Why is Arlington so hot?
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Anonymous
Here are some more meaningful metrics to measure "hotness". Based on sales from the last 6 months (from Redfin). AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET Yorktown - 81 Wakefield - 82 W-L - 88 Marshall - 88 Churchill - 91 Whitman - 91 McLean - 93 B-CC - 94 Langley - 97 Madison - 98 George Mason - 98 AVERAGE $ PER SQ FT Yorktown - $497 W-L - $480 B-CC - $444 Wakefield - $414 George Mason - $393 Whitman - $384 McLean - $377 Marshall - $372 Madison - $335 Langley - $333 Churchill - $284 |
Anonymous
Yeah, I think since the mid 90s Arlington has been the premier area in the dmv. It has checked out for top places to live with a few spots actually in dc probably more desired. Prior to that I think Arlington was more in line with the other close in suburbs, but now dc, Arlington then everything else. |
Anonymous
Developers tend to list teardown /new builds long before they're completed. I bet they are wildly distorting DOM in some of these neighborhoods. In my neighborhood near W-L, anything without a major defect or crazy price sells within a day or two. Most home don't even make it to the open house, and some end up not even being listed and are sold as pocket listings. |
Anonymous
If they are sold with ZERO days on the market that is still representative of a "hot" market so maybe not really that misleading... |
Anonymous
Nope. Arlington has never been the "premier area in the dmv". Transplants coming from flyover areas might think of Arlington as hot compare to where they come from, but DMV folks know better. |
Anonymous
Arlington resident here. From California. Never thought Arlington was “premier”. So glad it’s not, and glad PP doesn’t live here. |
Nope. Arlington has never been the "premier area in the dmv".
Anonymous
+1 Let McLean have the Saudi princes. 
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Anonymous
Arlington prices were declining in the 90s. Lots of it was a dump, esp the Orange Line corridor. DH bought our house in 1996 and happened to get it at the bottom of the market right as things started to turn. Only way we now have a 4-bed, 3-bath house two blocks from a metro station. I did an internship at a school in APS in 2002 and was told they were concerned about the school closing because of declining enrollment. 5 years later when I had a kindergartener it was full and turning away transfers. Arlington changed FAST. Suddenly the young couples who for years used it as a stopping point before moving to Fairfax county when they had kids decided to stay in Arlington. |
Anonymous
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Arlington is one of the densest areas in the DMV with 26 sq mi and a population of ~250k and ~400k people buried in the cemetery. That's nearly 25000 people/sq mi. That's nearly double DC's 12000 people/sq mi. Everyone wants to be in Arlington!
/s |
Anonymous
The 90's was 30 years ago. I think current history would show that Arlington prices have always been rather expensive. |
Anonymous
Yes, it was a while ago but I was responding to the idea that "Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot". It has not. |
Anonymous
| Arlington turned the corner in 99 with then Clarendon investment and never looked back. It had some bars that drew 20 somethings to carpool, Bartos, Clarendon grill, addition of the ballroom and mr days and many more. Those 20 somethings who ventured in from fairfax/Bethesda/Alexandria or wherever eventually started moving to Arlington and 20 years later you get the most expensive place to live in the region. It’s not rocket science. |
Anonymous
It’s not even close to the most expensive place in the region. Expensive dirt, but the houses? Not even close to the most expensive. |