Monthly Archives: April 2010

Mill Creek Meadows Market Stats ~ Mill Creek Meadows Homes For Sale In Shawnee KS

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Mill Creek Meadows Real Estate Market Stats
Mil Creek Meadows Is A Subdivision In Shawnee KS

Looking over the Mill Creek Meadows market statistics dating back to April 2009, 10 homes were put on the market and 9 homes were sold over the same year period. The average sales price in Mill Creek Meadows was $246,100 and the subdivision saw a price range variance of $218,000 to $274,900.

Comparing the 2 Active listings in Mill Creek Meadows to the 12-month sales rate in the community, there’s  2.7 months of inventory on the market. This is very good in our current real estate market. The average current list price of $257,475 is also in line with the average sales price seen the past year in the  Mill Creek Meadows community. Mill Creek Meadows is a popular Shawnee Kansas subdivision and located near parks, shopping and dining amenities and near access to K-7 highway.

Mill Creek Meadows In Shawnee KS

Mill Creek Meadows In Shawnee KS

Mill Creek Meadows is located in western Shawnee Kansas and is served by the De Soto School District. Many of the homes in Mill Creek Meadows were built from 2001 through 2003. If you’re considering selling or buying a home in Mill Creek Meadows or another Shawnee Kansas subdivision, please let me know how I can assist you.

View Homes For Sale in Mill Creek Meadows

Buying A Home In Mill Creek Meadows

Selling A Home In Mill Creek Meadows

Relocating to Shawnee Kansas

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Shawnee Kansas Real Estate Update – April 2010

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Real Estate Info for The City of Shawnee Kansas
Recent 15 Days of Shawnee KS Market Activity

Using the past 15 days of market stats in the chart below to figure the absorption rate in Shawnee KS, we can determine there’s 8.7 months of inventory currently on the market in the city. This is high and it’s clearly still a buyer’s real estate market in Shawnee. At a pace of 48 sales per month, it’s going to take some time to sell of the 400+ Active areas listings. The sales prices of both the homes that have Sold (closed) and the homes that have gone under contract in the past 15 days have been very consistent, all being in the $230’s average price range.

Type
#
Average $
Avg DOM
Listings Past 15 Days
 88 $235,515
–
Total Active Listings
 415
–
–
Newest Contracts Written
 70 $230,915 105
Newest Sold (Closed)
 24 $239,340 75

* The Average $ of Newest Contracts considers the price the homes were listed at when they went under contract. Data pulled from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Low samplings in any category can skew results. Stats may not be an exact 15 days from date of this post. DOM = Days On Market.

If you’re considering selling or buying a home in Shawnee Kansas, you’ll need more than just 15 days of market stats. You’ll want to the an expanded history of Shawnee Kansas stats as well as the market information particular to the subdivision where you’re considering buying or selling a home. Please let us know how we can assist you.

View Past Real Estate Stats On Shawnee Kansas

Buyer’s Agents In Shawnee Kansas

Seller’s Agents In Shawnee Kansas

Relocating to Shawnee Kansas

View All Listed Shawnee Kansas Homes For Sale

Shawnee Kansas

Shawnee Kansas

Shawnee Kansas Tip of the Day…
Shawnee Kansas Relocation Info Brochures

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Security Issues To Consider After Closing On Your Kansas City Home

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

So you’ve made it through the closing process and the home is now yours. You know this for a fact because you’ve been handed the keys by the real estate agent. No more worries… right? Wrong. There’s a grossly overlooked final step to taking possession of your new home. Although you’ve been handed “the keys” to the home, you haven’t really been handed ALL the keys. Have you? Well, you really don’t know and that’s the point.

If you have an odd number of keys, you can bet there’s at least one missing. Most exterior locks are shipped with TWO keys for each lock, so if the home has 3 exterior doors, you should probably be given 6 keys by the seller. But even this is a general rule of thumb and I’m sure some brands may not ship 2 keys with every exterior lock. And, yes, I realize there could be TWO keys missing and then my point would be, well, pointless.

