughout the lower level.

You’ll notice new paint, carpet and updated lighting throughout the home. Outside, find a flat and landscaped backyard that’s fully fenced.

The Rosslyn and Courthouse Metros and orange line corridor restaurants and shops are all just blocks away. The home is also close to biking/running trails and the newly renovated Dawson Terrace park. You’re also an easy walk to Georgetown and have one of the easiest driving commutes in all of Arlington — quick access to I-66, GW Parkway and Key/Roosevelt bridges.

Why choose between city living and the suburbs when you can have both?

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


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:

4055 40th Street N.
8 BD/6 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Cottage Street Realty, LLC
Listed: $2,695,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

1315 14th Street N.
3 BD/2 BA, 2 half bath townhome
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
Listed: $2,185,000
Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

 

2619 N. Roosevelt Street
5 BD/4 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Compass
Listed: $1,635,000
Open: Saturday and Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

 

813 N. Woodrow Street
3 BD/3 BA, 2 half bath townhome
Agent: Coldwell Banker Realty
Listed: $1,299,000
Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

 

5411 Wilson Blvd
4 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $979,000
Open: Sunday, 12-2 p.m.

 

2414 N. Kensington Street
3 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $849,900
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

 

2440 S. Walter Reed Drive #1
3 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Mei Mei Venners Realty, LLC
Listed: $689,000
Open: Saturday, 12-2 p.m.


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.

As I write this, always the day before you read it, it’s a chilly Thursday morning, and it feels like winter again. Read more below and you’ll see the housing market doesn’t agree — the real estate market is not hibernating even for one day! Sellers seem to finally be getting on board with selling their homes.

New inventory is the toughest to get in Arlington. Homes are often selling well above list price in just seven days or less, so this is not where you’ll find a bargain. In fact, more often than not, these homes are selling at an emotionally charged high price and as a strict result of supply/demand — as opposed to their fair market value (based on standard measures such as recent comparable sale, or even price/sf). While that isn’t something all buyers are willing, or able, to participate in, it has lasting effects for all buyers and sellers. Today’s home selling 10% over list becomes next month’s sold, settled, comparable property. From there, similar homes will now list closer to that price, rapidly bringing up the price floor for a given neighborhood, subdivision or property type.

If you’re a purchaser seeking a bargain, believe it or not, they still exist! The fastest way to find one is to sort your search by days on market and find homes selling outside of the average, presently sitting at 65 days. Perhaps that home has a mismatch — either the price, the location or the condition are not in alignment — and therefore the market has continued to pass it by. There is a strong negative correlation between days on market and list price to sales price ratio. This means that as days on market continue to climb, the expected percentage a seller will receive of their original asking price will decrease. Sometimes these homes are in less desirable locations relative to others, or they need cosmetic, structural or systems/infrastructure work, and a buyer may have the potential for some “sweat equity.” Keep in mind, right now, many materials costs are up substantially, decreasing the rate of return one can expect from taking on these projects.

Sellers listed 146 homes for sale this past week, up 10 from the week before. Buyers came out in force this week and ratified 115 contracts in the same timeframe — 27 more than the week prior. 72 of the homes that went under contract were on the market for seven days or less — incredible!

This week, there are 438 available properties for sale throughout all of Arlington and across all property types. 107 are detached homes, just 10 less than last week. Last week’s bump of 25 extra detached homes sold super-fast!

There are 42 townhomes/semi-detached homes currently for sale, and condominiums make up 289 of the available units in Arlington.

A quick comparison to last year: For the same week, sellers listed 60 homes and buyers ratified 45 contracts. There were also only 239 available properties for sale this week last year.

The average list price for currently available properties is $825,644 and the median is $589,450. Currently available properties in Arlington have an average of 65 days on market (DOM) and a median of just 35.

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. If you see a home 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 I think you might like to check out:

2211 N. Kensington Street

Address: 1004 N. Kentucky Street
Neighborhood: Westover
Listed: $995,000
Open: Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25, 1-4 p.m.

Tucked away on a cul-de-sac, this expanded, renovated 1940s colonial is ready for the next savvy buyer.

Follow the slate walkway to a new portico and welcoming foyer opening to the large living room with space for one or two desks and a conversation grouping. The living room flows into the kitchen, featuring crisp white cabinets, granite tops, recent stainless appliances and a big pantry. Windows on two sides brighten the large dining area, and atrium doors open to the patio for casual warm weather gatherings. A gas fireplace is the focal point of the family room, which also has atrium doors opening to the driveway, making it convenient to bring groceries directly into the kitchen. A powder room, coat closet and storage closet complete this level. In 2016, the yard was extensively landscaped and a fence was installed in 2015 — a wonderful spot for playing, gardening and relaxing.

Upstairs, the primary bedroom has a skylight and two closets, each fitted with organizers. Pull-down stairs lead to the attic for great storage. The primary bathroom was renovated in 2019 and provides a double vanity, oversized shower, and tasteful tile, lighting, and accessories. Both the second and third bedrooms have desirable cross ventilation and large closets. Also renovated in 2019, the upstairs hall bathroom features a deep soaking tub, vanity and penny tile floor. Just off the hall is a linen closet and washer and dryer. What a treat not to carry baskets of laundry to and from the basement.

The lower level was renovated in 2015, including waterproofing, asbestos remediation and the installation of an egress window in the rec room. In the bathroom there is a vanity, deep tub, and storage for linens and towels. With a full bath on this level, the rec room doubles as space for a guest, distance learning student or in- law.

Desirable details include double pane windows and atrium doors, recent HVAC, fresh paint, wooden floors or updated carpeting, and window treatments. Move-in ready.

Enjoy living near Westover Village’s carryout friendly restaurants, shops, services, library, beer garden and Sunday farmer’s market. Westover Park and the bike bath are blocks away. This is an easy commute to Washington, Pentagon, Rosslyn-Ballston business corridor, airport, Fort Myer/Henderson Hall, and Pentagon and Crystal Cities at National Landing.

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


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