Around Town

Get ready for a hint of chlorine in your tap water beginning next week.

Starting this coming Monday, March 25, and continuing until May 6, the Washington Aqueduct, the main water source for Arlington, D.C., and parts of Fairfax County, will temporarily change its disinfectant from chloramine to chlorine.


News

A man reportedly shot a boy in the face with a water bead gun after he got off a school bus in Pentagon City.

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, near the Westpost shopping center on S. Joyce Street, and prompted a police investigation.


Sponsored

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: Does the cost of renting a home in Arlington increase at a similar rate as the cost of buying a home in Arlington?

Answer: The cost of renting and buying a detached home increases at a similar rate, but the cost of renting a condo has outpaced the cost of buying a condo.

Condo Rents Rising Faster than Condo Prices

Since 2020, the cost of renting a detached home in Arlington increased at a similar rate as the cost of buying a detached home; 26% and 28%, respectively.

However, the cost of renting a condo increased significantly faster than the cost of buying a condo; 21% and 6%, respectively.

Sale Price to Rental Rate Multiple Shifts with Interest Rates

The table below shows the average price and $/SF of buying a detached home or condo relative to the average annual rent for a detached home or condo, in Arlington. Higher multiples show that buying is becoming more expensive relative to renting.

Takeaway: Condo buyers are more rate sensitive than detached home buyers and are more likely to rent (higher rental demand = strong condo rent appreciation) than buy (weakened purchase demand = low condo value appreciation) when interest rates increase. Notice how quickly the sale price to rental rate multiple drops from 2020/2021 to 2022/2023 (rates skyrocketed spring/summer 2022). (more…)


News

Feedback Sought on Humps — “In fall 2023, the County reintroduced speed humps in school slow zones as part of a pilot project aiming to reduce vehicle speeds near schools. We want to learn from you, our community members, about the impacts of and your experience with tactical speed humps at the pilot locations. The last day to give feedback is Sunday, March 31.” [Arlington County]

Takis Talks Immigration — “Should improper border crossings into the U.S. be decriminalized? He may not have a direct say in the matter, but one Arlington County Board member made his view clear on March 16. ‘Crossing a border, documented or undocumented, should never be a crime,’ Takis Karantonis said in response to a public-comment speaker complaining about treatment of those slated for deportation at a downstate facility run by a contractor for the federal government.” [Gazette Leader]


Event

Join us for the 12th Arlington Triathlon in Memory of Anne Viviani. This youth-only swim-bike-run event for ages 7-15 takes place Sunday, June 7th at Washington-Liberty Aquatics Center. It features a time-trial pool swim, a circuit bike course on closed streets, and an on-road run to the finish on the track. For registration, sponsorship information and more, please visit our website at www.triathlonfamilyusa.com. The race benefits the Arlington Triathlon Club, Arlington’s award-winning, elementary school-based multi-sport training program, the longest-running youth triathlon program of its kind in the country.


News

A suspect allegedly armed with a loaded handgun unsuccessfully tried to run from Pentagon police today.

The chase happened around lunchtime Wednesday, starting near the Pentagon and ending in Pentagon City.


News

First Lady Jill Biden came to Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City today and touted her husband’s record on women’s health issues.

Speaking this morning at the Amazon Web Services Imagine: Nonprofit conference, Biden emphasized the President’s recent allocation of $100 million in federal funding for the ARPA-H Sprint for Women’s Health, a program focused on advancing research and development in the field.


News

An Arlington doctor has been sentenced to a decade in prison for a drug distribution scheme.

Kirsten Van Steenberg Ball was found guilty by a federal jury in December of the illicit distribution of more than a million oxycodone pills. She was sentenced today (Wednesday) in Alexandria federal court.


News

Safety concerns about crash-prone S. Carlin Springs Road dominated an Arlington County Board discussion on speed limit reductions yesterday (Tuesday).

The stretch of Carlin Springs south of Arlington Blvd saw a total of 92 crashes, including three involving severe injuries or deaths, between 2016 and 2021, according to a county study. However, it is not among the five other roads, including part of N. Carlin Springs, that are expected to have speed limits reduced from 30 to 25 mph.


Around Town

Courthaus Social is adding to its space and its offerings, aiming to be an all-day spot for food and drink.

Best known for its outdoor beer garden, the restaurant at 2300 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse is expanding with the opening of “The Courtroom.”