Ultimate Guide for Buying Clarendon Condo in Arlington VA--Listings, Prices & Advice

General Real Estate News/Trends

The Clarendon Real Estate Listings in Arlington VA by Condo Building

For people considering a purchaser please read my articles for buyers in our market.  It will equip you and is being added to regularly.  And if you are thinking about selling your home this article is imperative with examples of virtual tours, anecdotes, and cold hard facts: Sellers Don't Hire Amateurs to Sell Your Arlington Condo.

The real estate market for orange line condos in Clarendon, Ballston, Courthouse and  Rosslyn has traditionally--at least the past 6 years or so--been the hottest condo market of Northern Virginia.  Most of you are well aware of the hipness factor  of the urban village of  Clarendon with its shiny condos, movie theaters, restaurants, bars retail galore and instant access to county services buildings.  And what is great about the Clarendon condo market in Arlington VA is that there is something for everyone.  One can get 1BRs for less than $250,000 or buy into a luxury building such as the Wooster and Mercer Lofts where the 1BR were selling for nearly $700,000.  The latter affords the chance to put a jacuzzi on your terrace  whereas the former means you go into the basement to use the community washer and dryer.  

Perfect is the enemy of good a mentor once told me so it is with that truth that I'm posting this article even though it is not complete.  This is a first for me and not comfortable.  But with so many new visitors from the Washington Post this weekend I thought it a judicious move to get the info out there.  If you're really looking into buying a condo then here is a short summary of great condo buying articles for arlington condos on the orange line.

Clarendon Condos in Arlington Virginia real estate

1. 1800 Wilson	8. Hawthorne	15. Turnberry Tower
2. Belvedere	9. Lexington Square	16. Williamsburg
3. Cambridge Courts	10. Odyssey	17.  Windsor Plaza
4. Charleston Condo	11. Station Square	18. Woodbury Heights
5. Clarendon 1021	12.  The Hartford	19. Wooster and Mercer Lofts
6. Colonial Village	13. Phoenix at Clarendon Metro	20.
7. Courthouse Hill	14. Residences at Liberty Center	21.

And here is a quick recap of the Arlington real estate market comparing 2007 to 2006:

As you can see the Arlington market has been quite resilient regardless of the national news media irresponsible reports that never mention how hyperlocal real estate is as far as individual consumers are concerned....If you're thinking about buying a condo fill out the contact form for the best buyer representation to protect your $$$.

Comps for 1800 Wilson, Belvedere, Cambridge Courts, Charleston Condo and Clarendon 1021

1. 1800 Wilson: 1800 Wilson Blvd 22201

    a) 1BRs in the 1800 Wilson condo have been going for $365,000-$385,000 the past few months

    b) 2BR/2BA have been selling for $515-530,000.  The larger units with 1254 square feet are wortha bout $585,000 as of this article with 2 listed at 610 & 619 currently.

2. Belvedere: 1600 N Oak St 22209

    a) 1BR are now down to $330-350,000, however for a renovated unit with a dead on view of the Iwa Jima memorial sold in Sept 2007 for a net of $400,000.

    b) 2BR/2BA These Belvedere condominium units vary widely depending on the variables.  A "grandma house" can go as low as $430,000s whereas in general those units with 1050 sq. ft. are worth about $480,000 right now.   Very renovated with great views go for $515-535,000.  They also have larger units with 1240-1600 sq. ft. that are worth more

3.  Cambridge Courts Condo

    a) The 1BR are selling for $270,000-290,000 depending.

    b) 2BR most recently sold for $320,000 in the summer of 2007 and comes with 750 sq. ft.  The upper units have soaring ceilings and these come with washers and dryers in the units.  Cambridge Courts is the closest condominium community to Clarendon that offers washers/dryers in the units for this price.

However I believe the value of these had dipped since the previous sale and are now worth about $300,000ish....

4. Charleston Condo 2400 Clarendon Blvd 22201

    a) The 1BR at Charleston Condominium are large with 760 sq. ft.  are generally worth about $370,000 now.

    b) The 1BR+ dens are going for $390-410,000.  It's one of the best buys for that 1BR+den niches.  One of my other favorites for that is the Continental in Ballston. 

    c) The 2BR/2BA are selling for $450,000-500,000 depending.  One sold much lower but was priced below its value for quick sale. 

