Parking compliance is up in Arlington, even as rates of parking tickets and traffic citations held relatively steady this year.
What’s behind the change? One new tool at law enforcement’s disposal this year, county and police spokespeople told ARLnow, is better data on where people are and aren’t paying to park.
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed a state budget plan on Wednesday to provide tax relief on tips and cars, measures his Republican administration touted as giving money back to middle- and lower-income workers.
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 Arlington single-family home market performed in the first half of 2026?
Answer: Arlington’s single-family detached (SFD) market got busier and more competitive in the first half of 2026, yet prices increased at their slowest pace since 2023.
More Competition, Modest Appreciation (Resale Market)
Note: this data is for resales of single-family detached (SFD) homes; I have a separate analysis of the new construction market further down.
Dig Deeper: Performance Varied by Size, Price Point
The appreciation gap between the average price (3.5%) and median price (1.9%) matters. The average is more sensitive to expensive sales. In 2026, 15.7% of closed resales sold for $2M or more, up from 12.7% in 2025. At the other end of the market, only 21.7% sold below $1M, down from 24.4%. That shift toward higher-priced homes helped lift the average faster than the median.
Average and median prices are useful, but neither tells us whether gains were shared evenly across the market. To test that, I divided the closed resale market into four sold-price quartiles for each year. Each quartile represents one-fourth of that year’s sales, from the least expensive 25% to the most expensive 25%. (more…)
A delivery driver was carjacked last night on the same block as Amazon’s HQ2.
The incident happened just before 6 p.m. on the 500 block of 14th Street S. in Pentagon City. Police say the driver tried to chase down his car after the suspect hopped in the idling vehicle and started driving away, but the suspect drew a gun and drove off.
A 78-year-old man has pleaded guilty to keeping explosives inside his Westover apartment.
Charles Wallace Peters faces a maximum of 10 years in prison following his Tuesday plea, according to Virginia statute.
Join DC Road Runners and Potomac Valley Track Club for our annual Family Night at the Track and Meet of Miles. The event is open to runners of all ages and paces as well as nonmembers.
This event hosts 400 meter and 800 meter races for kids ages 1-8, as well as multiple 1-mile heats for participants of all ages. There is also a 3K race that is open to participants of all ages.
Arlington County police are urging residents to remain alert to a variety of commonly reported scams this holiday season.
Residents are encouraged to be suspicious of unsolicited communications, avoid clicking suspicious links and regularly monitor their bank accounts for unauthorized activity.
County Manager Mark Schwartz has been directed to consider both program cuts and tax increases as he works to fill a fiscal 2026 budget gap currently estimated at $30 million to $40 million.
County Board members on Tuesday night (Dec. 17) voted unanimously to approve budget guidance providing Schwartz the ability to propose tax increases he deems necessary. That could include another increase to the real-estate tax rate.
Lawmakers who represent Arlington in Congress are speaking out against the collapse of a bipartisan plan to avert a government shutdown.
The stopgap budget deal was derailed Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump called on House Republicans to renegotiate, following sharp criticism of the deal by Elon Musk. House Speaker Mike Johnson is now scrambling to devise a new strategy before Friday’s funding deadline, while Musk — who is to head a government efficiency effort under the new administration — has said that “no bills should be passed” before Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Local Businessman Admits Fraud — Arlington business owner Kiel Brendan Brandt, 34, has pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud after defrauding eight companies of over $2 million through his firm, Epsilon Acquisition Services, between 2020 and 2022. Brandt faces up to 20 years in prison and must pay nearly $2 million in restitution. [DOJ]
Advocates: Missing Middle ‘Is a Win’ — “Missing Middle zoning reform was delivering more mid-sized homes throughout Arlington. It was on track to create more starter homes and more places to downsize within neighborhoods that had limited options. In short, the policy was delivering on its promises, until it was invalidated by a judge on September 27, 2024. Notably, none of the hyperbolic concerns of the policy’s critics seem to have been happening.” [YIMBYs of Northern Virginia]
Stormwater Credit Applications Open — “Arlington’s Stormwater Utility credit application period is now open and ready for submissions. In Dec. 2023, the Arlington County Board formally adopted a new, fairer way to fund the stormwater management program by approving the County’s first-ever Stormwater Utility fee. The County Board took further action at its Dec. 2024 meeting to enhance the program by approving two new voluntary credit opportunities for single-family residential properties.” [Arlington County]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mix of clouds and sun with highs around 45 degrees and a northwest wind at 6 to 10 mph. As night falls, clouds increase and the temperature will drop to around 31 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 — Dec 18, 2024.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect a mostly sunny day with highs around 45 degrees and a northwest wind ranging from 6 to 10 mph. As night falls, the sky will transition to increasing clouds and the temperature will drop to around 31 degrees, accompanied by calm winds. See more from Weather.gov.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
– Albert Schweitzer
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
