A new AI chatbot is helping residents find answers to various questions about Arlington County government operations, elections and more.
“AVA” — Arlington Virtual Assistant — is connected to four county websites: the general site (arlingtonva.us) plus specialized sites for library services, elections and Arlington Transit.
All finally was well for the Bishop O’Connell Knights, and the result was the team’s first victory of the football season.
In the third week of the high-school campaign, host O’Connell (1-2) defeated the winless St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Saints, 38-12, the afternoon of Sept. 13 in non-conference private-school action.
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: How has the local real estate market performed so far this year?
Answer: After a year where market conditions softened in favor of buyers, the Northern VA real estate market became more favorable for sellers in the first quarter of 2026, while the Washington DC condo market continued to reel.
What is in this article:
Northern VA & Arlington Inventory is Being Absorbed Faster
After four straight quarters of double-digit decreases in year-over-year absorption, the Northern VA and Arlington markets saw a ~8% increase in absorption rate.
What this means: Demand increased in Q1
Northern VA & Arlington New Listing Volume is Declining
After a promising trend of six straight quarters of year-over-year increases in the number of homes listed for sale in Northern VA, new listing activity fell by ~1% each of the previous two quarters.
What this means: Sellers have less competition, buyers have fewer choices
Washington DC Condo Absorption is Plummeting
The absorption rate for DC condos has declined year-over-year for 16 quarters straight and 23 out of the past 26 quarters.
What this means: It is difficult to find buyers for DC condos
Washington DC Condo Inventory Declined Slightly
Total inventory declined by 3.4% year-over-year, the first quarterly drop since Q4 2023. Still, there were great than 2x more condos for sale in DC in Q1 2026 than Q1 2020
What this means: Motivated sellers must compete aggressively with each other for buyers
Washington DC Condos Keep Getting Cheaper
The average price of a DC condo listed for sale is 9.4% less than it was in Q1 2025 and ~9% less than it was ten years ago.
What this means: Even lowering the price won’t guarantee a buyer
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
We have access to the most pre and off-market listings across the DMV of any brokerage and are happy to share what’s available with anybody who asks.
Below are some of our team’s pre/off-market listings, details and additional listings available by request:
Eli and his team believe that your real estate needs should be managed by advisors, not salespeople. Their mission is to guide, educate, and advocate for their clients through real advice, hands-on support, and personalized service.
Falls Church officials hope that 2026 will be the year they start making decisions about the city’s portion of the 20-acre Gordon Road Triangle.
Much of the city’s portion of the industrial area is occupied by the Robert L. Goff Operations Yard on Gordon Road. It is likely the city would work to find private partners to fund on-site renovations to — and new facilities on — the well-worn facility, rather than try to cover all those costs itself.
Experience the difference between tap and bottled water with our free water testing service. Say goodbye to plastic bottles and hello to peace of mind with our tankless in-home filters. Contact us today for your complimentary in-home test and ensure clean drinking water!
Dems Early Voting Rally — “Kick off Early Voting with Senator Mark Warner and the Arlington Democrats this Friday at 8am! We’ll rally at Courthouse Plaza, then go cast our ballots.” [Arlington Democrats/Bluesky]
GOP Endorses Rives — Arlington Republicans have endorsed the candidacy of James “Vell” Rives IV in the School Board race that also features candidates Monique “Moe” Bryant and Major Mike Webb. “I’m happy to have their endorsement — school issues go beyond party politics this year,” Rives said, adding he also hoped to get support from across the political spectrum in his fourth bid for a School Board seat. –Scott McCaffrey
Art Studio Tour Next Week — “The 2025 Arlington Visual Art Studio Tour is coming soon! The eighth annual AVAST tour will take place on September 27 and 28 at over 25 locations throughout Arlington.” [AVAST]
Coffee With a Cop Returns — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is proud to join communities nationwide in celebrating National Coffee with a Cop Day on Wednesday, October 1. To mark the occasion, our Community Engagement Division is hosting two informal engagement opportunities for Arlingtonians to connect with the officers that serve them.” [ACPD]
Eagle Scout Project at VHC — “A Langley High School senior’s Eagle Scout project rejuvenated a calming space at VHC Health’s Sid and Reba Dewberry Cancer Center in Arlington, where patients can find some respite as they undergo treatment.” [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — Showers and potential storms are likely throughout the day, with temperatures reaching a high near 70°F and north winds of 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. There is a 60% chance of precipitation, and new rainfall amounts may vary between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. The chance of showers decreases Wednesday night, with a cloudy low of 63°F and north winds of 6-8 mph. [NWS]
Join us at Surfside Tenleytown for a Cinco de Mayo celebration you won’t want to miss! 🌮✨ An event for the whole family! Enjoy classic margaritas, Happy Hour specials, and buy two, get one free tacos (all day, dine-in only), along with face painting and balloon twisting from 3:30–7:30pm and live music from 5–10pm. Reserve your table today on Resy!
Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Sep 16, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Showers and potential thunderstorms are likely throughout the day, with temperatures reaching a high near 70°F and north winds of 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. There is a 60% chance of precipitation, and new rainfall amounts may vary between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, potentially higher during thunderstorms. The chance of showers decreases to 30% before 2am on Wednesday night, with a cloudy low of 63°F and north winds of 6-8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.”
– St. Augustine
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
Arlington’s oldest elementary school is celebrating its 100th anniversary on Friday with student-centered activities and a community picnic.
Festivities at Barcroft Elementary School will include a human chain beginning at the site of the original Barcroft School and a mini “field day” where students participate in games and activities that kids might have played 100 years ago.
A rewrite of the county’s current tenant-relocation guidelines aims to provide more privacy protections to impacted renters.
County staff have tweaked some proposed changes recommended by the Tenant-Landlord Commission, which had sought more specific information about people required to move out of apartments because of redevelopment.
The Washington Capitals are clearing out old merchandise and gear at a charity “garage sale” in Ballston this weekend.
Caps T-shirts, bobbleheads, posters and more will be available for purchase from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex at 627 N. Glebe Road. Merchandise proceeds will benefit the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, the team’s official charity.
A dapper Dutch rabbit, complete with his own tuxedo coloring, is looking for a home in Arlington.
Chadwick Fancypants, or Chad to his friends, is a 6-year-old rabbit available for adoption from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.
ICA Language Services (ICA), a family-owned, woman-led small business based in Arlington, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking decades of supporting the U.S. military and diplomatic community through language training and testing.
Founded in April 1986 as Inlingua Foreign Language Center, a 6-classroom language school, ICA expanded under the leadership of Deidre Doyle, an entrepreneur with a background in organizational management who joined the company the same year. As a military spouse, she had developed a deep understanding of military organizations and culture, helping shape ICA into a trusted provider of language training and testing for military professionals. Doyle became a partner in 1993 and sole owner in 2009, when she changed the name to ICA Language Services.
