Real estate agents are like matchmakers.
Do their job right and they can help you find bliss. Which neighborhood is the best fit for your lifestyle? We asked 21 brokers to give us the lay of the land.
TODAY’S CATCH: WESTOVER
Photo by Erin Daniell
You won’t find Starbucks or any other national chains in Westover. That’s part of the appeal. With its main drag of homegrown businesses lining both sides of Washington Boulevard, it’s a very local scene. In recent years, additions such as the Westover Beer Garden (an addendum to longtime anchor Westover Market), the Trade Roots gift shop and the cult-status Italian Store have made it even more of a draw for families who want a convivial atmosphere without the steeper price tags found in neighborhoods around Clarendon. As a result, home prices have climbed steadily from an average of $566,000 in 2011 to just north of $798,000 in 2015—a 41 percent increase in five years.
“Arlington is great for small businesses and Westover is a place where small businesses can really flourish,” says Michelle Sagatov of Michelle Sagatov Realty Group. As the neighborhood’s hot streak continues, “commercial tenants feel comfortable moving in and knowing their businesses will succeed.”
Builders are moving in too, now that rising land values are turning many of Westover’s older homes into prime candidates for teardowns. “Five years ago that wasn’t possible,” Sagatov says (the profit margins weren’t there). But now it’s not uncommon to see new builds commanding price tags upwards of $1.6 million.
Want to get in on the action? You’d better act fast. In 2015, houses on the market here were snapped up in an average of 20 days. No time to waste.