real estate

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Amazon and Local Real Estate — “Amazon has yet to break ground in Northern Virginia for its second headquarters, but residents are already turning away persistent speculators, recalculating budgets for down payments on homes and fighting rent increases.” [New York Times]

Low Young Adult Home Ownership — “Arlington ties with Richmond for the lowest home-ownership rate among young adults in the commonwealth, according to a new analysis… only 16 percent of young adults living in Arlington were homeowners – perhaps not surprising given the cost of real estate in the county.” [InsideNova]

HQ2 Helps Va. Rank as Top State for Business — “CNBC has named Virginia America’s ‘Top State for Business’ in 2019. CNBC unveiled Virginia as the top state for business [Wednesday] morning during a live broadcast from Shenandoah River State Park, and Governor Northam was on location to discuss the announcement.” [CNBC, Gov. Ralph Northam, Twitter, Arlington Economic Development, Washington Business Journal]

Amazon Information Meeting — Officials from Amazon and Arlington County discussed the company’s HQ2 plan and its approval process at a public meeting near Shirlington last night. [Twitter]

More on 5G in Arlington — “Arlington is preparing its commercial corridors for the next generation of mobile broadband technology — 5G. The impact? Mobile download speeds for movies, video games, apps and more up to 100 times faster than today.” [Arlington County]

County Seeking Volunteers for Disaster Drill — “The County is seeking volunteers to participate in Capital Fortitude, a full-scale emergency exercise designed to evaluate the National Capital Region’s ability to dispense medication quickly in response to an anthrax attack. From 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 19, Arlington will join 24 jurisdictions around the region in hosting a Point of Dispensing (POD) exercise.” [Arlington County]

Flood-Damaged Road Reopening — “Update [on] July 10… Crews expect to have one lane of 18th St N between N Lexington St and N McKinley Road reopen to traffic this evening. Repairs to the other lane set for completion tomorrow. 20th St N at George Mason is [reopened] with minor repairs still pending.” [Twitter]

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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.

Spring cleaning gets all the love.

But, guess what? You can do a little summer cleaning, too. Before we all know it, these swampy temps will be a thing of the past and we’ll be on to cool fall temps and Old Man Winter.

So, before the leaves and temps change, here are a couple of quick tips for July:

  • Now is not the time to let the weeds grow wild. This is a year-round rule, but especially ahead of fall, you’re not going to want to rake through a jungle.
  • How are those gutters looking? Make sure to clear out all of your gutters. Heck, you might even find a leaf (or 100) that fell during fall of last year.
  • Change your air conditioning filter. You should be doing this every 90 days (every 60 days if you have a pet!), so there’s no time like the present.

With these tips, here’s to a happy and healthy July. And, when you’re ready to embark on your real estate journey (whether it’s this month or a few months down the line), our team is ready to help you GET MORE out of your transaction.

As of July 8, there are 145 detached homes, 10 townhouses and 90 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 12 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.

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:

2354 N. Quebec Street
5 BD/4 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Advantage Properties, Inc
Listed: $1,599,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

1117 S. Monroe Street
5 BD/3 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $1,125,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

6736 27th Street N.
4 BD/2BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed $924,900
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

2800 S. Arlington Ridge Road
4 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Arlington Realty, Inc
Listed: $785,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

2220 Fairfax Drive #607
2 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed: $655,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

2934 S. Columbus Street, A2
1 BD/2 BA condo
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $444,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

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 Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

Happy 5th of July! If you’re reading this, then you survived all the hoopla, fireworks and BBQs. Hope you had a great time!

Arlington’s real estate market today feels a lot like many of us… tired and just glad to be alive. It’s been a slow week with only 34 fresh new listings and 38 ratified contracts. Seems like everyone enjoyed their time off for the holiday.

Interest rates held steady at 3.875% for a 30-yr fixed rate. But this week lenders fees fluctuated significantly. When shopping for a loan, be sure to ask not only about the rate, but the points and various fees.

Also ask how long you can lock in your interest rate once you have a ratified contract, what’s the extra cost to extend a lock-in, and whether you can get a one-time drop down after locking in if interest rates go down before closing.

