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.
As of January 15, there are 93 detached homes, 20 townhouses and 105 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 14 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:
Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.
This regularly scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. Please submit your questions to him via email for response in future columns. Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Eli Residential channel. Enjoy!
Question: Where do you expect interest rates to go in 2024?
Answer: The thing about interest rate forecasts is that they’re almost always wrong, so keep that in mind as you digest the predictions in this article or anywhere you hear/read them.
For the most part, buyers have adjusted to interest rates being about double what they were two years ago. Few remaining buyers in the market were active when rates were that low so rates in the 6-8% range are all most current buyers are used to seeing. Thus when rates dropped about 1-1.5% towards the end of 2023, it created strong momentum in the market and we’re seeing that early this year with loan applications up and a high volume of showings and competing offers.
What is a “Normal” Mortgage Rate?
The first thing to understand about mortgage interest rates is that they are market-driven and forecasting comes with the same amount of unpredictability as any other economic/market-based forecasting (GDP, Unemployment, Stocks, etc). Take predictions/forecasts with a grain of salt.
The other truth that is best illustrated by the chart below, which shows the average 30yr fixed mortgage rate since 1971, is that there really is no established “normal” interest rate that we can point to and say “this is what you can expect when markets stabilize. So, use caution when relying on assumptions about future rates (e.g. for a refi).
Forecasting Future Rates
Most major forecasting organizations including Mortgage Bankers Association, Freddie Mac, and National Association of Realtors (NAR) believe rates will steadily decrease through 2024 and that trend will continue into 2025 (although I wrote the same exact thing last year and rates trended up for most of the year).
The National Association of Realtors expects the average 30yr fixed rate will average 6.3% in 2024
Mortgage Bankers Association expects rates to fall faster than Fannie Mae and NAR, with average 30yr fixed rates hitting 6.1% by the end of the year and mid 5s by the second half of 2025.
Address:1940 N. Woodrow Street Neighborhood: Waverly Hills Type: 4 BR, 3 BA single-family detached — 2,600 sq. ft. Listed: $1,100,000
Noteworthy: Elevator, attached garage, many valuable updates
Light filled 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom mid-Century rambler with rare garage and even more rare elevator in the Glebe, Dorothy Hamm, Yorktown school pyramid.
Recent updates: roof, gutters, ridge vent; HVAC, water heater; double pane windows; refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, and disposer, fresh exterior and interior paint.
Desirable details: vaulted ceiling in living room with wood beams, woodburning fireplaces in the living room and rec room; atrium doors from the dining room to the deck, patio and flat, fenced back yard; family room open to patio; wood floors on main level; tall windows in lower level rec room, kitchenette, and fourth bedroom; walk in closet or den off the lower level primary bedroom; renovated lower level bath.
Walk to parks, bikepath, running trail, Lee Heights Shops, bus or hearty walk to Ballston, near Washington, D.C., government, business, and military centers. A pristine home in an enviable location.
Address:4532 39th Street N. Neighborhood: Golf Club Manor Type: 6 BR, 6 (+1 half) BA single-family detached — 6,653 sq. ft. Listed: $3,287,000
Noteworthy: California Modern New Construction Home For Sale in Arlington!
The stunning Cali model by Classic Cottages in Golf Club Manor offers a perfect blend of style, comfort, and convenience. With its spacious layout, modern amenities, and desirable location, this home is an ideal choice.
Situated in the highly sought-after Golf Club Manor, this home is conveniently located near major highways and provides easy access to Washington, D.C. The house boasts a contemporary design with clean lines, 10′ ceilings on the main level, large windows, and an abundance of natural light. The exterior features a combination of brick and Hardie siding, adding to its curb appeal. The home offers generous living spaces throughout, including a bright and welcoming great room with a fireplace, an elegant formal dining room, and a cozy screened porch, perfect for gathering with friends and family.
The kitchen is a chef’s delight, featuring BlueStar stainless steel appliances, ample cabinet space, a large center island, and quartz countertops. The Butler’s Pantry includes an ice machine and wine cooler to make entertaining a breeze. The property boasts 6 bedrooms, each designed with comfort and relaxation in mind. The primary suite is a private retreat, complete with a balcony to enjoy your morning coffee, spacious custom walk-in closets and a luxurious bathroom.
