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.

What’s going to happen to the real estate world after the 2020 COVID-19 crisis? We all wish we had that magical crystal ball.

But, according to a recent Forbes report that assesses the global landscape, we’re poised to see short-term declines followed by a “strong housing market recovery.”

The piece sites an extensive research study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the University of Granada, with the late 90s and 2007 stock market declines as examples. Immediately following these corrections, interest rates remained low and various forms of stimulus and government support were rolled out.

We’re experiencing much of that same climate here in 2020.

A global assessment aside, it’s always important to understand the local factors and truly examine any unique purchase or selling scenario. When you’re ready to dive in, the team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to help you navigate these wild times.

Until then, here are this week’s Just Reduced figures.

As of May 25, there are 162 detached homes, 30 townhouses and 109 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 24 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 Arlington Realty, Inc.


Address: 900 N. Frederick Street
Neighborhood: Ballston/Bluemont
Listed: $1,099,000
Open: By appointment

Stunning $200K transformation in 2018 from top to bottom, inside and out. Perched atop a hill overlooking the neighborhood and Ballston skyline, at the end of a cul-de-sac, this sunny, modern farmhouse is 1/2 a mile from Ballston and so walkable.

Enjoy the beautiful summer days on your front porch or private back patio. No detail was spared in this charmer, standing tall since before WW1. The inside transformation brims with modern touches and historic character, including original refurbished heart of pine flooring. The kitchen is made for cooking and hosting: gas range, farmhouse sink, granite island, subway tile to ceiling, top of the line stainless appliances, plentiful solid wood cabinets. Open concept abounds; spacious family room with fireplace open into living room. Full sized dining room, open to kitchen with French doors.

The back has a heated tile floor mud/laundry room with access from back yard and true 2 car garage — a rarity in Arlington. All bathrooms are new, with black & white accents in true farmhouse chic fashion. 3 beds up, and the master has a killer walk in closet, dual vanities, separate soaker tub and shower. The unique configuration gives two additional showers/tubs sinks.

The basement is a great flex space for gym, home office, play or rec room, storage plus a walk out door also. Bonus: the sellers have plans for finished attic too — structural and electrical done during renovation!

Listed by:
Coral Gundlach
Compass
703-200-3631
[email protected]
www.sellwithcoral.com


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’m prepared to make a strong offer in Arlington’s hyper-competitive market, but I can’t even find a house to make an offer on! Why is every home on the market either old and too small or new and too big??

Answer: While debates about Missing Middle and tear-downs continue, I thought it would be helpful to look at why Arlington is such a difficult place for most families to find good housing options. Most of Arlington’s single-family housing problems stem from when the majority of homes were built — before 1960 and within the last decade. Only 17.8 % of single-family homes sold since 2016 were built between 1960 and 2009!

Too Old, Too New

According to Arlington’s 2019 Profile, there were 28,500 single family detached homes in the County and according to public records, ~80% of those homes were built prior to 1960 or since 2010. Why is that a problem?

Many homes built prior to 1960 are functionally obsolete for most families (“the reduction of an object’s usefulness or desirability because of an outdated design feature that cannot be easily changed”) and homes built since 2010 have an average price of nearly $1.8M over the last 18 months.

Most homes built in Arlington in the 1940s and 1950s (with the original footprint) are plagued by 2-3 small bedrooms with small reach-in closets sharing one small bathroom, small enclosed kitchens, and small basements with low ceilings. They also lack the openness desired by most families in today’s market. Unfortunately, there’s very little one can do to bring these older homes up to today’s standards without extensive/expensive remodeling and/or expansion.

The economics of building a new home in the last decade doesn’t support the construction of a more modest homes (3,000-4,500 sq. ft.) so most new homes are built with 5,000-6,000+ square feet and are priced well above most budgets.

Just Right

It wasn’t until the 1980s and 1990s that Arlington homes were consistently built with designs more suited to today’s buyer including things like attached garages, master suites and combination kitchen/dining spaces. While these 1980s-1990s designs may not be perfect, it makes for more reasonable compromises at prices many more Arlington families can afford.

Unfortunately, over the last four years, there have been fewer single-family homes for sale that were built during the 1980s and 1990s (4.3% combined) than any other decade until the 1910s.

Housing Changes Over Time

I put together some charts to highlight how home sizes have changed through each decade as well as how the average cost of a home changes by the decade it was built. These charts are based on Arlington single-family detached sales since 2016.

Note: Older homes that have been remodeled/expanded and sold are included in this data so the average size, bedroom and bathroom count for older homes is higher than what you would expect from the original designs. Most pre-1960 homes were built with three bedrooms, one bathroom and under 2,000 sq. ft.

Note: Total finished square footage includes any finished basement space.

(more…)


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:

4101 N. Richmond Street
5 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Tradition Realty, Inc
Listed: $2,399,000
Open: Virtual Tour/Saturday 12-2 p.m.

