Anonymous wrote: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 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot? I don't remember a time when Arlington wasn't one of the more expensive areas in the DMV.

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.

The 90's was 30 years ago. I think current history would show that Arlington prices have always been rather expensive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot? I don't remember a time when Arlington wasn't one of the more expensive areas in the DMV.

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 wrote:Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot? I don't remember a time when Arlington wasn't one of the more expensive areas in the DMV.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot? I don't remember a time when Arlington wasn't one of the more expensive areas in the DMV.

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.

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.

Arlington resident here. From California. Never thought Arlington was “premier”. So glad it’s not, and glad PP doesn’t live here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot? I don't remember a time when Arlington wasn't one of the more expensive areas in the DMV.

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.

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 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot? I don't remember a time when Arlington wasn't one of the more expensive areas in the DMV.

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 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused by the suggestion that Arlington is "so hot". Here are the # of single-family houses now on the market for under $1M in various school zones, according to Redfin:

Yorktown - 10

Madison - 6

Marshall - 6

Churchill - 3

McLean - 3

Langley - 2

B-CC - 2

George Mason - 0

Whitman - 0

That doesn’t indicate “hotness” though. You could have a $3M place in Whitman...that just sits there for 6 months.

How about DOM?

Or % list price?

MLS doesn’t track # of offers, right?

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

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 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused by the suggestion that Arlington is "so hot". Here are the # of single-family houses now on the market for under $1M in various school zones, according to Redfin:

Yorktown - 10

Madison - 6

Marshall - 6

Churchill - 3

McLean - 3

Langley - 2

B-CC - 2

George Mason - 0

Whitman - 0

That doesn’t indicate “hotness” though. You could have a $3M place in Whitman...that just sits there for 6 months.

How about DOM?

Or % list price?

MLS doesn’t track # of offers, right?

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 wrote:Hasn't Arlington ALWAYS been hot? I don't remember a time when Arlington wasn't one of the more expensive areas in the DMV.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused by the suggestion that Arlington is "so hot". Here are the # of single-family houses now on the market for under $1M in various school zones, according to Redfin:

Yorktown - 10

Madison - 6

Marshall - 6

Churchill - 3

McLean - 3

Langley - 2

B-CC - 2

George Mason - 0

Whitman - 0

That doesn’t indicate “hotness” though. You could have a $3M place in Whitman...that just sits there for 6 months.

How about DOM?

Or % list price?

MLS doesn’t track # of offers, right?