Buying In Northern Virginia, VA
Sell Your Commercial Property In Northern Virginia, VA
We are an active buyer of Northern Virginia commercial rental properties with five or more units, whether the building is fully leased, half vacant, or overdue for renovation.
- Clear feedback on your deal, typically within 48 hours
- 5 to 100+ units, stabilized or distressed, listed or off-market
- Owners, agents, and brokers welcome — every conversation is confidential
We buy:Tired landlordsEstate & trust sales1031 exchangesDeferred maintenanceHigh vacancyPartnership splits
Areas We Target: Alexandria · Arlington · Fairfax · Woodbridge — Fairfax County, Arlington County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County, VA
Why Northern Virginia
Why We Buy Multifamily In Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia is a four-county rental market built on federal payrolls, Metrorail and what Loudoun County calls the world's largest concentration of data centers. Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William counties hold 2,305,969 residents and 267,665 renter households in ACS 2020-2024.
Renters occupy 58.7% of homes in Arlington County and 31.4% in Fairfax County. Median gross rent runs from $2,067 in Prince William County to $2,386 in Loudoun County. HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom fair market rent for the Washington metro area is $2,438. Rental vacancy runs from 3.9% in Loudoun and Prince William counties to 4.8% in Arlington County.
This profile reports each county separately and never averages medians. It covers renters, rents against HUD benchmarks, apartment stock, Fairfax County taxes with a worked $2,000,000 example, landlord rules and transfer fees. It is written for owners who want to sell commercial property in Northern Virginia, VA and need sourced numbers before they talk to buyers.
Federal and defense payrolls
Fairfax County has 82,300 civilian federal government workers, 13.5% of employed civilians, in ACS 2020-2024. The Pentagon in Arlington houses approximately 24,000 military and civilian employees, per Military OneSource.Loudoun County data centers
Loudoun County counted approximately 233 data center buildings, about 56.5 million square feet, as of March 1, 2026. It issued permits for over 10 million square feet in 2025 alone.Silver Line Metro reach
Metro opened the Silver Line Extension on November 15, 2022, adding six stations and 11.4 miles of track through Reston and Herndon to Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County, per WMATA.Our Buy Box
What We Buy In Northern Virginia
Asset Type
Multifamily, 5+ Units
Apartment buildings and income-producing residential.
Size
5 – 100+ Units
Sweet spot: 15–25 units.
Condition
Stabilized To Distressed
Value-add, mismanaged, and high-vacancy properties welcome.
Deal Types
Listed Or Off-Market
Direct-to-owner, pocket listings, portfolios.
Local Market Data
Northern Virginia Apartment Market
Figures gathered October 2026 from public market data.
Who rents in Northern Virginia
Renters occupy 58.7% of occupied homes in Arlington County, the highest share among the four Northern Virginia counties on this page. That is 65,806 of 112,027 households in the ACS 2020-2024 Arlington County tenure table. Fairfax County is at 31.4%, Prince William County at 25.7% and Loudoun County at 22.1%, per the Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun tables.
Alexandria, an independent city that the Census Bureau reports as its own county-equivalent, is at 57.9% in its tenure table. Counted together, the four counties hold 2,305,969 residents and 267,665 renter households in ACS 2020-2024.
Federal paychecks anchor Northern Virginia demand. In Fairfax County, 82,300 civilian workers hold federal government jobs, 13.5% of employed civilians, per the ACS 2020-2024 class-of-worker table. Arlington County's share is 18.5%, against 8.2% statewide. The Pentagon in Arlington houses approximately 24,000 military and civilian employees, per Military OneSource.
Loudoun County counted approximately 233 data center buildings, about 56.5 million square feet, as of March 1, 2026, per Data Centers: The Loudoun Story. Metro's Silver Line Extension opened six stations through Reston and Herndon to Ashburn on November 15, 2022, per WMATA.
Rents and affordability in Northern Virginia
Median gross rent in Fairfax County is $2,276 a month under ACS 2020-2024, per the Fairfax County median rent table. Loudoun County is at $2,386, Arlington County at $2,322 and Prince William County at $2,067. Virginia's median is $1,579 in the same release.