Buyers and sellers should also be aware of the increasing threat of cyber crime when wiring funds for closing. Don’t ever respond to instructions sent by email. Before wiring, always call your title company and confirm instructions by phone.

Cyber thieves can hack your emails, follow the traffic and persuasively mimic your agent or title company and give you instructions to wire funds to a different account, their account in some far off land. Be smart. Be careful. Verify before you wire.

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

Boring Title: Listen To Jordan Parker Talk About Selling Real Estate While Attending College

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, Mike Madigan sits down with Jordan Parker from the J. Parker Group of Berkshire Hathaway.

They chat about how Jordan got into real estate, how he is selling properties in the DMV while attending college in New York, and more.

If you have any questions for Jordan, you can reach him at [email protected].

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 Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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.

Happy birthday, America!

Tomorrow our great land turns 243 years-old and, living at the doorstep of our nation’s capital, we have awesome access to enjoy so many uber-patriotic things. Among those things: prime viewing spots for Fourth of July fireworks.

Among my personal favorite spots to check out the annual fireworks extravaganza are the Marine Corps War Memorial and the Air Force Memorial. Both of these Arlington spots are so unique to our area and pay tribute to those who made this 243rd birthday possible.

Pro-tip: If you plan to head to either spot, just make sure you plan your travel accordingly, as there will surely be road closures and traffic will be hectic.

Post-holiday, when you’re ready to explore everything that makes Arlington County a wonderful place to call home, our team is ready to help you GET MORE out of your real estate search. Until then, wishing you and you’re a safe and happy 4th!

As of July 1, there are 150 detached homes, 13 townhouses and 93 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 14 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.

Listing of the Day: 2226 N. Kensington Street

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/10

Address: 2226 N. Kensington Street
Neighborhood: Lee Lexington
Listed: $1,650,000
Open: Sunday, July 7 from 1-4 p.m.

Walk to Westover Village, Lee-Harrison Center, parks and bike trail from nearly new Spring Street Developer Craftsman home in the Nottingham, Swanson, Yorktown district.

Distinctive details include wood floors on two levels, extensive wainscotting and moldings, abundant Andersen low-E windows with custom window treatment, two zone heating and cooling, Kohler bathroom fixtures, consumer friendly Kitchen Aid appliances and day light walkout lower level.

Chef worthy kitchen with quartz countertops, center island, glass tile backsplash, six burner gas range plus separate wall oven. Coffered ceiling and gas fireplace in family room. Atrium doors to backyard with mature trees and shrubs. Kitchen, breakfast area and family room span back of home and offer something pretty to see from each of the windows.

Upstairs, the master suite has triple windows overlooking the yard, tray ceiling, two walk-in closets with organizers and a spa-style bath with separate soaking tub, large shower, double bowl vanity and separate wc. The second upstairs bedroom has both a walk-in closet with organizers and an ensuite bathroom. The third and fourth bedrooms share a bath with double bowl vanity and separate tub and toilet area.

The laundry room is also on this level. The lower level offers an expansive rec room with areas for media, play, sports and hobbies. French doors open to a gym (or second office) with rubberized flooring. The fifth bedroom and bathroom are on this level with additional storage.

Listed by:
Alyssa Cannon
Licensed in Virginia
McEnearney Associates
4720 Lee Highway
Arlington, Va 22207
703-585-8167
[email protected]
alyssacannon.com

Ask Eli: Banning Smoking in Condos

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: Do you have any updates to your previous columns about banning smoking in condos?

Answer: Banning smoking in condos is probably the most popular topic I’ve written about and it has given me visibility into how many communities have tried, are trying, or want to ban smoking in units and common areas.

Multiple Buildings Have Banned Smoking

As of 2019, only 12% of Arlingtonians smoke so it’s not surprising so many condo residents are interested in eliminating it from their buildings. Over the last few years, multiple condo buildings in Arlington have successfully amended their by-laws to ban smoking in units and on private balconies (common areas are relatively simple).

Hosting Info Session for Residents/Board Members

This fall, I’m organizing a meeting/info session for all interested condo communities (residents and/or Board members) to discuss strategies and lessons learned on banning smoking, misinformation surrounding smoking bans and other topics I’ve gotten questions on over the years.

