SPRING MARKET!! What's the vibe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here are REAL facts for 2026. I’m giving you Ciry, average sale price, says on market and what percentage went for over list. All areas seem basically the same. All markets strong. I’d say vienna is the strongest for sellers.

Arlington 806k 22 days 17% over list
Alexandria 657k 21 days 26% over list
Mclean 1.4M 29 days 13% over list
Vienna 1.1M 16 days 31% over list
Reston 619k 17 days 24% over list
Ashburn 791k 15 days 27% over list
Leesburg 837k 13 days 26% over list

The market is still very titled to sellers, but these statistics are completely fictional.

I think what that guy is saying is how many percent of sales were above list. Not how much the sale prices were over list.

17% over list = 83% at or below list.

winner winner! someone here can critically read!

I don't think reading ability was the problem -- ability to write clearly was the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very surprised in my neighborhood that houses that sat all summer and were delisted in December got relisted in the past month and have all sold. All in the $2.5-$3.5 range and all decent but had slightly at least one undesirable feature- bad street, corner lot, only one bedroom upstairs, 80s house on a block of 30s and 40s houses, etc.

So in my neighborhood at least I’m confused by the market. I thought things would sit but instead it feels like they’re flying, especially compared to last spring.

I drive through a few other areas en route to work with “lower” price points ($900k-$2M) and that stuff is not moving at all. To me it feels like there are two different real estate universes operating in parallel.

What neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very surprised in my neighborhood that houses that sat all summer and were delisted in December got relisted in the past month and have all sold. All in the $2.5-$3.5 range and all decent but had slightly at least one undesirable feature- bad street, corner lot, only one bedroom upstairs, 80s house on a block of 30s and 40s houses, etc.

So in my neighborhood at least I’m confused by the market. I thought things would sit but instead it feels like they’re flying, especially compared to last spring.

I drive through a few other areas en route to work with “lower” price points ($900k-$2M) and that stuff is not moving at all. To me it feels like there are two different real estate universes operating in parallel.

What neighborhood?

+1. This is the opposite of what we’re seeing in N Arlington - anything below $2.5M ish is flying and everything new and above $2.5 ish is sitting. Ashton Heights is a prime example - there’s now 8ish new builds in the high 2s and low 3s just sitting while original homes around $1.2/1.3 are going for $1.4-1.5. LV is similar too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very surprised in my neighborhood that houses that sat all summer and were delisted in December got relisted in the past month and have all sold. All in the $2.5-$3.5 range and all decent but had slightly at least one undesirable feature- bad street, corner lot, only one bedroom upstairs, 80s house on a block of 30s and 40s houses, etc.

So in my neighborhood at least I’m confused by the market. I thought things would sit but instead it feels like they’re flying, especially compared to last spring.

I drive through a few other areas en route to work with “lower” price points ($900k-$2M) and that stuff is not moving at all. To me it feels like there are two different real estate universes operating in parallel.

What neighborhood?

+1. This is the opposite of what we’re seeing in N Arlington - anything below $2.5M ish is flying and everything new and above $2.5 ish is sitting. Ashton Heights is a prime example - there’s now 8ish new builds in the high 2s and low 3s just sitting while original homes around $1.2/1.3 are going for $1.4-1.5. LV is similar too.

Maybe people are realizing 75% of these new builds were built by someone with no taste.

If I had $2.8 million for a house I’d at least want it to have a tasteful exterior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very surprised in my neighborhood that houses that sat all summer and were delisted in December got relisted in the past month and have all sold. All in the $2.5-$3.5 range and all decent but had slightly at least one undesirable feature- bad street, corner lot, only one bedroom upstairs, 80s house on a block of 30s and 40s houses, etc.

So in my neighborhood at least I’m confused by the market. I thought things would sit but instead it feels like they’re flying, especially compared to last spring.

I drive through a few other areas en route to work with “lower” price points ($900k-$2M) and that stuff is not moving at all. To me it feels like there are two different real estate universes operating in parallel.

What neighborhood?

+1. This is the opposite of what we’re seeing in N Arlington - anything below $2.5M ish is flying and everything new and above $2.5 ish is sitting. Ashton Heights is a prime example - there’s now 8ish new builds in the high 2s and low 3s just sitting while original homes around $1.2/1.3 are going for $1.4-1.5. LV is similar too.

