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 July 22, there are 136 detached homes, 35 townhouses and 145 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 25 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: How has the Arlington housing market performed in the first half of 2024?
Answer: Sometimes the market surprises you (read: me) and the first half of 2024 was one of those times. After a relatively tame 2023 and prolonged high interest rates, I expected to see fairly stable pricing until rates dropped. By the second week of January, it was clear that buyers had other ideas, and I saw most homes in Northern Virginia selling for 5-10% more than they had in 2023 with intense competition.
How the Data is Organized
For my mid-year reviews, I like to compare the first half of the year to the same period (first half) of prior years, rather than comparing the first half of the current year to the full year in prior years. We tend to see a much stronger market (higher demand, more competition) in the first half of the year than the second half, so I feel like this approach gives us a more apples-to-apples comparison.
It’s also important to note that the data I use is based on homes that went under contract in the first half of the year because it’s more reflective of actual buying activity during that period; as opposed to looking at homes that closed in the first half of the year, but may have gone under contract many months prior during different market conditions.
Strong Price Growth and Competition
Across all property types, average home prices in Arlington increased by 6.8% in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023.
Let’s look at the performance of Arlington’s single-family home (SFH) market in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous four years:
This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, 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.
In this advertorial, we’ll try to analyze his platform more directly, and then discuss practical issues with its implementation. (Our promised analysis of President Biden’s immigration proposals will come in a fortnight.)
Logistics really do matter. (This famous illustration of the size of Napoleon’s Grande Armee.)
Begin Largest Deportation Program in American History
President Trump and Republicans will reverse the Democrats’ destructive Open Borders Policies that have allowed criminal gangs and Illegal Aliens from around the World to roam the United States without consequences. The Republican Party is committed to sending Illegal Aliens back home and removing those who have violated our laws. […]
Common Sense tells us clearly, in President Trump’s words, that “If we don’t have a Border, we don’t have a Country.” Restoring sensible Border Security and Immigration Policy requires many steps, all of which would have been and indeed were taken for granted by prior Generations as obviously necessary and good. We must secure our Southern Border by completing the Border Wall that President Trump started. Hundreds of miles have already been built and work magnificently.
The remaining wall construction can be completed quickly, effectively, and inexpensively. We must also vigilantly check those who enter our Country by other routes and ensure that no one can enter our Country who does not have the Legal Right to do so, and we must deport the millions of illegal Migrants who Joe Biden has deliberately encouraged to invade our Country. We will start by prioritizing the most dangerous criminals and working with the local police. We must not allow Biden’s Migrant Invasion to alter our country. It must not stand. Under the Trump Administration and a Republican Congress, it will be defeated immediately.
The platform calls forthrightly for the deportation of millions, so it’s worth considering how that would work in practice.
Question: How Many People Are We Talking About?
There are two unknowns here. The first is the number of unauthorized migrants in the United States; President Trump has offered an estimate of 18 million, with official records showing just north of 11 million, as of 2022.
The second unknown is how many people a Trump administration would actually target for deportation. The “largest deportation program in American history,” to date, was the remarkable Operation Wetback [1], through about 1-1.5 million Mexican nationals were deported by the federal government during the Truman and Eisenhower administration. Deporting the same number today would reduce the number of unauthorized migrants in the United States by about 10%.
Question: Do We Have the Resources to Do It?
Under current law, the answer is certainly not. The federal government funds 41,500 “beds” for detention of immigrants per day at the moment. It is common for migrants to remain detained for months while litigating their cases in immigration court. Assuming, optimistically, that the federal government could remove each detainee within 90 days, the throughput of the system would be 164,000 per year — not remotely fast enough to accomplish the Trump Administration’s goal.
Many commentators — some of whom, like ICE Director John Sandweg and DHS Secretary Napolitano, are former immigration officials in Democratic administrations — have pointed out that the current system could not produce millions of deportations. This is correct, as far as it goes, but if Congress actually passed enabling legislation to fund additional detention facilities, amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict the due process rights of non-citizens, and funded the Immigration Courts sufficiently, higher numbers are certainly possible.
