Kansas Property Tax Collections Are Still Rising Despite Lower Property Values In Many Areas

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

More than 1/3 of all property taxes collected in the state of Kansas come from property taxes. In 2010, property taxes accounted for 35% of the taxes collected overall by both state and local governments across Kansas. According to the KS Department of Revenue, taxes increased 94% between the late 1990’s to 2010. These taxes brought in $1.97 billion dollar in tax revenues in 1997 with that figure jumping to $3.8 billion in 2010. Check out the startling trend of rising property taxes compared to inflation rates.

Though the short-term trend in the chart shows more moderate property tax increases since 2008, the Kansas Association of Realtors is concerned that some sort of property tax reform will be required if we are to avoid a continuation of this troubling trend. Should we see a similar doubling of property taxes within the next decade or so, that trend would not benefit hopes for a housing rebound in the near future. It would certainly put more homeowner’s under water and the dream of homeownership out of reach for many more.


Posted by Jason Brown

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Bristol Ridge Community Stats ~ Bristol Ridge Homes For Sale In Lenexa Kansas

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Bristol Ridge Community Market Stats
Bristol Ridge Is A Subdivision In Lenexa KS

Looking over the Bristol Ridge market stats dating back a year to December 2010, 16 homes were listed for sale and 11 homes were Sold (closed) over the same 12-month period. The average sales price in Bristol Ridge was $402,030 and the home community had sales prices that ranged from a low of $360,000 to a high of $442,500.

Comparing the 4 Active homes for sale in Bristol Ridge to the past year’s sales rate in the home community, there’s 4.4 months of inventory on the market. This amount of inventory indicates a balanced real estate market in the community. The average current list price of $378,794 is in line with the average sales price the past year, providing home buyers some excellent options to consider in the area. Bristol Ridge is a popular Lenexa Kansas home community and located near parks and dining amenities and near access to K-10 and K-7 highways in Lenexa.

Bristol Ridge In Lenexa Kansas

Bristol Ridge In Lenexa Kansas

Bristol Ridge is located in western Lenexa Kansas and served by the De Soto School District. There’s approximately 94 homes in Bristol Ridge and homes in the community were built from 2002 to homes currently under construction in the community. If you are planning to buy or sell a home in Bristol Ridge or in another community in the surrounding Lenexa Kansas area, please contact my group for assistance.

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Olathe Kansas Real Estate Market Update – December 2011

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Real Estate Statistics On Olathe Kansas
15 Day Glance At The Olathe KS Real Estate Market

After calculating the absorption rate over the past 15 days in Olathe Kansas, we find the city has 8.2 months of inventory currently on the market. This amount of inventory indicates a buyer’s market in Olathe Kansas. When we checked Olathe’s market stats in October the city had 6.6 months of inventory. Although there were more homes on the market at that time in Olathe, the sales rate was 40% higher and thus eating quicker into the available inventory of homes. The past 15 days, the average new listing in Olathe came on the market at $202,601, while the average sales price over the same period was $194,613.

Type # Average $ Avg DOM
Listings Past 15 Days 71 $202,601
Total Active Listings 785
Newest Contracts Written 57 $210,700 182
Newest Sold (Closed) 48 $194,613 176

* The Average $ of Newest Contracts Written considers the list price when the homes went under contract. Data pulled from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Low samplings in a category can skew results. Stats cover approximately 15 days from post date. DOM = Days On Market.

The average home sold (closed) the past 15 days did so in 176 days. If you are making plans to buy or sell a home in Olathe Kansas, we look forward to guiding you through the process. Here’s information on how we can assist you with selling your Olathe KS home and with buying an Olathe KS home. Please contact us with any questions you may have and my group looks forward to assisting you.

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Posted by Jason Brown

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Overland Park Home Buyer’s Should Start Shopping Homeowner’s Insurance Rates Early In The Buying Process

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Shopping for homeowner’s insurance is not usually at the top of our Overland Park home buyer’s priority list. However it’s critical that home buyers adequately protect the largest investment they’ll probably make in their lifetime. To do so, a home buyer will want to avoid having to deal with such an important task once they’re under contract and operating under stressful time constraints. Shopping early in the home buying process will allow a buyer to ensure they are adequately protecting their real estate investment, while allowing time to shop and get the best possible deal.