New home construction is even worse because superintendents and sub-contractors have likely had access to keys during the construction process. The new home agent have had them too, no doubt.  So, to maximize your safety in the home, it’s absolutely recommended that you either contact a lock-smith to re-key the locks or simply have new ones installed. If the knobs are worn at all, it’s probably best to just replace them. It’s the only way to know the home is secured.

There are additional security issues that should be considered and one of those is making sure you change the overhead door exterior keypad code. The previous owners obviously know the code and who knows how many others may know it as well.  If there aren’t clear or easy instructions for changing the garage door keypad, you can very likely find those instructions for free online by doing a simple Google search for the exact brand of opener that’s installed. There’s also the issue of changing the code that arms and disarms the security system, if one is present.

If your concern is re-keying or replacing the exterior locks on your home, here’s some links that should be of assistance…

Ace Door Hardware
All About Doors and Windows
Chet’s Lock & Key
Home Depot Locks
Locks & Pulls
Lowe’s Locks
Nuts And Bolts
Overland Lock & Key


Posted by Jason A. Brown

The Woodlands Subdivision Market Stats ~ Woodlands Homes For Sale In Leawood KS

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
The Woodlands Real Estate Market Stats
The Woodlands Is A Subdivision In Leawood KS

Looking over the The Woodlands market statistics dating back to April 2009, 9 homes were put on the market and 7 homes were sold over the same year period. The average sales price in The Woodlands was $321,643 and the subdivision saw a sales price range from $280,000 to $408,000.

Comparing the 2 Active listings in The Woodlands to the 12-month sales rate in the community, there’s 3.4 months of inventory on the market. This is good in our current real estate market. The average current list price of $344,500 is just slightly higher than the average sales price during the past 12 months. The Woodlands is a popular Leawood Kansas subdivision and located near parks, shopping and dining amenities.

The Woodlands In Leawood Kansas

The Woodlands In Leawood Kansas

The Woodlands is located in southern Leawood Kansas and is served by the Blue Valley School District. Many of the homes in The Woodlands were built from 1984 through 1987.  If you’re considering buying or selling a home in The Woodlands, please contact me for real estate assistance.

View Homes For Sale in The Woodlands

Buying A Home In The Woodlands

Selling A Home In The Woodlands

Relocating to Leawood Kansas

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Top 10 Things To Do If You Want To Kill Your Kansas City Home Sale

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Just when I think I’ve seen it all, I walk into a home this week that has three puppies in the master bath tub. The showing directions indicated dogs would be kenneled but who knew this is what that could mean? My buyer was not amused and I was – well, I was slightly amused – until I realized my time had just been wasted because my client had no further interest in the home. So this got me thinking, what are some of the craziest things I’ve seen that turned my buyers off when viewing a home. Here’s my top 10 list of things to do if you want to kill your Kansas City home sale…


1. Put 3 puppies in the jetted corner tub.
2. Sit the cat litter in the entry way.
3. Have a front door lock that falls off when opening the door.
4. Tell the appraiser about an upcoming neighborhood foreclosure.
5. Tell the buyer the mold isn’t bad enough to mitigate.
6. Have Marmaduke’s cousin roaming the home during a show.
7. Have standing water on your basement floor.
8. Stay at home for the showing and tell the buyers to take their time.
9. Have bugs in the home and a note that the seller is willing to exterminate.
10. Tell buyer’s agent they have a 15 minute window to show your home.


And I don’t dare say I’ve seen it all because no sooner would I say that than carnival music would start playing and the bearded lady would greet me at one of my showings tomorrow.


Posted by Jason A. Brown

Overland Park Kansas Real Estate Update – April 2010

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Real Estate Info for The City of Overland Park Kansas
Recent 15 Days of Overland Park KS Market Activity

Using the past 15 days of Overland Park market stats below, we can calculate that there’s currently 7.1 months of inventory on the market. This is high and clearly it’s still a buyer’s market overall in the city of Overland Park. To work off the 1,100+ homes for sale in the city, we’ll need to close homes at a rate better than 160 per month. It is a concern that the average seller in Overland Park the past 15 days believes there home is worth about $300,000, while the average sales price over the same period was around $233,000.