Question: What Would Happen in Federal Court?
The first Trump Administration did not have a notably good track record defending its immigration policies in federal court. A second Trump Administration, if it attempted a program of mass deportation, would face even more serious litigation challenges. Our best guess is that any program of mass deportations would be immediately enjoined in federal court.
This raises, of course, the question of whether a new Trump Administration would comply with judicial orders. We think there is reason to doubt that. If a second Trump Administration felt unconstrained by judicial review, and were able to obtain sufficient funding from a compliant Congress, a program of mass deportations is certainly possible.
As always, we are grateful for your questions and comments, and will do our best to respond.
[1] We regret the use of this term, which is an offensive slur, but include it as a matter of historical accuracy.
Love & Carrots is a local edible landscaping and vegetable gardening company that started in 2011 with one woman, a pickup truck — and a mission to nourish both people and places.
Today, our team has installed thousands of raised bed gardens and perennial landscapes across the D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia area for families, communities, and businesses who are joining us in the effort to make urban environments more conducive to healthy living.
Love & Carrots
Meet Jodi, an Urban Farmer with Love & Carrots!
Jodi joined Love & Carrots in 2023, bringing with her nearly a decade of experience farming, carrying out fresh food interventions in Baltimore urban food deserts, and developing maternal wellness programs in the DMV. She loves learning from and working with the earth, and sharing her knowledge with Love & Carrots clients and her community.
Q: What does an Urban Farmer do?
“Urban gardeners equip our clients to maximize their at-home food production with the wisdom of multiple seasons, a whole lot of knowledge of local crop production, and a dash of handed-down farming folklore. Food brings people together — as an urban gardener, I get to be at the center of the magic by seeing clients grow to realize their dreams of producing beautiful food for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
Q: What is your favorite crop to grow?
“Everyone gets excited for tomato time, and I’m no exception. I look forward all year to the time where I can walk outside and grab a sweet, sun-warmed fruit to eat fresh off the vine or to brighten up a recipe.”
Q: Do you have a hot garden tip?
“During the peak of the summer garden, there’s so much goodness coming out of the garden that sometimes it’s easy to lose track of what’s available. I like to encourage my clients to keep a chalkboard near the kitchen updated with a list of what’s “on the menu” in the garden — that way, they’re always inspired and informed come meal time!”
Interested in learning more about how you can grow vegetables in your own backyard? Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about our design, installation, and garden maintenance services.
This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
Ever wondered if selling homemade tamales, cakes, ice cream or other food items is allowed in Virginia according to state law? Generally, it’s not, but there are exceptions depending on the food item and its distribution.
Most foods sold to the public must be prepared in a commercial kitchen licensed and inspected by the state to ensure public health safety. This is because foods like meats, dairy and vegetables can carry foodborne illnesses. These commercial kitchens have strict controls on temperature, cleanliness, and storage and operators must be trained to prevent illness.
Recently, the Virginia General Assembly loosened regulations and introduced “Cottage Food Laws” allowing certain non-perishable foods to be made in private homes. Foods that don’t require time or temperature controls after preparation can be made at home.
Prepared pickles and acidified vegetables with an equilibrium pH of 4.6 or lower
There are restrictions on where these homemade products can be sold. They can only be sold in person within Virginia to individuals for personal consumption — not for resale or consignment — and they aren’t eligible for online sales. They can be sold at the operator’s home, temporary events (up to 14 consecutive days) or farmers’ markets. Products must be labeled with the preparer’s name, address, phone number, processing date and the following statement: “NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION.”
Luckily, Arlington has an affordable and convenient food incubator space located on Columbia Pike, Kitchen of Purpose, where entrepreneurs who cannot manufacture foods under the Cottage Food Laws or don’t want to be limited in how they can sell their products can prepare food items safely. Additional resources and tools may also be available.