 

4856 33rd Road N.
5 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: McEnearney Associates, Inc
Listed: $1,749,000
Open: Virtual Tour

 

6431 28th Street N.
5 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: McEnearney Associates, Inc
Listed: $1,375,000
Open: Virtual Tour

 

5012 22nd Street N.
4 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $1,050,000
Open: Virtual Tour/Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1702 S. Edgewood Street
3 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath villa/townhouse
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $699,900
Open: Virtual Tour/Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

3957 S. 9th Street
2 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Fairfax Realty Select
Listed: $479,900
Open: Sunday 1-5 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.

This week’s numbers don’t look like coronavirus numbers! Arlingtonian’s put 68 properties online this week — all of the buyers will be out in force this weekend trying to snatch them up.

Showings are way up in Arlington over the past couple weeks — I mentioned in late March and early April that we had seen a solid decline, but agents are reporting going on multiple tours per week. Additionally, many homes that sold this past week after less than 7 days on market received close to 20 showings in their first 3-4 days!

The higher price points in Arlington are also moving aggressively, with some builders pre-selling $2.4m homes before the old home is even torn down — talk about consumer confidence…

The Andors Real Estate Group is proud to have JUST LISTED 2320 N. Florida Street, Arlington, VA 22207 — $925,000. This stunning, expanded all-brick Arlington colonial is move-in ready with 3 beds, 2.5 baths and a stunning landscaped and hardscaped backyard. Featuring a unique upstairs family room leading to a rear facing balcony, you won’t want to miss this home!

There are currently 256 homes for sale in Arlington. 137 are detached homes, 25 are townhouses/semi-detached, and 94 are condos. Average days on market (DOM) is 57 and median DOM is 34.

Sellers listed some 68 properties for sale this week. Buyers ratified 63 contracts, 31 of which were homes that had been on the market one week or less. The median list price of available properties is $1,084,500, while the average is $1,185,375.

Last year for the same week, sellers listed 68 homes and buyers ratified 73 contracts. This is the closest we’ve been since the coronavirus outbreak took hold in Northern Virginia to last year’s numbers for the same week.

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. Call the Andors Real Estate Group today at (703) 203-1117 to talk more about buying or selling Arlington real estate. Below are eight homes that are new this week that I think you might like to check out.


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.

We’re coming up on one of the most important days of the year: Memorial Day.

In case the online sales ads or the (likely) day off of work hasn’t caught your attention just yet, it is this Monday, May 25. Memorial Day is and should be about much more than just a day off. It’s a day to remember and thank the selfless souls that gave their lives fighting for our country.

To our military heroes that are no longer with us and their families, our endless gratitude and hearts go out to you today… and every day for that matter.

We live in a military region and, among the clients we’ve served throughout the decades, it’s been nothing but a pleasure assisting our military families. If and when we can help, we’re here for you, just as you have been here for us.

From the team at Arlington Realty, Inc., we hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day holiday.

As of May 18, there are 157 detached homes, 34 townhouses and 104 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 20 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 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. Enjoy!

Question: How many real estate agents conducted business in Arlington last year?

Answer: There were 2,782 real estate transactions in Arlington that were recorded in the MLS in 2019, totaling $1.96B in sales volume. So how many different real estate agents do you think were involved in those transactions?

…2,217!

Now keep in mind that there’s usually two agents on each side of a deal, but that’s still a ton of agents involved within a relatively small (26 square mile) community. Below are some interesting takeaways:

  • 59.4% (1,316) of agents did one transaction in Arlington and just .6% (14) agents handled 20 or more transactions
  • 1,496 different agents represented Arlington buyers with 1.1% (17) of them representing 10 or more buyers
  • 1,258 different agents represented Arlington homeowners on the sale of their home with 2.1% (26) representing 10 or more homeowners
  • Of agents who conducted two or more transactions in Arlington, the average agent conducted 4.5 transactions in Arlington
  • Keri Shull and her team once again lead Arlington in total transactions and volume by a wide margin, representing 119 buyers and 76 homeowners/builders, for a total of just over $133M in total volume
  • Other than Keri Shull’s team, no other agent/team represented more than 1% of the buyer or seller market in Arlington

Most studies suggest that consumers are less concerned with measures like sales volume and more focused on the strength of communication and trustworthiness of the agent they’re working with, but market expertise and experience are still important factors for most people.

While some may see the low barrier to entry to real estate licensing and high volume of agents as a negative, it also means that you have a lot of choices as a consumer and, with some effort, can make sure that you’re working with somebody who provides the type and style of service you’re looking for.

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 RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. #10C Arlington, VA 22203, (703) 390-9460.


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:

6537 36th Street N.
5 BD/5 BA, 2 half bath single-family home
Agent: McEnearney Associates, Inc
Listed: $1,995,000
Open: Sunday 2-3 p.m.

 

4925 Old Dominion Drive
6 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $1,600,00
Open: Virtual Tour/Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

4004 9th Street S.
4 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $1,149,000
Open: Virtual Tour/Saturday 1-4 p.m.

