Sponsored

DC Bike Ride Will Be Back on the Road — Early Bird Tickets Available Now

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/5

After a challenging year, the new and improved DC Bike Ride will bring back all the fun you already know in the region’s favorite car-free bicycling experience, following health and safety guidelines to provide an enjoyable event for all.

This fall, cruise through 20 miles of safe roads, beautiful views and fun surprises along the course. DC Bike Ride offers a variety of tickets to choose from — from registration with rentals to group discounts — and a stress-free registration policy so you can sign up with peace of mind. Not to mention that children can join for free, and youth get 50% off registration.

When you register for the 2021 DC Bike Ride, you also get special discounts and early access to virtual events and social rides. Register today and get ready for a fun adventure through the nation’s capital.

Sign up with promo code ARLBIKE for a special limited-time offer.

DC Bike Ride 2021
dcbikeride.com
West Potomac Park, Washington, D.C.
Saturday, Sept. 25

Ask Eli: State of the Arlington and Northern Virginia Housing Market

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: How is the real estate market doing so far this year?

Answer: 2020 ended with a surging single-family and townhouse market, especially farther west from buyers looking for more house and yard space, but a struggling condo market from an unusually high volume of condo inventory for sale and tepid condo demand. So what have we seen in the first six weeks of the 2021 real estate market?

Single-Family and Townhouse Prices Up

The single-family and townhouse market is appreciating even further above where prices settled in 2020, with more competition (double-digit multiple offers). Through deals I’ve been involved in and conversations I’ve had with colleagues, my unofficial estimate is that many single-family homes and townhouses are selling for 5-10% more than 2020 prices. I’m seeing this type of appreciation at all different price points, too.

Condo Market Better, Slow Improvement Expected

The condo market worsened monthly from about June 2020 to November 2020, but it reversed course a bit in December and remained slightly improved in January. I see the condo market picking back up at a slow pace and likely to continue improving through the spring as demand hopefully/probably picks up, but I don’t see a return to the pre-COVID condo market any time soon.

Let’s take a look at some key charts for Arlington and Northern Virginia (Fairfax and Loudoun counties).

Arlington Months of Supply

Months of Supply is one of my favorite metrics because it combines supply and demand. The lower the Months of Supply, the more favorable a market is for sellers. Housing economists say that a well-balanced market has about six months of supply.

Single-family homes in Arlington hit an all-time low for Months of Supply in December and January, coming in at just a touch over one month, while the condo market has settled into just under 2.5 months of supply, which is about average for Arlington condos, save the two years after the Amazon HQ2 announcement.

New Listing Volume in Arlington

The number of condos listed for sale in January remained high, coming in 66.7% higher than January 2020. The number of single-family homes listed for sale remained stable, with an increase of just 11.9% over January 2020.

Dramatic Shift in Fairfax and Loudoun

If you think buying a house in Arlington is difficult, just try buying a house in Fairfax or Loudoun County, where single-family Months of Supply has dropped below one month to two to three weeks! This represents a much bigger shift in market conditions than what we’ve experienced in Arlington, which has been more competitive for longer.

Northern Virginia Condo Supply

All three Northern Virginia counties charted below (Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun) have seen a spike in condo supply over the last 6-plus months, but condo absorption has actually increased by enough in Loudoun County to not only offset the increased supply but to also cause Months of Supply to drop to 10-plus year lows of two weeks. Arlington County and Fairfax County have gone the other direction, with significantly higher Months of Supply.

If you’d like to discuss buying or selling strategies, 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.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Fall in Love With Arlington’s Lyon Park

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

If you love everything the city has to offer but find yourself wishing for quiet small-town living, we’ve got great news: Arlington’s Lyon Park neighborhood offers both!

Like all of Arlington, the real estate market in Lyon Park is thriving right now. Join us as we share everything that you need to know about the in-demand neighborhood of Lyon Park!

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

Where is Lyon Park?

Lyon Park is a suburban neighborhood in Arlington, resting just south of the Orange Line corridor and directly adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery.

Lyon Park is beloved by many for its amazing mix of urban conveniences and suburban privacy, as well as its abundance of parks and green spaces. Coming home to Lyon Park from elsewhere in Arlington or D.C. really feels like you’re living far from the bustle of the city.