We’ll have guests who were heavily involved in the smoking bans in their communities, including an attorney who led the charge in his building, and who has helped other communities get their process started.

Let Me Know If You’re Interested

If you’d like to be included, send me an email at [email protected] with your name, condo building, whether you’re a Board/Committee member or resident and if your building has already tried or currently trying to ban smoking.

I’m targeting a September meeting and hope to set a date and time by early August. Don’t worry, you won’t get signed up for a bunch of junk marketing emails from me if you reach out. :-)

I hope everybody has a great July 4th!

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 Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, (202) 518-8781.

Smart Settlements Opens Clarendon Office

1/6

Smart Settlements continues to be a rapidly growing entity in DMV real estate, opening its fourth office space in Clarendon.

Although it is a title company at its core, Smart has expanded its vision for the industry and its brand in the past several years by adding services like Smart Lending, Smart Development and Smart Consulting — all while still placing a strong focus on its agent development classes.

For the past few years, Smart has operated out of three main offices: Washington, D.C., Greenbelt and Fairfax.

Despite Clarendon being the company’s fourth office, founder and president of Smart Carlos Reyes said, “This is the first office that really speaks to the Smart brand.”

Guests will see an array of café-style seating upon entry and will be greeted by a stunning marble reception desk. The new office also features two large glass-enclosed conference rooms, a large kitchen area with a dining table and the main offices.

The new Clarendon office is set to open on July 1, and is located in the Clarendon Square building at:

3033 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 280
Arlington, Virginia 22201

Visit www.smartsettlements.com for more information about Smart’s services, upcoming events and resources.

Listing of the Day: 1300 4th Street SE Unit #1002

1/8

Address: 1300 4th Street, SE, Unit #1002
Neighborhood: Navy Yard
Listed: $449,900 for Unit #1002
Open: Sunday, June 30 from 1-3:30 p.m.

Own a piece of D.C.’s most exciting neighborhood, at The Bower, now over 85% sold.

This studio residence features Bosch appliances, floor-to-ceiling windows, hickory hardwood and Mecho shades. The bedroom alcove is 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, it’s all in reach at The Bower.

With only two studios remaining, now is your chance to call The Bower in The Yards home. Schedule a tour of this beautiful studio today or stop by the open house this Sunday, June 30 from 1-3:30 p.m.

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

New Homes in Arlington: June 28

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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…

Deciding to build your own custom home does not need to be scary, nor does it have to be stressful. However, it does mean you will have to make a ton of decisions from insulation type to lighting fixtures, door trim, and dozens of other areas. That is why finding the 3 “R” are critical to success and happiness when building a new home.

Right Builder, Right Time, Right Lot.

Meet the Lender: Andrew Siddon of George Mason Mortgage

What are some of the key differences between a construction to permanent loan versus a traditional conventional loan?

Construction loans typically require a higher credit score and down payment than a conventional loan. George Mason Mortgage does offer a one-time close construction loan with a 10.1% down payment. Conventional loans are available with no down payment.

What are some closing cost differences in Construction to Perm vs. Conventional?

Construction loans typically carry higher closing costs compared to conventional financing. The increased closing costs are associated with the lender, title company and county.

How long does the construction loan typically last? If it expires and the construction is not completed what happens?

Typically, construction loans provide a 12 month construction period. Should the construction period exceed the 12 month construction period, extension fees may apply.

How does the construction loan fund to the builder?

Once a predetermined level of progress is made, the builder will request a draw from the lender. The lender will send out an inspector/appraiser to verify the work has been completed. Once verified, the lender will wire the funds to the builder.

How do interest rates vary from the construction to the permanent loan and is there any principal paid during the construction period?

Most one-time close construction loans provide the same rate during construction as they provide once the construction is completed. During the construction period, the payments are interest only and the client would only pay interest on the funds disbursed at any given time.

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

Three Stones Residential specializes in matching home owners with the right builder and lot location. If you have any questions about new homes or builders that you’d like us to highlight please email us at [email protected].

View More Stories