Yes. Staging helps a condo sell faster, and it is the same reason new condo developers always build a model unit: buyers respond to a space that feels warm and lived in. Whether staging earns a higher price is a more mixed question, but it doesn’t hurt, and in today’s Arlington market the goal is getting the unit sold, not just chasing the top price. Staging gets you an offer sooner, whether you are still living in the unit or have already moved out.
If you’re getting ready to list your Arlington condo, you’ve probably wondered whether staging is worth the money. Here’s my answer after more than 20 years in this market: yes, staging helps. It’s not a close call.
Think about the last time you visited a new condo building or a new home development. There was a model unit. Every single time. The developers don’t build one out of habit. They do it because they know a furnished, well-lit, inviting space creates a warm and positive feeling, and that feeling is what moves a buyer from “just looking” to “I want this one.” Your resale condo is competing for the same buyer’s attention. A staged unit gives them that same model-home feeling.
Not necessarily. The research is mixed, and I’d rather tell you that straight than oversell it. The National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Profile of Home Staging survey (1,266 Realtors) found that 29% of sellers’ agents saw staged homes receive offers 1% to 10% higher, while 30% saw no measurable change in offer value. Staging is not a magic price multiplier.
But the same survey found that 49% of sellers’ agents said staging reduced the time a home spent on the market, and 83% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for buyers to picture themselves living in the home. And nothing in the data says staging hurts. At worst, you spend a little and see no price change. At best, you get a faster, stronger offer.
Here’s the part that doesn’t get enough attention. In today’s Arlington condo market, the goal isn’t only getting the highest possible price. It’s getting the unit sold. More and more listings are sitting on the market and then expiring or being cancelled. A seller who holds out for a number, never gets an offer, and pulls the listing hasn’t won anything.
Buyers also have more units to compare than they’ve had in a while. When someone tours five condos in an afternoon, the one that feels like a home, not just a unit, is the one they remember. Staging helps you get an offer sooner, and an offer in hand is worth more than a higher price that never shows up.
How you stage depends on where you are in the process. There are two common situations.
A staging consultant walks through your home and works with what you already own. They’ll decide which furniture stays, what gets stored or moved out, and how to arrange the rest so each room has a clear purpose. Then they add a few accessories, such as pillows, art, a throw, or plants, to pull it together. This is usually the most affordable route, and it’s where the free steps matter most: clear the counters, pack away a third of what’s in the closets so they read as storage, and remove family photos and personal collections so buyers can imagine their own life in the space.
An empty condo is hard to love. Rooms look smaller than they are, buyers can’t tell where a couch or a dining table would go, and the whole place feels cold. Staging a vacant unit with furniture and accessories turns that cold, empty space into a warm, inviting one. It also helps online. Your listing photos are the first showing, and a furnished living room and bedroom photograph far better than bare floors. If the full unit is too much, focus on the living room and primary bedroom, the two spaces that show the worst when empty.
In both cases, scale matters. Most Arlington condos are one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms in Courthouse, Clarendon, Rosslyn, or Crystal City, not 3,000-square-foot houses. An oversized sectional makes a small living room look smaller. Stage toward the light and the view: open the blinds, keep the window sills clear, and angle seating toward the skyline rather than away from it. In kitchens and baths, stage by removal. Clear the counters down to one or two intentional items and empty the shower of visible bottles.
Staging is not a substitute for the fundamentals. Two things matter just as much.
If you’re a few weeks out from listing, here’s the sequence I walk sellers through:
None of this replaces knowing what your specific unit and building are actually worth. A two-bedroom in a well-reserved Pentagon City building and a similar unit in a Ballston building carrying a fee increase are not the same listing, no matter how well either one is staged.
Does staging guarantee a higher sale price?
No. NAR’s 2025 survey found that 29% of sellers’ agents saw offers 1% to 10% higher on staged homes, and 30% saw no measurable change. The research is mixed on price. Staging doesn’t hurt, though, and 49% of sellers’ agents said it shortened time on market, which matters when many listings are sitting and then expiring or being cancelled.
Why do new condo buildings always have a model unit?
Because developers know a furnished, inviting space creates a warm, positive feeling that helps buyers picture themselves living there. Staging your resale condo uses the same principle.
How do I stage my condo if I’m still living in it?
A staging consultant uses your existing furniture, edits what stays and what goes, and adds a few accessories like pillows, art, and plants. Decluttering and depersonalizing come first, and they cost nothing.
Should I stage a condo that’s already empty?
Usually yes. An empty unit looks smaller and colder than it is, and buyers struggle to judge the space. Furniture and accessories turn it into a warm, inviting home, and they make your listing photos far stronger. If you can’t stage the whole unit, start with the living room and primary bedroom.
Is virtual staging enough for my online listing photos?
Virtual staging can help a vacant unit’s online photos look less empty, but it only affects the photos, not the in-person showing. Buyers will still walk into an empty room, so virtual staging works best as a supplement to at least minimal in-person staging, not a replacement for it.
Should I stage before or after professional photography?
Always stage first. Photos taken before the unit is decluttered and arranged don’t represent what buyers will see in person, and re-shooting costs more than doing it in the right order.
If you want to know what your unit is actually worth, not a Zestimate but a real building-level analysis, that’s what I do. Start your selling plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/sell.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist, with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction, because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
Your first instinct might be to run. Don’t — not yet. A special assessment tells you something about the building, but it doesn’t automatically tell you to walk. Here’s how to actually read one.
This is the question most buyers care about first, so let’s settle it up front. Either there is a special assessment, or there isn’t. If the board has only discussed one, floated a number, or is “looking at options” for a big project, but hasn’t formally passed it, then there is no special assessment. A discussion isn’t a charge.
That said, a discussion is still a signal worth chasing. Always read the association’s board meeting minutes for any talk of large projects or a possible special assessment. It’s the earliest warning you’ll get, and it tells you what could be coming even when nothing has been approved yet.
If an assessment has been passed, the standard Northern Virginia (NVAR) sales contract puts it on the seller. Paragraph 19, Title, states:
“Seller will pay any special assessments and will comply with all orders or notices of violations of any county or local authority, condominium unit owners’ association, homeowners’ or property owners’ association or actions in any court on account thereof, against or affecting Property on Settlement Date.”
In plain English, the seller has already agreed to pay it off, even if the board passes the assessment while you’re under contract. Like most contract terms, that’s the default, not a law of nature. It can be negotiated, so if a seller wants to shift part of the cost, or you’re weighing a price adjustment against a seller-paid assessment, it needs to be written into the contract. Have your agent confirm exactly how your contract reads before you rely on it.
