More Halloween Fun in Arlington

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Everyone liked the photos so much yesterday that I took a few more neighborhood photos and videos this morning. These are from the Overlee Knolls and Westover neighborhoods of Arlington. If you would like your neighborhood represented, you can always email a photo or two with your neighborhood listed to janejensen@comcast.net. I’ll post it here. Nothing obscene or really, really gross. Just gross is ok though.

And…just in case you thought there was no real estate perspective here….my personal observation after being a realtor in this area for thirteen (lucky number ?) years is that when people spend time and money on holiday decorations, they are feeling good about the economy and their personal finances which are both good indicators of the direction of the real estate market. Your home is probably worth more then you think. If you want to know, call me at 571-228-5656 or email janejensen@comcast.net. Consultation is always free (what’s better then that?). No trick, just treat.

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Here’s one for Edvard Munch Fans. 

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Something for everyone including those on Gluten Free diets. 

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Having just seen the Peculiar Children movie, this is a personal favorite

I love Halloween in Arlington, Va. Check out these decorations.

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Who doesn’t love Halloween Decorations. There’s the Scary and the Spooky and even the Kooky.  Here are a few photos and a video that I took on my walk around the Westover/Overlee Knolls neighborhood in Arlington, Va. this morning. Boo!

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I thought this one was particularly creative. Sccreaming Skeleton covered with spiderwebs and spiders tied to the bushes.

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This one made Teddy the Dog Bark. I give it an 8 out of 10 on the Creepy Scale.

Here’s Teddy checking out the flying cat and wondering if it takes off, will he catch it. I’m sure he’d give it a try.

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Yes, this is a pigwitch. Yes, it’s on my porch. Happy Halloween!

 

Post your photos in the comments if you like or email them to me at janejensen@comcast.net and I’ll post them here. Boo!

September Real Estate Statistics for Arlington, Va

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Hi Folks. Here we are with our real estate statistics for September. On average sellers are in the red this month. Total sold dollar volume down 20%, Average sold price, down 7%, median sold price down 11% Average list price for solds down 7%. Before we decide it’s all doom and gloom for sellers and happy days for buyers, note that the greatest decrease was in the 4 or more bedroom attached home (townhouse) category. Down a whopping 48%.The average detached home sales price actually rose in 2, 3 and 4 more bedroom categories. It’s easy to see that in an area where homes are high priced that even one less high priced sale in any category can skew the averages greatly. That’s why when you are pricing your home it’s important to look at the comparable homes. Same goes when you are making an offer on a property. Interest rates continue to rock. It’s a great time to sell. janejensen@comcast.net 571-228-5656septstats-jpg

Leaf pickup schedule for Arlington, Va.

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A sure sign of the season is the pile of leaves at the curb. Here is information from Arlington county about the Vacuum pickup. And…if you’re bagging, be sure to pick up recyclable FREE bags at the locations noted below.

 

Arlington County Leaf Season Update

Department of Environmental Services, Solid Waste Bureau

Ready. Rake. Recycle.

2016 – 2017 Leaf Collection Season

Leaf collection season begins on October 31. The County collects and recycles your leaves through vacuum trucks, biodegradable bags and in your green organics cart. Please be sure to drive safety around County vehicles. Stay aware as there may be crews servicing the immediate vicinity around parked County vehicles, as well. 

Vacuum Collection Schedule

Check our online vacuum schedule to determine when the leaf vacuum will be in your neighborhood.

Vacuum Collection 

  • Crews will complete two passes through each neighborhood between November and December, Monday-Saturday, except Thanksgiving Day.
  • Bright yellow and orange leaf collection signs will be posted in your neighborhood two to three days before crews arrive.
  • Plan accordingly to have leaves raked to the curb before scheduled pick-up. If the vacuum collection schedule doesn’t meet your needs, or if you missed the first vacuum pass, residents have the option to bag their leaves for the weekly bag collection, wait for the second vacuum pass or place the leaves in their green organic yard waste cart.
  • If you miss your collection date, leaves should be recycled in biodegradable leaf bags. Dates are subject to change due to weather and other events.
  • Call 703-228-6565 for recorded schedule by civic association.

Leaf Bag Collection

Place leaves in biodegradable bags only. Don’t use plastic bags. Leaf bags are now collected year-round on the same day as your regular trash collection day.

Where to Find Leaf Bags

Biodegradable paper leaf bags are available at most hardware stores. Please use any bags left over from spring yard waste collection. Free bags are also available beginning October 24 at these locations while supplies last.

Year-Round Yard Waste Collection

Arlington County provides weekly, curbside collection of yard waste to single-family homes, duplexes and some townhomes in Arlington. Yard waste collection will occur each week on your regular scheduled trash collection day. More details can be found in our brochure.

Interactive Leaf Collection Progress Map 

Be sure to follow the leaf vacuum’s progress on our interactive map.

Share Your Colors

Days are getting shorter and the leaves are showing their colors. Share your photo of Arlington’s changing tree canopy or leaf pile with us for a chance to be featured as our Facebook cover photo. Photos can be posted on Facebook or sent to @ArlingtonDES on Twitter.

 

For more information, visit www.arlingtonva.us and search “Leaf Collection.”

Arlington County Department of Environmental Services

Solid Waste Bureau

www.arlingtonva.us/des

703-228-6570

Absentee Voting in Arlington, Va.

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Absentee voting in Arlington has begun. Please vote. Here are reasons that make you eligible for early voting and where and when you can vote. We are so very fortunate in this country to have this right. Please exercise this right.

