Yearly Archives: 2015

China's Chengdu J-20 fighter has officially entered the early stages of production. The bird you see here is the first production model of the large, stealthy fighter, photographed on the tarmac just days ago. The fighter, marked 2101 on the fuselage, is painted a dull yellow—likely a primer coat. The low rate initial production (LRIP) fighters will likely go to People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) test pilots for flight testing. The prototype's appearance means that most of the plane is likely frozen, design-wise

City Manager Mark B. Jinks has announced the appointment of Helen S. McIlvaine as Director of Housing for the City of Alexandria, effective November 23, 2015. McIlvaine has served as Acting Director since January 1.

We often don't see them unless we are truly observing. Nearly 600,000 people across the United States, on any given night, live in our communities without homes (according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress). Some live in their cars. Others use makeshift shelters around our cities. Others move from abandoned building to abandoned building

November residential real estate sales support the year’s strengthening market. Year-to-date sales through November 30, 2015, account for more than $32.02 billion in sales volume, according to the November 2015 Home Sales Report released by the Virginia Association of REALTORS® (VAR). Relative to the same year-to-date period for 2014, the value of sales transactions has increased by 11.7 percent. Both the number of units sold and the median sales price have risen steadily, contributing to the boost in year-over-year market performance

U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine today announced that the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority will receive a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding – made available by HUD’s Jobs Plus Program – will help Norfolk public housing residents find employment by providing tools and resources that will assist them in gaining job skills and increasing their earned income

The Arlington County Board today approved a redevelopment plan that will replace a single-story building at 4000 Fairfax Drive – now housing Carpool restaurant — with a 22-story LEED Gold apartment building with 330 units. The redevelopment will include the remaking of a corner at Fairfax Drive and N. Quincy Street, creating a publicly accessible courtyard with a water feature, significant road and pedestrian improvements and three new retail spaces

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced that 18 Virginia localities will receive more than $1.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding will help Virginia families who receive federal housing vouchers and public housing residents reduce their dependency on welfare assistance and rental subsidies, by providing tools and resources that will assist them in gaining job skills and increasing their earned income

Prior to her work in Alexandria, McIlvaine was Director of Real Estate Development for the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, and executive director of Catholics for Housing. Before transitioning to affordable housing development, McIlvaine practiced law, including general civil and construction litigation in Texas and Virginia

October residential real estate sales indicate sustained market improvement, with a rise of over five percent from the same time period last year. Higher volume coupled with a higher median sales price accounts for the bump in overall transactional value from $2.59 to $2.72 billion. According to the October 2015 Home Sales Report released by the Virginia Association of REALTORS® (VAR), sales each month this year have exceeded the sales for the corresponding months in 2014.

Many Arlington County homeowners have received correspondence, signed by Jud Allen of Express Homebuyers, falsely claiming that these owners owe real estate taxes and that the County may take their homes away from them due to delinquent taxes, Arlington County Treasurer Carla de la Pava said.