A special assessment is a one-time charge a condo association levies on top of regular monthly fees, usually to pay for something the reserve fund can’t cover on its own — a roof replacement, garage waterproofing, elevator modernization, a facade repair mandated by the county.
The existence of an assessment isn’t the red flag. Plenty of well-run Arlington buildings pass assessments for exactly the reason they should: a major system needed work, the board planned for it, and owners are paying their share. That’s a building doing what it’s supposed to do.
The actual question is what the assessment is telling you about how the building got there:
In Virginia, you don’t get to review a condo association’s financials before you write your offer. Virginia is a caveat emptor state, and the seller’s disclosure obligations are largely a formality — the real due diligence happens after ratification, through the HOA resale package.
Under the Virginia Resale Disclosure Act (§ 55.1-2307 et seq.), the association must deliver a resale package that discloses any approved special assessment, any pending assessment the board has approved but not yet levied, and any board-approved expenditure that will require an assessment in the current or next fiscal year. It also has to include the reserve fund balance and the percentage currently funded.
Once that package arrives, your review period starts. It’s a negotiable contract term, and it defaults to three days if the field is left blank. One quirk worth knowing: even if your contract specifies zero days, you still have until 9:00 p.m. the day you receive the documents to cancel. Don’t assume “zero days” means no protection at all — read the actual deadline on your contract.
Use that window deliberately:
Once you know what the assessment is funding and how the building’s reserves look, the decision usually comes down to three questions:
None of this is a reason to avoid every building with an assessment on the books. Some of Arlington’s best-run buildings — in Rosslyn, Clarendon, Crystal City, and Pentagon City alike — have passed assessments precisely because their boards stay ahead of maintenance instead of ignoring it. The building to be cautious about is the one where the assessment shows up alongside a thin reserve, sparse board minutes, and no clear plan for what comes next.
This is exactly the kind of read I do with clients before they write an offer, not after they’re three weeks into a contract wondering if they made a mistake. If you’re looking at a specific building with an assessment attached, that’s worth a real conversation before you decide either way.
Does a special assessment mean I should walk away from the purchase?
Not automatically. A single, well-scoped assessment for a defined project in a building with reasonably healthy reserves is often a sign of a proactive board. It’s a pattern of repeated assessments, or an assessment paired with a poorly funded reserve, that’s the real warning sign.
Who pays a special assessment — the buyer or the seller?
Under the standard Northern Virginia (NVAR) contract, Paragraph 19 (Title) says the seller will pay any special assessments against the property on the Settlement Date, even one passed while the property is under contract. Terms can be negotiated, so confirm how your contract reads. And if the board has only discussed an assessment without formally passing it, there is no special assessment yet, so read the meeting minutes for any talk of large projects.
When do I find out about a special assessment when buying in Arlington?
Virginia is a caveat emptor state, so you generally don’t see the HOA resale package — the document that discloses any approved or pending assessment — until after your contract is ratified. Your review period to cancel based on what you find starts once that package arrives, and defaults to three days if left blank in your contract.
Can a special assessment affect my ability to get a mortgage?
Yes. Since Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now require a Full Review of the association’s finances for nearly every conventional loan, a large or poorly documented assessment combined with thin reserves can get a building flagged, which can slow or block conventional financing. A well-explained, appropriately-sized assessment in a building with solid reserves usually isn’t a problem.
How do I know if the sale price already accounts for the assessment?
Look at what’s actually closed in that building recently, not a generic rule of thumb. Buildings with known assessments often sell at a discount reflecting the added cost, but how much of a discount depends on the building, the assessment size, and current demand for that specific floor plan.
If you’re ready to buy smart — with building-level insight most buyers never get — let’s build your plan. Start your buying plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/buy.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist — with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction — because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
To sell an inherited Arlington condo, the person with legal authority over the estate has to be qualified through the court, the unit gets listed and sold like any other condo, and the tax math usually works in your favor. The IRS generally sets your cost basis at the condo’s fair market value on the date of death, so only growth after that date is typically taxed. The condo fee, property tax, and insurance keep running while the unit sits, which is why speed and a realistic price matter.
Most people who call me about an inherited condo are not in a hurry to be real estate investors. They’re handling a family loss, a to-do list that keeps growing, and a unit that still has monthly bills attached. The sale itself is the easy part. The paperwork and the timing are where people lose money.
I’m not a lawyer or a tax advisor, and your estate attorney and CPA should confirm anything specific to your situation. Here’s how the process generally works for an Arlington condo.
You can’t list or sell the condo just because you’re a family member or a named heir. Someone has to be legally authorized to act for the estate. In Virginia, that usually means the personal representative (the executor named in the will, or an administrator the court appoints) qualifies through the Circuit Court clerk’s office and receives a certificate of qualification or letters of administration. Virginia Code § 64.2-506 gives those documents full legal effect.
Your title company will ask to see them before closing, and they’ll tell you exactly what else they need. If there are several heirs, expect the title company to want clarity on who signs. Start this early. It’s the one step that can’t be rushed once you have a buyer under contract.
This is the part that surprises people in a good way. When you sell a home you bought, your taxable gain is the sale price minus what you paid (plus improvements). When you sell a home you inherited, your starting number is different. According to IRS Publication 551, the basis of inherited property is generally its fair market value at the date of the owner’s death.
Here’s a simple example. Say your parent bought a Courthouse condo years ago for $300,000, and it was worth $560,000 on the date of death. You sell it for $575,000. Your gain is measured from $560,000, not $300,000, so the taxable gain is about $15,000 before selling costs, not $275,000. Those figures are made up to show the mechanics, and your real numbers depend on the date-of-death value.
That’s why I tell families to get a date-of-death valuation early. A retrospective appraisal, done by a licensed appraiser, documents the number your CPA will want. Don’t rely on a rough estimate, and don’t wait until tax season to try to reconstruct it.
If you sell within a year of the date of death, the tax code treats the property as held for more than one year. The statute, 26 U.S.C. § 1223(9), says the heir “shall be considered to have held such property for more than 1 year” in that situation. In plain terms, a quick sale generally doesn’t push you into short-term rates. Your CPA can confirm how that applies to you.
The well-known $250,000 exclusion ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly) requires that you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least two of the last five years, per IRS Publication 523. An heir who never lived in the condo usually won’t meet that test. There’s one exception worth knowing: Publication 523 describes a path for a surviving spouse who sells within two years of the other spouse’s death and meets the other conditions. For the broader picture on gains, see do you pay capital gains tax selling your Arlington condo.
An empty condo is not free to keep. The condo fee is due every month whether anyone lives there or not, and it doesn’t pause during probate. Property tax is billed by Arlington County. Utilities, insurance on a vacant unit, and any parking or storage fees add up too. Call the insurer early, because vacancy can change what a policy covers.
