Question: I’m looking for a 1-bedroom condo with a den, but can’t find a site like Zillow or Realtor.com that allows me to search for it. Do you know of a site that includes den in the search?
Answer: The MRIS — a realtor database of records that feeds to all of the consumer-facing websites — includes a ton of data that doesn’t show up in consumer-facing websites, but for some crazy reason it doesn’t include a data field for dens, a very common criteria in Arlington. The only way to search for a den is to search the remarks field for the word “den” which isn’t a perfect solution and ineffective on a lot of consumer-facing sites.
Common criteria available to agents in MRIS, not on (most) consumer sites:
- Balcony/terrace
- Fenced yard/privacy fence
- Number of levels/floors
- Location and number of bedrooms and bathrooms by level/floor
- Type of parking (garage, off-street, assigned, carport, etc)
- Type of flooring (hardwood, carpet, laminate) by room
- Number of fireplaces
- Washer/dryer in unit
- *Above grade sqft, below grade finished/unfinished sqft
- New construction
- Walk-in closet
- En-suite (attached) master bathroom
- Home type (rambler, craftsman, cape code, etc)
- Level/floor location of apartment (1st floor, penthouse, basement, floor 6-10, etc)
- Energy efficient features
*Every website allows you to search by square footage, but be very careful. I frequently come across listings with incorrect square footage or no square footage entered at all. Be prepared to miss some good homes if you’re filtering by square footage.
The introduction of real estate search sites like Zillow has given the consumer access to real estate information that was previously unavailable, but there are still a lot of common search criteria these sites don’t offer that an agent with MRIS access can search for. A recent example I have is a couple that needs a one level home with two master suites. Without an agent, they’d have to search through almost every single home within their budget, trying to figure out from the pictures and descriptions if they are one level and if they also have two master suites, but with MRIS, I can quickly search on their criteria, saving them a lot of time online.
Do you have any specific criteria (e.g. pet-free buildings) that you haven’t been able to search for yourself? Shoot me an email and I’ll set-up a search for you!
If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at http://www.RealtyDCMetro.com.
Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, (202) 518-8781.
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The Arlington-Aachen High School exchange is returning this summer and currently accepting applicants.
The sister-city partnership started in 1993 by the Arlington Sister Cities Association, which seeks to promote Arlington’s international profile through a variety of exchanges in education, commerce, culture and the arts. The exchange, scheduled June 17th to July 4th, includes a two-week homestay in Aachen plus three days in Berlin. Knowledge of the German language is not required for the trip.
Former participants have this to say:
_”The Aachen exchange was an eye-opening experience where I was fully immersed in the life of a German student. I loved biking through the countryside to Belgium, having gelato and picnics in the town square, and hanging out with my German host student’s friends. My first time out of the country, the Aachen exchange taught me to keep an open mind, because you never know what could be a life changing experience.” – Kelly M._
Learn about the new assessment of Arlington’s urban tree canopy and the many ecological and social benefits trees provide. Staff from the Green Infrastructure Center (GIC) will share study results and compare canopy cover for different areas of Arlington.The webinar will include assessments of ecosystem services such as stormwater mitigation, air quality, carbon uptake, and urban heat islands. For background on Arlington trees see the “Tree Benefits: Growing Arlington’s Urban Forest” presentation at http://www.gicinc.org/PDFs/Presentation_TreeBenefits_Arlington.pdf.
Please register in advance to assure your place at the webinar, https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/29543206508863839.
About the Arlington County Civic Federation: The Arlington County Civic Federation (“ACCF”) is a not-for-profit corporation which provides a forum for civic groups to discuss, debate, inform, advocate and provide oversight on important community issues, on a non-partisan basis. Its members include over ninety civic groups representing a broad cross-section of the community. Communications, resolutions and feedback are regularly provided to the Arlington County Government.
The next meeting is on Tuesday, February 21,2023 at 7 pm. This meeting is open to the public and will be hybrid, in-person and virtually through Zoom. Part of the agenda will be a discussion and vote on a resolution “To Restore Public Confidence in Arlington County’s Governance”. For more information on ACCF and this meeting, go to https://www.civfed.org/.
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