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: 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.
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.
Looking for a fall activity that gets you moving and builds real confidence? EvolveAll Martial Arts and Training Studio is offer free classes for youth and adults during it’s upcoming Intro Week, September 14-19.
EvolveAll, Arlington’s martial arts and fitness community off Columbia Pike, is once again opening its doors for a full week of free trial classes — and youth classes are one of the highlights. Kids ages 5-15 will get to try hands-on martial arts instruction designed to build discipline, focus, and self-defense skills in a supportive, age-appropriate environment.
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 Westover Taco for the official Fund Her Game Charity Launch, bringing together athletes, fans, business leaders, and community supporters who want to strengthen girls’ and women’s sports across the DMV.
Fund Her Game was created to invest in the teams, leagues, programs, and organizations that help women and girls play, compete, develop, and lead, from recreational sports through professional competition.
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.
We love fall at Art House 7 and can’t wait for you to explore all our offerings. Painting, drawing, ceramics, and sewing/crocheting are our perennials, along with less traditional mediums. Kawaii Style Drawing and Digital Art are among our new classes for kids. We offer an excellent 6-week program for high schoolers preparing their college portfolios. Want something shorter? We have 3-week classes, including linocut notecards. Love ceramics? We have a dedicated studio that comfortably accommodates wheel and hand-building classes.
Fall 1 Session begins Tue. Sep. 8.