Check with the management office about move-out rules as well. Many Arlington buildings require an elevator reservation, a deposit, or advance notice for removing furniture, and that can add days to your timeline.
Inherited units often need work, from dated finishes to a lifetime of belongings. You don’t have to renovate. You do have to clear the unit, clean it, and fix anything that will scare a buyer’s inspector or a lender’s appraiser. I walk estates through what’s worth doing and what isn’t, because a $15,000 renovation that adds $5,000 of value is not a good use of an estate’s money.
The association paperwork matters too. Virginia condo sales require the resale certificate, which many people call the condo docs. The seller and listing agent order it, not the buyer, and the association can charge a fee. Start it as soon as you decide to list, and read what Arlington sellers must know about the resale certificate before you do. If the building has an unpaid balance on the unit’s account, or a pending special assessment, you want to know now, not at contract.
Heirs tend to price emotionally in one direction or the other: too high because of what the unit meant to the family, or too low because they want it over with. Neither helps the estate. The right number comes from recent sales in the same building, similar floor, and similar condition. I cover the method in how to price your Arlington condo to sell in 2026.
If the unit has a tenant, that changes the plan. See can you sell an Arlington condo with a tenant in it.
The grantor, the seller, pays three statutory charges in Arlington: the state grantor’s tax of $0.50 per $500 under Va. Code § 58.1-802, the regional congestion relief fee of $0.10 per $100 under § 58.1-802.4, and the regional WMATA capital fee of $0.10 per $100 under § 58.1-802.3. Together they come to 0.3% of the price, about $1,500 on a $500,000 sale. On top of that come the resale certificate fee, the commission you negotiate, and any concessions.
Every estate is different, and the right timeline depends on the date of death, the building, and your family’s situation. That’s exactly the kind of thing I walk families through before we ever talk about listing.
Can I sell an inherited condo before probate is finished?
Generally, someone has to be qualified as personal representative before the title company will close. Your estate attorney can tell you what applies to your situation, and the Circuit Court clerk issues the documents. Starting the process early is what keeps a sale on schedule.
Do I owe capital gains tax on an inherited Arlington condo?
Only on growth above your stepped-up basis, which is generally the fair market value on the date of death, according to IRS Publication 551. If you sell near that value, the taxable gain may be small. Your CPA should confirm the numbers.
Can I use the $250,000 home sale exclusion on an inherited condo?
Usually not, because the exclusion requires owning and living in the home as your main residence for two of the last five years. A surviving spouse may have a special path, so check IRS Publication 523 with your tax professional.
Who pays the condo fee while the estate owns the unit?
The unit’s owner owes it, so in practice the estate carries it until closing. It’s one of the real costs of waiting, which is why a clear plan for timing matters.
Do I need to renovate before selling an inherited condo?
No. You do need the unit cleared, cleaned, and free of problems that will spook a buyer or appraiser. I help estates decide which repairs are worth the money.
If you want to know what the condo is actually worth, not a Zestimate, but a real building-level analysis, that’s what I do. Start your selling plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/sell.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist, with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction, because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
In Arlington, a condo parking space is either part of your unit’s ownership, assigned to your unit as a limited common element, or simply rented or licensed from the association or a third party. Which one you have decides whether it stays with the unit when you sell, who can change it, and what your lender and title company will see. The listing sheet saying “1 space” doesn’t tell you any of that.
Most buyers ask one parking question: how many spaces come with it? After 325+ condo transactions in Arlington, I’d ask a different one first: how is that space actually held? The answer changes what you’re buying.
Walk through Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston, or Crystal City and you’ll find buildings that handle parking three different ways, sometimes inside the same building. Here’s how to tell them apart before you write an offer.
The first two are tied to the property. The third is a service. Buyers lump them together because all three put a car in the same garage, but at resale they behave very differently.
Under Virginia law, assignments and reassignments of limited common elements are supposed to be reflected in the condominium instruments, and changing an owner’s rights usually takes the affected owner’s consent. That’s the paper trail you want to see. If a seller tells you “the space is yours,” ask which document says so.
Here’s what I check with clients on every purchase where parking is part of the decision:
The resale certificate, also called the condo docs, is ordered by the seller and the listing agent, not by you. Read it for parking language, then compare it to the contract. The review period is a negotiable contract term, and in the standard contract it defaults to 3 days if left blank. Even at 0 days, you technically have until 9:00 PM the day the documents are delivered, but I’d never count on that window. If the docs arrive at 8:59 PM, you’re out of luck.
Don’t overlook the parking space itself. Always view it, and make sure your car will actually fit. In some newer buildings, the garage is packed tight. I’ve seen three spaces squeezed between two columns, leaving only inches for the middle space.
A listing that says “1 space” can’t tell you that. Here’s what I do with clients when we’re at the building:
If the space doesn’t work, that’s something to know before you offer, not after you close. It also affects resale, because the next buyer will make the same walk-through.
A deeded or permanently assigned space tends to hold value better than a rented one, because the next buyer can count on it. In walkable, Metro-adjacent buildings, a condo with a secure, convenient space can be a different product than the same floor plan without one. I won’t hand you a dollar figure here, because the gap swings by building and by garage. It’s something I price from recent sales in your specific building.
Parking can touch your financing too. If a space is separately owned or has its own tax or legal treatment, your lender and appraiser need accurate information about it. Tell your lender early, and make sure the contract describes the space the same way the documents do. Lenders also review the building itself, so the same project review that looks at reserves and litigation applies. Our guides on reading a condo reserve study and buying in a building with a lawsuit cover that side.
Parking also interacts with your monthly budget. If the space carries its own fee, add it to the condo fee before you decide what you can afford. We walk through that math in how condo fees cut your buying power.
If you’re choosing a building because you can walk to the train, you may be paying for a space you’ll rarely use. Some buyers are better off with a building that lets them rent a space only if needed. Others plan to keep a car and would rather pay for a deeded space than gamble on a waitlist. Our look at the walk-to-Metro premium helps you decide how much car-free living is worth to you.
If you plan to rent the unit out later, ask whether the space can go with the tenant, and read our guide on renting out your Arlington condo for the rules that matter there.
Every building handles this a little differently, and the only way to know for sure is to read that building’s documents. This is exactly the kind of question I walk my clients through before we ever write an offer.
No. Some buildings include a space with each unit, some sell spaces separately, and some offer none or only rental spaces. Check the contract, the listing, and the condo documents for the exact arrangement.
It’s a part of the common elements reserved for the exclusive use of one or more, but fewer than all, of the units. Many garage spaces are assigned this way, with the assignment reflected in the condominium instruments.
It depends on the building’s condo documents. Some buildings allow owners to transfer or rent spaces to other owners, and some prohibit it. Read the declaration and rules before you count on that flexibility.
