Monthly Archives: November 2009

Nottingham Forest South Market Statistics ~ Nottingham Forest South Homes For Sale In Overland Park Kansas

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Nottingham Forest South Community Market Stats
Nottingham Forest South In Overland Park KS

Looking over the Nottingham Forest South market statistics dating back to November 2008, there were 16 homes listed for sale and there were 17 homes sold during the same period. The average sales price in Nottingham Forest South was $393,145 and sales prices in the subdivision ranged from $300,000 to $545,000.

Comparing the 2 Active listings in Nottingham Forest South to the 12-month sales rate in the community, there’s 1.4 months of inventory currently on the market. This would be excellent even in a seller’s market. The average current list price of $429,925 is just slightly higher than the average sales price seen the past year in the community ($393,145). Nottingham Forest South is a popular Overland Park KS home community and centrally located to Overland Park’s amenities — just a few minutes west of 69 Highway and south of 135th Street.

Nottingham Forest South In Overland Park KS

Nottingham Forest South In Overland Park KS

Nottingham Forest South is located in southern Overland Park Kansas and is served by the Blue Valley School District. Many of the homes in Nottingham Forest South were built from the late 1980’s through the early 1990’s. If you’re considering moving to or from Nottingham Forest South, I would look forward to going over the market statistics and assisting you with your area home purchase or sale.

View Homes For Sale in Nottingham Forest South

Help Buying A Nottingham Forest South Home

Help Selling Your Nottingham Forest South Home

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Search Homes For Sale In Any Olathe Kansas New Home Community – Broken Down By Price Range

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

If you’re considering building a home in Olathe Kansas or interested in locating standing spec inventory in Olathe Kansas, I’ve put together the following list of Olathe home communities to help get you started…

Generally over $400’s
 Cedar Glen of Cedar Creek
North Shore Estates of Cedar Creek
The Estates of Forest View
Highlands of Kensington

Generally $300’s – $400’s
Arbor Creek Village
Southglen of Cedar Creek
Southglen Woods of Cedar Creek
Tradition at Coffee Creek Meadows
Fairfield at Heritage Park
The Hills of Forest View
The Meadows of Forest View
Nottington Creek
Oak Run Estates
Prairie Brook
Prairie Highlands
Reserve at Prairie Highlands
The Greens of Prairie Highlands
The Links at Prairie Highlands
Woodland Manor

Generally $200’s – $300’s
Country Estates at Cedar Ridge Park
Saddlebrook at Cedar Ridge Park
Parkview at Coffee Creek Meadows
Estates of Prairie Haven
Fallbrook
The Meadows of Forest Hills
Heather Ridge
Heritage Manor
Maple Brook Park
Oak Run Community
Prairie Farms
Raven Crest
Red Hawk Run

Generally under $200’s
Arbor Woods
Austin Meadows
Clearwater Creek
New Village at Prairie Haven


Now that you have an idea of the general price range of the new home communities in Olathe Kansas, below you can go to my Kansas City MLS search tool and search available homes for sale in any particular community. My home search tool will show you all the Active homes in the community you choose — and in some cases  will also show available lots. To start searching any of the subdivisions above, click on the appropriate alphabetical letter below and a new window will open (keeping this window open for reference)…

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Clicking any of the letters above takes you into my home search tool. Once there you’ll see all Kansas City subdivisions that fall under the alphabetical letter you’ve chosen. In the left column you need to locate the  specific subdivision you want to search. Click one time on that subdivision name. Then click the ADD button and doing so will move just the subdivision you’ve selected to the right column. Then click the SEARCH button and you’ll get the results! If you want to view any of the homes you see, click the REQUEST SHOWING button to the right of the specific listing and we’ll be happy to assist you with your Olathe Kansas real estate needs.