Under HUD FY2027 fair market rents, the two-bedroom figure for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area is $2,438. That is $162 above Fairfax County's median gross rent and $371 above Prince William County's. HUD applies this one metro schedule to all four counties.
| Unit size | HUD FY2027 FMR, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area |
|---|---|
| Efficiency | $2,111 |
| One-bedroom | $2,204 |
| Two-bedroom | $2,438 |
| Three-bedroom | $3,107 |
| Four-bedroom | $3,658 |
In Prince William County, 48.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of income for rent, per the ACS 2020-2024 rent burden table. Fairfax County is at 43.8%, Loudoun County at 42.3% and Arlington County at 38.8%. Virginia is at 45.3%.
Rental vacancy in Fairfax County is 4.4%, per the ACS 2020-2024 housing profile. Arlington County is at 4.8%, and Loudoun and Prince William counties are each at 3.9%. Loudoun County's median household income is $181,765, per the ACS 2020-2024 income table, against $93,170 for Virginia.
Those incomes support rents well above the state median. Owners who plan to sell commercial real estate in Northern Virginia, VA should expect buyers to test each rent roll against the $2,438 HUD benchmark.
Apartment stock in Northern Virginia
Arlington County has 74,987 homes in buildings of five or more units, or 61.5% of its housing, per the ACS 2020-2024 units-in-structure table. Fairfax County has the largest count, 124,566 homes, or 29.0% of its stock. Virginia's share is 18.6%.
Loudoun County is at 15.5% and Prince William County at 15.7%. Counted together, the four counties hold 247,784 homes in five-plus unit buildings. Arlington County alone has 56,429 homes in buildings of 50 or more units.
In Arlington County, 53.0% of homes were built before 1980, and the median year built is 1976, per the ACS 2020-2024 year-built table. Fairfax County is at 43.6% pre-1980, Prince William County at 24.2% and Loudoun County at 12.5%.
Loudoun County's median year built is 2002, per its year-built table. Older stock draws capital-needs scrutiny, so owners who sell commercial property in Northern Virginia, VA should expect roofs, plumbing and HVAC to be priced into offers.
Property taxes in Fairfax County
Fairfax County taxes real estate at $1.12 per $100 of assessed value for tax year 2026, per its real estate tax rates page. The Board of Supervisors cut the rate from $1.1225 when it adopted the FY 2027 budget on May 5, 2026.
Virginia requires assessments at 100 percent of fair market value under Va. Code § 58.1-3201. Fairfax County assesses as of January 1 each year, per its assessment guide. For most commercial properties, the Department of Tax Administration capitalizes net operating income into value.
On a $2,000,000 assessment, the $1.12 base rate produces $22,400 a year, billed in installments due July 28 and December 5. The Stormwater Service District rate of $0.0325 per $100 adds $650 on parcels where it applies.
Fairfax County's $0.125 Commercial Transportation Tax District rate excludes residentially used properties, including apartments, per the same rates page. Administrative appeals for 2026 were due April 1, and Board of Equalization appeals June 1, per the BOE appeal page.
Arlington County adopted $1.053 per $100 with its FY 2027 budget, or $21,060 on $2,000,000. Loudoun County's tax year 2026 rate is $0.805, or $16,100. Prince William County's FY2027 rate is $0.865, or $17,300.
Virginia's grantor tax is 50 cents per $500 under § 58.1-802, or $2,000 on a $2,000,000 sale. Va. Code § 58.1-802.3 adds a regional WMATA capital fee of $0.10 per $100 in Northern Virginia Transportation Authority localities, another $2,000. Under § 33.2-2501, the Authority embraces Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and Alexandria.
Landlord rules in Northern Virginia
Virginia caps a security deposit at two months' periodic rent under Va. Code § 55.1-1226. Landlords must give an itemized written notice of deductions within 45 days after the tenancy ends or the tenant vacates, whichever is later.
A nonpayment notice gives the tenant 14 days to pay before the landlord may terminate, under § 55.1-1245. Under § 55.1-1253, either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date. A lease may set a different notice period.
Va. Code § 55.1-1201 bars any locality from waiving or modifying the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The Act also supersedes all other local ordinances on landlord and tenant relations and residential leasing.
That gives buyers one lease framework across Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties. When you sell multifamily property in Northern Virginia, buyers review deposit ledgers and notices against the same statutes in every county.
What this means for a Northern Virginia owner
Northern Virginia pairs renter shares of 58.7% in Arlington County and 57.9% in Alexandria with rental vacancy from 3.9% to 4.8%. If you sell commercial property in Northern Virginia, VA, expect buyers to price by county, not by region.