5. Clarendon 1021  1021 N Garfield St

The numbers on this building vary widely with various floorplans and views.  But I'll try to give you a general idea of its Arlington VA real estate scenarios.

    a)  Generally the 1BRs on lower levels are worth $370,000s and on the higher floors in the $390,000s.  So the $5000/floor floor that some listing agents spew out to justify their overpriced condos is crap.   There are some 1BR with 840 sq. ft. that sell for $420-435,000 depending.   Penthouse units bring in more than the others 1BRs in the condo

    b)   the 1BR+ dens at Clarendon 1021 are up in the air right now.  One is active for $475,000 so they are generally worth about $460,000 probably

    c) 2BR/2BA This is where the building gets tricky.  The values range from $530,000-600ish depending on square footage (mostly 1100-1300).  There are even larger units worth more.

6. Colonial Village

For buyers of real estate who do not need to have a washer/dryer Colonial Village condo in Arlington VA is a "money saver".  I love money savers.  Values tend to be tried and true.  The community is historical and protected.   I don't think I've ever seen a piece of trash on the grounds--many cute courtyards that are well manicured
    a) 1BRs go for $265,000-300,000.  The great majority are worth 280s, but there smaller units with less than 600 sq.ft can go as low as $260,000.

    b) 2BR units have been selling for $340,000-380,000 depending on its charm factor and square footage.  Most units have 820 or 785 sq. ft. 

Courthouse Hill, Hawthorne, Lexington Square, Odyssey, Station Square, The Hartford, Phoenix at Clarendon, Residences at Liberty Center

7. Courthouse Hill

    a) 1BRs are valued at $335,000-355,000 now.  There is a larger 750 sq.ft. unit there active now for much higher $385,000 so it will be interesting to see how it fares--maybe 370s as it sounds original conditionish  but perhaps it will just sit on the market for a long time....

8. Hawthorne 820 N Pollard St

    a) 1BR are not in the MLS but are probably worth about $370,000

    b). 2BR/2BA As is often the case with new construction condos the numbers are all over the place--$500,000 to $590,000 depending on square footage and whether or not the buyer had an aggressive selling agent (buyer agent) when they made their purchase.  Some buyers paid $40,000 more for the same unit.  I wrote about "floaters" awhile ago--condo buyers who walk into sales offices without a battle hardened real estate consultant by their side.  I regularly save buyers $10,000 to $70,000 when buying a home including with builders.  Or I advise against buying in a building all together for various reasons. 

9. Lexington Square 3830 9th St N 22203 -- this unit made my top 6 older condos list

I crossed out Astoria even though it's a big money saver due to the duck tape carpets being there for the last 6 months in the lobby 1st floor area.  Also the carpets should have been replaced long ago....If you can handle that just for location then you should definitely consider it.  But until it gets back to classy it's off the list 

    a) The 1BRs of 620 sq ft are selling for $325,000-350,000.  they peaked around $400,000 so the correction from the 2005 peak  is probably over.  

    b) The 2BRs are worth $430,000-450,000 as of the writing of this article with lots of comps to support it. 

    c) The 1BR+dens at Lexington Square are selling for $410,00-$425,000.

10. Odyssey 2001 15th St N 22201  Most of you reading this blog regularly know that this is my favorite "regular" condo in Northern Virginia real estate and Arlington VA.  I say regular because the coolest condominium of all is without a doubt the Mercer and Wooster Lofts but those were in a different class altogether with 1BRs for $700,000.  Enough said.

    a)  1BRs are selling for $375,000-400,000 depending on the floor.  Most units are 720 sq. ft.  The larger 800-850 sq. ft. units go for $418,000-440,000 depending on the floor.

    b) 2BRs 2BAs vary widely in price due to different scenarios Odyssey condominium offers.  Some units are "standard" with about 950 sq. ft. and are worth about $540,000-550,000.  If you go up from there to corner units they can be worth $600,000 and platinum units 10th floor and higher with highly upgraded kitchens also sell for $600,000-620,000.  And if you bring larger units with dead on DC/monuments/river views they can be $800,000-1,200,000.

11. Station Square 1205 N Garfield St N 22201 

This building is also in the top condos list for Arlington just 2 blocks to metro and a 2 level pool that waterfalls from the upper to lower pool.  Residents get a big discount at the new Gold's Gym on the same block.

    a) 1BRs are selling for $375,000-400,000 generally

    b) 1BR+den comp at $420,000-470,000

    c) 2BR/2BA  sell from $520,000-600,000 depending.  It is absolutely critical in buying in this building that you have a battle hardened negotiator on your side--like myself.  It is a complicated building with widely ranging prices and it would be easy to overpay here.

    d) oversized 2BRs 1300-1450 sq. ft vary from $630,000-750,000.

