Respond to prefers-color-scheme dark in app web views

Follow section front redirects in Spectrum

Enable NLP source in PCS for load testing

Switch off the News Alerts Survey Widget when we have enough responses

Poll to determine if new LUF updates are available

Allows the winning A/B test variant to be turned on without Spectrum deployment

Show infinite scrolling sections in Assembler MultiView

Show option for NLP article summaries in Action Bar

A general feature flag for Recipe Features that aren't yet released

Feature flag for media team features that aren't yet released

Use new Orca video player for preroll plugin in Spectrum

Show the snow tracker (instead of the heat tracker) on Spectrum

Northern Gaza is in ‘full-blown famine,’ World Food Program leader says

Confident of victory over Ukraine, Russia exhibits Western war trophies

Journalism in India is under assault

What’s the best bus to New York? We tested 5 for comfort and value.

Adaptive equipment is making national parks more inclusive

You asked: Do I need a passport for my cruise?

Biden honors distinguished Americans; Trump back in N.Y. court

Trump Media auditor charged by SEC with ‘massive fraud’

Google’s empire is massive. A judge will soon rule if it’s a monopoly.

Biden expands health insurance access for DACA recipients

The grinding familiarity of the jocks-vs.-hippies proxy fight

The Post endorses April McClain Delaney and Tom Royals for Maryland’s 6th District

On Press Freedom Day, little to celebrate for Hong Kong’s journalists

Young Georgians want to be part of Europe. Their government is in the way.

The ‘Access Hollywood’ video cemented Trump’s air of invincibility

The New York Times, alone in its outrage over access to Biden

In photos: At least 39 dead as historic flooding hits southern Brazil

Riot police and over 2,000 arrests: A look at 2 weeks of campus protests

Israel’s offensive is destroying Gaza’s ability to grow its own food

Teen grabs wheel when driver passes out and school bus veers into traffic

Cat climbed into Amazon return box, found alive 630 miles away

I learned to heal my sadness by cradling dying chickens 

In a pinch, the Nationals finally find some offense

The Capitals, a team in transition, know what they want this offseason

Is Pastis as good as our food critic thought? He sent spies to find out.

Ask Amy: My boyfriend just confessed he’s almost $20,000 in debt

Miss Manners: Is it inappropriate to reach out to old girlfriends?

Carolyn Hax: Longtime friend won’t forgive being last-minute canceled for a guy

Evy Mages/ For The Washington Post

Tim Savoy, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Dupont/Logan Circle, writes an occasional column about the Washington area housing market.

Northern Virginia’s real estate market experienced overarching steady growth throughout 2015.

While the District of Columbia experienced larger growth, the theme throughout Arlington County, Alexandria, Fairfax County and Loudoun County was tempered growth, especially when compared to 2013 and 2014.

While Northern Virginia showed much slower growth in the first six months of the year, the area experienced more sales throughout the summer and fall real estate seasons, according to data from RealEstate Business Intelligence, a subsidiary of Rockville-based multiple-listing service MRIS.

Here are a few indicators of the real estate market in Northern Virginia:

The median sales price across Northern Virginia was on the rise in 2015. Communities in Northern Virginia saw largely modest gains in median sales price: 1.1 percent to $460,000 in Fairfax County; 4.4 percent to $435,000 in Loudoun County; 5.75 percent to $560,000 in Arlington County; and 5.24 percent to $500,000 in Alexandria.  Still, each one saw a bigger gain.

[<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2015/07/30/whats-hot-in-northern-virginia-real-estate/">What’s hot in Northern Virginia real estate</a>]

The median days on market — the number of days it takes a property to go from active on the market to under contract — in Northern Virginia has remained at or around 30 days throughout 2015 for most areas. That’s much  lower than the national median of 84.

The median was the highest in Fairfax County (38) and Loudoun County (34). Still, the numbers are going in the right direction. Fairfax County’s median dropped 5 percent year over year. And Loudoun County’s fell 27.7 percent, an indicator of that market’s growing popularity.

[<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2015/12/08/how-shifting-home-values-are-reshaping-the-washington-area/">How shifting home values are reshaping the Washington area</a>]

Closer to Washington, the median for Alexandria and Arlington County was 27 days in 2015. Both jurisdictions were down about 5.5 percent from 2014. Typically, the median is lower in these areas because of the proximity to the District. With small price increases year over year and a reduction of days on market, growth in Arlington and Alexandria is expected to continue into 2016.

The price per square foot throughout Northern Virginia varied significantly by county.

While the sales prices in each county were up slightly from 2014, the price per square foot was slightly down. This means that there may be a skew in the size of home that was sold.

Price per square foot was lower in Loudoun County ($191) and Fairfax County ($281) compared to Arlington ($452) and Alexandria ($360). Each area saw slight growth in price per square foot, reflecting steady gains throughout Northern Virginia.

Sales-to-list-price ratio

Throughout Northern Virginia, the sales-price-to-list-price ratio — the price for which a property sells compared with its list price — tended to stay around 97 percent. As a property sits on the market longer, the ratio tends to fall because of diminishing desirability.

The ratio was highest in Arlington (down 0.4 percent to 97.4 percent) and Alexandria (up 0.4 percent to 97.2 percent). This shows us that the market’s pricing is consistent year over year given the small insignificant changes to the ratio.

[<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2015/08/31/what-homebuyers-inside-and-outside-the-beltway-want/">What homebuyers inside and outside the Beltway want</a>]

Moreover, Loudoun County and Fairfax County were similar with comparable ratios of 96.6 percent and only a small reduction at 0.5 percent.

What does this mean for 2016?

As prices continue to rise at higher rates in Washington, Northern Virginia will likely see more production, especially in the Arlington and Alexandria areas closest to the city.

This factor, along with the increase in interest rates expected through 2016, will likely create a similar growth pattern for Northern Virginia in 2016.

[<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2015/07/05/why-one-number-has-homebuilders-furious-with-loudoun-county/">Why one number has homebuilders furious with Loudoun County</a>]

Whereas the Washington market is severely strapped with supply, Virginia’s market is much more buyer-oriented as supply continues to increase. Overall, growth will continue in Virginia, but likely at a much slower pace than its neighbor Washington.

Catch up on Tim’s previous columns: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2015/12/29/in-2015-the-housing-market-cooled-in-montgomery-while-prices-rose-in-prince-georges/?hpid=hp_regional-hp-cards_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fcard">In 2005, the housing market cooled in Montgomery while prices rose in Prince George’s</a> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2015/12/28/in-2015-the-fortunes-in-d-c-s-housing-market-spread-eastward/">In 2015, the fortunes in D.C.’s housing market spread eastward</a> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2015/11/24/smart-home-upgrades-that-you-can-install-yourself/">Smart-home upgrades that you can install yourself</a>

Tim Savoy can be reached at <a href="mailto:Timothy.Savoy@cbmove.com">Timothy.Savoy@cbmove.com</a>.

Tim Savoy

The Washington Post

Rentals

Agent Directory

New Homes Guide

Real Estate

prism://prism.query/site,/realestate&limit=20

Washington Post's Real Estate section is your source for buying and selling a home and finding open houses in DC, MD and VA.