Type
#
Average $
Avg DOM
Listings Past 15 Days
 253
 $300,017
–
Total Active Listings
 1,132
–
–
Newest Contracts Written
 161
 $244,901 76
Newest Sold (Closed)
 80
 $232,804 95

* The Average $ of Newest Contracts considers the price the homes were listed at when they went under contract. Data pulled from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Low samplings in any category can skew results. Stats may not be an exact 15 days from date of this post. DOM = Days On Market.

Despite the numbers above, Overland Park outpaces much of the area in stability and has many of the most sought after residential areas. If you’re considering selling or buying an Overland Park Kansas home, you’ll need more than just 15 days of market stats. You’ll also need market stats specific to the subdivision or home communities that interest you most.  We’re ready to go to work as your Overland Park Realtors, so don’t hesitate to let us know how we can assist you with your area home purchase or sale.

View Past Real Estate Stats On Overland Park KS

Buyer’s Agents In Overland Park KS

Seller’s Agents In Overland Park KS

Relocating to Overland Park KS

View All Listed Overland Park KS Homes For Sale


Overland Park Kansas Tip of the Day…
Overland Park Kansas Interactive Map
Posted by Jason A. Brown

Gleason Glen Community Real Estate Stats ~ Gleason Glen Homes For Sale In Lenexa Kansas

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Gleason Glen Real Estate Market Stats
Gleason Glen Is A Subdivision In Lenexa KS

Looking over the Gleason Glen market statistics dating back to March 2009, 7 homes were put on the market and 6 homes were sold over the same year period. The average sales price in Gleason Glen was $266,483 and the community saw a sale’s price range variance of $230,000 to $300,000.

Comparing the 2 Active listings in Gleason Glen to the past year’s sale rate in the subdivision, there is 4.0 months of inventory on the market. This is just fine in our current real estate market, although the average sales price of the homes currently on the market is quite a bit higher ($315,000) than the average sale price over the past year in Gleason Glen. The Gleason Glen community is a popular area of Lenexa Kansas and located with easy access to area parks, dining and shopping amenities and with easy access to both K-7 and K-10 highways in Lenexa.

Gleason Glen In Lenexa Kansas

Gleason Glen In Lenexa Kansas

Gleason Glen is located in western Lenexa Kansas and is served by the De Soto School District. Many of the homes in Gleason Glen were built from 2003 to 2008. If you’re considering selling or buying a home in Gleason Glen or any other Lenexa Kansas home community, I’d look forward to assisting you with your real estate needs.

View Homes For Sale in Gleason Glen

Buying A Home In Gleason Glen

Selling A Home In Gleason Glen

Relocating to Lenexa Kansas

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Great Family Restaurants If You’re Visiting Kansas City or Johnson County Kansas

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

There’s many great things to love about Kansas City and one of those is the local restaurant options.  My family eats out more than most and when we’re looking for something in between McDonalds and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, there’s many options from which to choose. Kansas City is well-known for its barbeque and hamburgers but there’s also many other great restaurants like Manny’s and Garozzos.

But there’s so many other great family options that we rarely have to travel more than a few minutes to get to one we all like – and where a family of four can eat for under $50 in the Kansas City area…

Applebees
BD’s
Bo Lings
Bob Evans
Cheesecake Factory
Chilis
Fritz’s
Ghengis Khan
Garozzo’s
Go Jos
Jalepenos
Jazz Kitchen
Johnny’s
Manny’s
Margaritas
Oklahoma Joe’s
Salty Iguana
TGI Fridays

…and if you’re curious about discount meals for the kids, be sure to check out this list of restaurants with discount kid’s meals.


