Arlington’s police chief is seeking to free up funding for about half of all officer positions that are currently frozen, capitalizing on a surge in job applications.
Chief Andy Penn argues that more funding could help the Arlington County Police Department get closer to full staffing and significantly cut overtime costs. He is asking the County Board to consider unfreezing 20 full-time sworn officer positions in the coming fiscal year.
Arlington’s twice-yearly collection event for old electronics and household hazardous materials is returning this weekend at Wakefield High School.
The spring Environmental Collection and Recycling (E-CARE) event will take place rain or shine from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at 1325 S. Dinwiddie Street.
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at [email protected].
Question: It seems like listings lingered on the market longer than usual this summer. Is that reflected in the market data?
Answer: The summer real estate market is usually slower than spring, but since late June, this summer has felt unusually slow compared with past summer markets. I analyzed Arlington homes listed for sale in July and August, going back to 2016, and found that we did indeed experience a historically slow summer market.
5-Bullet Cliff Notes
Slowest Summer Since 2016
Fewer homes listed in July and August went under contract within the first ten days on market (my preferred measure of market pace) than any summer since 2016.
The condo market experienced the brunt of that slowness, with the percentage of condos under contract within ten days falling 17.9 points below the trailing ten-year average. Arlington’s detached/townhouse/duplex market, one of the most robust sub-markets in the country, was not spared either; falling 6.7 points below the trailing ten-year average.
Lingering Inventory
The clearest sign of a summer slowdown is the amount of inventory that remained unresolved at the end of August. 53% of the listings entered in July and August were still active, compared with about 31% in 2025 and 27% from 2023-2025.
Even among July listings, which had at least a full month to attract a buyer, 36% remained active: more than twice the recent three-year rate. As of Aug 30, ~25% of all active summer listings had accumulated at least 30 days on market, and 9% accumulated at least 60 days.
Showings Down, Active Inventory Up
Showing data shows that we have fewer buyers in the market, not simply more indecisive/deliberate buyers. In the week ending August 23, showings in Arlington were down 7.9% from the prior week and 26.4% from the same week last year.
There are also a lot more homes for buyers to choose from, with active listings (homes listed for sale) up 2% from the week prior and 21.5% from the same week last year. Buyers will take longer to make decisions when they have more choices.
The Arlington trends are consistent with other Northern VA/DC Metro markets as well. In the DC Metro, weekly showings dropped to five-year lows in late June and remained there during most weeks of the summer. At the same time, the week ending August 23 delivered the most new listings to the market of any year since 2021, for the same week.
Total active listings in the DC Metro have been above the same week in the prior year since the second week of January 2025.
Six Arlington vape stores were raided by local, state and federal law enforcement last week as part of a regional investigation.
The Arlington County Police Department, with the assistance of Virginia State Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, executed search warrants at six tobacco shops on March 18, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.
Pentagon MMA has brought a special honor home to Arlington from the birthplace of Muay Thai.
The Arlington Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu Academy is now officially a certified and registered Muay Thai Gym Partner through the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, making Pentagon MMA the only Muay Thai academy on the East Coast to have earned this distinction.
The Washington Nationals placed official MLB baseballs on six graves at Arlington National Cemetery this week, honoring servicemembers with ties to the game.
The tradition, now in its third year, recognizes individuals buried at the cemetery who played, led or shaped the game of baseball.
Event location
Bluemont Park
329 N Manchester St.
arlington, Virginia 22203
Join us for the LLT 5K Run/Walk, a community-powered fundraiser supporting Empower Latina and our mission to uplift, empower, and create opportunities for Latina women and girls. Whether you run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, your participation helps make a meaningful impact. Lace up, show up, and empower Latina!
A revised version of the House’s aviation safety bill now has the backing of the NTSB, but most of the families of the 67 victims of last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., still want to see tougher requirements to ensure the reforms are completed.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the Alert Act now addresses its recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying. The NTSB has been recommending the systems since 2008.
A new takeout spot for sushi, ramen and poke is coming to Crystal City.
The eatery, Okinami, is expected to open at 244 19th Court S. in four to five months, owner and longtime chef Yong Kang told ARLnow.
A 53-year-old Arlington man is behind bars after a stabbing in Ballston last night.
Police were dispatched to a group home on the 1100 block of N. Stuart Street around 8:30 p.m. for a report of someone being stabbed by their roommate.
Arlington’s fire chief says he is willing to reconsider a contentious plan to consolidate the county’s two heavy rescue companies — if county leaders can find the funding to make that possible.
Fire Chief David Povlitz told County Board members that he would need about $480,000 in additional funding to halt a proposal to combine the two existing rescue units, which has drawn criticism from the county’s firefighter union over public safety concerns.
A consistent theme emerged as members of the Arlington NAACP brainstormed to determine 2026 policy priorities.
“Affordability is coming through every single group,” the organization’s president, the Rev. DeLishia Davis, said after reports from breakout sessions at the organization’s Monday meeting.
There’s something a little bit magical about picking up a foil for the first time — or drawing back a bow and watching your arrow fly true. It’s why fencing and archery have such a hold on kids and adults alike: real focus, real skill, and a thrill you don’t get from the usual sports lineup.
This fall, Nova Fencing & Archery Club in Bailey’s Crossroads is opening registration for both, with beginner classes for every age starting the week of September 12th. Fencing welcomes ages 7 to 12 and teens and adults 13 and up. Explore Archery, coached by USA Archery certified instructors, welcomes ages 8 to 12 and meets Tuesdays or Saturdays. And for our youngest fencers, ages 4 to 6, ABC’s of Fencing meets on Saturdays. All classes run eight sessions for $195, equipment provided, no experience needed — yes, even for grown-ups who’ve never held a sword or a bow before.