The seller and the listing agent order it, not the buyer. Once you receive it, your review period under the contract starts, so read the parking language right away.
Often it makes the unit easier to resell, but the premium varies widely by building. A recent-sales comparison within the same building is the only reliable way to price it.
You now know the question that matters most: how is the space held, and where is that written down? If you’re ready to buy smart, with building-level insight most buyers never get, let’s build your plan. Start your buying plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/buy.
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist, with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction, because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
]]>If the condo has been your primary residence for at least two of the last five years, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain if you file single, or up to $500,000 if you file jointly with your spouse, so most Arlington primary-residence sellers owe no federal capital gains tax at all. You’d only owe on gain above that exclusion, or if the condo was a rental, second home, or one you owned for a short time. Depreciation you claimed as a landlord is always taxable when you sell.
Here’s the good news most Arlington condo sellers don’t realize until they ask: you probably won’t owe a dime of federal capital gains tax.
The catch is the word probably. Whether you owe depends on how much your unit gained, how you filed, and how you used the condo. After 325+ condo transactions in Arlington, this is one of the first questions I walk sellers through, because the answer changes when you sell, how you price, and sometimes whether you sell at all.
Let’s break it down the way I would at your kitchen table.
The federal rule is called the Section 121 exclusion, and it’s the single most important number in this conversation.
If you’ve owned and lived in the condo as your main home for at least two of the five years before the sale, you can exclude:
Those two years don’t have to be consecutive, and they don’t have to be the two years right before you sell, they just have to fall somewhere inside the five-year window ending on your sale date. This is straight from IRS Publication 523 and IRS Topic 701.
Now put that against Arlington condo prices. Our market’s sweet spot sits around $500,000, with most units trading between $250,000 and roughly $2.5 million. If you bought a Ballston one-bedroom for $420,000 and sell it for $520,000, your gain is $100,000, comfortably under the exclusion. No federal capital gains tax.
That’s the reality for the large majority of primary-residence condo sellers here. The exclusion is generous enough to cover a normal-sized gain on a normal-sized Arlington condo.
One thing worth watching: those $250,000 and $500,000 limits were set in 1997 and have never been raised or indexed for inflation. That’s 29 years. There is bipartisan talk in Congress about changing that. The More Homes on the Market Act (H.R. 1340 in the House, S. 3332 in the Senate) would double the exclusion to $500,000 for single filers and $1 million for joint filers, then adjust it for inflation each year. NAR supports raising it, and Real Estate News reported in August 2026 that the bill is still pending and picking up co-sponsors. It hasn’t passed, so nothing changes for a sale today. If your gain is close to the current limit, it’s worth asking your tax professional how timing could matter.
The most common mistake I see is sellers panicking about a number that doesn’t exist.
Your taxable gain isn’t your sale price, and it isn’t even sale price minus what you paid. It’s your net proceeds minus your adjusted basis. Here’s the real math:
That third line matters more than people expect. A renovated kitchen, a new HVAC system, a bathroom remodel, built-ins, permanent upgrades, those add to your basis and shrink your gain. Cosmetic repairs and routine maintenance don’t count, but real improvements do. Keep the receipts.
So a unit that “sold for $200,000 more than you paid” often has a taxable gain well under $200,000 once commissions, transfer taxes, and years of improvements come out. And then the exclusion applies on top of that.
The exclusion is powerful, but it isn’t automatic. You may owe capital gains tax in these situations:
There’s one more that trips up former landlords: depreciation recapture. If you ever rented the condo and deducted depreciation, the IRS taxes that recaptured depreciation when you sell, the Section 121 exclusion does not wipe it out. This is one of the biggest surprises for owners who lived in a unit, moved out, rented it for a few years, and then sold.
Federal tax is only part of the picture, and this is where Arlington-specific knowledge earns its keep.
Virginia doesn’t have a separate capital gains tax, capital gains are taxed as ordinary income on your Virginia return, at the state’s regular income tax rates. That means if a portion of your gain is federally taxable, Virginia will generally tax it too, as income.
Then there’s the Virginia Grantor’s Tax, which the seller pays at closing. The state rate is $0.50 per $500 of sale price, which comes to about $500 on a $500,000 condo, under § 58.1-802 of the Code of Virginia. Arlington sits inside Northern Virginia’s transportation district, so a regional congestion relief fee is added on top of the state grantor’s tax at closing. It’s not a huge number relative to your sale price, but it’s a real line item that reduces your net proceeds, and net proceeds are what your gain is calculated from.
This is exactly why I tell sellers: the tax question and the net question are the same conversation. What you keep depends on your sale price, your basis, your filing status, and every closing cost in between.
Right now, timing carries a little more weight than usual. The 2026 NVAR Mid-Year Regional Housing Market Forecast, released June 24, 2026, projects Arlington condo prices up 2.2% for the year and condo sales up 3.2%, but condo inventory up 28.0%, meaningfully more competition among sellers than we’ve seen in recent years.
More inventory doesn’t change your tax rules, but it changes your strategy. When there are more condos on the market, pricing precisely and understanding your true net (after tax, after grantor’s tax, after commissions) is what separates sellers who move on their timeline from those who chase the market down. If you’re weighing the decision, my breakdown of what rising condo inventory means for Arlington sellers digs into the current market dynamics.
Your specific number (gain, exclusion eligibility, recapture, net proceeds) depends on your building’s comp history and your unit’s floor, condition, and improvement record. That’s where a real building-level analysis comes in, not a Zestimate.
How much capital gains can I exclude when I sell my Arlington condo?
Up to $250,000 of gain if you file single, or up to $500,000 if you file jointly, as long as the condo was your main home for at least two of the last five years. Gain above that amount is taxable. Congress is considering raising these limits, but they haven’t changed since 1997. Source: IRS Publication 523.
Do I pay capital gains tax if I lived in my condo the whole time?
Usually not, if your gain is under the exclusion limit, and most Arlington primary-residence sellers are. You’d only owe on gain above $250,000 (single) or $500,000 (married filing jointly), or on any depreciation you claimed if you ever rented it out.
Does Virginia charge its own capital gains tax on a condo sale?
Virginia has no separate capital gains tax. Instead, capital gains are taxed as ordinary income on your state return. Separately, you’ll pay the Virginia Grantor’s Tax as the seller: $0.50 per $500 of sale price under state law, plus a Northern Virginia regional fee.
What if my Arlington condo was a rental before I sold it?
A rental doesn’t qualify for the Section 121 primary-residence exclusion unless you also lived in it for two of the last five years, and even then, any depreciation you deducted is taxed as depreciation recapture when you sell. Investment-unit sellers are the most likely to owe. Confirm the details with your tax advisor.