TIP: All Olathe Kansas subdivisions are listed so look closely if you’re not seeing the subdivision you need. You may also need to search for another portion of the specific subdivision name. For instance, Parkview at Coffee Creek Meadows will be found under Coffee Creek Meadows – Parkview.
Posted by Jason A. Brown

Leawood Kansas Real Estate Update – November 2009

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Real Estate Info for The City of Leawood Kansas
Recent 15 Days of Leawood KS Market Activity
Type
#
Average $
Avg DOM
Listings Past 15 Days
 30
 $512,989
–
Total Active Listings
 334
–
–
Newest Contracts Written
 12
 $548,860 71
Newest Sold (Closed)
 18
 $365,178 118

* 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.

Leawood Kansas

Leawood Kansas

Using the past 15 days of market stats above to figure the absorption rate in Leawood Kansas, there’s 9.3 months of inventory on the market. Absorption rates assume a similar sales rate continuing and a similar amount of listing inventory continuing as well. There is clearly a lot more supply than demand in Leawood as during the past 15 days we saw barely more than 1 sale per day in the entire city. At that rate, it’s going to take a while to eat up the 334 current listings. The days on market of both the Sold homes and the 12 homes that went under contract during the past 15 days is not bad. But right now there’s simply not enough home sales to work off the standing inventory.

If you’re considering selling or buying a Leawood Kansas home, you’ll need more than just 15 days of market stats. You’ll want to see more history and you’ll also want to see stats specific to the area that interests you most. It’s clearly a buyer’s market in Leawood Kansas and it’s important you work with an aggressive Realtor who will put you in the best possible position in your real estate transaction. Please let me know how I can assist you with buying or selling any Leawood property.

View Past Real Estate Stats On Leawood KS

Buyer’s Agents In Leawood KS

Seller’s Agents In Leawood KS

View All Listed Leawood KS Homes

Leawood Kansas fact…
For many years Leawood banned new gas stations and fast food restaurants.
Posted by Jason A. Brown

Plaza Lighting Ceremony Complete With Elbows and Fireworks Display

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

Don’t get me wrong. The Plaza Lights are an amazing lighting display.  Known about around the world in fact. It’s fighting the large crowds at the actual lighting CEREMONY that I’ve never understood. For those new to Kansas City or visiting family this week, the Plaza lighting ceremony is an annual event that occurs at 7 PM  each Thanksgiving. Nearly 300,000 light bulbs are turned on with the flip of a switch. Cool? Yes. Just as impressive at 7 PM on any night other than Thanksgiving? Yes, if you ask me. The three times that I’ve fought the crowds on Thanksgiving night, I kept asking myself “why am I here?” Yes, it’s clearly a case of fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times… well, I guarantee you there won’t be a fourth time. No matter how hard it is to tell 5 and 8 year old boys no… when they’ve never seen the lighting ceremony before… when they say  “dad, how is it fair that you’ve got to go but we haven’t”… I’m beginning to see another lighting ceremony in my future.


So, if you like crowds or have kids crying that life’s just not fair, then you could head down a little early to  try and establish your position in the crowd. Have your elbows ready for a workout. Another option could be finding a location near the Plaza where you can view the lighting ceremony from afar. You’d also still get the enjoyment of the fireworks show that follows the lighting ceremony. Or you could be a rebel and visit the Plaza late Wednesday night for the unceremonial 2 AM test run lighting that occurs the night before Thanksgiving. If none of that works, you can do what I normally do each year and wait a couple of weeks to go down to the Plaza and see the lights – you  may not believe it, but the lights look just as amazing two weeks later. No matter when you go down, you’ll see 80 miles of Christmas lights on every one of the 150 area buildings. If you do decide to attend the actual lighting ceremony at 7 PM Thursday, doing the honors this year will be Saturday Night lives own Jason Sudeikis.

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Falcon Ridge Market Statistics ~ Falcon Ridge Homes For Sale In Lenexa Kansas

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Falcon Ridge Community Market Stats
Falcon Ridge Is A Subdivision In Lenexa Kansas

Looking over the Falcon Ridge market statistics dating back to November 2008, there were 51 homes put on the market and there were 31 homes sold during that time period. The average sales price in Falcon Ridge was $467,930 and subdivision sale’s prices ranged from $320,000 to $845,000.