Things to Do in Lyon Park

Most of Lyon Park is dedicated to residential spaces, but there are still great options for dining and recreation in the area.

We have two favorite restaurants in particular.

Texas Jack’s Barbecue is a popular — and highly-lauded — smokehouse that is sure to satisfy your cravings for ribs, brisket and more.

Also be sure to check out Mocha Cafe and Pastry, a lovely delicatessen offering unique Persian flavors in addition to classic European fare.

Living in Lyon Park

Most homes on the market in Lyon Park are detached, single-family homes. Although the neighborhood is quite close to Clarendon — an area with an abundance of high-rise condominiums — Lyon Park retains a tranquil, suburban feel.

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

Getting Around in Arlington

Lyon Park is within easy reach of all the shopping, dining and entertainment of nearby Clarendon, while also having plenty of conveniences within the neighborhood itself.

Although there is no dedicated D.C. Metro stop for Lyon Park, residents still have easy access to public transit options. The D.C. Metro Clarendon station is within walking distance, and to make getting around even easier, Metrobus stops dot the neighborhood.

If you want to find a nice, quiet home in Lyon Park with access to cosmopolitan amenities, you’ll need every advantage you can get!

At the Keri Shull Team, we have hundreds of off-market properties 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!

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 schedule a time for a free, no-pressure consultation with one of our Real Estate Needs Analysts!

Your Beermonger: Desert Island Beers

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.

Hello, readers of ARLnow.

This is your new Arrowine Beermonger, Todd. I figured, rather than the typical introduction, I’d let you get to know me a little bit more by talking about one of my favorite beers. (Three sentences in and you’ve already learned that I sometimes take the long way to get to a point.)

The concept of a desert island beer seems pretty simple, right? You’re stuck on an island, and you have only one beer to drink until someone conceivably comes to rescue you — or you live out the rest of your days in an introvert’s paradise. Are you thinking of your all-time favorite that you can enjoy over and over, never tiring of the taste? Or maybe you’re looking to pamper yourself in this hypothetical by loading up on that rare bottle you’ve never gotten your hands on.

Personally, I’m looking for something that will be versatile enough to cover all the bases and that will be continually developing so I’m always on my toes. Enter: Orval.

Brasserie d’Orval is a Trappist brewery located within the walls of the Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval in the Gaume region of Belgium. Gaume is about as far away from Brussels as you can get while still being in Belgium. And Orval is about as different from your typical Trappist beer while still being a Trappist beer. (Trappist beers are categorized by the monks making it rather than the style or ingredients.) You might be thinking of the beautiful simplicity of Westvleteren Blond or the rich caramelized fruits of Chimay Grande Reserve, and most Trappist beers resemble one of the archetypal styles (Singel, Dubbel, Tripel, Quadruppel).

Orval, on the other hand, at its most simple, is described as a Belgian pale ale, but even that gets a few twists and turns thrown in like dry-hopping and my favorite part: an intentional dosing of wild yeast, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, at bottling. This last addition is what makes Orval my ideal desert island beer. That “Brett,” as best known to its friends and enemies, will continue to ferment the bottled beer for years to come, which introduces differing levels of funk in every bottle, an increase in carbonation (the reason it comes in such heavy bottles) and has the added benefit of scavenging oxygen.

At a young age, the beer is dry, fruity and very refreshing, but as it ages, it becomes bone dry, introducing more spicy notes and far more complexity. To speak to the joys that the full spectrum of this beer brings me, I cite two examples. First, one of the many highlights of spending my honeymoon in Belgium was exploring the grounds of the abbey and sitting in the cafe down the road to enjoy an Orval far fresher than any I’ve ever seen in the United States. And second, I once found two bottles in a store that had been bottled on Feb. 29, 2012. I immediately bought them with the intention of opening one on each of the subsequent Leap Days in 2016 and 2020. (Best laid plans and all but that didn’t work out.)

I was inspired to make this the topic of my first column since we’ve got more Orval arriving at Arrowine today. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend picking up a bottle or two with your next order.

Drop a comment below and let me know what your desert island beer would be!