We know this can be a lot to take in but BizLaunch is here to help you every step of the way, from demystifying regulations to business planning, searching for space, marketing and pricing. Simply schedule your one-on-one consultation today, and we’ll help you navigate the intricacies of starting any business.
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 July 15, there are 130 detached homes, 39 townhouses and 154 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 30 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: What is the status of the Realtor commission lawsuits and the resulting changes?
Answer:
Lawsuit/Settlement Background
The residential real estate industry, nationwide, is in the process of transitioning to a new era of how Realtor commissions are structured, specifically the model for buyer agent compensation. The changes stem from the industry-wide settlement of multiple class action lawsuits and years of pressure from the DOJ, which I explained in depth in this article.
At the heart of the settlement is an issue with the model for buyer agent compensation in most real estate transactions. For decades, when a seller signed a listing agreement with a real estate agent to sell their home, it was common practice for them to agree to a fee that would be divided (usually evenly) between their agent and the agent who represented the buyer. The fee for the buyer’s agent gets entered into the MLS (database of record used by agents) and is enforceable by the MLS and local Realtor Associations.
No More Offers of Compensation for Buyer Agents
The judges in the class action lawsuits and the DOJ believe this practice was anti-competitive so a settlement was reached with the Realtor industry to decouple the seller agent and buyer agent commissions by preventing the advertising of offers of compensation to buyer agents via the MLS.
The settlement is explicit in eliminating offers of compensation to buyer agents in the MLS, but there is legal debate over whether the settlement prevents offers of buyer agent compensation off the MLS — the DOJ and many attorneys argue that the intent of the settlement is to eliminate all offers of compensation to buyer agent, via any channel not just the MLS.
The summer heat can be relentless day and night, but a brief respite is on the horizon!
If you’ve been hoping to get out for some fresh air, enjoy free films under the stars during Columbia Pike Movie Nights, Fridays and Saturdays from July 12 through August 24.
The series takes place at two locations: Fridays at Arlington Mill Community Center and Saturdays at Penrose Square. There’s something for everyone, from comedies and documentaries to musicals and adventure films!
This is the 13th season of free outdoor movies sponsored by the Columbia Pike Partnership. Opening weekend features “Hairspray” on Friday, July 12, at Arlington Mill and Dirty Dancing on Saturday, July 13, at Penrose Square. The following weekend will showcase “Vivo” on Friday, July 19, at Arlington Mill and Disney Pixar’s Coco on Saturday, July 20. Columbia Pike Movie Nights continue through August 24.
All movies begin at sunset (between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) and are shown in English with Spanish subtitles. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. Leashed pets are welcome, but alcohol is not permitted at either Arlington Mill or Penrose Square. In case of inclement weather, please check this page and our social media channels for updates around 3:30 p.m. on the day (s) of each screening.
For more information about Columbia Pike Movie Nights, visit the Columbia Pike website.
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 July 8, there are 126 detached homes, 34 townhouses and 137 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 19 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: Do you think it is a good idea for our condo board to consider setting a cap on the number of units that can be rented at a given time?
Answer: One of the most common debates within condo buildings is whether an Association should limit the number of condo units that can be rented concurrently. There are some benefits of limiting the number of owners who can rent out their unit(s), but I think it’s the wrong decision for most buildings because it can hurt property values and is unnecessary, in most cases.
For the sake of clarity, when I refer to rental/investor units in a building, I am referring to individual unit owners renting their unit(s) out to tenants instead of occupying it themselves (they are considered investors).
Lending Misinformation
There is a lot of misinformation out there about how the number of rental units in a building effect the warrantability of a building (ability of future buyers to secure a mortgage). Here are the limits you need to be aware of:
Fannie/Freddie Loans: Conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac do not have any rental limits for primary and secondary home loans. They limited the number of rentals in a building to 50% for investor loans only.
VA (Veterans) Loans: No rental limits. The VA does not like seeing rental caps and may not approve a building for VA loans if they do have rental limits in place.