+2

I'm seeing what you are seeing in FCC and McLean hs zoned Falls Church too. The 1 to 1.5M sells immediately, while the 2M+ new builds sit longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very surprised in my neighborhood that houses that sat all summer and were delisted in December got relisted in the past month and have all sold. All in the $2.5-$3.5 range and all decent but had slightly at least one undesirable feature- bad street, corner lot, only one bedroom upstairs, 80s house on a block of 30s and 40s houses, etc.

So in my neighborhood at least I’m confused by the market. I thought things would sit but instead it feels like they’re flying, especially compared to last spring.

I drive through a few other areas en route to work with “lower” price points ($900k-$2M) and that stuff is not moving at all. To me it feels like there are two different real estate universes operating in parallel.

What neighborhood?

+1. This is the opposite of what we’re seeing in N Arlington - anything below $2.5M ish is flying and everything new and above $2.5 ish is sitting. Ashton Heights is a prime example - there’s now 8ish new builds in the high 2s and low 3s just sitting while original homes around $1.2/1.3 are going for $1.4-1.5. LV is similar too.

It means there is a lot higher demand for cheaper houses and we are running out of people with $$$ for the overpriced new builds. Are people starting to lower their expectations and are actually moving into smaller older houses?

[Anonymous]

The pricey new builds simply reflect that the builders are constantly pushing the market to see what they can get away with. The profit margins on those houses are insane (new builds in places like Bowie go for $750K -- see https://southlakebowie.com -- and they look virtually indistinguishable from the new builds in desirable areas, so land cost alone cannot account for the difference). In past years, builders have pushed the market and gotten away with it, so every year, they inch up more to see if buyers will accept the higher prices or balk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very surprised in my neighborhood that houses that sat all summer and were delisted in December got relisted in the past month and have all sold. All in the $2.5-$3.5 range and all decent but had slightly at least one undesirable feature- bad street, corner lot, only one bedroom upstairs, 80s house on a block of 30s and 40s houses, etc.

So in my neighborhood at least I’m confused by the market. I thought things would sit but instead it feels like they’re flying, especially compared to last spring.

I drive through a few other areas en route to work with “lower” price points ($900k-$2M) and that stuff is not moving at all. To me it feels like there are two different real estate universes operating in parallel.

What neighborhood?

+1. This is the opposite of what we’re seeing in N Arlington - anything below $2.5M ish is flying and everything new and above $2.5 ish is sitting. Ashton Heights is a prime example - there’s now 8ish new builds in the high 2s and low 3s just sitting while original homes around $1.2/1.3 are going for $1.4-1.5. LV is similar too.

It means there is a lot higher demand for cheaper houses and we are running out of people with $$$ for the overpriced new builds. Are people starting to lower their expectations and are actually moving into smaller older houses?

Define “moving into smaller older houses.” To me it seems more that people are rejecting paying twice as much (if not more) for huge new ones. But the developers were going wild there for a while, so in areas like Falls Church the 1.2M inventory is low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like there are even a few open houses for new or renovated homes that are coming up in Manassas this weekend! Hooray!

Here's one for you:
https://redf.in/iabmHQ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pricey new builds simply reflect that the builders are constantly pushing the market to see what they can get away with. The profit margins on those houses are insane (new builds in places like Bowie go for $750K -- see https://southlakebowie.com -- and they look virtually indistinguishable from the new builds in desirable areas, so land cost alone cannot account for the difference). In past years, builders have pushed the market and gotten away with it, so every year, they inch up more to see if buyers will accept the higher prices or balk.

I'm sure there is greed but hasn't the price of all materials gone up too with the tariffs? I feel like new builds could be cheaper and they should be. Everything is so expensive now. Don't get me started on restaurant prices...ugh

[Anonymous]

Anecdotally, two houses on my Upper NW block — one detached, one semi-detached — both went on the market at essentially the same time earlier this month and both were under contract in less than a week. Both around $1.2 million. Neither were all that exceptional and both were close to a busy road, but both sold after just one weekend of open houses.

[Anonymous]

Anecdotally, two houses on my Upper NW block — one detached, one semi-detached — both went on the market at essentially the same time earlier this month and both were under contract in less than a week. Both around $1.2 million. Neither were all that exceptional and both were close to a busy road, but both sold after just one weekend of open houses.

