Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

Arlington’s blistering heat wave this week hasn’t slowed down the real estate market.

Buyers and sellers performed more like the cool days of spring with 56 ratified contracts and 61 new listings. So far, the spring market keeps plowing right through the summer. Of those 56 sales, 26 of those homes were gone within a week.

The lack of inventory is still a big problem. There is now only 1.1 months of inventory, a slight improvement from two weeks ago when it dipped to 0.9 months. A market is considered in balance when there’s 5.5 months of inventory.

Homeowners in North Arlington should be happy (unless you’re on a fixed income). The average price of a detached home last month was up 10.2% compared to June of 2018. That increases an owner’s equity, but it also increases an owner’s property tax. Not good if you’re living on a pension.

Mortgage rates have finally started to move. In just the last week, rates have gone from 3.875% for a 30-yr fixed rate with no points to 4%. The financial markets are anticipating that the Federal Reserve will cut its bank rate by the end of the month to help stimulate what the Fed sees as a slowing U.S. economy.

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


Address: 2546 23rd Road N.
Neighborhood: Woodmont
Listed: $1,425,000
Open: Saturday, July 20 from 12-2 p.m. and Sunday, July 21 from 1-4 p.m.

You’ll look forward to spending time in the serene and private setting of this lovely home in the sought-after Woodmont neighborhood.

Situated on a 10,000 square foot lot on a cul-de-sac within steps of the Fort CF Smith parkland and only one light to D.C., you’ll appreciate the proximity to the GW Parkway, Georgetown, Amazon’s HQ2 and so much more.

This is a distinctive home with over 4,400 square feet of living space. On the main level there is a living and dining room, powder room, kitchen with beautiful blue eco-friendly “ice stone” countertops, family room with wood burning fireplace, and sliding doors leading out to the deck from both the family room and the breakfast area.

An oversized mud room/laundry room and main floor bedroom/home office with outside entrance complete the main level. On the second floor you’ll find the exceptionally large master bedroom with walk-in closet and en-suite bath, 3 additional bedrooms and another full bath.

The lower level is like having another home within the home, making it a fantastic retreat for guests, in-laws or the au pair. On this lower level you’ll also find two more bedrooms, a full bath, and a bonus room with walk-in closet and another full bath. Nine-foot ceilings add to the sense of spaciousness, and double sliding doors in the recreation room open up to a convenient deck. The additional refrigerator, dishwasher and sink on this lower level are ultra-convenient when entertaining or gathering with friends!

You’ll love coming home to 2546 23rd Road N. in Arlington!

Listed by:
Donna Hamaker
Buck & Associates
703.582.7779
[email protected]
www.DonnaHamaker.com
www.OneLightToDC.com


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, Mike Madigan chats with Ryan Maghan from MVB Mortgage. Ryan Maghan gives a brief update on how the real estate market has looked in July.

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!


Address: 3430 N. Randolph Street
Neighborhood: Broyhill Forest
Listed: $2,274,900
Open: Sunday, July 21 from 1-3 p.m.

To say this home has it all is not at all unrealistic when you consider the spacious 6,875 finished sq. ft. which encompasses 6 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, home office, living room, dining room, great room/sunroom with 2-sided fireplace, kitchen with breakfast nook, wet bar, pantry, mudroom and full lower level entertainment room with wet bar and exercise room.

However, it may be this home’s dark-cladded wall of windows at the back of the main level that is its most impressive feature (not to mention the fantastic view into the beautiful backyard).

Neutral interiors allow for endless possibilities when it comes to adding one’s personal touch later through furnishings and décor, and yet, neutrals are anything but boring to begin with. Playful greyscale schematics are carried out throughout the home from rich espresso cabinetry and bright white countertops to gray and white tile bath patterns. The juxtaposition of warm wood and cool marble tones throughout the home is both striking and refreshing.

This home is truly one-of-a-kind. Join us Sunday, July 21 from 1-3 p.m. for an open house event featuring this gorgeous home by local Arlington builder Classic Cottages.

Schools: Jamestown Elementary School, Williamsburg Middle School and Yorktown High School.