Cheers,

Todd

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:

4133 33rd Road N.
5 BD/5 BA single-family home
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $2,695,000
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

 

937 N. Daniel Street
5 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent: RE/MAX West End
Listed: $1,735,000
Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

 

1881 N. Nash Street, #1612
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Long & Foster
Listed: $1,525,000
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

 

2211 N. Lexington Street
3 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $1,100,000
Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

 

2723 N. George Mason Drive
3 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath single family home
Agent: Compass
Listed: $959,000
Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

 

3401 19th Street S.
4 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Century 21 New Millennium
Listed: $800,000
Open: Saturday, 1-4 p.m.

 

3409 Wilson Blvd, #606
2 BD/2 BA single-family home
Agent: Pearson Smith Realty
Listed:$679,999
Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

Listing of the Day: 3001 N. Edison Street

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/5

Address: 3001 N. Edison Street
Neighborhood: Yorktown
Listed: $1,599,000

This gracious and updated 6 BD/5 BA colonial with three-car garage parking sits on one of the most desirable lots in North Arlington with nearly 18,000 square feet and backing directly to Rock Spring Park with your own private dead-end on one side.

Natural beauty combines with walkability — blocks to Lee-Harrison shops, Greenbriar Park, Chestnut Hill Park, and Discovery Elementary School, Williamsburg Middle School and Yorktown High School. This nearly 5,000-square-feet impeccable home offers new construction space, layout and finishes for a fraction of the price!

A remodeled eat-in gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counters and an island with a pull-up bar opens to large family room with a fireplace. The main level includes an office, full bathroom, formal living  and dining rooms — both with wood-burning fireplaces — and a private deck off the living room and kitchen, which is perfect for entertaining. You’ll also find gleaming hardwood floors on the main and upper levels.

Upstairs is four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The expansive master suite with a vaulted ceiling has a walk-in closet and en-suite spa bathroom with dual vanities and a separate soaking tub/shower. There’s also a convenient upper-level laundry room.

A fully finished and recently updated lower level is accessible from two separate garages — a two-car garage and a one-car garage, perfect as a workshop or storage room. A large sixth bedroom with an en-suite bathroom is ideal for an au-pair/nanny. You’ll also find a comfortable rec room with a fireplace and separate mudroom. Closets galore for storage!

You can take a 3D tour of the home online.

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

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!

The continued winter weather doesn’t deter the ravenous buyers of their Arlington real estate dreams… Their appetite has built up for quite some time, and they aren’t waiting until spring.

Surprise, surprise? Buyers outpaced sellers again this week with 72 ratified contracts while sellers listed some 64 properties for sale. Of the ratified contracts, 30 were on homes listed within the past seven days.

This same week in 2020, sellers listed 62 homes and buyers ratified 59 contracts.

There are 376 properties currently available for sale in Arlington — just two more than last week. Of those, 77 are single family properties, 22 are townhouses/semi-detached properties and 277 are condos.

The average list price for currently available properties is $739,029 and the median is $475,000.

Pick of the Week: 1136 S. Edison Street, Arlington, VA 22204 — $715,000

You can find me this Saturday, Feb. 13, 1-4 p.m. at this adorable, charming Arlington colonial. With three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, this home is move-in ready and won’t last long. Lovingly cared for and completely renovated, there is little left to do other than pick where to put your furniture. A great backyard with patio and privacy and driveway parking for two cars complete this Just Listed home.

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:

Praxi Pilates in Ballston is Offering New Client Specials

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/10

It’s never too late to start taking care of yourself, especially after the tough year we’ve all endured.

If you’re looking to get active and focus on your physical and mental health this year, Arlington’s Praxi Pilates is a great option for any fitness level and every body, regardless of experience. They even have discounts for new clients.

Praxi Pilates offers group, semi-private and private pilates lessons — both in-studio and virtually.

If you’re worried about getting back into a gym, know that Praxi Pilates is taking more COVID-19 precautions than your average gym. All equipment is spaced out 10 feet, no equipment is shared, masks are mandatory, and everyone is required to wash or sanitize their hands when they arrive.

Class options include:

  • Reformer classes: Ever heard of a pilates reformer? It’s a spring-loaded resistance training machine, and you can expect to get a full-body workout in these equipment-based classes. When you leave class, you’ll feel balanced, centered and strong. These in-studio classes are offered every day of the week.
  • Mat classes: For this class, you’ll get back to the basics of pilates — all you need is your mat. These classes are a great core workout. Although the movements are small, they are mighty, and you’ll probably feel parts of your body you didn’t know you could feel. These classes are available virtually throughout the week.

