Question: What is the ratio of bathrooms to bedrooms in Arlington? Answer: Somebody recently asked me what the bathroom-to-bedroom ratio is in Arlington and I ended up exploring Arlington market data through the lens of bedrooms. I might be the only person who finds this interesting but if you find yourself daydreaming about things like the number of bedrooms sold in Arlington and the cost per bedroom, than this is the article you’ve been waiting for! What is a Bedroom? Unlike many other jurisdictions, Arlington doesn’t have its own definition of a bedroom and defers to the Virginia Residentia ..read more

Question: Do you have any advice on questions I should ask a Realtor I’m interviewing to sell my home? Answer: Before you ask, yes, I used ChatGPT for this column, BUT I used it to come up with 50 questions AI thinks you should ask a Realtor so that I can offer you human brain questions that will hopefully be more useful. Or…is that what AI would say if I told it to pretend like it was a human trying to convince readers an article wasn’t written by AI Without further ado, here are five questions (from my own non-AI brain) that will help you make the right decision about who is handling the s ..read more

Question: How much of a difference do schools make in the value of homes in Arlington? Answer: Nothing drives home values like schools and for most buyers around here, that is determined by the 10-point scale ratings on the all-powerful GreatSchools.org. Let me be clear, this article is not meant to validate or contest the quality of GreatSchools ratings, rather an acknowledgement of the weight the website’s school ratings have on home purchase decisions and therefore, home values. Quick Tips for Using Schools in Your Home Search Families define a “good school” differently. Whether that’s te ..read more

Question: Is it more effective to save for my kids’ college through a rental property investment or a more typical college savings plan like a 529? Answer: I often hear from parents who purchase a small investment property around the birth of their child as the primary savings vehicle for college. Some people swear by it. I did it when my son was born (and will report back with results in 13 years!). I reached out to my financial advisor, Erik Fischer CFP, RICP of Taylor Financial (erik@taylorfinancial.com, (727) 417-3400), about the topic and he offered a very detailed, thoughtful comparativ ..read more

Question: How is the real estate market through the first quarter? Answer: “How’s the market?” Well, technically, that answer depends on what market you’re talking about – location, property type, price point, etc but for this column, I’ll provide an overview of what we’re generally seeing in the Arlington/Northern VA/DC area market these days. The market is competitive Demand is moderately high New listing volume is historically low Rates (Hopefully) Heading Down Ignore National Data The market is Competitive Multiple offers, escalations, and reduced or no contingencies are common. The dat ..read more

Question: How many different real estate agents are there doing business in Arlington? Answer: There were 2,795 real estate transactions in Arlington last year, totaling $2.264B in sales volume. This is down from over 3,500 transactions in 2021 that totaled $2.786B in sales volume, but very similar to the 2019 and 2020 numbers. There were 2,491 licensed real estate agents involved in at least one sale in Arlington in 2022. Each transaction usually includes two real estate agents – one representing the buyer and another representing the seller. I looked over the 2022 Arlington transaction data ..read more

Question: I’m planning to sell my home to a builder to be torn down, do you have any advice? Answer: For many homeowners with older, smaller homes in expensive markets, selling to a builder is the easy and most profitable option when you’re ready to move. If you live in a home like this, you probably get hundreds of calls and letter from builders, investors, and real estate agents offering to buy your home as-is. Here are six tips and ideas if you’re considering this option… Don’t Overvalue Cash The idea of somebody paying cash for your home sounds exciting and more reliable than somebody ge ..read more

Question: What effect do you think Missing Middle will have on the Arlington housing market and community? Answer: As expected, Missing Middle (MM) aka Expanded Housing Options (EHO) passed unanimously on Wednesday March 22. In short, the new zoning laws will allow development of 2-6 units on any lots previously designated exclusively for one (single-family detached) unit, effecting a majority of Arlington, if certain minimum lot size/requirements are met. Here’s a link to Arlington’s press release with details. There is so much to digest, investigate, and learn about what MM means for the A ..read more

Question: How much has the market changed in the last six months? Answer: Sometimes I write columns for myself as the audience, this is one of them…I hope some of you find it as interesting as I do! Four months ago, you couldn’t watch/read the news without hearing about the collapsing real estate market but by late January, it was obvious that low supply would prevent that from happening. Demand even prevailed through February rate spikes because 2023 was the first year that new listing volume in February was lower than January. Market Whiplash from Q4 ’22 to Q1 ‘23 It’s normal for the market ..read more

Question: Do you have any information on when the Toll Brothers community in Dominion Hills will be for sale? Answer: Construction is underway on Toll Brothers upcoming 9.5 acre community, The Grove at Dominion Hills, a massive (by Arlington/inside-the-beltway standards) development of 40 brand new detached homes that will start around $2M, formerly the site of the historically significant Febrey-Lothrop property. As of Monday, March 13 they were fully framed and under-roof on their model and one of their “quick-move-in” homes, with a third in foundation, and a fourth getting ready for founda ..read more