Listed by:
Michelle Lynch
Classic Cottages Realty LLC
433 E Monroe Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
Phone: 571-366-3324
[email protected]
www.ccottages.com


Listing Prices Around HQ2 Skyrocket — “From June 2018 to June 2019, the median asking price for a single-family home in Zip code 22202, home to Amazon’s planned Northern Virginia headquarters, skyrocketed a whopping 99.9 percent–essentially doubling over that period–according to a new report from listings service Bright MLS.” [Curbed, Bloomberg]

Board OKs Child Care Parking Changes — “The Arlington County Board today voted to reduce the parking requirements for child care centers, in keeping with the County’s Child Care Initiative to promote the expansion of accessible, available, high-quality child care throughout the County.” [Arlington County]

New Pizzeria Open on Lee HighwayChicago’s Pizza With A Twist opened a couple of weeks ago on Lee Highway, next to Maya Bistro. The Indian-Italian fusion restaurant serves unique dishes like a chicken tikka masala pizza. [Instagram]

New Pike Bus Stops Approved — “The Arlington County Board today approved a $1.6 million contract with Sagres Construction Corporation to build the first four of 23 transit stations planned for Columbia Pike. Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed by fall 2020.” [Arlington County]

Arlington GOP Sitting Out County Races — “For the most part, Arlington Republicans will be sitting out the November general election – the party did not field candidates for the County Board, School Board and most legislative races on the ballot, although there are several non-Democrats who are running that might attract GOP support.” [InsideNova]

Swanson Middle School Teacher Honored — “Congratulations to @SwansonAdmirals teacher Mary Beth Donnelly who was named the 2019 Virginia History Teacher of the Year.” [Twitter]

Injured D.C. Fire K-9 Stops GW Parkway Traffic Updated at 9 a.m. — “Traffic stopped on the George Washington Parkway near Reagan National Airport Tuesday afternoon so a medevac helicopter could land, but the patient wasn’t human — it was a very special dog. The 6-year-old German shepherd named Kylie works for D.C. Fire and EMS as a cadaver dog… [she] seriously hurt one of her hind legs while helping another law enforcement agency conduct a search.” [WTOP]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Allen


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

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

Things are heating up, folks!

We’re going to be hovering around that 100-degree mark come the end of the week. It’s not going to be very comfortable… to say the least.

But, guess what? One-hundred-degree temps or not, you can be very comfortable here in Arlington County when it comes to your home. One of the beautiful things about our community (among many!) is the diversity of our living options.

From quaint colonial homes to contemporary townhomes to modern condos with panoramic city views, we really do have it all. And, even amid a booming market, there are still bargains to be had out there, whether you’re looking to buy or rent.

When you’re ready to embark on your real estate search, our team is ready to help you GET MORE out of your transaction!

As of July 15, there are 148 detached homes, 18 townhouses and 101 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 25 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week:

Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Aaron Seekford.


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 did the Opportunity Zone designation in the Nauck neighborhood come to fruition and what is the expected impact on the neighborhood?

Answer: Last year the U.S. Treasury, with the help of each state, began designating underdeveloped or “economically-distressed” communities as Opportunity Zones (OZ) to encourage residential and commercial development by offering investors preferred tax treatment. There are currently over 8,000 designated OZs around the country and 212 in Virginia.

Arlington’s Opportunity Zones

It may come as a surprise that there were two areas in Arlington that received OZ designations by the Governor/Treasury — Nauck-Shirlington Road and Barcroft-Columbia Pike. Both are located in the area bounded by Columbia Pike to the north, 395 and S. Four Mile Run (link to map and details).

Note: Although the zone is called Barcroft-Columbia Pike, part of it is actually Douglas Park and the rest is an area that I don’t think belongs to either the Barcroft or Douglas Park Civic Associations, but the apartment buildings there do take the Barcroft name.

On a national scale, I don’t think anybody would argue that these neighborhoods are economically-distressed, but within Arlington these designations should help stimulate or expedite development from South to North and West to East instead of the other way around. Both of these areas also have detailed planning documents in place to guide investors.

How Do Opportunity Zones Work?

OZs are a bit outside of my purview because they require commercial development and tax expertise, but the general idea is that investors will put money into Qualified Opportunity Funds and deploy capital to one or more projects in Opportunities Zones around the country in return for preferred tax treatment on their gains. The theme behind the OZs is encouraging long-term, sustained investment from these funds by incentivizing investments of 10+ years.

(more…)


Welcome to New Homes, a biweekly column highlighting the new construction real estate market, written by Conor Sullivan and Dave Moya of Three Stones Residential at Keller Williams Realty. We are here to share our experience and expertise in lot acquisition, financing and construction of custom homes. 

First, we need to understand who the top builders and influencers are that are reshaping our communities…

Deconstruction vs Demolition

What is the difference between Deconstruction and Demolition?

When a home is demolished the waste is simply torn down and then hauled away to a dump. Deconstruction is when a certified company takes apart the home carefully and attempts to reuse or recycle every part of the home possible.

What are the main benefits of Deconstruction vs Demolition?