Comparing the 22 Active listings in Falcon Ridge to the 12-month sales rate in the community, there’s 8.5 months of inventory on the market at this time. This is obviously high and it’s taking longer to sell homes in Falcon Ridge. The average list price is lower than when we last checked but still higher ($585,695) than the average sales price ($467,930) during the past 12 months in the home community. Falcon Ridge is still a popular Johnson County Kansas subdivision and conveniently located to amenities and highway access (K-7 and K-10) and for those wanting to be reasonably close to down town or the airport.

Falcon Ridge In Lenexa Kansas

Falcon Ridge In Lenexa Kansas

Falcon Ridge is located in western Lenexa Kansas and is served by the Olathe School District. Many of the homes in Falcon Ridge were built from the mid 1990’s to 2009, with a few homes in the final phase yet to be occupied. If you are interested buying or selling a Falcon Ridge home, please contact me regarding viewing homes or to discuss your home selling situation.

View Homes For Sale in Falcon Ridge

Get Help Buying A Falcon Ridge Home

Get Help Selling Your Falcon Ridge Home

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Will You Get A Kansas City Home Warranty Or Gamble By Self-Insuring?

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

When buying a home make sure you don’t confuse a home warranty with homeowner’s insurance. Homeowner’s insurance would cover situations such as theft and disasters. It wouldn’t however cover repairs or replacement of  systems and appliances in your home when there’s trouble. I like to use the example of a home’s water heater. If your water heater failed and destroyed the finished lower level family room, your homeowner’s insurance should cover fixing the damage to the finished lower level but they wouldn’t replace your faulty water heater. Side note: someone told me one time that their insurance did NOT cover the damage caused by a faulty water heater. I checked with several insurance agents who said damage to a finished area WOULD be covered. It would be worth your time to call your insurance and find out for sure.

Kansas City Home Warranty

Kansas City Home Warranty

It’s easy to make the argument that home warranties are a good idea when buying a home. Many home sellers are even willing to pay for the home warranty. But even if the seller won’t cover the cost of a home warranty, Kansas City home buyers should consider buying one themselves. The costs vary but if you figured $500 for a home warranty you’d be in good shape. There’s also a “trade fee” that is charged when a service technician comes to your home to make a repair. Those trade fees vary as well, but $50 to $75 are very common.  A typical warranty covers a one-year period – with the one-year period beginning the day of closing. A home warranty can provide great peace of mind when a buying a home that really you know very little about. Yes, you (hopefully) had home inspections done but home inspections are designed to determine whether a home is functioning properly on that given day. A home warranty is designed to cover break-downs going forward. Of course, you also have the option of self-insuring and saving the $500 for now, with hopes that nothing breaks down during the next year.

Keep in mind that home warranty companies are a type of insurance company, so there are always going to be some claims denied that result in unhappy consumers.  Fortunately there are lots of options out there from which to choose and the one I recommend most is Old Republic Home Warranty Protection.  Others I see used often in Kansas City real estate transactions include First American Home Buyers Protection, HMS Home Warranty, A.B. May Home Warranty and  2-10 Home Warranty . The peace of mind you get from a home warranty  doesn’t have to end when the one year is up either. Home warranty companies are happy to continue extending coverage one year at a time for as long as you’d like. Take some time to look over this national list of home warranty companies, which includes some consumer ratings, costs and deductibles associated with each policy.  A.B. May is a local company and won’t appear on the list and keep in mind some of the companies don’t serve the Kansas City area.

Posted by Jason Brown

Kensington Manor Market Statistics ~ Kensington Manor Homes For Sale In Overland Park KS

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Kensington Manor Community Market Stats
Kensington Manor Is A Subdivision In Overland Park Kansas

Looking over Kensington Manor market statistics dating back to November 2008, there were 13 homes put on the market and there were 12 homes sold during the past year. The average sales price in Kensington Manor was $262,583 and the subdivision saw a price range variance of $237,500 to $296,500.

