A recent conversation with an expert on parking policy delved into the complexities of attempting to improve transportation infrastructure in Arlington.
Efforts now underway in Arlington are helping to break a century-old national focus on the automobile as primary, and sometimes lone, transportation option, said Henry Grabar, author of “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.”
The family behind a longtime Ethiopian restaurant on Columbia Pike is starting a takeout pizzeria.
Father Dama Pizza is preparing to open at 1499 Columbia Pike, next door to Dama Restaurant and Cafe, co-founder Hailu Dama told ARLnow. The Dama family has led Ethiopian restaurants in the D.C. area since the 1980s.
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.
Arlington homes are selling a lot more slowly than they were last summer.
The average Arlington home that sold in August had spent 41 days on the market — almost double the 23-day average in August 2024.
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.
It wasn’t a matter of if, but when, Alberto Starace — a highly accomplished girls high-school soccer coach — eventually would be inducted into the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame.
That time has come, with induction ceremonies slated for Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Knights of Columbus main hall.
Event location
Online event (see link)
*Mamistad Groups meet IN PERSON-only the introductory Zoom call is virtual. :)
Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for.
A former explosive detection canine is looking for a new home, and he may be a retired but he’s still the bomb.
Rex is an eight-year-old German Shepherd looking for a forever home, ideally one where he would be the only dog. His foster said he’s house-trained and well-mannered.
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are marking 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with solemn ceremonies, volunteer work and other tributes honoring the victims.
Many loved ones of the nearly 3,000 people killed were joining dignitaries and politicians at commemorations Thursday in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
All six candidates for Falls Church City Council seats have agreed to abide by a “candidate integrity pledge.”
The six contenders for the three Council seats on the Nov. 4 ballot formally signed their support for the pledge during a candidate meet-and-greet social event held Sept. 5 at the Falls Church Arts Gallery.
Memorial Event This Morning — “The County’s wreath-laying ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, at the Ellen M. Bozman County Government Center. A moment of silence will be held at 9:37 a.m., when the plane struck the Pentagon and 184 lives were lost. The event will also be livestreamed on the County’s YouTube channel.” [Arlington County, YouTube]
Pilot Aborts DCA Landing — “An airliner aborted a landing attempt at Reagan National Airport on Monday morning after pilots spotted a maintenance vehicle on the runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control communications. Republic Airways Flight 4528 was arriving from Detroit around 7 a.m. An air traffic controller initially cleared the plane to land on the airport’s main runway before asking pilots to circle to the shorter Runway 33.” [Washington Post]
Statements on Kirk Assassination — “Political violence has no place in a just society. This horrible violence at Utah Valley University is incredibly tragic, unacceptable, and should be universally condemned – my thoughts are with the Kirk family.” [Sen. Mark Warner/X, Gov. Glenn Youngkin/X, Diocese of Arlington]
Robbery in Ballston — “Wilson Boulevard at N. Randolph Street. At approximately 5:35 p.m. on September 9, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was walking in the area when the male suspect, who is known to her, approached and began yelling at her. The suspect then allegedly forcefully stole her backpack, displayed a knife and made verbal threats towards the victim.” [ACPD]
Car Flips on I-395 — “A slow-motion rollover on I-395N this morning. Watch the red car. Somehow, it turned over in slow, stop-and-go traffic just before Exit 8A to Washington Blvd.” [Dave Statter/X]
North Weds Fmr. Secretary — “In what can only be described as a uniquely Washington love connection, Oliver North and Fawn Hall — two public faces of the Iran-contra scandal in the late 1980s — were married last month. North, 81, was widowed in November when his wife of 56 years, Betsy, died. Hall, 66, was widowed 20 years ago. The couple wed Aug. 27 in Arlington County, Virginia, according to the marriage license.” [Washington Post]
Financial Woes for Compass — “A lawyer for Compass Coffee is warning that the popular local chain could be forced to declare bankruptcy if a D.C. court rules against it in a dispute with its landlord over allegations of unpaid rent at its Ivy City roasting facility… Compass’ revenue has fallen by more than 50% from pre-pandemic levels” [WBJ]
Va. Grows Lots of Pumpkins — “By the numbers: The Old Dominion produced 54.1 million pounds of pumpkins in 2024, according to USDA data,” making Virginia the No. 8 pumpkin growing state in the nation. [Axios]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high around 80 degrees and a gentle north wind at 6 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with lows near 60 degrees. [NWS]
Good Wednesday 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 10, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect a mostly sunny day with a high around 80 degrees and a gentle north wind at 6 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with lows near 60 degrees, as the northeast wind around 5 mph becomes calm in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.
“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
– Mother Teresa
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
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