The home also features a two-car garage, laundry room, ample storage space, and finished basement with a recreation room, media room, home gym and wet bar with 80 bottle wine cooler.
This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
You heard me right: BizLaunch has a new trick up its sleeves for 2024 to help small businesses access capital. This year, BizLaunch has brought back the widely successful BizLaunch Bootcamp with an exciting new twist.
The BizLaunch Bootcamp is an intense entrepreneurship training — think of it as an MBA in two days. On January 25-26, attendees will learn everything about business — how to grow, scale, make a pitch, finance, communicate your why and so much more! The curated curriculum designed by Revby provides practical knowledge for any business owner to thrive in 2024.
That’s great. Now, what’s this about a cash prize? We’re glad you asked! After the Bootcamp on March 15, attendees will be eligible to participate in a business pitch competition to win a grand cash prize. Since launching registration in December, we’ve raised over $2,000 for the grand cash prize, with much more room to grow.
After the Bootcamp, get your business pitch presentation signed off by a SCORE mentor or BizLaunch counselor, and you will be eligible to participate in the March 15 Pitch Event at Amazon’s HQ2.
BizLaunch is excited to partner with Revby, an expert at providing business coaching and consulting services, on this fantastic program to make it even better. In addition to SCORE’s support in mentoring clients, BizLaunch is also working with two local friends of small businesses, such as the Arlington Community Federal Credit Union and the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif.) Both organizations have great financing programs for companies looking for capital to start or expand. Check them out — you’ll thank us later.
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.
As of January 8, there are 98 detached homes, 23 townhouses and 119 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 12 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:
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.
With Washington, D.C. being the host of World Pride 2025 and with 9% of the D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia area identifying somewhere on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, it is so exciting to be welcoming a brand new group therapy practice specifically aimed at serving clients within the LGBTQIA+ population, their families, and allies with skilled therapists who have similar lived experiences.
The LGBT Counseling Collaborative is located in the Cherrydale neighborhood of North Arlington and is a group of queer-identifying therapists who have expert training in working with the queer population and adjacent populations.
They even have:
A therapy dog on site
Ongoing in-person and virtual group therapies
Sliding scale benefits and insurance reimbursement
Free parking and next to Lee Heights Shops
And virtual telehealth services
They offer a wide range of counseling services, including individual counseling, group counseling, couples and partner relationship counseling, adolescent counseling, non-faith based premarital counseling, sex therapy, trauma informed care, perinatal mental health care for birthing persons, gender affirming care, religious trauma deconstruction or recovery, and more.
Schedule an appointment to get started today! Call 703-239-3469 or email [email protected], or book a free consultation on their website.
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 Eli Residential channel. Enjoy!
It’s always fun taking a look back at the most expensive homes sold in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region each year (see 2022, 2021, and 2020) so let’s jump right into some amazing real estate that changed hands in 2023 (Note: this includes what is entered into the MLS, it’s certainly possible (likely) that expensive homes have traded hands privately outside of the MLS).
2023 was a slow year in real estate and the did not spare the ultra-high-end market with a disappointing year for mega sales compared to previous years. The most expensive home sold in 2023 was a $17.3M home owned by the Royal Swedish Government and home to the Swedish Ambassador. The home itself leaves something to be desired for the “food porn” fans, but the 6.7 acres in American University Park is enviable.
Listed by Cara Pearlman, Compass (3900 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC)
Despite its high average cost, Arlington doesn’t have much of an ultra-high-end market like many of its neighboring jurisdictions with just three sales over $4M, topping out at $4.25M for a beautiful new build on nearly ½ acre by Joy Custom Homes in the Dover Crystal neighborhood.
Listed by Lisa Joy, McEnearney Associates (2545 N Ridgeview Rd, Arlington, VA)
McLean’s prestigious Langley Farms neighbor claims the top two sales in Virginia this year, with sales of $13.25M and $10.8M in 2023. The top sale earns the new homeowner a home spanning nearly 14,000 SqFt on just under two acres of land.