How do I lower my taxable gain?
Increase your basis with documented capital improvements (kitchen and bath remodels, HVAC replacement, permanent upgrades) and subtract all your selling costs, including commissions and the Virginia Grantor’s Tax. Keep every receipt; routine repairs don’t count, but real improvements do.
The bottom line: most Arlington condo owners who sell a primary residence walk away owing no federal capital gains tax, but the exceptions (big gains, rentals, depreciation, short ownership) are exactly the ones worth confirming before you list. This is tax territory, so treat this as a starting framework and confirm your specifics with a qualified tax professional. I’m a Realtor, not a CPA.
If you want to know what your unit is actually worth (and what you’d truly net after taxes and costs, not a Zestimate) that’s what I do. Start your selling plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/sell.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist (with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction) because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
Yes, often, but only after you read the lawsuit’s details. Virginia’s resale certificate (also called the condo docs) must disclose pending actions that could materially affect the association, the owners, or your unit, and your lender will review the project too. Routine matters, like collecting unpaid assessments, usually aren’t a problem. Suits about safety or structural issues can make a building ineligible for conventional financing, so confirm the building’s finances and financeability before your review period ends.
Most buyers find out about a building lawsuit at the worst possible time: after they’re under contract and attached to the unit. I’d rather you find out before you write the offer. Here’s how I walk my clients through it.
First, a quick definition. In Virginia, the resale certificate is just another name for the “condo docs.” It’s the package of association documents the seller must deliver to you after you’re under contract, and it’s where any lawsuit gets disclosed.
When you buy a condo, you’re buying into the association’s finances and legal exposure, too. A judgment against the association can mean higher fees, a special assessment, or drained reserves, and you’d share that cost with every other owner.
It also affects your loan. For conventional financing, lenders review the project, not just you. Under Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide (section B4-2.1-03), a project can be ineligible when the association faces litigation tied to safety, structural soundness, habitability, or functional use. An ineligible building can mean no conventional loan for you, and a much smaller pool of buyers when you eventually sell.
This is the part that gets lost. Plenty of condo buildings have a lawsuit on file at any given time, and many of them don’t threaten financing or finances. Fannie Mae’s guidelines carve out categories that lenders can often work with, including:
Construction-defect suits are the category I watch most closely. They can be perfectly manageable or a genuine problem, depending on who’s suing whom and whether the repairs are already done. Your lender’s underwriter makes the final call, so loop them in early rather than late.
In Virginia, the seller has to order the resale certificate from the association, and it must include a statement of unsatisfied judgments and the nature and status of pending actions that could materially affect the association, the owners, or your unit (Va. Code § 55.1-2310). That’s the document to read first. I explain how the process works from the seller’s side in the Virginia condo resale certificate guide.
Then read what the certificate doesn’t say out loud:
Don’t walk away on instinct, and don’t wave it off because the listing photos are great. Instead, ask three questions: is the building financeable with your loan type, could the outcome cost owners money, and is the price already reflecting that risk?
If the answers are shaky, you still have options. Virginia’s buyer review period after you receive the resale package is a negotiable contract term that defaults to 3 days if the blank is left empty. Even a 0-day period still ends at 9:00 PM on the day you receive the documents, but I would never count on using that window. If the docs are delivered at 8:59pm, you’re out of luck. That’s a narrow window, so I like to line up the documents review and the lender’s project review before then.
If a building won’t qualify for conventional financing, some buyers pay cash or look at other loan types, but those routes come with their own conditions. Talk to your lender before you assume it’s a dead end.
Every building is different, and the only way to know how a lawsuit really affects yours is to read the documents. That’s exactly the kind of homework I do with my buyers before they ever submit an offer, and it’s where building-level knowledge pays for itself. Whether you’re eyeing Rosslyn, Ballston, Clarendon, or Crystal City, the process is the same: documents first, emotions second.
Does a lawsuit in my Arlington condo building mean I can’t get a loan?
Not necessarily. Lenders look at what the lawsuit is about, who’s involved, whether insurance covers it, and how it compares to the building’s reserves. Some suits are routine, while others, especially those involving safety or structural issues, can make a building ineligible for conventional financing. Ask your lender to review the project early.
Where do I find out about pending litigation in a Virginia condo?
Start with the resale certificate (also called the condo docs), which must include a statement of unsatisfied judgments and the nature and status of pending actions that could materially affect the association, owners, or your unit. Then check board minutes and the budget for legal fees and any talk of assessments.
Can I cancel my contract if I find a lawsuit in the resale package?
Possibly. The review period after you receive the resale package is a negotiable contract term that defaults to 3 days if left blank, and even a 0-day period still ends at 9:00 PM the day you receive the documents, but I would never count on using that window. If the docs are delivered at 8:59pm, you’re out of luck. Timing is tight, so review the package right away and have your agent and lender involved.
Should I buy in a building with a construction defect lawsuit?
It depends on the details. A building that has already completed repairs and is suing to recover costs is a different situation from one facing significant unfunded repairs. Review the reserves, the minutes, and any assessment discussion, and confirm with your lender that the project is financeable.
Does a building lawsuit affect resale value?
It can. If the building is hard to finance, your future buyers may have fewer loan options, which can affect demand and price. A resolved suit with healthy reserves usually matters far less than an open one with thin reserves.
If you’re ready to buy smart, with building-level insight most buyers never get, let’s build your plan. Start your buying plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/buy.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist, with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction, because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
It can work — but treat a future refinance as a bonus, not the plan. Freddie Mac’s survey put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.03% on September 24, 2026, up from 6.30% a year earlier, while Northern Virginia condo inventory climbed 44.8% year over year in August, per NVAR. That combination means you have more condos to choose from and more room to negotiate today, but no guarantee rates fall. Buy only if you’d be comfortable with the payment at today’s rate, and only in a building whose finances will still qualify for a refinance later.
I hear this a lot from buyers right now: “Rates are over 7%. Can’t I just buy now and refinance when they come down?” It’s a reasonable strategy. It’s also one that quietly fails for people who treat it as a promise instead of an option.
Here’s how I walk my clients through it.
Take a $400,000 loan on a 30-year fixed. At 7.03%, the principal-and-interest payment is about $2,669 a month. At 6.0%, it’s about $2,398. That’s a difference of roughly $271 a month, or a little over $3,200 a year. (These are my own calculations for illustration — they exclude condo fees, taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance, and your lender’s actual quote will differ.)
So a refinance to 6.0% would be worth real money. But notice what that math says in the other direction: if the payment at 7.03% strains your budget, the refinance you’re counting on is the only thing holding the plan together. That’s the trap. Rates are set by markets, not by your timeline. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey moved from 6.95% to 7.03% in a single week in September — up, not down.