FHA Loans: FHA loans are restricted in buildings with more than 50% of units rented. FHA loans represent a small percentage of the loans written in this area.
Jumbo/Private Loans: High balance loans (over $970,800 loan amount), not insured by Fannie/Freddie, have a wide range of guidelines. Some have rental restrictions and others don’t, but in general jumbo/private loans tend to have more conservative lending guidelines and a higher chance of restricting a loan due to the number of units being rented. However, many banks will make exceptions, especially with higher (30%+) down payments and there are many alternative lending options in the jumbo/private arena a buyer can choose from.
Pro: Better Quality of Living
Owner-occupants generally invest more in their home, take better care of common areas, and take more pride in developing a strong social community. In small associations or those intent on maintaining a certain standard of living, quality of living may prevail over property value.
Cons: Buyer Turn-Off, Forced Sales
Many buyers want to keep their options open to renting a unit out after they are done using it as their primary residence and are turned off by the idea of a rental cap and plenty will not buy in a building if there is a cap, even if it’s unlikely to be reached. By turning otherwise motivated and qualified buyers away, you’re bound to hurt the market value of units in your building.
If a rental cap is reached and enforced, it can hurt market values even more because homeowners are forced to sell if they move out and a forced sale may result in a homeowner agreeing to take a worse deal when they would have otherwise chosen to rent the unit until they can sell into a strong market.
Track Rental Activity in Your Building
Even if you do not have a rental cap, it’s still important to track which units are being rented out. At a minimum, your Board/Management should receive a copy of each lease and keep a basic spreadsheet to be able to report on which units are being rented. In my experience, I have found that most buildings in Arlington settle into a rental percentage of 20-35%. In rare cases, I see higher rental percentages, sometimes exceeding 50%.
If you’re considering a rental cap, it’s important to know the current and historical trends for rental percentages, without a cap in place. It would be a big mistake to implement a rental cap that is at or above the “natural” rental percentage of your building because your community wouldn’t gain anything from it, but risks the downside of turning off potential buyers.
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column or to discuss buying, selling, renting, or investing, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at EliResidential.com. Call me directly at (703) 539-2529.
This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, 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.
With the 2024 campaign in full swing, we want to provide ARLnow readers with overviews of both candidates’ proposals concerning immigration law and policy.
This week, we’ll review the Trump campaign’s (unofficial) immigration policy platform, as laid out in the Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project.We’ll first tell you what they say they’ll do — and then offer our educated guess about whether each candidate can actually deliver on their respective promises. Stay tuned next week for our review of the Biden Administration’s immigration policy platform — that is, of course, assuming that President Biden stays in the race.
Here we go again! (Photo from public domain, courtesy of Voice of America.)
First Proposal: Dismantle and Reconstitute the Department of Homeland Security as an Enforcement Agency
The Mandate for Leadership (MFL) starts with a simple proposal: break up DHS and reassemble it. In essence, the MFL envisions a new enforcement-focused agency with the following components (current departments at right, in parentheticals):
Customs and Border Protection (DHS)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS)
Office of Refugee Resettlement (Department of Health and Human Services)
Immigration Courts (Department of Justice)
Office of Immigration Litigation (Department of Justice)
The MFL suggests that the following agencies currently housed within DHS be split and reallocated as follows:
FEMA goes to the Department of the Interior
The U.S. Coast Guard goes to the Department of Justice or the Department of Defense
The Secret Service be split between the Department of Justice (protective operations) and the Department of the Treasury (counterfeiting and other financial crimes)
The TSA will be completely privatized
Congress would have to act for these recommendations to be put into action, so the plausibility of this reorganization depends on the composition of Congress.
We would like to note one item which hasn’t received enough attention: under this reorganization, all government components of the U.S. immigration courts — prosecutors, judges, and appellate litigators — would be subject to the authority of a single Cabinet-level official. This would help the Trump Administration to exert pressure on the immigration courts to serve as implementers of policy, rather than independent adjudicators of law.