On a $2,000,000 sale, the grantor tax and the WMATA capital fee together come to $4,000. When you sell your apartment building in Northern Virginia, bring current leases, the deposit ledger, the latest tax bill and the county assessment notice.
Skyline Capital Investments buys apartment buildings of five or more units across Northern Virginia. Test your numbers in the cap rate calculator, then send the address and unit count through our seller page.
Before You Sell
Pricing Your Building In Northern Virginia
More about selling in Virginia →Investing in Northern Virginia? See apartment syndications in Northern Virginia →
- Fairfax County's $0.125 Commercial Transportation Tax District rate excludes apartments, so a multifamily bill starts from the $1.12 base rate for tax year 2026.
- Deeds in Northern Virginia Transportation Authority localities carry a regional WMATA capital fee of $0.10 per $100 under Va. Code § 58.1-802.3, paid by the grantor.
- Owners who sell commercial real estate in Northern Virginia, VA should track appeal dates: Fairfax County's 2026 administrative appeal deadline was April 1.
- Arlington County and Alexandria each hold more than 60% of housing in five-plus unit buildings, over three times Virginia's 18.6% share in ACS 2020-2024.
Seller Guides
Selling In Northern Virginia? Common Situations We Handle
Learn More
Taxes & Rules For Northern Virginia Property
The Virginia rules that shape any deal in Northern Virginia: what a sale costs in tax, how buildings are taxed, what landlords must follow, and how to defer gains.
Northern Virginia Seller FAQ
What transfer taxes apply when I sell commercial property in Northern Virginia, VA?
Virginia's grantor tax is 50 cents per $500 under Va. Code § 58.1-802, or $2,000 on a $2,000,000 sale. Deeds in Northern Virginia Transportation Authority localities also carry a regional WMATA capital fee of $0.10 per $100 under § 58.1-802.3, another $2,000, paid by the grantor unless the parties arrange otherwise. The state recordation tax under § 58.1-801 is 25 cents per $100, or $5,000.
What are property taxes on a $2 million apartment building in Fairfax County?
Fairfax County's tax year 2026 base rate is $1.12 per $100 of assessed value, so a $2,000,000 assessment produces $22,400 a year. Bills are due in two installments, July 28 and December 5. The Stormwater Service District rate of $0.0325 per $100 adds $650 where it applies. The $0.125 Commercial Transportation Tax District rate excludes residentially used properties, including apartments.
What do buyers check first when I sell commercial real estate in Northern Virginia, VA?
Buyers compare rents with HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom fair market rent of $2,438 for the Washington metro area. They check vacancy, which ranges from 3.9% in Loudoun and Prince William counties to 4.8% in Arlington County. In Arlington County, 53.0% of homes predate 1980, so roofs, plumbing and HVAC draw close review. Taxes are underwritten county by county.
Can Arlington or Fairfax County pass their own landlord-tenant rules?
Virginia sets those rules at the state level. Va. Code § 55.1-1201 says no locality may waive or modify the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, in whole or in part. The same section says the Act supersedes all other local ordinances on landlord and tenant relations and the leasing of residential property. Owners who sell multifamily property in Northern Virginia hand buyers leases written under that one statewide Act.
How strong is rental demand in Northern Virginia?
Rental vacancy is 4.4% in Fairfax County, 4.8% in Arlington County and 3.9% in both Loudoun and Prince William counties in ACS 2020-2024. Fairfax County has 82,300 civilian federal government workers. Loudoun County counted approximately 233 data center buildings as of March 1, 2026. Anyone selling commercial property in Northern Virginia can point buyers to those payroll sources.
Will you buy a Northern Virginia property that needs work or has high vacancy?
Yes. We regularly evaluate value-add, mismanaged, and distressed multifamily properties and underwrite them as they are today — no repairs or lease-up required before selling.
How does a sale to you work in Fairfax County?
Send the address, unit count, and any financials. We give feedback, then a written letter of intent if it fits, followed by diligence and a closing date that works for you.
Who buys occupied rental property in Northern Virginia?
We do. Skyline Capital Investments is a commercial real estate buyer of 5+ unit multifamily, and we buy apartment buildings with tenants in place, including properties with below-market rents.
What do I need to sell my apartment building in Northern Virginia?
An address and unit count are enough to start. A current rent roll and trailing twelve-month statement let us move to a written offer faster.
Submit A Deal
Have A Property In Northern Virginia?
A few details are enough to start. We respond to every Northern Virginia submission, including off-market and pocket listings.