A condo refinance isn’t just a review of you. Your lender will look at the association, too — reserves, budget, insurance, litigation, and owner-occupancy. Fannie Mae’s condo rules changed on August 3, 2026, and the details are worth understanding before you buy; I break them down in how the new Fannie Mae condo rules affect your Arlington purchase.
If a building qualifies today but slides into trouble — say, a special assessment, thin reserves, or a pending lawsuit — your refinance options can narrow just when you want them. The cheapest insurance is choosing a well-run building up front. Start with the reserve study (here’s how to read one) and the resale package before you fall for the unit.
There’s a fair case for buying in this market. According to the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors’ August data, released September 14, 2026, active condo listings in the region rose to 1,325 from 915 a year earlier — up 44.8% — and condos now make up about 27% of inventory. More choices means less pressure to overpay or waive protections.
That leverage is where you can build a cushion into the deal instead of relying on a refinance. Two levers to price out with your lender: negotiating the price down, and asking the seller to fund a temporary rate buydown or closing-cost credit. Have your lender price both so you can compare.
One caution on price: a lower price sticks with you for as long as you own the unit, while a lower rate only lasts until the next change in the market. Negotiate the thing that’s permanent first.
Your specific answer depends on your building, your loan, and your budget — and that’s where building-level insight makes the difference. Every building is different, and the only way to know how yours will look to a lender is to open up its documents.
Can I refinance right after buying an Arlington condo?
Often you can, but lenders and loan programs may have waiting periods or seasoning rules, and any refinance has its own closing costs. Ask your lender about timing for your specific loan type before you count on it.
How much does refinancing cost?
It varies by lender and loan size, so ask for a Loan Estimate on a refinance scenario. Divide the total costs by your monthly savings to find your break-even point in months.
Will my condo building affect whether I can refinance?
Yes. For most conventional loans, the lender also reviews the association’s finances, insurance, litigation, and owner-occupancy. A building that qualifies when you buy can become harder to finance if its reserves weaken or a special assessment hits.
Are rates going to drop soon?
Nobody knows. Freddie Mac’s survey averaged 7.03% on September 24, 2026, up from 6.95% the week before and 6.30% a year earlier. Buy based on a payment you can carry today, not a forecast.
Is a rate buydown better than a lower price?
They do different things. A lower price reduces your loan for the life of the mortgage, while a temporary buydown lowers payments for a limited period. Have your lender price both so you can compare.
If you’re ready to buy smart — with building-level insight most buyers never get — let’s build your plan. Start your buying plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/buy.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist — with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction — because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
Yes — but price and market to what’s actually happening, not to the headlines from when Amazon first announced HQ2. Metropolitan Park, Amazon’s first HQ2 campus, is fully open and staffed with more than 8,500 employees as of April 2026, and Arlington County has extended the site plan for Phase 2, PenPlace, through mid-2028 while construction stays on hold. The jobs and foot traffic already anchoring Crystal City and Pentagon City are real and steady. The second wave of demand people expected from PenPlace just hasn’t arrived on the original timeline. Sellers who price off today’s numbers, not the original vision, are the ones who don’t sit on the market waiting for a rebound that isn’t the problem.
I get some version of this question from every National Landing seller right now: is Amazon still coming, or did I miss my window? Neither framing is quite right. Here’s what’s actually happening, and what it means for your listing.
Phase 1 isn’t paused at all. Metropolitan Park has been open since 2023, and Amazon reported more than 8,500 employees based there as of April 2026 — up modestly from 8,330 at the end of 2024. About 84% of those roles count toward the job targets in Amazon’s incentive agreement with Virginia, and the company had roughly 500 open positions posted at the time. Since Amazon’s return-to-office policy took effect in January 2025, Met Park has averaged more than 155,000 visitors a month — that’s real, ongoing activity in the neighborhood, not a projection.
Phase 2 is a different story. PenPlace — the four-building second campus planned for S. Eads Street, including the spiral-shaped “Helix” building — has been on hold since 2023. Amazon has enough desk space at Met Park for now, so there’s been no construction start. In June 2025, the Arlington County Board granted Amazon a three-year extension on the project’s site plan, pushing the deadline to break ground out to June 30, 2028. That’s a formal acknowledgment from the county that Phase 2 isn’t imminent — not a cancellation, but not a near-term catalyst either.
That’s a separate story from the federal workforce reductions that have weighed on other parts of Arlington’s condo market — worth knowing the difference if you’re weighing whether to sell amid federal job cuts versus what HQ2 specifically is or isn’t doing.
The buyer pool tied to Amazon employment in Crystal City and Pentagon City is real. It’s just not growing the way the original 25,000-job pitch suggested it would by now. A steady, well-paid employer with thousands of workers commuting into National Landing every week supports demand for condos within walking distance of the Metro. It doesn’t create the kind of demand spike that pulls buyers into bidding wars, and it hasn’t offset a broader shift happening across Arlington’s condo market this year.
That broader shift is worth knowing before you set a price. Arlington’s condo inventory grew to 1,325 active listings in August 2026, up 44.8% from 915 listings a year earlier, according to the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors’ August market data, released September 14, 2026. Condos now make up about 27% of total available inventory in the region, up from roughly 24% a year ago. That’s a big enough jump that it’s changing conditions for every Arlington condo seller right now, not just sellers near HQ2 — see how it’s playing out more broadly in what rising condo inventory means for Arlington sellers.
Put those two facts together and here’s the honest picture for a National Landing seller: you have a real, stable demand base tied to a major employer that isn’t going anywhere, competing against meaningfully more listings than buyers saw a year ago. That’s not a bad market. It’s a market where the sellers who price accurately for their specific building — not for the neighborhood’s reputation — are the ones who close without three rounds of price reductions.
One more factor worth weighing: Metro access hasn’t changed while any of this has played out. Crystal City and Pentagon City both sit on the Blue and Yellow lines, and that walk-to-Metro convenience is a durable feature of these buildings regardless of what happens with PenPlace on any given timeline. Buyers who work anywhere in the District, not just at Amazon, are still paying a premium for that access — it’s a separate demand driver from HQ2 specifically, and one worth highlighting alongside the employment picture rather than instead of it.
None of this means National Landing is a weak place to sell. It means the story is more specific than “Amazon is coming” or “Amazon paused everything” — and specific stories are exactly what building-level pricing is built to handle.
A few things matter more than usual in this specific window:
Is Amazon still hiring at HQ2 in 2026?
Yes. Amazon reported more than 8,500 employees at its Metropolitan Park campus as of April 2026, with roughly 500 open positions posted at the time. Growth has been modest — up from about 8,330 employees at the end of 2024 — but the campus is fully staffed and active, not shrinking.
