TOMORROW’S HOT TICKET: BLUEMONT
Bluemont Junction path. Photo by Suzanne Smith Sundburg
For a crystal-ball look into Bluemont’s future, first consider Ballston—the adjacent hot spot on Metro’s Orange Line, where things are ever changing with hip restaurants, gleaming new buildings, tech startups and the forthcoming makeover of Ballston Common Mall. Piqued by that reinvention, real estate observers are keeping a watchful eye on the contiguous neighborhoods. It’s a familiar story, and they know what happens next: Demand will almost surely increase for single-family homes within walking distance of all the hubbub.
Bluemont, which neighbors Ballston to the west, is already primed for a boost in popularity. Offering a verdant counterbalance to Ballston’s tall buildings and concrete plazas, it’s an access point to parks, trails, Lubber Run Amphitheater and the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden. “Families are buying [in Bluemont] and investing in their homes—remodeling instead of moving,” says agent Michelle Sagatov. “Another sign that something is hot is when investors start buying properties and renting them. The rental income is already significant in this neighborhood.”
The power of proximity is particularly evident in Brandon Village, a pocket of homes about a half mile west of the mall (it sits on the southeast corner of the larger Bluemont area), where contracts have been steadily picking up speed. In 2011, houses were on the market there for an average of 60 days. By last year, that number had dropped to just 14 days. Average price: $707,900.