Are you one of the estimated 53% of buyers in 2009 who will be buying for the first time?
Then register for a free first time home buyer seminar:
Arlington Central Library (Orange Line: Ballston)
Wednesday, May 20
7:15 pm - 8:30 pm
As with our other classes, there is absolutely no cost or obligation to attend this one hour educational session where we will recap the current market conditions, discuss the future outlook, and provide an overview of the home purchase process. We'll also discuss the impact of the banking system collapse and bailout, the home purchase process and common pitfalls, financing basics and a how to get started checklist.
The class is free, but registratin is required. You can register here.
Westover has long been known as a quiet, eclectic "urban village" in North Arlington. Home to shops and restaurants, it has a very small town feel, but with big city advantages, like being close to the Metro and major commuting routes. Westover is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Westover has a small "main street" area with a hardware store, post office, and restaurants including the very popular Lost Dog Cafe (great pizza and sandwiches), its sister restaurant the stray cat, and Lebanese Taverna. Westover is an enclave of mostly small colonials-- some with just 2 bedrooms and 1 bath and quite affordable for the very convenient location nestled between Ballston and East Falls Church metros along the Orange Line.
As of May 1, 2009, there is just ONE home listed for sale in Westover, a 2br Colonial listed for $525,000. In the past year, there were 14 homes sold, ranging in list price from $425,000 to $649,000. The average days on market for sold properties was 88, and the average sold price was $522,979 (Source: MRIS as of 5/1/2009)
Here is the summary from the Register:
Located in northwestern Arlington County, Virginia, the Westover Historic District is a residential neighborhood of 418 primary resources on 143.363 acres. The neighborhood was constructed in five phases: Westover Apartments (1939), Westover Hills (1940-1941), Keene's Addition to Westover (1941), Westover Park (1942, 1943, 1947, 1948), and Mason's Addition to Westover (1955-1957). It is bounded by 18th Street North and North Longfellow Street on the north, North Jefferson Street on the east, Interstate 66 (I-66) on the south, and McKinley Road on the west.
The residential streets of Westover are lined with Colonial 
Revival-style single-family dwellings, twin houses, duplexes, and multi-family garden apartments primarily constructed by Mace Properties, Inc. with mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The buildings are sited away from the streets to provide for ample yards and many of the houses have paved driveways to provide for off-street parking. Rolling hills and clusters of woodland define the neighborhood, which is interspersed with winding streets and cul-de-sacs.
The commercial district, centered along North Washington Boulevard and Patrick Henry Drive, contains a shopping center, the Claude A. Swanson Junior High School, and the Westover Baptist Church. Swanson Park, located along the southwest border of the school site, connects the school grounds and the neighborhood with pedestrian paths. A planned park is located in the southern section of the neighborhood and is presently known as Westover Park.
Read more at the National Register here.
Get an updated market summary of activity near your Westover home.
Other helpful links and information about Westover:
Master Planning for the Library/Reed site
Wikipedia Entry with More on Westover
Bike Arlington's Westover Tour
Westover Market - over 50 years old!
Points of interest in Westover
Looking to buy a home in Westover? I live nearby and keep a close watch on the listings in the neighborhood - contact me!
Are you getting ready to sell your Westover home? As a long-time Arlington resident, I can help you best highlight all the positives of living here! For a free pricing analysis and comprehensive marketing plan, contact me or visit my Sellers Resource Center.
Other Arlington Neighborhoods:
History
Colonial Village was built between 1935 and 1940 and was one of the first garden-style apartment complexes in the United States and the first large-scale rental housing project to be financed by a mortgage issue by the Federal Housing Administration. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, the community became the prototype for most of the garden area apartments in the Washington area during the 1930s and 1940s. The concept was so popular that 15,000 applications were received for the first 276 units. According to a long-time resident, “Young brides in Washington set their marriage dates by (when) their applications for an apartment in the village (were accepted).”
Originally, the complex consisted of 24 freestanding clusters of buildings containing 1,059 units. In the early 1980s, it was redeveloped and divided into three condominiums (Colonial Villages I, II and III), a cooperative (The Commons), and two rental properties. Colonial Village is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Location
Colonial Village is bounded by Wilson Boulevard, Queens Lane, Veitch Street, and Lee Highway. The complex is located near the Arlington County Court House in Clarenden, close to Rosslyn Circle and the Key Bridge and lies between the Courthouse and Rosslyn Metros.
Neighborhood Highlights
Colonial Village is just a very short distance to the Court House Metro, the Clarenden, Court House and Roslyn neighborhoods, and is in close proximity to the Key Bridge with quick access into Georgetown and DC. The neighborhood has access to a variety of restaurants, grocery stores (Giant and Harris Teeter), services, schools and nightlife. The buildings feature courtyards that were designed as a park within a park and offer a variety of walkways and landscaping including magnolia trees that flower in late spring and early summer.