Why is PenPlace, Amazon’s second HQ2 phase, on hold?
Construction on PenPlace has been paused since 2023 because Amazon has enough space for its current headcount at Metropolitan Park. In June 2025, the Arlington County Board granted a three-year extension on the project’s site plan, pushing the deadline to start construction out to June 30, 2028.
Does the PenPlace pause mean condo values will drop in Crystal City or Pentagon City?
There’s no evidence pointing to that. The demand tied to Amazon’s existing, staffed Phase 1 campus hasn’t gone anywhere. What’s changed is that the near-term second wave of jobs and foot traffic some buyers and sellers were pricing in hasn’t materialized yet, so pricing should reflect today’s steady demand rather than an accelerated future timeline.
How much has Arlington condo inventory grown in 2026?
Active condo listings across the region grew to 1,325 in August 2026, up 44.8% from 915 a year earlier, per NVAR’s August market data. Condos now make up about 27% of total inventory, up from roughly 24% a year ago — meaning buyers everywhere in Arlington, including National Landing, have more options than they did last year.
Should I mention Amazon HQ2 in my condo listing?
It’s fine to reference factual proximity, like walk time to the Metropolitan Park campus or the Crystal City Metro station. Avoid speculating about PenPlace’s construction timeline in your marketing — that timeline is outside anyone’s control, and pricing or promoting off it can set the wrong expectations with buyers.
If you want to know what your unit is actually worth — not a Zestimate, but a real building-level analysis that accounts for what’s actually happening at HQ2 and in the broader Arlington condo market — that’s what I do. Start your selling plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/sell.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist — with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction — because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
Yes — if the seller has a VA loan and the condo building itself carries VA project approval, you can apply to assume that loan and take over its existing interest rate instead of originating a new mortgage at today’s rate. The application goes through the loan’s current servicer, not a new lender, and typically takes 60 to 120 days to close. You’ll also need to cover the gap between the loan balance and the purchase price in cash or secondary financing, since the assumption only transfers what’s left owed on the loan — not the full sale price.
Rates have been stubborn all year. As of the week of September 24, 2026, Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.03%. That’s not a crisis number, but it’s also nowhere near what a lot of sellers in this market are still sitting on.
Arlington has a disproportionate number of VA borrowers to begin with — Crystal City and Pentagon City sit a short walk or one Metro stop from the Pentagon, and VA financing shows up constantly in my transactions. A meaningful share of those loans were originated in 2020 and 2021, when the full-year average 30-year rate (also per Freddie Mac’s PMMS) was 2.96%, and the survey briefly touched a record low of 2.65% in January 2021. If that seller’s loan is assumable — and VA loans generally are — you may be able to step into that rate instead of a new one at today’s level.
Run the same loan balance through both scenarios on a standard 30-year amortization, and the rate gap alone reshapes what you can afford. On a $350,000 balance:
That’s roughly $870 a month — more than $10,000 a year — tied up entirely in the rate, on identical debt. An assumed loan typically keeps its original remaining term rather than resetting to a fresh 30 years, so the real math on a specific loan will differ from this illustration. But the direction is the same: assuming a sub-3% VA loan instead of originating a new one at today’s rate is one of the only ways left to buy a lower payment rather than a lower price.
This isn’t a strategy every seller can offer — it depends entirely on their loan and their willingness to structure the sale around it. But when it’s available, it belongs in the conversation before you write an offer, not after.
An assumption is not a rubber stamp. You’re still underwritten — just by the seller’s servicer instead of a new lender.
If a rate buydown is also on the table for a particular listing, it’s worth comparing the two side by side rather than assuming one automatically wins — negotiating a rate buydown can sometimes get you closer to the seller’s asking price with a faster closing, while an assumption gets you a lower rate but a longer runway and a specific loan you don’t get to choose.
Here’s the part that trips people up on the condo side specifically, and it’s the same issue I flag for anyone originating a new VA loan on an Arlington condo: VA approves the building, not just the borrower. If the seller’s unit already carries a VA loan, the building was presumably approved when that loan was originated — but VA project approvals aren’t permanent. A building can lose its standing later over an HOA financial issue, a lapsed master insurance policy, or unresolved litigation, even years after your seller closed.
Don’t assume old approval still holds. Have your lender pull the building’s current status through VA’s condo report tool before you get attached to a specific unit. It takes a few minutes and it’s the same check I’d run before writing an offer on any VA-financed building in Arlington, assumption or not.
The rate is the appealing part. The cash requirement is the part people underestimate.
An assumption only transfers the remaining loan balance — it doesn’t cover the full purchase price if the seller has built up equity since they bought. If their loan balance is $350,000 and they’re asking $500,000, you need to bridge that $150,000 gap yourself, either in cash or through a second loan (which comes at current rates and somewhat defeats part of the purpose). Before you get excited about a listing with an assumable loan, ask what the seller’s actual payoff balance is — not their asking price — and do that math first. Some deals pencil out beautifully. Others don’t, once you see the gap.
That’s also where knowing what closing costs actually run in Arlington matters — an assumption has its own fee structure (a VA-set assumption processing fee, plus the servicer’s underwriting costs), and it’s worth pricing out alongside the equity gap before you commit to this path over a conventional purchase.
Do I have to be a veteran to assume a seller’s VA loan?
No. VA loans can be assumed by non-veteran, non-military buyers who meet the servicer’s creditworthiness standards. What you don’t get is the seller’s VA entitlement — that stays tied to their service record unless the assuming buyer is also a qualifying veteran using their own entitlement.
How much cash do I need to assume a VA loan?
Enough to cover the gap between the seller’s remaining loan balance and the agreed purchase price, plus assumption processing fees. If the seller has significant equity, that gap can be substantial — get their actual payoff figure before you fall in love with the deal.
Do I still need the condo resale package if I’m assuming a loan instead of getting a new one?
Yes. Virginia’s condo resale disclosure requirement is tied to the sale of the unit, not the financing method. You still get the resale package and your review period — negotiable, but it defaults to three days if the contract leaves it blank. Even if the contract specifies zero days, you still have until 9:00 PM on the day you receive the documents to cancel.
How do I check if a specific Arlington building is still VA-approved?
Ask your lender to pull the building’s current status through VA’s condo report tool at lgy.va.gov/lgyhub/condo-report. Don’t rely on the fact that the seller’s loan closed with VA financing years ago — approval status can change.