Listed by Piper Yerks, Washington Fine Properties (1163 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA)
Integrative Performance, a modern fitness center specializing in training, nutrition and testing, has opened a brand new, state of the art facility in Ballston!
With a 5 Star Google and Yelp rating, our welcoming client and coach only studio offers the best space, coaches, equipment, and tech to help all people excel, from high school to seniors, absolute beginners to professional athletes! No crowds or memberships.
We offer private and small group training, nutrition coaching, and several health and fitness tests including America’s first wireless VO2 max and heart rate zone tests, medical body composition scans, metabolic testing, and our signature 360 evaluation.
Take advantage of our Grand Opening Specials including:
FREE body composition scan
25% OFF our popular VO2 Max and Heart Rate zone tests
20% OFF any initial training package
20% OFF Invigorate or Accelerate Programs
Our team of certified personal trainers, nutritionists, a functional health coach, and Doctor of Physical Therapy collectively hold over 35 certifications and specializations. No matter what your goals are, we have someone to help you achieve them!
Not sure where to start? Our Invigorate or Accelerate program may be perfect for you! After working with hundreds of clients over the years we created two efficient plans to holistically improve diet, movement and lifestyle. Programs include our signature 360 evaluation, personal training sessions, regular check-ins with your nutritionist and health coach, and more.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Integrative Performance is located at 4141 N. Henderson Rd Suite 6, Arlington, VA 22203. Contact them at 703-945-8834 or [email protected].
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 John V. Berry, Esq
Our lawyers defend government contractors (private employees that work for government contractors) in debarment cases before federal agencies like the Department of Defense and others.
What is a Debarment?
Debarments are government actions taken against government contractors related to conduct. It is the government’s duty to protect itself from alleged fraud, waste, and abuse by ensuring that it avoids doing business with non-responsible contractors. Debarments can last a period of years. Suspensions result in temporary contractor ineligibility to work on government contracts. Suspensions and debarments are not for the purpose of punishing a government contractor but to protect the public.
Effect of Debarments and Suspensions
Debarments and suspensions have a major impact on individual government contractors. These can include removal from a government contract (and potential termination from employment) and potential security clearance issues. Government contractors that are debarred or suspended are not eligible to work on government contracts, unless a compelling reason exists, which can be a very high bar to meet. The government takes a straightforward approach to debarment cases and provides a fair appeals process.
Typical Reasons for Debarment (of Suspension of Eligibility)
The most common reasons for debarment or suspension include:
Criminal Convictions or Pending Charges
Civil Judgments and/or Liens
Evidence of Crimes
Specific Misconduct (e.g. time and attendance mischarging)
Debarment/Suspension Process
At the start of the disbarment process, the government will issue a show cause letter requiring a government contractor to demonstrate why they should not be suspended or debarred. These proceedings are completed relatively quickly, and individual government contractors must respond in order to avoid a negative outcome.
The government will generally provide a show cause letter to the individual and an initial chance to respond to the allegations, along with a memorandum in support of the proposed debarment. If the case proceeds, the individual contractor will have to respond to a notice of proposed debarment from the government.
Responding to Debarments
In responding to a notice of proposed debarment, it is important to fully address all allegations of misconduct or impropriety, and hire a debarment lawyer to assist them. We often find it helpful to submit letters of support on behalf of the individual, awards, commendations and other materials which demonstrate the character and integrity of the individual.
Additionally, cooperation in related investigations, completion of ethics training in a relevant area, acceptance of responsibility and other mitigating arguments should be made to the Debarring Official. These may help to convince the government that debarment is not needed or that mitigation to some other penalty is appropriate.
Following the response period, a decision will be rendered by the Debarring Official. They can uphold, mitigate, or terminate the debarment. Further, if a negative finding is upheld, there is sometimes the ability to seek reconsideration of a negative debarment finding. The process can involve contacting the Debarring Official with new or other evidence and seeking to reduce the debarment.
It is important to have legal representation in this process. If a negative finding is reached, leaving the person debarred from government contracts, that finding will be placed in the debarment database, known as the System for Award Management (SAM).
Contact Us
If you are in need of legal representation in a proposed debarment or debarment appeal please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation.