Demographics
According to city-data.com, Colonial Village has 2,431 residents (47% male; 53% female). The median age of residents is 31.5 and the average household size is 1.5 people. 14.7% of the population is married vs. 35.3% in Arlington and 2.5% of its households has children vs. 14.8% in Arlington. Property Prices According to Redfin, there are currently 7 condos on the market ranging from a low of $278,500 for a 1 bdrm, 1 bath condo with 675 sq ft to $423,750 for a 2 bdrm, 2 bath with 1,000 sq ft to a high of $610k for a 2 bdrm, 2.5 bath unit that is 1,500 sq ft. The average list price for a condo is $367,500, average unit is 946 sq ft and properties are on the market for an average of 55 days.
Ready to start your search for a Colonial Village home?
Click here to see homes for sale in Colonial Village.
Read more about Northern Virginia real estate at my blog.
Are you getting ready to sell your Colonial Village home? As a long-time Arlington resident, I can help you best highlight all the positives of living here! For a free pricing analysis and comprehensive marketing plan, contact me or visit my Sellers Resource Center.
Other Arlington Neighborhoods:
ARLINGTON FOREST is an established community of over 750 households in Arlington County, Virginia. The proximity to DC combines the benefits of living in an urban area with the comfort and security of a quiet, wooded neighborhood. The community is located about a mile west of the Ballston Common Mall, bordered by Carlin Springs Road and George Mason Drive on the north, North Henderson Road, 2nd Street north, North Pershing Drive and Arlington Boulevard on the east, and Glencarlyn Park and the W&OD trail on the south and west.
Arlington Forest derives its name from the forested residential terrain and neighboring parkland. Glencarlyn and Lubber Run Parks contain some of the largest remnants of natural forests in Arlington County. At the time of its development in 1939, Arlington Forest was on the cutting edge of community planning. Design concepts such as using curved streets instead of rigid rectilinear plans and locating power lines between back yards rather than on the street were considered innovative at the time.
Neighborhood Highlights
Arlington Forest is home to the Lubber Run amphitheater, which was built in 1969, and since then has hosted dozens of performances each summer, including live theater, music, dance, and comedy. It is one of several venues that are part of Arlington County's "Arts al Fresco" program. In addition to the convenience of being close to the Ballston Mall, residents have the convenience of the Arlington Forest Shopping Center, which has been a staple of the neighborhood since 1941. The community also is home to the Arlington Forest Club (AFC), a private pool and tennis club owned by the 675 families that have purchased member certificates.
Demographics
According to Redfin, 34% of households have children and 82.2% of residents own their homes. 51% of residents have lived in their home for 5 or more years so the population is fairly stable. The median age is 40.02. 35.1% of residents hold a bachelor’s degree, 40.6% of residents have obtained a graduate degree and the median income is $117,258 Property Prices The median list price for a single-family home is $549,000 (according to Redfin). The price points of the properties currently on the market range from a low of $475,000 for a 2 bdrm, 1 bath Colonial to a high of $679,000 for a 3 bdrm, 2 bath Colonial with a fireplace. This is slightly lower than the median price ($569,900) of the 6 homes that have sold over the past 8 months. A house is on the market for an average of 97 days before it is sold.
Top 10 Reasons to live in ARLINGTON FOREST
1. Easy access to Washington, D.C. – short distance to Ballston metro
2. Lovely colonial style homes on tree-lined streets
3. Close to 5 schools, churches, shopping center & shopping mall
4. Limited traffic on roads internal to the FOREST
5. Low taxes yet effective and responsive county services
6. Shaded, well-established residential sites
7. A historic area in the midst of national historical sites (Arlington Forest was named a National Historic District in 2005)
8. Attractive parks and recreational opportunities which include a community center, swimming pool and tennis club, and amphitheatre
9. Active Citizens Association with regular newsletter
10. Neighborhood Organized Babysitting Co-op
Read more about Northern Virginia real estate at my blog.
Ready to start your search for an Arlington Forest Home? Click here to see homes for sale in the neighborhood.
Are you getting ready to sell your Arlington Forest home? As a long-time Arlington resident, I can help you best highlight all the positives of living here! For a free pricing analysis and comprehensive marketing plan, contact me or visit my Sellers Resource Center.
Other Arlington Neighborhoods:
Zip Codes 22201 and 22203 (includes Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon)
Source: MRIS. All data deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Stats exclude retirement communities.
|
| 1 BR Units | 2BR Units |
| ACTIVE LISTINGS as of March 4 | ||
| Average List Price | $348,898 | $546,430 |
| Number of Active Listings | 37 | 62 |
| Average Property DOM(P) – Actives | 73 | 87 |
| SOLD LISTINGS for Feb 2009 | ||
| Average Sold Price for Previous Month (does not include seller subsidies) | $348,370 | $466,829 |
| Number of Sold Listings in Previous Month | 5 | 12 |
| Average Property DOM(P) - Solds | 73 | 100 |
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