AI-generated image of a gondola over the Potomac near Rosslyn (via DALL-E 2)
Missing Man’s Car Found — “Mr. Surur’s vehicle was located in the Shenandoah Valley on August 16, 2022. The missing persons investigation remains open and this time, there has been no evidence to indicate foul play. We continue to ask anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact Detective R. Ortiz at 703-228-7402 or [email protected].” [ACPD]
Local Woman Found Dead in Utah Park — “A body discovered Saturday in Arches National Park in Utah has been identified as Ekaterina Yaroslavna Ksenjek, 33, of Arlington, Va. A release from the National Park Service on Wednesday said Ksenjek’s body was found in the Devils Garden area of the park.” [WJLA, Gephardt Daily]
Police looking for evidence where shots were fired along S. Wakefield Street in October 2022 (file photo)
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) A suspect fired gunshots at police in Arlington, sparking a high-speed chase down Route 50 that ended in the West Falls Church area of Fairfax County.
The incident started around 7:45 p.m. when Arlington County police were notified that a suspect that had fled from Prince George’s County police was entering the county, per scanner traffic.
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 common is it for a home sale to fall through once it’s under contract?
Answer: According to a recent study, 70% of sellers fear that buyers will back out of the deal before it closes. How often do real estate transactions actually fall apart?
Arlington, Northern VA Buyers Are Committed
Since 2019, less than 10% of real estate contracts fell through in Arlington, compared to 26.3% in Prince George’s County.
Just 11.4% of Northern VA real estate contracts didn’t make it to closing, as opposed to 13.8% in Montgomery County MD and 15.2% in Washington DC.
Spring Buyers Are More Committed
Homes that go under contract during the spring market are more likely to close than those that sell later in the year.
In Northern VA, just 9.6% of homes that go under contract in April fall through, but December contracts fall through 12.8% of the time; 12% more than average.
This pattern of fall-through rates follows a similar pattern of best and worst times to go to market for sellers. February through May often produce the best results for sellers in speed and price metrics, it also gives sellers the best chance at getting to the closing table.
Seasonal fall-through rates across the entire DMV market follow a similar trend as Northern VA, but the average fall-through rate increases 4-5% when you include DC and Maryland suburbs. (more…)
After 61 years with D.C.’s local NBC station, the teen quiz show “It’s Academic” has a new broadcast home: WETA-TV in Arlington.
And the inaugural episode on the public TV station will feature a team of three Arlington students from Washington-Liberty High School, who will face teams from Herndon High School and W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax County.
Local rising kindergartener, Phin, has advanced to the Top 5 in his group in the national Jr. Ranger Contest, a competition that celebrates children who are passionate about nature, wildlife, and exploration. After making it through earlier rounds with strong community support, Phin is now in 4th place and working toward the top spot needed to move on to the quarterfinals.
The contest encourages kids to engage with the outdoors and highlights their curiosity and love for learning about the natural world. For Phin and his family, this experience has been both exciting and meaningful, made even more special by the encouragement from friends, neighbors, and the broader community.
A fight among teen girls in Rocky Run Park, near Courthouse, prompted a police response yesterday (Wednesday) evening.
Arlington County police say three girls attacked another after a verbal dispute became physical. The suspects were later stopped by police and are expected to face charges.
St. Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington, VA is starting a running & walking group. The first event is a 3-mile route on May 14 (Thr) at 7pm starting (and ending at) at Courthaus Social (2300 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201) near Court House Metro. We will run/walk to the Marine Corps Memorial and back. Extra points if you wear Catholic swag (e.g., Notre Dame t-shirt, Georgetown jersey, your hometown elementary school shirt). Please RSVP, so we can keep you updated.
An Amazon delivery worker delivers packages in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Feeling the pressure to respond to its soaring office vacancy rate, Arlington County is looking to fill empty buildings quickly.
One option for adding tenants and knocking down the 20.8% vacancy rate would be to permit companies to set up small warehouses, or micro-fulfillment centers, inside of office buildings that are struggling to attract new tenants — especially as remote work appears here to stay.
Tasteful Delight in Pentagon City now appears closed (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
It appears that Pentagon City mainstay Tasteful Delight has closed.
The signage is now gone at the long-time Chinese food restaurant on S. Joyce Street. There’s also a lock on the door, plus the interior looks like it has been cleared out. As further proof, online ordering is no longer available on the restaurant’s website and its phone line has been disconnected.
VDOT has kicked off work on its I-66 Rosslyn Tunnel Rehabilitation project.
The nearly $38 million project is expected to stretch well into 2025, retrofitting the tunnel under Rosslyn’s Gateway Park that was built some 40 years ago.
Birds on power lines along Langston Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Not Guilty Verdict in Murder Case — “An Arlington County jury Tuesday deliberated for only one hour before finding a 60-year-old man not guilty of hiring a violent felon to murder his fiancee, Andrea Cincotta, in her apartment in 1998. Three jurors said afterward that they questioned why Arlington prosecutors brought the case against James Christopher Johnson.” [Washington Post]
More on Local Man’s Murder — “Kent Carter, a prominent racial-justice leader in Northern Virginia, was one of three people killed over the weekend in the Turks and Caicos Islands amid a string of violent attacks that have shaken this British territory in the Caribbean… Carter’s girlfriend survived with minor injuries, according to Cantrell. Officials said they believe one of the attackers was later killed by police. Botting said Monday that the ambush was ‘carried out by armed gang members who act without conscience.'” [Washington Post]
Ghost Limb is a timely and haunting examination of authoritarianism set during Argentina’s Dirty War that draws poetic inspiration from the Persephone and Demeter myth. When Consuelo’s son is “disappeared” by the military, she discovers a psychic link between her injured arm and her tortured child-and races to find him before it’s too late.