  • Reduce the environmental impact of the demolition process and reduce the carbon footprint of your new home
  • Significant tax benefits in the legal write offs allowed by the federal and state governments
  • Mentoring and on-site training by licensed general contractors for non-profit organizations for individuals seeking employment in the construction field who often don’t have access or intro level opportunities

How much of a tax benefit do I receive through the deconstruction process?

There are upfront costs associated with deconstruction that aren’t applicable in a simple demolition, however, the tax benefits can be upwards of $50,000 dollars for a 2000 sq. ft. home (based off of a 38-40% tax bracket).

While it may cost $25,000 to deconstruct, if you save $50,000 on your taxes your net is approximately $25,000 in savings overall. This doesn’t include the positive environmental and social benefits either!

If you have any questions about deconstruction and some local companies that work within this field please email us at [email protected].

Here are some new homes now on the market in Arlington:

Want to learn more about financing a New Home build? McLean Mortgage (NMLS ID: 99665) can handle all of your construction financing needs. You can build your new home with as little as 5% down. Contact construction loan expert Troy Toureau (NMLS ID: 5618) at 301-440-4261 or AnyHomeLoans.com to learn 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:

2231 N. Vermont Street
5 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Mcenearney Associates
Listed: $1,899,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

6406 Washington Boulevard
4 BD/3 BA single-family home
Agent:Weichert Realtors
Listed: $1,049,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1336 S. Rolfe Street
3 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Washington Fine Properties, Llc
Listed: $899,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

 

3025 Military Road
3 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed: $780,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

3409 Wilson Boulevard #211
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Redfin Corporation
Listed: $649,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

888 N. Quincy Street #210
1 BD/1 BA condo
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $525,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

2606-D S. Arlington Mill Drive #4
2 BD/1 BA condo
Agent: Century 21 Millennium
Listed: $405,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.


Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

Arlington’s real estate market has finally slid into standard summer mode with only 49 new listings and only 32 ratified contracts.

The market typically drops significantly after July 4th and picks up again full steam after Labor Day in early September. People tend to travel or spend time at the beach with family and friends in July and August.

The big story for homeowners this week is the massive flooding in Arlington from that torrential rainstorm Monday morning that dropped 3.5-4.5 inches of water in just two hours. Roads were closed, streams overflowed their banks and hundreds of basements flooded big time. The storm was said to be a freak 100-yr event, but with climate change I think we can expect to see more such powerful storms.

What can a homeowner do to protect their basements from flooding, especially when the homeowner is traveling?

I have a brilliant new discovery to share, and some ageless sage advice:

  • Keep your gutters clean and downspout extensions at least 3-4 ft from house.
  • Keep your drains outside basement doors clear of debris, and make sure drains are not clogged.
  • Test your sump pump once a month. Activate the float switch to ensure all is working properly.
  • Make sure the soil around the exterior of the house is graded away from the house at the foundation wall.
  • Add a backup sump pump in your sump crock. Typically plumbers will install a battery powered pump that only comes on when the primary pump fails due to power outage. But wait, there’s a new backup pump system…

Install a water-powered backup sump pump in your sump crock. This is a brilliant new product that does not rely on electric power either from a battery or your home’s power grid.

It works from the water pressure in your home, which remains constant even when your power goes out in a big storm.

We installed one in the basement of our new home, and within two months it saved our basement from flooding and costing $30,000 in renovation. The pump costs just a few hundred dollars to be installed. It connects to your home’s cold water supply.

When its float valve is activated, it allows the full pressure of your home to pull out the water in the sump based on the Venturi principle of creating low pressure. It worked beautifully and saved our basement. For every gallon of water used, it pulls two gallons of water from the sump. And it can keep doing that forever until power is restored.

I predict battery backup sump pumps are headed quickly for extinction.

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


Address: 1300 4th Street, SE, Unit #802
Neighborhood: Navy Yard
Listed: $424,900 for Unit #802
Open: Sunday 1-3:30 p.m.

Own a piece of D.C.’s most exciting neighborhood at The Bower.

With only 19 remaining units including two studios, now is your chance to call The Yards home. Explore studio residence 802 featuring Bosch appliances, floor-to-ceiling windows, hickory hardwood and Mecho shades. This unique layout includes a separate bedroom alcove complete with a closet outfitted with ELFA-shelving.

Discover the world of possibilities living at The Bower. From a spacious rooftop terrace to inviting community spaces including a residents’ lounge and fitness studio.

Schedule a tour of unit 802 today or stop by the open house this Sunday, July 14 from 1-3:30 p.m.

Listed by:
PN Hoffman Realty
202-869-5233
thebowerdc.com


View More Stories