If you’re weighing an assumable loan against a conventional purchase, the math depends entirely on the specific loan balance, the equity gap, and whether the building still clears VA’s project approval — that’s exactly the kind of building-level detail most buyers never get told until it’s too late to plan around. If you’re ready to buy smart — with building-level insight most buyers never get — let’s build your plan. Start your buying plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/buy.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist — with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction — because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
For most Arlington condo owners in 2026, yes — or at least get your condo under contract before you commit to the next place. NVAR reported Northern Virginia condo inventory up 44.8% year over year in August, so buying first and hoping your unit sells fast is a bigger gamble than it was a year ago. Selling first doesn’t have to mean moving twice: a rent-back, a seller’s purchase contingency, and Fannie Mae’s rule that lets a lender drop your current payment once your buyer’s financing contingency clears can all close the gap.
This is the question behind almost every move-up conversation I have.
You’ve outgrown the one-bedroom in Courthouse, or you’re finally ready for the townhouse, or a job is pulling you across the river. You need your equity from the condo to buy the next place. And you don’t want to end up without a place to live for a month or paying two mortgages for six.
So which comes first — the sale or the purchase?
There’s no universal answer. But in this market, the default has shifted, and the reason is sitting in the inventory numbers.
In its August 2026 report, released September 14 and built on Bright MLS data, NVAR reported that condo inventory across its Northern Virginia footprint grew 44.8% in one year — from 915 listings to 1,325. Detached listings actually fell over the same stretch.
Read that from a move-up seller’s point of view. If you’re moving up to a single-family house, you’re buying in the one segment where listings fell. Townhouse inventory rose too, but at 29.9% it grew more slowly than condos. Either way, the home you’re selling sits in the segment with the most new competition.
NVAR President Rob Carney put the seller side plainly: with more inventory, sellers need to pay closer attention to how their property is positioned.
That combination is exactly when buying first gets risky. You’d be committing to a purchase in a tight segment while betting that your condo sells on your timeline in a looser one. If it doesn’t, you’re carrying two housing payments — and your condo fee keeps coming every month whether anyone’s living there or not.
Rates add pressure too. The 30-year fixed averaged 7.03% in Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week of September 24, 2026, up from 6.30% a year earlier. Carrying two loans at today’s rates is a lot less forgiving than it was when many Arlington owners bought.
Almost every Arlington move-up plan comes down to one of these. Each has a cost; the job is picking the one whose cost you can live with.
This is the lowest-risk path financially. You know your exact net proceeds before you shop, you negotiate your purchase as a clean, non-contingent buyer, and you never carry two payments.
The downside is timing. Without a plan, you could close on your condo before you’ve found the next place. Two tools solve most of that:
Worst case, you rent for a few months between homes. That’s a real cost — a short-term lease, a second move, maybe storage — but it’s a known, capped cost. Two mortgages with no end date isn’t.
This is the most comfortable path to live through: one move, no rush, no temporary housing. It’s also the one with the most financial exposure.
You’ll need to qualify for the new loan while still carrying the old one, or fund the down payment without your condo equity. That usually means one of these:
The real question with buying first isn’t “can I close?” It’s “what’s my plan if my condo sits?” If the honest answer is “cut the price until it sells,” you’ve just handed your leverage to your buyer before you’ve met them. Know your realistic list price and what selling will cost you before you sign on the next place.
The middle path is making your offer on the next home contingent on the sale of your condo. NVAR’s K1344 addendum handles this with a “Sale of Buyer’s Property and Kick-Out” clause: the seller can keep marketing and accept a back-up offer, then give you a negotiated number of days to remove your contingency or step aside.
It protects you. It also makes your offer weaker, and in the single-family segment, where listings are down from a year ago, many sellers will pass on it.
There’s a much stronger version, though: get your condo under contract first, then write your offer. Once your buyer is ratified, your offer on the next home can rely on a pending sale rather than a hypothetical one. And here’s the financing piece most owners don’t know about.
That same Fannie Mae section says the lender doesn’t have to count your current payment at all if you provide the executed sales contract on your current home and confirmation that your buyer’s financing contingencies have been cleared. In practice, that can turn “I can’t qualify for both” into “I qualify for the new loan on its own” — often weeks before your condo actually settles. Your lender still makes the final call, so ask about this specifically.
Condo sellers have a few timing pieces that house sellers don’t.
Here’s the order I walk move-up clients through before either home goes on a calendar.
After 325+ Arlington condo transactions, the pattern is consistent: move-up sellers who get burned rarely picked the “wrong” order. They picked an order without a plan for the version where the timing slips.
If you want to know what your unit is actually worth — not a Zestimate, but a real building-level analysis — that’s what I do. Start your selling plan at ArlingtonCondo.com/sell.
Can I qualify for my next mortgage while my Arlington condo is still under contract?
Often, yes. Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide (B3-6-06) normally requires the lender to count both your current and proposed housing payments if your current home won’t close before the new purchase. It waives your current payment if you provide the executed sales contract and confirmation that the buyer’s financing contingencies have been cleared. Your lender makes the final call, so ask early.
How long can I stay in my condo after settlement with a rent-back?
It’s negotiated with the buyer, but an owner-occupant buyer’s lender sets the practical ceiling. The standard Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Virginia deed of trust (Form 3047) requires the borrower to occupy the home as a principal residence within 60 days after signing, unless the lender agrees otherwise in writing. Keep rent-backs well inside that window and confirm the length with the buyer’s lender before you ratify.
Can I sell my Arlington condo contingent on finding my next home?
Yes. NVAR’s Contingencies/Clauses Addendum (form K1344) includes a clause making the contract contingent for a negotiated number of days while the seller identifies another home. If the seller doesn’t void the contract by the deadline, it stays in full force. Buyers see it as added uncertainty, so it works best with a short window and a well-priced unit.
What is a kick-out clause on a home sale contingency?
Under NVAR’s form K1344, when a buyer’s offer is contingent on selling their own home, the seller can keep marketing and accept a bona fide back-up offer. The seller then delivers notice, and the buyer has a negotiated number of days to satisfy or remove the contingency, or the contract becomes void.
If I buy first and can’t sell, can I rent out my old condo?
Only if your building allows it. Many Arlington condo buildings cap how many units can be leased at once or set minimum lease terms. Renting also starts a clock on your capital gains exclusion: IRS Topic 701 requires 24 months of residency within the five years ending on your sale date, which generally gives you about three years after moving out to sell.
About Rick Bosl
Rick Bosl is Arlington’s condo specialist — with 23+ years of experience, 325+ transactions closed, and $165M+ in sales volume focused almost exclusively on Arlington’s condo market. As the founder of ArlingtonCondo.com and Managing Broker at KW Metro Center, Rick knows every building, every floor plan, and what buyers in each neighborhood are willing to pay. He holds the CRS and GRI designations and brings an electrical engineering degree and MBA to every transaction — because condo decisions should be driven by data, not guesswork. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.