All classes are 50 minutes, though there are some 90-minute circuit classes and workshops that focus on specific topics like balance or squats.

Everything can be modified based on your experience or any injuries. An instructor will work with you to figure out what you need to help push you to the next level.

If you’re new to pilates (or even working out), the Praxi Pilates team understands that gym anxiety is a very real thing. It might make you feel better knowing “Praxi” is Latin for “practice.” There are zero expectations for you to be perfect — the goal is to show up and give it what you’ve got.

Before you jump into group classes, you can always book a private or semi-private session where you’ll get extra personal attention from one of the studio’s highly trained instructors. This is a great opportunity to get familiar with the equipment and basic movements and ease any nerves before your first group class.

In-studio classes are limited to eight people. That means, even in the group setting, you’ll get individual attention from your instructor. (Honestly, they’ll probably know your name by the end of your first class!)

(more…)

Boring Title: 4 Tips to Help You Get Top Dollar for Your Listing (Video)

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.

For this week’s edition of Boring Title, we sit down with the founder of the Shepherd Homes Group, Jason Cheperdak. In January, Jason’s team sold 19 units for a total sales amount of $12 million and was ranked in the top 1% of agents in Virginia.

Jason talks about expectations when listing a home in Arlington, and he gives us four tips to help you get top dollar for your listing!

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! 

Just Sold in Arlington: Feb. 11, 2021

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

A variety of homes sold in Arlington this past week — from a $2.1 million Lyon Village home to a $210K condo in Columbia Heights.

In total, 30 properties were reported sold across the county.

As of Feb. 7, there were 511 homes listed for sale in Arlington, according to Homesnap. This includes 364 condos, 115 detached homes and 32 townhomes.

“The median list price is $525,000 and the median sales price is $580,000,” Homesnap reports. “There have been 155 new listings in the last 4 weeks and 160 sales.”

Here’s a look at a few of the properties sold in the past seven days:

In the market? See properties that have been Just Listed and Just Reduced.

Stylish Trenton Square at Ballston — 3 Sold in the Past Week

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/10

Just around the corner from Washington, D.C., in North Arlington, is Ballston. A reflection of the nation’s capital, Ballston blends some of the city’s highlights with its own unique rhythm, creating a vibrant and exciting place to work and play.

Just around the corner from the heart of Ballston is Trenton Square at Ballston. Down tree-lined streets, the townhome community of Trenton Square provides the perfect balance to the cosmopolitan cadence of Ballston, creating a relaxing and spacious place to live. This boutique community of just 19 townhomes is selling quickly and won’t last long. Make an appointment to visit our beautifully decorated model today, and lock in today’s low mortgage rates with our homes available for immediate delivery.

The homes at Trenton Square would make anyone in D.C. envious. Four levels of luxury and elegance, and with the space and comfort to stretch your legs, take a deep breath and bathe in the light pouring through all the large windows.

The entry level is all about productivity. A two-car garage protects your vehicles and gives you some extra flex space, should you need it. Dedicated office space lets you easily work from home without taking over the dining room table.

The next two levels provide fuel, fun and recharging. A designer kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and a large island will inspire many delicious meals. A spacious dining and family room fill out the floor, providing all the room you need to entertain. Above that, on the third floor, is your owner’s suite. Decadent. Refreshing. A sanctuary within a sanctuary.

The fourth floor is special because that’s where a large and airy loft space leads out onto your private outdoor terrace. Dine under the stars, dance with the rising sun, or share a glass of wine and a good book with the fresh air. Your private terrace provides the ultimate natural recharge.

Just around the corner from home, right down the road, you’re back in the heart of Ballston. All the best dining, shopping and entertainment await you. Any flavor you crave can be found within five blocks at one of over 80 restaurants. Scores of essential services and boutique shops are ready to brighten your home and life. Parks, movie theaters, immersive virtual experiences and even an ice rink (home of the Washington Capitals) — can’t get much cooler than that!

4 levels, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2-car garage, beautifully finished — from the upper $900,000’s.

Immediate delivery homes are available!

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