Author Archives: Mary Hutchison

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About Mary Hutchison

Every day I'm driving around my cherished neighborhood of Brookside (and Waldo)...observing what's going on, watching new businesses move in and out, and touring homes (I'm a Realtor with Weichert Realtors). Starting this blog about Brookside/Waldo is a way I thought I could promote the area and spark some discussion about what's happening here...and what's going to happen. Your comments are welcome.

Brookside Has It’s Own Bagels Now!

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If you are a bagel lover as I am, you know how challenging it can be to find a bagel like the kind you can buy in New York City.  The situation is similar to  pizza:  so many different kinds and ways to make them; buying  frozen bagels or pre packaged bags at the grocery store – NOT even worth the money in my opinion.  So I was very excited to learn about Brookside Bagels, available at the Brookside Farmers’ Market…and lovingly made nearby at a Brookside home kitchen.

Owner James Holler would visit NYC a few times a year and loved the bagel sandwiches he bought there; however he was discouraged that he could not find a comparable bagel here in KC.  Along with his wife Carley, he started to bake them at home, tinkering with various recipes. His home based CPA job originates in Phoenix, so  due to his later business hours, James spent early mornings watching YouTube videos for inspiration.   He started giving samples to friends, getting good feedback and kept on baking, finally settling on a recipe using only organic flour, yeast, salt, water and barley malt syrup.  In April, James and Carley opened their stand at the market… and now sell  out every week. 

James and Carley Holler started Brookside Bagels

If you’ve ever tried to make bagels  from scratch, you know it is a time consuming process.  James mixes and preps the dough on Friday, and gets up at 4am on Saturday to start baking hundreds of bagels.  He hand rolls and boils  each one and even makes his own “everything” seasoning–the everything bagel is his top seller; he also sells sea salt, sesame seed, poppy seed, blueberry and chocolate chip flavors. Customers can order ahead and pick up at the market; on rare Saturdays Carley can’t operate the booth, she will deliver the bagels to your Brookside area home–that is rare, dedicated customer service!!!

At this time, there are no plans to expand to a commercial bakery operation or retail storefront; James likes controlling the quality and output from his Armour Fields kitchen. “We are relatively new to the Brookside area and really feel the love from our customers.  We are excited to stay here, grow as a family and keep providing high quality bagels to Brookside” says James.  As the website states, the mission is to “craft each bagel with care, using traditional techniques and high quality ingredients” for the customer.  And if you are a bagel lover, you’ll agree these are very high quality bagels!

Find out more about Brookside Bagels at their website or Instagram page (brookside.bagels) –or just stop by their booth on Saturdays at the Brookside Farmers’ Market!

Brookside Sidewalk Sale Begins Today July 11

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It’s the annual Brookside Sidewalk Sale, starting today and running through Saturday. Browse the shops along and around 63rd St and pick up some bargains! Many of our favorite shops will be offering deals, including A STORE NAMED STUFF, Corner Candleshop, Sierra Winter, LADYCO and more.

In addition, the Shred Event is Saturday from 8am-11am, in the parking lot between the tennis courts and Red Door Grill.

Thank you for supporting our locally owned Brookside businesses!!

Armour Hills Home Sales Report – May 2024

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Just a couple of days late in getting this final May home sales report published for Armour Hills as we are already into July! Happy birthday USA!

MAY 2024MAY 2023
Median list price:$397,000$487,500
Median sales price:$400,000$526,500
Days on market:23
No. of homes sold:44

The first thing to notice here is the median sales price was 24% lower than May 2023; the same number of homes sold; however, that’s a big drop. The lowest closed price was $380K and the highest was $447K. However, check this out: three of the four homes that sold went over asking price by at least $20,000. Here are the year-to-date numbers:

JAN-MAY 2024JAN-MAY 2023
Median list price:$434,343$395,000
Median sales price:$447,000$417,000
Days on market:35
No. of homes sold:2321

As is usual now, buyers still paying over the list price for most properties; YTD about 2.8%. Values are up 7.19% for the year; approximately the same number of homes changing owners. Currently there are four homes for sale in Armour Hills; the median list price is $428,500 and 26 days on market.

(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

Waldo Home Sales Report-May 2024

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The Waldo home sales stats for the month of May are in, and there was a surprising drop in prices compared to May 2023. Yet most buyers are still paying list price or above. Let’s take a look at the specifics; I’m using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th St for the numbers, single family homes.

MAY 2024MAY 2023
Median list price:$249,000$289,950
Median sales price:$251,000$295,000
Days on market:22
No. of homes sold:2137

Home prices dropped by 17% compared to last year, and fewer homes sold. One explanation could be more of the smaller, lower priced homes closed last month compared to a year ago; also the higher interest rates have shrunk the buyer pool. The lowest closed price last month was $85,000 and the highest was a new build on the 7600 block of Main at $675,000. Here are the year-to-date numbers:

JAN-MAY 2024JAN-MAY 2023
Median list price:$285,000$280,000
Median sales price:$295,000$279,500
Days on market:35
No. of homes sold:89102

For the year, Waldo home values are up 5.5%–a healthy increase. Homes are still selling quickly even though fewer are changing owners. Currently there are 22 single family homes for sale in Waldo–that seems like quite a few! The lowest priced home is $200K and the highest is $669K–the second new build on the 7600 block of Main St.

(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

Brookside PatioFest Tomorrow Evening!

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What a great idea….Brookside does it again! The first PatioFest is tomorrow night and everyone is welcome. Come out and celebrate the Summer Solstice with your neighbors and friends! The shops will be open till 7 as well.

There will be live music at several places in the core area of Brookside-including near Jalepeno’s, the Brooksider, Brookside Toy and Science and Foo’s. Check the website for details on who is performing where and exact showtimes.