Second Proposal: Eliminate T and U Visas
The MFL’s proposal for T and U Visas is simple: eliminate them, because “victimization should not be the basis for an immigration benefit.”
T visas, under the current law, are available for victims of human trafficking; U Visas, under current law, are available to victims of qualifying crimes (generally, serious felonies) who cooperate with law enforcement in the prosecution of the perpetrators.
The MFL proposes that S visas (currently designated for witnesses) be used as a substitute for U and T visas in the most serious cases. This would result in a quantitatively enormous reduction, because, under current law, S visas are restricted to 200 per year in ordinary criminal cases and 50 per year in terrorism-related cases. Under current law, 10,000 U Visas are available annually, and 5,000 T Visas are available annually.
Would this work? Probably yes, in practice. Although both T and U Visas are available as a matter of statute, a new Trump Administration could simply decline to issue them if Congress doesn’t cooperate with legislation.
Third Proposal: Delegate Border Shutdown Authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security
The MFL proposes that, “whenever the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that an actual or anticipated mass migration of aliens en route to or arriving of the coast of the U.S. presents urgent circumstances requiring an immediate federal response,” the Secretary may issue rules without following the ordinary requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act to prevent large numbers of people from crossing the border.
Would this work? Probably not over the long term. The Federal judiciary is generally skeptical of administrative rule-making outside the normal rule-making process. (This is how the Trump Administration’s attempt to repeal DACA was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.)
Fourth Proposal: Tighten Asylum Rules and Impose a Fee on Asylum Applications
The MFL proposes a large number of changes to current asylum law and practice, including eliminating the Particular Social Group ground for asylum, raising the credible fear standard to a much higher level, imposing a fee on all asylum applications, and codifying the previous Trump administration’s asylum bars and third-country transit rules.
Would these work? It’s hard to say, because each one is subject to separate potential legal challenges. In general, the proposed changes are incompatible with current U.S. law and treaty obligations, so these changes would, in the main, require an act of Congress.
There’s more — much more! — in the MFL. We encourage you to read for yourselves and make your own judgment about the immigration policies of a potential Trump Administration.
As always, we are grateful for your questions and comments, and will do our best to respond.
On Thursday, Arlington Economic Development (AED) was pleased to celebrate the latest recipients of Catalyst Grants from the Arlington Innovation Fund (AIF).
After a thorough review process, four Arlington-based startups were awarded $175,000 in grants. These companies have shown exceptional promise in innovation and potential for significant impact in their respective fields.
The Catalyst Grants from this round represent yet another significant investment in the growing tech-entrepreneur ecosystem of Arlington, further underscoring AED and the County’s commitment to supporting local innovation and fostering economic resilience. Funds awarded through the Catalyst Grant program can be used for any business operation expenses incurred by the startup. They may include adding employees, purchasing equipment, leasing office space, hiring consultants or advisors, etc.
“We are thrilled to support these pioneering companies in their journey to scale and innovate,” said Michael Stiefvater, Director, Business Investment Group. “Their commitment to groundbreaking solutions drives innovation within their industries and propels the economic growth and development of the entire Arlington community. By fostering such innovative enterprises, we are building a robust and resilient ecosystem that benefits all residents and businesses in Arlington.”
Data Parrot, AI company, enhances businesses’ understanding of customer data. Their platform transforms raw CRM (Customer Relationship Management) data into actionable insights, driving value through dynamic dashboards and strategic recommendations.
KnoNap is a health tech company dedicated to combating drink spiking with their innovative beverage drug test kits, drink covers and educational resources. Their comprehensive approach fosters better health and safety outcomes.
Pryze App, an HR-tech company, aims to increase productivity and retention among deskless workers. Their app incentivizes phone-free time and positive actions at work through automation and gamification.
SportAI democratizes analytics for fantasy sports and sports betting. Using neural network AI, their mobile app provides in-depth insights to help users make informed decisions without facilitating gambling.
