Buying a Home in Columbia Heights West

Buying a home in Columbia Heights West, also called Arlington Mill, puts you on the west end of Columbia Pike, between Carlin Springs Road and Arlington Mill Drive. The Arlington Mill Community Center is on the Pike, and Tyrol Hill Park has a path into the Glencarlyn Park trails.

Most of the neighborhood was built after World War II, and today you can choose from condos, townhouses and single-family houses. Each has its own costs and trade-offs, and we help you compare them with your budget and plans.

Many homes here date from the late 1940s and 1950s. Depending on what has been updated, that can mean older windows, plumbing, wiring or heating and cooling. In a condo, also look at the monthly fee and what it covers, the rules, the reserve fund and any planned special assessments.

The home inspection shows you the condition. We can arrange it, or you can schedule it yourself, and we go through the report with you afterward. If a home is not right for you, we will tell you plainly, even if that means walking away. We would rather lose a sale than see you buy the wrong home.

Mikias, a first-time buyer, wrote on Zillow: “Over a decade plus experience was shown when we toured each home and she identified problems we wouldn't have otherwise noticed.”

The Arlington Mill Community Center, at 909 South Dinwiddie Street, has a full-size gym, a game room, pickleball and basketball courts and a playground. Tyrol Hill Park, at 5101 7th Road South, has two playgrounds, picnic shelters, a basketball court and a futsal court. Columbia Pike's shops, restaurants and bus lines are along the south edge.

Carlin Springs Elementary School serves most of the neighborhood, with some addresses going to Barcroft Elementary School, followed by Kenmore Middle School and Washington-Liberty High School. Boundaries change, so check the current Arlington Public Schools map for the exact address before you buy.

Read more on our Columbia Heights West page.