Comparing the 2 Active listings in Kensington Manor to the 12-month sales rate in the community, there’s 2 months of inventory currently on the market. This is what we often see in this popular subdivision. Not only is the inventory indicating a rare seller’s market in the area, the average current list price ($249,925) is lower than the average sales price seen in the community the past year. Kensington Manor is a popular Overland Park  subdivision and located near many of Overland Park’s amenities, including schools, parks and shopping.

Kensington Manor In Overland Park KS

Kensington Manor In Overland Park KS

Kensington Manor is conveniently located in south central Overland Park Kansas, just south of I-435 on 69 Highway. The community is served by the Blue Valley School District and many of the homes in Kensington Manor were built from the mid 1980’s though the early 1990’s.  If you’re considering a move and need assistance with buying or selling a home in Kensington Manor, please let me know how I can assist you.

View Homes For Sale in Kensington Manor

Get Help Buying A Kensington Manor Home

Get Help Selling Your Kensington Manor Home

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Lee’s Summit Missouri Real Estate Update – November 2009

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Current Real Estate Info for The City of Lee’s Summit MO
Recent 15 Days of Lee’s Summit Missouri Market Activity
Type
#
Average $
Avg DOM
Listings Past 15 Days
 85
 $242,599
–
Total Active Listings
 752
–
–
Newest Contracts Written
 54
 $219,950 132
Newest Sold (Closed)
 44
 $201,383 122

* 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.

Lee's Summit Missouri Real Estate

Lee's Summit Missouri Real Estate

Using the past 15 days of market stats in Lee’s Summit as the basis for figuring the city’s absorption rate, there’s 8.5 months of inventory currently on the market.  Looking at absorption rates helps us compare the supply and demand of Lee’s Summit MO Real Estate. 8.5 months of inventory is high and obviously a concern for area home sellers.  Anything more than 5 months of inventory is considered a buyer’s market, so home buyers certainly have plenty of homes from which to choose. Buyers should be able to get an excellent deal in many subdivisions in the Lee’s Summit area and these market stats are causing home sellers to be aggressive with their list pricing.

The Lee’s Summit homes that have sold (and the others that went under contract) have done so in a reasonable amount of time – 122 and 132 days respectfully. It’s the homes that aren’t selling that are a concern. With 752 homes on the market, we’d need to have seen about 100 sales over this 15 day period to net a more reasonable figure of 4 months of inventory on the market. If you’re considering selling or buying a Lee’s Summit Missouri home and need market statistics specific to a particular community in the Lee’s Summit area, please contact me to discuss your situation.

View Past Real Estate Stats On Lee’s Summit Missouri

Buyer’s Agents In Lee’s Summit Missouri

Seller’s Agents In Lee’s Summit Missouri

View All Listed Lee’s Summit Missouri Homes

Posted by Jason A. Brown

Take A Peak At The Most Expensive Home Sold In Kansas City In 2009

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Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

As a Kansas City Realtor, I’m fortunate that I get to view some of Kansas City’s most spectacular homes.  Today I searched MLS looking for the most expensive home sales of 2009. I didn’t want to see any tiny homes sitting on big, valuable, swaths of acreage, so I added in a land search parameter that would exclude any homes sitting on more than 1 acre of land.  My search for the most grand home sales of 2009 netted me six homes with sales prices over 1 million dollars in the Kansas City area. Take a peak at the most expensive home of 2009…

Amazing. This beautiful Olathe Kansas home sold for $1,725,000 It was the most expensive home sale in the Kansas City area during 2009 and this particular home is located in the Cedar Creek home community. The home is a 1.5 story with 2 master suites, 5 bathrooms, a home theater and a lake front view. If you paid cash for this home, your property taxes alone on this home would be more than $1,900 per month!

Posted by Jason A. Brown