Getting more than one quote is recommended since homeowner’s insurance rates are really fluctuating with the national catastrophes seen in recent years. It’s a good idea to get your first quote and then use that quote to ask the next insurance company to give you an apples-to-apples price comparison. You’re likely to have different insurance companies explain aspects of the other company’s proposed policy that could leave you under-protected. Knowing your options is always a good thing and you can count on many differences from one insurance carrier to the next.

You’ll want to know what level of replacement coverage you’re being quoted and also check closely into whether you are being quoted enough personal property protection. If your home burns down, you’re going to have to replace more than just the home. Also check into matters like whether hail damage to your roof will be covered and how much it would cost to add flood insurance to your homeowner’s insurance policy. Few people in the Kansas City area have earthquake insurance but with the recent earthquakes felt from neighboring states, it might be worth checking into. Though the Kansas City area hasn’t had a major earthquake since before the turn of the century, the recent trembles felt in the area could be a good reason to check into earthquake coverage, which likely would cost you less than $10 a month.

If you’re ready to start shopping for homeowner’s insurance for your home in Overland Park Kansas, Kansas City and the surrounding metro area, here’s some links to get you going… State Farm Insurance, All-State Insurance, Farmer’s Insurance, GEICO Insurance, Nationwide Insurance, American Family Insurance.


Posted by Jason Brown

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Brittany Yesteryear Community Stats ~ Brittany Yesteryear Homes For Sale In Olathe KS

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Brittany Yesteryear Community Market Stats
Brittany Yesteryear Is A Subdivision In Olathe KS

Looking over the Brittany Yesteryear market stats dating back a year to December 2010, 23 homes were listed for sale and 13 homes were Sold (closed) over the same 12-month period. The average sales price in Brittany Yesteryear was $158,932 and the home community had sales prices that ranged from a low of $118,900 to a high of $173,000.

Comparing the 8 Active homes for sale in Brittany Yesteryear to the past year’s sales rate in the home community, there’s 7.4 months of inventory on the market. This amount of inventory indicates a buyer’s market in the area. The average current list price of $157,363 is below the average sales price the past year, so there’s some excellent options for home buyers to consider in the Brittany Yesteryear community. Brittany Yesteryear is a popular Olathe Kansas subdivision and located near parks, dining and shopping amenities and near access to I-35 Highway in Olathe.

Brittany Yesteryear In Olathe Kansas

Brittany Yesteryear In Olathe Kansas

Brittany Yesteryear is located in southern Olathe Kansas and served by the Olathe School District. There’s approximately 392 homes in Brittany Yesteryear and many of the homes in the community were built from 1987 to 1993. If you are planning to buy or sell a home in Brittany Yesteryear or in another community in the surrounding Olathe Kansas area, my group will help you achieve your real estate goals.

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Freddie Mac Foreclosure Listings In The Kansas City Metro Area Now Included In HomeSteps Winter Promotion

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

The HomeSteps Winter Sales Promotion that we’ve seen during past winters on Freddie Mac foreclosure listings is making a return to both Kansas and Missouri. HomeSteps announced that they are adding the states of Kansas and Missouri, along with Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and Alaska to the list of states already enjoying the program’s benefits. These six states brings to 33 the total number of states included in the HomeSteps promotion the next couple of months.

Details of the HomeSteps program includes Freddie Mac paying up to 3% of the Kansas City home buyer’s closing costs plus providing a two-year home warranty through the HomeProtect limited home warranty plan. The HomeSteps benefits are not offered to investors, so the home buyer has to be moving into the home to qualify. The offer is good for a limited time so if you’re ready to buy a home, check with us to see if the offer is still in effect. Here’s a link to start searching the available Freddie Mac homes for sale in your preferred area of the Kansas City metro area.


Posted by Jason Brown

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The Links At Lionsgate Market Stats ~ Links At Lionsgate Homes For Sale In Overland Park KS

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

The Links At Lionsgate Community Market Stats
The Links At Lionsgate Is A Subdivision In Overland Park KS

Looking over The Links At Lionsgate market stats dating back a year to December 2010, 13 homes were listed for sale and 9 homes were Sold (closed) over the same 12-month period. The average sales price in The Links At Lionsgate was $1,010,278 and the home community had sales prices that ranged from a low of $475,000 to a high of $1,962,500.

Comparing the 4 Active homes for sale in The Links At Lionsgate to the past year’s sales rate in the home community, there’s 5.3 months of inventory on the market. This amount of inventory is considered a balanced real estate market which is impressive for a home community with an average sales price of over a million dollars. The average current list price of $990,975 is perfectly in line with the average sales price the year, offering home buyers some excellent options to consider in the community. The Links At Lionsgate is a popular Overland Park Kansas home community and located near parks, dining and shopping amenities and near access to 69 Highway in Overland Park.

