Alexandria is Old Town rowhouses on brick sidewalks, Del Ray bungalows, and King Street Metro spillover — Virginia independent city with historic inventory that mirrors DC row character without DC TOPA. Hard money lenders in Alexandria VA fund Old Town acquisitions where premium basis and historic review demand experienced sponsors and fast close.
Prince Street, South Lee Street, and Del Ray’s Mount Vernon Avenue corridor attract operators flipping to affluent O-O buyers or holding townhomes under Virginia’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
Investor profile (2026)
| Area | Buy range | Rehab | Exit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town rowhouse | $750K–$1.1M | $120K–$220K | O-O premium sale |
| Del Ray bungalow | $620K–$850K | $90K–$150K | Family flip or hold |
| Rosemont townhome | $580K–$780K | $75K–$130K | Young professional O-O |
| Carlyle condo | $420K–$580K | $35K–$65K | Corporate rental |
2026 price and rehab bands
| Asset | Acquisition | Rehab | ARV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town row | $780K–$1.05M | $130K–$220K | $1.05M–$1.35M |
| Del Ray SFR | $620K–$780K | $90K–$145K | $820K–$980K |
| Townhome | $580K–$760K | $75K–$125K | $780K–$920K |
Market thesis
Old Town rowhouses trade like mini-Georgetown — thin spreads require finish discipline. Del Ray offers wider flip margin with strong O-O demand. Statewide: fix and flip Virginia.
Jaken Finance Group Alexandria loan terms
- Rates: 8.99%–13.5% interest-only
- Leverage: up to 100% LTC on qualified files, always capped at 75% of ARV — we fund the lower number
- Luxury lane: Old Town and Del Ray flips up to $2.5M all-in can qualify for up to 100% LTC under our luxury program, with the same 75% ARV cap
- Term: 6–12 months IO on standard flips; 12–18 months on luxury files
- Close: 7–10 business days when Alexandria title and scope are complete; Old Town add 30–45 days for Board of Architectural Review approval if exterior
- Focus: Old Town rowhouses, Del Ray SFR, townhomes, select rental-friendly condos near Braddock/DuPont Metro
Worked example: Old Town rowhouse cosmetic-plus
South Lee Street Old Town row: $895,000 acquire, $165,000 rehab — historic-sensitive kitchen/bath, systems, refinished floors. All-in: $1,060,000 · 86% LTC · 10-day close Sale: $1,225,000 — 28 DOM to O-O buyer.
Scope detail: Historic commission approved wood window restoration ($28K line item) vs replacement — added 6 weeks to facade draw but preserved ARV premium Old Town buyers expect.
Leverage check: 86% of the $1,060,000 all-in is $911,600. The 75% ARV cap on a $1,225,000 resale is $918,750. LTC is the lower figure, so it sets the loan. If the appraisal had come in at $1,150,000, the cap would fall to $862,500, and the sponsor would need about $49,100 more cash.
Alexandria market data (2026)
Alexandria is an independent city, so it has its own Realtor.com series on FRED. September 2026 versus a year earlier:
| Metric (City of Alexandria) | Sept 2026 | Sept 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Median listing price | $534,950 | $502,450 |
| Median list price per sq ft | $432 | $429 |
| Median days on market | 38 | 30 |
| Active listings | 429 | 328 |
| Listings with a price cut | 170 | 126 |
Prices are holding, but the market is slower. Active listings rose about 31%, and median days on market climbed from 30 to 38. Roughly 40% of September listings had cut their price. The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Washington index rose about 2.2% from July 2025 to July 2026 (FRED).
For a $1M+ Old Town exit, that means more competing listings. The 28-day sale in the worked example is a best case. Budget at least one extra month of interest, and have a price-cut plan ready before you list.
Carry costs specific to the City of Alexandria
Alexandria’s FY 2026 rates, from the city’s approved tax rates page:
- Real estate tax: $1.135 per $100 of assessed value
- Residential refuse fee: $500 per can per year, billed with real estate taxes
- Stormwater utility fee: $324.10 per equivalent residential unit, also billed with real estate taxes
Illustration: if the South Lee Street row assesses at its $895,000 purchase price, the annual real estate tax is about $10,158, or $847 a month. A six-month hold carries about $5,079 in property tax before refuse and stormwater fees. Add that to the interest line. Many sponsors forget it because taxes are not paid monthly.
Virginia recording taxes on an Alexandria flip
Virginia stacks several taxes at closing. The statutes:
- Deed recordation tax: 25 cents per $100 of the greater of price or assessed value (Va. Code § 58.1-801). Cities may add a local tax equal to one-third of the state amount (§ 58.1-814).
- Deed of trust recordation tax: 25 cents per $100 of the loan amount (§ 58.1-803).
- Grantor tax on the resale: 50 cents per $500 of value (§ 58.1-802).
Applied to the worked example (illustration):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State deed recordation on the $895,000 purchase | $2,237.50 |
| Local one-third share, if levied | about $746 |
| Recordation on the $911,600 loan | $2,279 |
| Grantor tax on the $1,225,000 resale | $1,225 |
That is roughly $6,500 in recording taxes alone. Confirm the exact figures with your settlement agent.
Historic districts and the BAR
Alexandria’s Board of Architectural Review oversees two districts: the Old and Historic Alexandria District and the Parker-Gray District. The city is updating design guideline chapters for both, with a BAR committee community meeting set for October 26, 2026, per the city’s announcement. Check which version of the guidelines applies before your architect draws windows, doors, or rooflines. For any parcel, confirm district status on the city’s zoning map before you bid. A property outside both districts generally avoids district design review on routine exterior work. Ask city staff to confirm before you skip it in the schedule.