Posted by Jason A. Brown

Cedar Creek North Shore Estates Community Stats ~ North Shore Estates In Olathe KS

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Cedar Creek North Shore Estates Real Estate Stats
Cedar Creek North Shore Estates Is Located In Olathe KS

Looking over the market statistics specifically on the North Shore Estates area of Cedar Creek dating back to April 2009, 9 homes were put on the market and 3 homes were sold over the same year period. The average sales price in Cedar Creek North Shore Estates was $1,388,333 and the subdivision saw a price range variance of $765,000 to $1,725,000.

Comparing the 7 Active listings in Cedar Creek North Shore Estates to the 12-month sales rate in the community, there’s 2.3 years of inventory currently on the market. This is very high and it will take some time to deal with seven active listings with a sales rate of 3 home sales per year.  There is good news for buyers in the existing inventory, in that the average current list price of $1,274,843 is below the average sales price the past year ($1,388,333). Cedar Creek North Shore Estates is a popular Olathe Kansas home community with tons of amenities like lakes, parks, golfing and easy access to K-7 and K-10 highways running through Olathe.

Cedar Creek North Shore Estates In Olathe

Cedar Creek North Shore Estates (Olathe)

Cedar Creek North Shore Estates is located in northwest Olathe Kansas and is served by the Olathe School District. Many of the homes in Cedar Creek North Shore Estates were built from 1999 to homes currently under construction in the area. If you’re considering  buying or selling in Cedar Creek North Shore Estates or another of Cedar Creek in Olathe Kansas, please contact me for assistance.

View Homes For Sale in the North Shore Estates area of Cedar Creek

Buying A Home In Cedar Creek North Shore Estates

Selling A Home In Cedar Creek North Shore Estates

Relocating to Olathe Kansas

Posted by Jason A. Brown

USDA Rural Development Loan Program In Kansas City Could End Within 30 Days

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

The popular USDA Rural Development loan program is set to run out of money at the end of this month. If you have any plans to use this loan program it’s very important that you contact your Kansas City mortgage loan officer to verify your loan will not have any issues. If you are in the preliminary stages of considering a USDA Rural Development loan program, you’re advised to get moving and definitely contact a lender who is still offer the loan program – I’ve already from one who has removed it from their loan options.


Just yesterday, Rick Woodruff with Metropolitan Mortgage informed me that he will continue taking applications and staying on top of new developments with the loan program. So there is still hope! For those not familiar with the loan, this United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) mortgage loan offers buyers 100% financing. Yes, 100% loans are part of what got us in our current financial mess, but I don’t make the rules and there are many financially solid borrowers who can make use of this loan.  In addition to not needing a down payment, borrowers will not have to pay PMI (despite obviously having less than a 20% down payment). The USDA loans are also your typical 30 year fixed rate loan, so no worries that loan may be an ARM or other foreclosure magnet.

Cost of the USDA loan include a 2% up front loan fee, which can be financed into the loan. But this  could make the loan more like a 101% foreclosure magnet loan. Thank you for pointing that out random italicized voice.  I’ll prefer to think of the lack of any PMI as making up for this 2% fee. Also, use of the loan is only available on homes in areas defined by the USDA as “rural”. So most areas of Johnson County Kansas would NOT apply. It does however apply to the outlying areas of Spring Hill KS, Gardner KS and De Soto KS, which are areas in which I sell real estate. You can go here to get a good view of the southern and western portions of Johnson County Kansas that qualify.

A few other important notes with the USDA Rural Development Loan Program… The USDA is not actually funding the loans, they are simply backing (insuring) the loans for the local investors who make the loans. I’ll save you the math but at least 85% of the loan is insured, which allows the lender to more easily sell the loan off to the secondary market – this practice is what allows you to access to the best possible interest rates and lowest loan costs.  I’ve heard that borrowers with credit scores below 600 could have trouble qualifying for the loan and would certainly be subjected to a much more grueling loan approval process.


Posted by Jason A. Brown