The Links At Lionsgate In Overland Park

The Links At Lionsgate In Overland Park

The Links At Lionsgate is located in southern Overland Park Kansas and served by the Blue Valley School District. There’s approximately 179 homes in The Links At Lionsgate and many of the homes in the community were built from 2000 to 2008. If you are planning to buy or sell a home in The Links At Lionsgate or in another community in the surrounding Overland Park Kansas area, my group looks forward to representing your best interests throughout the process.

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Shawnee Kansas Real Estate Market Update – December 2011

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Real Estate Statistics On Shawnee Kansas
15 Day Glance At The Shawnee KS Real Estate Market

After calculating the absorption rate over the past 15 days in Shawnee Kansas, we find the city has 19.6 months of inventory currently on the market. The low number of homes sold (closed) the past 15 days is the main cause for the high volume of inventory. The sales rate will need to improve from the 9 sales in 15 days that we just experienced if we are to eat quicker into the 353 homes for sale in Shawnee. The Thanksgiving holiday didn’t help, with 13 homes went under contract during the past 15 days.

Type # Average $ Avg DOM
Listings Past 15 Days 16 $194,159
Total Active Listings 353
Newest Contracts Written 13 $163,508 82
Newest Sold (Closed) 9 $190,970 165

* The Average $ of Newest Contracts Written considers the list price when the homes went under contract. Data pulled from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Low samplings in a category can skew results. Stats cover approximately 15 days from post date. DOM = Days On Market.

The average new listing came on the market at just over $194,000, which was in line with average sales prices during the same 15 day period. If you are making plans to buy or sell a home in Shawnee Kansas, The Jason Brown Group shares the market stats that will put you at an advantage in your real estate transaction. Here’s information on how we can assist you with selling your Shawnee KS home or with buying a Shawnee KS home. Please contact us with any questions you have and we look forward to assisting you.

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Pre-Inspections Could Cause Kansas City Home Sellers To Face Double Jeopardy

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

I’ve debated other Kansas City real estate agents over the years about whether pre-inspecting a home is a good idea for home sellers. There’s a few agents who agree that there’s more downside than upside to pre-inspecting but the majority of agents are quick to recommend pre-inspections to their home sellers. One of the main benefits to pre-inspections are they provide home buyers reassurance in the home. Another reason home sellers might pre-inspect is to give themselves ample time to address inspection items that may come up — before a buyer gets involved and possibly tries to dictate the repair process. These sound like very decent reasons to pre-inspect but you’ve also got to consider the downside of facing double jeopardy of sorts when it comes the home inspection process.

I certainly don’t recall any home buyer ever choosing a particular home simply because it had been pre-inspected. You can bet that, whether or not a home has been pre-inspected, a home buyer is going to hire their own home inspector to look things over once the home goes under contract. Doing a pre-inspection will cost a home seller several hundred dollars and the seller is then required by law to disclose ALL material defects in the report to future buyers. In most cases, a home buyer is going to expect a seller to have addressed all critical items in the pre-inspection report. Then the buyer is going to do their own home inspection and the seller is going to get to go through the repair process once again after the buyer’s home inspector pours over the home.


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Worthington Community Market Stats ~ Worthington Homes For Sale In Leawood Kansas

Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Worthington Community Market Stats
Worthington Is A Subdivision In Leawood KS

Looking over the Worthington market stats dating back a year to December 2010, 7 homes were listed for sale and 4 homes were Sold (closed) over the same 12-month period. The average sales price in Worthington was $410,540 and the home community had sales prices that ranged from a low of $385,000 to a high of $420,000.

Comparing the 3 Active homes for sale in Worthington to the past year’s sales rate in the home community, there’s 9.0 months of inventory on the market. This amount of inventory indicates a buyer’s market in the area. The average current list price of $455,500 is slightly higher than the average sale price the past 12 months in the subdivision. Worthington is a popular Leawood Kansas home community and located near parks, dining and shopping amenities and near access to I-435 Highway in Leawood.

Worthington In Leawood Kansas

Worthington In Leawood Kansas

Worthington is located in southern Leawood Kansas and served by the Blue Valley School District. There’s approximately 154 homes in Worthington and many of the homes in the community were built from 1995 to 1999. If you are planning to buy or sell a home in Worthington or in another community in the surrounding Leawood area, we look forward to assisting you.

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