 

890 N. Jackson Street
3 BD/3 BA villa/townhome
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $884,000
Open: Virtual Tour/Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

3409 Wilson Boulevard #504
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Compass
Listed: $699,000
Open: Virtual Tour

 

1320 N. Wayne Street
2 BD/1 BA condo
Agent: Century 21 Redwood Realty
Listed: $579,000
Open: Virtual Tour


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.

Buyers and sellers both did their parts this week; new listings and ratified contracts are up!

We’re still way behind the numbers from this time last year, but this is a healthy pace for Arlington. We’re hanging just above 1 month of inventory, still an extremely strong seller’s market.

About half of new homes in Arlington go under contract within the first week of marketing. Nearly 25% of the homes go under contract the second week. After that, the market has passed you by and days on market are extremely likely to continue accumulating without a substantial price reduction. The market is specifically interested in new properties.

While Northern Virginia is taking a delayed approach to resuming normal business practices in relation to COVID-19, that has not slowed house-hungry buyers. We may be right around the corner where inventory will start to drop again, as soon as Northern Virginia starts to lift restrictions. This will be an interesting and unprecedented thing to observe in the real estate market. I look forward to keeping you closely informed as to how we see that playing out in the coming weeks.

PICK OF THE WEEK — The Andors Real Estate Group is proud to have JUST LISTED 1211 20th Street S., Arlington, VA 22202 — $795,000. This is a bright, unique home nestled on an oversized 8,463 sq. ft. lot in a treehouse-type setting just off Arlington Ridge Road. It has abundant privacy with 1,510 sq. ft. of above grade space, including 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2 fireplaces, refinished hardwood floors, and plenty of room to expand!

There are currently 247 homes for sale in Arlington. 129 are detached homes, 35 are townhouses/semi-detached, and 83 are condos. Average days on market (DOM) is 57 and median DOM is 37. Average is down 1 day, median held steady from last week.

Sellers listed some 60 properties for sale this week — 18 more than last week! Buyers ratified 47 contracts, 28 of which were homes that had been on the market one week or less. The median list price of available properties is $996,500, while the average is $1,161,394.

Last year for the same week, sellers listed 82 homes and buyers ratified 86 contracts which was a record at that point into the year!

Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. Call the Andors Real Estate Group today at (703) 203-1117 to talk more about buying or selling Arlington real estate. Below are eight homes that are new this week that I think you might like to check out.


County Scaling Down Capital Improvement Plan — “As the County continues to experience the economic impacts of COVID-19, County Manager Mark Schwartz intends to present the Arlington County Board with a short-term proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) rather than the traditional 10-year plan.” [Arlington County]

Metro May Require Masks — “Metro riders may not see service fully restored until spring 2021, but the WMATA is now making plans to gradually get trains and buses running more frequently. News4’s Adam Tuss has learned that officials are considering requiring all riders to wear face masks on buses and trains and applying social distancing measures.” [NBC 4]

Real Estate Market Falters — “Home sales across the region took a tumble in April as the first impacts of COVID-19 were felt… The District of Columbia (down 31 percent) and Arlington (down 25 percent) were hardest hit, but all jurisdictions except the small city of Fairfax posted double-digit declines in closed sales.” [InsideNova]

APS Asks for Public Feedback on Data — “Beginning May 12, APS is inviting community members to review the data that will be used in the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Process. This review of data by Planning Unit — the geographic building blocks APS uses to establish school attendance zones — will help ensure that the final data reflects what you know about your neighborhood.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Swim Season Cancelled — “With the logistics to pull off the 2020 Northern Virginia Swimming League season proving too numerous and complicated in a COVID-19 world, officials have pulled the plug on summer competition.” [InsideNova]

Photo courtesy of Peter Golkin


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.

How will the COVID-19 pandemic permanently affect the real estate realm? The dust is certainly still settling, and a variety of folks are certainly weighing in.

According to Javier Vivas, Director of Economic Research with Realtor.com, he says that on a national level that “the near-term impact to real estate activity (next 3 to 6 months) comes as open houses on new and existing homes are being halted, shifted to virtual channels, or drastically reduced and set on an appointment-basis only.”

He adds, in terms of the mid-term impact (next 6 to 18 months), “there will be lower buyer and seller sentiment, sustained disruptions to new and existing supply and sales funnel, and further declines in affordability from job and income loss affecting consumers.”

Amid the shifting tide, there will certainly be opportunities. Different communities will certainly be experiencing different things, throughout our county, state and country.

During this time, it has never been more important to have a trusted local expert by your side to help assess your unique scenario. What we experience here in Arlington County may not apply to what’s happening even just miles away.

When you’re ready to dive in to an existing or prospective real estate move, the team at Arlington Realty Inc. is ready to advocate for you. In the meantime, here are the latest Just Reduced facts and stats.

As of May 11, there are 141 detached homes, 33 townhouses and 100 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 10 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 Arlington Realty, Inc.


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