Brookside Home Sales Report-May 2024

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Homebuyers are pushing prices up in Brookside; yet year to date, the median sales priced dipped from last year. What’s going on?? Let’s take a closer look at the numbers. I’m using the main Brookside zip code of 64113, single family home sales, for these stats:

MAY 2024MAY 2023
Median list price:$695,000$575,000
Median sales price:$725,000$582,000
Days on market:32
No. of homes sold:2528

The closed sales price was way up– 24% compared to 2023; and most buyers still paying over list price by about 4%. There were 4 million dollar + sales last month; the lowest closed price was $380K and the highest was $3.350 million cash. Only five homes closed under $500K; because most Brookside homes that closed were well over $500K, the median sales price was pushed way up compared to last year. The number of homes changing owners remains consistent. Here are the YTD figures:

JAN-MAY 2024JAN-MAY 2023
Median sales price:$535,000$567,000
Median list price:$553,500$576,000
Days on market:34
No. of homes sold:9191

So far this year, prices are down around 4% compared to 2023; yet again, most buyers are paying over the list price. We’ve had ten $1million + homes close this year. And consistently, most houses are under contract within a few days no matter what the price.

Currently there are 18 listed single family homes in Brookside, with a median list price of $587,500 and 25 days on the market.

(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

Waldo Astoria – Unique New Event & Guest House Venue in Waldo

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The Waldo Astoria…does that name sound familiar? Longtime Waldo residents may remember the dinner playhouse at 73rd and Washington, which originally opened around 1924 as the Waldo Theater. That building is long gone…but the name, Waldo Astoria, now refers to a new event space in Waldo.

The newly opened Waldo Astoria is different: it’s an event space, it’s an overnight guest house; it can be a live music venue; it can be a special private retreat space; there are so many possibilities! So let’s dive in and learn about this new spot you may be visiting sometime soon.

Owners Traci and George Ismert, along with partner Joe Hendrickson, have operated businesses along the short block of W. 80th Terrace for several years. The Ismerts renovate and build homes through their company Old Glory Neighborhood Improvement Company, Inc, and Joe operates Hendrickson Tree Care Company. Formerly a airplane parts business, the building across the street from them came up for sale and the Ismerts decided to purchase it. After a full renovation with Joe’s help, they decided to operate it as a multipurpose venue. Honoring part of Waldo’s history, they named their new venture the Waldo Astoria.

Traci and Joe Ismert, left and Joe Hendrickson

The renovated building is divided into two distinct areas. The front part is similar to a house, with a living room, dining room, full kitchen and sleeping accommodations for up to 16 people. Head downstairs to the back of the property and find a large, open space featuring a long bar, high ceilings, and a double garage door that opens to a fenced yard with a concrete pad for a live band. This space can host up to 100 guests, depending on the room set up. And if you book this space for a private event, you can choose your own licensed caterer and bring in alcohol for serving. There is plenty of free parking outside. You can rent just the guest house or the event area; they will not book two different parties at the same time in the different spaces.

Waldo Astoria would be a perfect spot for a wedding, graduation party, family reunion, corporate retreat, holiday party, seminar — so many possibilities! The Ismerts and and Joe are also hosting events open to the public-the next one is a live music event on June 30, a benefit for the Veterans Community Project.

Be sure to follow their Instagram page for updates. If you would like a tour of Waldo Astoria, contact them through their website.

Armour Hills Home Sales Report-April 2024

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Although when I check Armour Hills sales stats, it is a smaller group of homes than Brookside as a whole; about 900 homes in the subdivision. But it is a highly desirable area for many reasons, and sometimes buyers go way, way over list price to live here. And that affects all of Brookside. You’ll see in this report:

APRIL 2024APRIL 2023
Median list price:$445,000$427,000
Median sales price:$515,000$430,000
Days on market:24
No. of homes sold:76

Compared to last April, prices rose almost 20%! And buyers were paying well over asking price, median was 15.7%. Just seven homes closed, but note: one home sold $50K over asking price; a second sale was $70K over asking price and the 3rd was $40K over asking price. When buyers drive up prices so drastically, it really skewers the comparable homes for pricing and in turn, drive prices much higher than normal. The lowest closed price was $660,000 and the lowest was $430.

Here are the year-to-date numbers:

JAN-APRIL 2024JAN-APRIL 2023
Median list price:$445,000$385,000
Median sales price:$475,000$405,000
Days on market:36
No. of homes sold:1917

Home values are running 17% higher than last year in Armour Hills; about the same number of homes are changing ownership and homes still sell in under a week. Currently there are three homes listed in Armour Hills, with a median price of $489,000 and 12 days on market.

(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

Waldo Home Sales Report-April 2024

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One more quick blog before the long holiday weekend..the unofficial start of summer! The busy home buying season is here–new listings are selling fast. Here are the single family home sales stats for Waldo, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th St:

APRIL 2024APRIL 2023
Median list price:$299,900$267,500
Median sales price:$310,000$278,750
No. of homes sold:1922
Days on market:34

Buyers still paying over the list price; and values are up 13% compared to April 2023. The lowest closed price was $260,000 and the highest was $315,000. Below are the year-to-date numbers:

JAN-APRIL 2024JAN-APRIL 2023
Median list price:$295,000$275,000
Median sales price:$299,000$275,000
No. of homes sold:7169
Days on market:39

The number of homes changing owners is pretty steady; homes are going under contract within a couple of days being listed. Prices are up 8.7% for the year.

There are currently 14 homes for sale in Waldo, including three newly built properties. The lowest asking price is $230,000 and the highest is $679,000. Enjoy the holiday!

(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)