If the flip becomes a rental
Virginia’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act governs the hold. Two rules shape your reserve plan:
- Security deposits cannot exceed two months’ rent (§ 55.1-1226).
- Unpaid rent notices must give the tenant 14 days to pay before the landlord can terminate (§ 55.1-1245).
For rent benchmarks, HUD’s FY 2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area list three-bed figures of $4,080 in 22314, $3,380 in 22301, $2,920 in 22302, and $2,740 in 22305. On a $1M+ basis, those rents rarely cover a full-leverage DSCR loan. Plan the hold as a lower-leverage refinance through DSCR loans in Alexandria.
Alexandria diligence and risks
Historic review on Old Town exterior changes. Premium basis — thin margin. Flood on Old Town waterfront blocks. Parking constraints.
Old Town rowhouse vs Del Ray bungalow
Old Town rowhouses trade Georgetown-like premiums — experienced sponsors only. Del Ray bungalows offer wider flip spreads with strong Mount Vernon Avenue walkability demand. Do not apply Old Town ARV to Del Ray acquisitions.
Rosemont townhomes split the difference — family O-O demand without Old Town historic friction on every scope item.
Alexandria permit path
Alexandria independent city permits run through City of Alexandria — not Fairfax County. Verify jurisdiction on parcel before GC bid; county/Fairfax confusion delays draws 2–4 weeks on mis-filed applications.
Carlyle and waterfront condo lane
Carlyle and Old Town North condo inventory suits corporate rental and empty-nester flip strategies — smaller scope ($35K–$65K) but HOA diligence is non-optional. Buildings with pending litigation or underfunded reserves fail both hard money exit and DSCR refi.
Waterfront Old Town blocks carry flood insurance requirements — verify FEMA zone before acquisition; premiums affect hold NOI materially.
Del Ray bungalow inventory depth
Del Ray 1920s–1940s bungalows on Ashby Street and East Howell Avenue remain the volume lane for Alexandria hard money — acquisitions $620K–$780K with $90K–$145K rehab and ARV $820K–$950K. Old Town rowhouses are event-driven premium plays; Del Ray is the repeatable spreadsheet for experienced sponsors.
Draw schedule: Alexandria rowhouse rehab
| Draw | Milestone | Typical release | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw 1 | Close + 14 days | 25% | Permits, demo, rough electric |
| Draw 2 | Mechanicals + historic sign-off | 35% | HVAC, plumbing, facade if required |
| Draw 3 | Finish | 40% | Kitchen, baths, floors |
Old Town historic path may add 30–45 days to Draw 2.
Pre-qual checklist: Alexandria
- Contract 10-day close
- Historic-aware GC bid if Old Town
- Three Alexandria comps same submarket
- Entity + reserves
- Title
- Insurance
- Scope line-item
- Exit comp support
Related programs
- Fix and flip loans Alexandria VA
- Hard money lenders Arlington VA
- Hard money lenders Virginia
- Hard money lenders Washington DC
Seasonality and contractor scheduling
Exterior-heavy Alexandria VA rehabs slip in cold months — model mechanical-first draw releases and pad IO reserve November through March.
Alexandria VA hold files benefit from summer lease-up — model appraisal and DSCR application after Q2–Q3 relocation demand, not winter MTM rent.
Alexandria VA bridge files need weather buffer in carry — 30–45 days on facade and roof lines prevents draw-schedule stall in winter.
Frequently asked questions
Is Old Town Alexandria similar to DC Georgetown?
Similar historic stock and premium basis — but Virginia landlord law and different HP overlay. Comp Old Town to Old Town, not DC.
Which Alexandria neighborhoods fit hard money?
Old Town rowhouses, Del Ray bungalows, Rosemont townhomes — each with distinct buyer pool and basis.
Does Alexandria have rental restrictions?
Generally landlord-friendly vs DC — verify condo HOA caps and short-term rental rules on specific parcels.
Typical close timeline?
7–10 business days with complete file on qualified acquisitions.
Alexandria hard money — Old Town BAR review and draw sequencing
Old Town rowhouse facade work may require Historic Alexandria review — budget 30–45 days before exterior draw two. Del Ray SFR files close faster with interior-first sequencing Nov–Mar.
Separate Old Town row comps from Del Ray SFR — appraiser cuts $20K–$40K when mixed. Federal Q2–Q3 relocation lifts O-O demand — align listing with June–August transferee traffic when exit is resale.
Pre-qualify for Alexandria financing · DSCR loans Alexandria · (833) 264-7776
Alexandria — Old Town vs Del Ray comp split (2026)
Alexandria files fail when Old Town rowhouse ARV prices Del Ray bungalow — separate comp sets or appraiser cuts $20K–$40K. Historic facade scope adds 6+ weeks — reserve IO on wood-window restoration lines.
Federal Q2–Q3 relocation lifts O-O demand — align resale with transferee season. Bridge 8.99%–13.5% IO · Arlington collar · (833) 264-7776.
Underwriting anchor: South Lee Street Old Town row: $895,000 acquire, $165,000 rehab — historic-sensitive kitchen/bath, systems, refinished floors. — model Alexandria Va sold comps, carrier quote, and reassessment on this parcel before IO term. Rates, terms and conditions offered only to qualified borrowers and are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to full underwriting. Jaken Finance Group only finances non-owner occupied investment properties.