12. The Hartford 1200 N Hartford St 22201  Just 1 block to Clarendon metro and a solidly built building.

    a) 1BR sell for $350-360,00ish
    b) 2BR/2BA with smaller sq ft (925) sell for $480-500,000 ish
    c) 2/2 with 1100 sq ft. sell for $520,00ish.

13. Phoenix at Clarendon Metro 1020 N Highland St with built in retail and a post office delivered in 2007.

    a) 1BR range depending from $365,000-410,000
    b) 1BR+den are generally worth about $450,000ish Some have paid $495,000.  But other opportunities exist as well (read below)
    c) 2BR/2BA These are a bit unknown right now.  the standard 1150 units generally sell for $500,000-550,000 which one should not pay.  The larger units with 1335 sq ft are vary widely and many have paid in the $650,000 range which for that reason is way too high right now.  I can save somebody many $10,000s on those size units.  That's as specific as I can get online.  you can contact me if you want to see them and I can consult with you from there.  Compared to what others have spent for that size recently The Phoenix is the way to go!   However you should take a buyer agent with you.  I got a reckless driving ticket a couple years ago for speeding on 495 79 (mph) --I know I'm a terrible person.  Did I go in to the court representing myself or did I get a lawyer who had working knowledge and relationships with the different judges?  My lawyer knew which judges to skip and which one to come forward with for the best deal.  I paid my fine and it was a hassle but it could have been much worse if I had gone in on my own and ended up in front of one of the wrong judges. 

Also I will say there is a vested interest to keep the best deals for a few selling agents (buyer agents) because that way only a limited #of buyer agents know the real values versus the general public or agents.  Think about it and call me when you're ready to buy.

 

 14. Residences at Liberty Center 

Turnberry Towers, Williamsburg, Windsor Plaza, Woodbury Heights, Wooster and Mercer Lofts

15.  Turnberry Towers 

16. Williamsburg 1276 N Wayne St

This made #1 on my top older condos list.  It is a classy building with an excellent location and solid amentities.  The Williamsburg condo delivers value with good square footage for the price in the area.  They almost always show well but many of them bring awesome views to the table as well.  Usually they have all white kitchens that are wide open with huge countertops.  Large closets are also part of the standard floor plan along with jetted tubs.

    a) 1BR are worth $365,000-$400,000 depending

    b) 1BR+den with 1 BA come with over 1000 sq. ft. and a separate dining area are worth $440,000-480,000 depending on views and which floor it's on

    c) 2BR/2BA units at Williamsburg Condominium are generally worth $510,000-560,000.  Although one closed on the 11th floor in march 2008 for $567,000.  So the floors and views matter.

    d) and there are some larger 1335 sq. ft. units there that usually sell $620,000-650,000 2BR+den and believe it or not there are a few 1400+ sq. ft. units that close in the $700,000s

17. Windsor Plaza 1050 N Taylor St and 1045 N Utah St Arlington, VA 22201  On the top condos list for older buildings.  Windsor Plaza has a nice pool/patio area and the units on the 1st floor come with an extra 150-250 sq. ft. of patio area where one can put patio furniture.  If one does not mind being on the 1st floor this is a great bonus value.

    a) The 1BR units sell for $325,000-345,000 for 640-680 sq. ft.  Smaller units with just 500 sq. ft. can be as low as $280,000

    b) The 2BR/2BA sell for $380,000-410,000, but the larger units of 1100-1300 sq. ft. can sell up to $480,000ish. 

18. Woodbury Heights 1301 N Courthouse Rd Is an older building in a prime location.  Some of the units have nice views with lots of lights.  My big gripe is that this building is in desperate need of a makeover.  The hallways are literally depressing they are so dark and grim....

    a) The 1BR are worth about $330,000 although an extra half bath  brings them up to $340,000

    b) The 2/2 vary depending on square footage.  The smaller 2/2 with 900 vary from $400,000-425,000.  They are a bit up in the air right now for reasons I won't go into.  But a larger unit sold in 2007 (1143 sq. ft. ) for $448,000.

19. Wooster and Mercer Lofts: 1600 Clarendon Blvd  These are in a class by themselves.  Maybe Turnberry towers will have the same level of finishes???  I'll believe it when I see it.  For now these are the most luxurious, high end condos around.  Their one bedrooms are sold out which show the demand was there for this upper end condo at which the 1BRs were for sale in the upper $600,000s.

Here are some photos and if you'd like to view them contact me to set up the appt.

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Date: Wednesday, March, 19th 2008 @ 11:28:42 AM
Views: 4646

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