If you’ll be absent from Arlington on Election Day, or can’t go to the polls due to an illness or disability, you can apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to you or vote by absentee ballot in person at the Office of Voter Registration. Virginia law requires a reason to vote absentee. You can vote absentee if you are:

  • A student at a higher learning institution (including your spouse)
  • Absent for business purposes (includes those employed outside of Arlington)
  • Absent for personal business or vacation
  • Working and commuting 11 of the 13 hours the polls are open
  • A firefighter or first responder
  • Unable to go to the polls due to a disability, illness or pregnancy
  • A caretaker for a confined family member
  • Awaiting trial and under confinement
  • Serving time for a misdemeanor conviction
  • Unable to go to the polls due to religious conflicts
  • An active duty uniformed service or merchant marine member (including dependents residing with you)
  • Regularly employed outside the U.S. (including dependents residing with you)
  • Living abroad indefinitely (may be eligible to vote only for federal offices)
  • A registrar, an Electoral Board member or an election officer scheduled to work the election
  • Designated by a Party or Candidate as an Authorized Representative to work inside the polls

 

ABSENTEE IN-PERSON VOTING DATES:  SEPT 23 TO NOV 5

 

Court House Plaza

2100 Clarendon Blvd

Mon – Fri, Sept 23 – Oct 21

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturdays, Oct 8 – Nov 5

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Mon – Thurs, Oct 24 – Nov 3

8:00 am – 7:00 pm

Fridays, Oct 28 – Nov 4

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

 

 

Madison Community Center

3829 N Stafford St

Saturdays, Oct 15 – Nov 5

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Mon – Thurs, Oct 24 – Nov 3

1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Fridays, Oct 28 – Nov 4

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

 

 

Walter Reed Community Center

2909 16th St S

Saturdays, Oct 15 – Nov 5

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Mon – Thurs, Oct 24 – Nov 3

1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Fridays, Oct 28 – Nov 4

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

 

 

 

Arlington Celebrates Affordable Housing

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Press Release from Arlington County:

 

Arlington Celebrates Affordable Housing Month

  • October is Affordable Housing Month
  • Exploring a greater diversity of housing in the County
  • Speakers, tours and a design gallery highlighting the “Missing Middle Housing”

October is Affordable Housing Month in Arlington, a month-long celebration of the County’s long-term commitment to preserving and creating housing opportunities that benefit the whole community.

The public is invited to take a bus tour of affordable housing developments around the County, participate in an affordable housing forum and view a traveling design gallery highlighting the potential of “Missing Middle Housing” that falls between single-family homes and mid-rise buildings.

“For decades, we have invested in our affordable housing programs to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community,” said County Board Chair Libby Garvey. “These efforts support our residents at all ages and stages of life, improve our neighborhoods and strengthen our economy. This October, we give special focus to exploring a greater diversity of housing types in the County and how that can benefit all residents.”

2016 Affordable Housing Month events:

  • Affordable housing bus tour around Arlington — Oct. 8
  • Leckey Forum on “Finding the Missing Middle – Expanding Middle-Income Housing Options,” presented by The Alliance for Housing Solutions and featuring housing expert Daniel Parolek as the keynote speaker — Oct. 13
  • Traveling gallery of design examples featuring elements of “Missing Middle” housing — Oct. 15 at Live-In Arlington Info Fair
  • Traveling gallery of design examples featuring elements of “Missing Middle” housing — Oct. 25 at Langston Brown Community Center

Visit the Affordable Housing Month webpage for a details.

Affordable Housing Statistics

  • Affordable Housing Month 2016 focuses on creating affordable rental and homeownership housing opportunities for middle-income households (between 80-120 percent of average median income).
  • Arlington’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) is funded at a level of $13.72 million for FY2017. AHIF is the County’s main financing program for affordable housing development. The fund is comprised of local and federal dollars and is also supported by loan repayments and developer contributions.
  • More than 7,500 committed affordable units (CAFs) are open or have been approved in more than 70 apartment complexes throughout Arlington; 1,200 of these CAFs have been added in the last five years. CAFs now make up 14 percent of the multi-family rental stock.
  • The County has reduced the number of homeless people in shelters or on the streets by more than half in the past five years.

Media Contacts

Jessica Margarit, 703-228-3551

Gina Wimpey, 703-228-3252

Westover Farmers Market 360

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Video post.

Source: Westover Farmers Market 360

Westover Farmers market has a new vendor for your four legged friends.

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The Westover Farmers market (which I am pleased to be a sponsor of) has a new vendor for your furry friend. Dog Bark has hand crafter natural treats for dogs. No wheat, corn, soy or gluten. You  can visit their website at http://www.dogbarkbones.com or better yet come to the farmers market this Sunday. You can’t bring your dog into the market but because they are right at the Washington Blvd entrance you can bring your furry friend into their booth.
The Farmers market is located in the Westover neighborhood of Arlington, Va and the entrance is on the corner of Washington Blvd and McKinley.

 

 

 

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From the Anything Can happen File

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I was enjoying a very nice dinner with friends at Sfizi in Falls Church City. It’s a lovely little Italian restaurant with an excellent menu, great service and a nice wine list. We were just into desert and one of the patrons stood up (I think he must have known the owner) and gave us this wonderful performance. How lucky for us.

A new pop-up library will bring books, computers and gathering space to Crystal City

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The Arlington Public Library will soon open a pop-up location in Crystal City to provide a public space where members of the community can gather, read and learn.

Source: A new pop-up library will bring books, computers and gathering space to Crystal City