This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Doran Shemin, Esq., Janice Chen, Esq., and Austen Soare, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.
We’ve previously addressed how to apply for a green card, and how it can take a very long time to get one. Most people permanently immigrate to the United States in one of two ways. The first way is by having a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder) relative. The second way is through a U.S. employer seeking to hire a foreign national.
For many people, getting a green card is a “hurry up and wait” situation. Why does it take so long? In this article, we’re here to explain why.
Justin Bieber has a shorter wait time for a green card than you do. The law really is silly sometimes.
In the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Congress created various categories of green cards for both family and employment green card cases. This classification system lives on, with modifications, to this day. In family cases, the categories are broken down by the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident’s familial relationship with the immigrant. In employment cases, the categories are broken down by employment type or qualifications required for the job.
In the family context, there are four categories: (1) unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens; (2) spouses and unmarried children (both adults and minors) of lawful permanent residents; (3) married adult children of U.S. citizens; and (4) siblings of U.S. citizens.
In the employment context, there are five categories: (1) priority workers who are of extraordinary ability, a.k.a. geniuses or movie stars; (2) members of a profession holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability; (3) skilled workers, professionals, and other workers; (4) special immigrants, which includes religious workers, juveniles who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by one or both parents, and international organization retirees; and finally (5) investors.
In both family and employment cases, there are only a certain number of visas available in each category every fiscal year. On top of that, those visas are further allocated depending on the immigrant’s country of birth. The countries are broken down as follows: (1) mainland-born Chinese (including Hong Kong); (2) India; (3) Mexico; (4) Philippines; and (5) all other countries.
Because Congress has not increased the number of visas available in any given category over 30 years, there is a horrendous backlog for both family and employment-based cases. Sometimes we hear that people should just “wait in line” to immigrate. But how long is the wait, exactly?
The wait time depends on your so-called “priority date.” When either an employment or family petition is filed on behalf of an immigrant, the immigrant receives a priority date. That is the date that the U.S. government received the petition or other relevant documents in that person’s case. The priority date saves the immigrant’s place in the line for a green card.
Once armed with the priority date, we can look at the Visa Bulletin. The Department of State issues the visa bulletin every month to advise prospective immigrants about where they are “in the line” for green cards in any given category. The visa bulletin is broken down into two charts: the dates for filing chart and the final action dates chart.
The dates for filing chart tells us when an immigrant can submit her green card application and accompanying documents. The visa bulletin must list a date that is the same or later than the immigrant’s priority date for the immigrant to be eligible to submit her application. The final action dates chart tells us which immigrants are actually eligible to have their application adjudicated and/or be issued a green card. Again, the priority date has to be the same or later than the immigrant’s priority date.
Let’s illustrate with an example using the January 2024 visa bulletin. Mary was born in the Philippines. She is 30 years of age and unmarried. Her mother is a lawful permanent resident. Mary’s mother filed a family petition on Mary’s behalf on September 18, 2019. Therefore, Mary’s priority date is September 18, 2019. Because Mary is the adult unmarried child of a permanent resident, she is waiting in line in the family-based second preference category, or F2B.
As of January 2024, only adult unmarried children of permanent residents who were born in the Philippines can file for their green card if their priority date is August 1, 2004 or earlier. Also, the Department of State is only adjudicating applications for people whose priority date is October 3, 2003 or earlier.
Therefore, Mary needs to wait approximately 16 years before she will even be eligible to file her green card application with the Department of State.
Let’s also give an employment-based example. Justin Bieber, who was born in Canada, filed an employment-based petition as an international pop star and requested a green card under the employment-based first category. He filed on March 21, 2023.
Great news, Beliebers! According to the January 2024 dates for filing chart, Justin can file his application now because the Department of State is “current,” or up-to-date, with first-preference cases for people who were born anywhere other than China, India, Mexico or the Philippines. The Department of State is also current when it comes to adjudications.
An important note for our readers: the above dates for filing/final action dates explanation is applicable to cases for immigrants who are applying for their green cards abroad at a U.S. embassy or consulate. If the immigrant is already in the United States, she should look and see which chart U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is using each month so that she files her application at the appropriate time.
As always, we welcome your comments and will do our best to respond.
