Independence Day is next Friday, bringing views of D.C’s annual fireworks show as well as other local celebrations in Arlington.
The nearly 18-minute pyrotechnic production on the National Mall is expected to begin at 9:09 p.m, weather permitting. Many parks and trails in Arlington provide popular viewing spots each year.
A well-loved Nepalese restaurant with Northern Virginia roots is continuing to succeed at its second location in Ballston, serving up a unique delicacy: yak.
Himalayan Wild Yak opened at 1010 N. Glebe Road in March, joining an Ashburn location that has become a favorite of The Washington Post and Northern Virginia Magazine since opening in late 2021.
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.
A dozen restaurants across Falls Church and Arlington are participating in a new “Foodie Trek” program with prizes this summer.
The Greater Falls Church Foodie Trek started June 1, intending to bring in customers during a slow season for restaurants, co-founder Tricia Barba told ARLnow. People who visit all participating businesses and collect passport “stamps” before Aug. 31 have the chance to win one of three prize baskets.
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.
The National Weather Service has issued severe thunderstorm and flood watches for Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, D.C. and surrounding areas.
The Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued just before 2:30 p.m. and is in effect until 10 p.m. Storms today may pack damaging winds, frequent lightning, and hail, forecasters say.
Friends, foodies, and City of Falls Church lovers, get ready for the Little City’s biggest celebration yet at the 🌟50th Annual Falls Church Festival! Festivities return on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 300 Park Ave.!
🌮 Dive into delicious, local eats from 17+ onsite eateries and breweries
🍻 Sip away in the beer garden and jam out to live music
🛍️ Peruse over 85 crafters, community groups, and merchant vendors
🎸 Bounce around the inflatables, children’s shows, and pony rides
🔎 Explore the festival through the Big 50 Scavenger Hunt
Immigration officers say they have arrested an undocumented man previously convicted of killing a pedestrian with his car just south of Arlington.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced yesterday (Wednesday) that it had detained Alvaro Alejandro Pacheco Ramos, described by ICE as “an illegally present Salvadoran alien.”
A new resident-created art exhibit at a Ballston senior living community is trying to test the limits of what art really is.
Titled “Art of the Absurd: But is it Art?”, the exhibition at The Jefferson (900 N. Taylor Street) was inspired by a banana taped to a wall that sold for $6.2 million at a contemporary art auction in November.
Some of Arlington’s non-Democrat candidates for County Board see potential opportunities in the county’s ranked-choice voting system this November.
But so does incumbent County Board Chair Takis Karantonis.
More Phone Rules at High Schools — “Starting this fall, Arlington Public Schools is expanding the pouch program to more high school campuses. Wakefield, Washington-Liberty, Yorktown, H-B Woodlawn and the Arlington Career Center will use the storage program, the division announced. Langston and Arlington Community High School will adopt a ‘limited-use model.'” [WTOP]
Water Main Break on Wednesday — “Crews are repairing an 8-inch water main break at S Walter Reed Dr between S Wakefield St & Leesburg Pike (Rt. 7). The NB lanes are closed, with traffic being detoured.” [Arlington DES/X]
Crash on Williamsburg Blvd — “An SUV has been driven into the drainage median along Williamsburg Blvd near Old Dominion Drive. ACPD and ACFD on the scene.” [ARLnow/Bluesky]
Layoffs at Crystal City Contractor — “The Nakupuna Cos., a group of Native Hawaiian Organization-owned entities of varying sizes, is laying off 103 employees in its Arlington office after one of its federal customers declined to renew a contract task order… The layoffs are effective June 30.” [WBJ]
HUD Moving to Alexandria — “The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will relocate its headquarters to the National Science Foundation (NSF) building in Alexandria, displacing approximately 1,800 NSF employees over the next two years, officials announced Wednesday.” [ALXnow]
NSF Looking for New Home — “Michael Peters, the GSA’s commissioner of the Public Buildings Service, said Wednesday the GSA is still working to find a solution for NSF, but if he were a “betting man,” the agency would land in Virginia. That opens the door to other jurisdictions to make a play, including Arlington and Fairfax counties, both of which have copious amounts of empty offices to fill.” [WBJ]
Lease Renewal in Courthouse — “Carr Properties, a leading owner, operator, and developer of premium quality office and residential properties, today announced that the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, the national trade association representing the HVACR and water heating industry, has signed an early 12-year lease renewal at 2311 Wilson in Arlington.” [Press Release]
Retiring Feds Selling Homes — “D.C. saw a higher share of retired sellers this spring compared to the mid-Atlantic region at large. 15% of Washington’s spring home sales were due to the seller retiring, compared to less than 10% across the mid-Atlantic, per Bright MLS. And a chunk of these sellers were former feds with paid-off homes and higher paychecks, allowing them to list their digs and leave the area.” [Axios]
Police Tout Nightlife Patrols — “Over the past 10 years, the Arlington County Police Department’s weekend Clarendon Nightlife Detail has played a vital role in maintaining public safety for patrons, residents and businesses alike.” [ACPD/X]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies, then showers and thunderstorms later in the day, with a high near 96, and heat index values up to 106. Winds will become south around 5 mph in the afternoon, and there’s a 60% chance of precipitation. Thursday night, showers and thunderstorms are likely, with a low around 72 and east winds around 5 mph. [NWS]
CSX Transportation (CSXT) is soliciting a Request for Proposal to support the Alexandria Fourth Track Project, including site civil work, bridge and retaining wall work, drainage work, grading, track work, and support of track work by CSX forces, in the City of Alexandria and Arlington County, VA.
A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on July 22, 2025 at 8:30 am ET. Contractors who are attending the pre-bid meeting shall notify the CSXT contact, Mr. Brett Sanders, at [email protected] (cc [email protected]) by 12:00 noon July 21, 2025 and include number of attendees. After notice has been received, the contractor will then be provided with full bid documents (available June 30, 2025).
Construction bids will be due August 19, 2025 at 12:00 noon ET.
All RFIs and questions will be sent via e-mail to LaMont Jones, [email protected]. The last day for RFIs will be August 8, 2025 at 3 pm ET. NTP is anticipated in October 2025 and construction completion will be December 31, 2027.
CSXT reserves the right to accept a proposal or reject any or all proposals.
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.