Have they closed yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pricey new builds simply reflect that the builders are constantly pushing the market to see what they can get away with. The profit margins on those houses are insane (new builds in places like Bowie go for $750K -- see https://southlakebowie.com -- and they look virtually indistinguishable from the new builds in desirable areas, so land cost alone cannot account for the difference). In past years, builders have pushed the market and gotten away with it, so every year, they inch up more to see if buyers will accept the higher prices or balk.

I'm sure there is greed but hasn't the price of all materials gone up too with the tariffs? I feel like new builds could be cheaper and they should be. Everything is so expensive now. Don't get me started on restaurant prices...ugh

Labor and materials in Bowie is this much cheaper than in Vienna or Mclean? Please. It costs at least 1.5 mil to build a house (without cost of land) in the affluent NOVA burbs for a basic house. If you want anything nice or high end it's north of 2 mil for build alone. If you find a high end new construction home for a total of 1.5 mil within the 50-100 mile radius what does it tell you? It tells you that construction cost of 2 mil alone carries a "land premium" that your builder wants to collect to add to the profit, not just profit on labor/materials. Because to build the same house that with land price included costs 1.5 mil elsewhere they will charge half this. There is no way materials and labor is this much cheaper just 50-100s miles away. Workers who labor on the houses in premium DC suburbs don't live in them, they commute from cheaper far out places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very surprised in my neighborhood that houses that sat all summer and were delisted in December got relisted in the past month and have all sold. All in the $2.5-$3.5 range and all decent but had slightly at least one undesirable feature- bad street, corner lot, only one bedroom upstairs, 80s house on a block of 30s and 40s houses, etc.

So in my neighborhood at least I’m confused by the market. I thought things would sit but instead it feels like they’re flying, especially compared to last spring.

I drive through a few other areas en route to work with “lower” price points ($900k-$2M) and that stuff is not moving at all. To me it feels like there are two different real estate universes operating in parallel.

What neighborhood?

+1. This is the opposite of what we’re seeing in N Arlington - anything below $2.5M ish is flying and everything new and above $2.5 ish is sitting. Ashton Heights is a prime example - there’s now 8ish new builds in the high 2s and low 3s just sitting while original homes around $1.2/1.3 are going for $1.4-1.5. LV is similar too.

It means there is a lot higher demand for cheaper houses and we are running out of people with $$$ for the overpriced new builds. Are people starting to lower their expectations and are actually moving into smaller older houses?

I think it’s less running out of people with $$ and more so running out of people with money who are willing to make a ton of compromises (ugly facade, nonexistent yards, weird floor plans, etc) when buying a $2.5M+ home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pricey new builds simply reflect that the builders are constantly pushing the market to see what they can get away with. The profit margins on those houses are insane (new builds in places like Bowie go for $750K -- see https://southlakebowie.com -- and they look virtually indistinguishable from the new builds in desirable areas, so land cost alone cannot account for the difference). In past years, builders have pushed the market and gotten away with it, so every year, they inch up more to see if buyers will accept the higher prices or balk.

I'm sure there is greed but hasn't the price of all materials gone up too with the tariffs? I feel like new builds could be cheaper and they should be. Everything is so expensive now. Don't get me started on restaurant prices...ugh

Labor and materials in Bowie is this much cheaper than in Vienna or Mclean? Please. It costs at least 1.5 mil to build a house (without cost of land) in the affluent NOVA burbs for a basic house. If you want anything nice or high end it's north of 2 mil for build alone. If you find a high end new construction home for a total of 1.5 mil within the 50-100 mile radius what does it tell you? It tells you that construction cost of 2 mil alone carries a "land premium" that your builder wants to collect to add to the profit, not just profit on labor/materials. Because to build the same house that with land price included costs 1.5 mil elsewhere they will charge half this. There is no way materials and labor is this much cheaper just 50-100s miles away. Workers who labor on the houses in premium DC suburbs don't live in them, they commute from cheaper far out places.

I saw a house in Vienna that looked huge and high end and was going for 3.5 mil. The same type of house in premium Mclean goes for 4.5 mil. There is no way that land in the premium parts of Vienna is that much cheaper than Mclean. It's cheaper by some, but not 1 mil. It tells me that developer in Mclean building on a similar lot would collect probably about 500k of "neighborhood premium" to construct an identical house, because there are buyers who want to live there with deeper pockets, who may not consider Vienna, so builders obviously capitalize on this. It could be that the only way to mitigate it is to avoid local builders and try to find builders who work in cheaper areas? Local builders also always canvas the areas for teardown properties to purchase before they hit the market because they know they can make more profit building on $$$ land.