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.
Armour Homes home values continue to rise–quite a range in the sold prices for last month, due to many buyers going way over the list price. Here are the details:
february 2024
february 2023
Median list price:
$400,000
$385,000
Median sales price:
$410,000
$400,000
Days on market:
12
2
No. of homes sold:
3
3
Home values in Armour Hills are up 2.5% compared to last February. The lowest closed sales price was $318,300 and the highest was $575,000! Here are the year-to-date numbers:
jan-feb 2024
jan-feb 2023
Median list price:
$400.000
$367,450
Median sales price:
$410,000
$375,700
Days on market:
5
4
No. of homes sold:
7
6
And so far this year, Armour Hills home prices are up about 9%; properties are still selling within a few days of listing. As I post this blog, there are no homes listed in Armour HIlls. It is a very popular Brookside subdivision!
(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)
The busy Spring home buying market started early this year–every week I see more homes coming on the market and getting snatched up quickly! Home values in Brookside continue to climb-let’s take a look at the numbers. I’m reporting for the main Brookside zip code of 64113, single family home sales:
february 2024
february 2023
Median list price:
$638,000
$650,000
Median sales price:
$630,000
$650,000
Days on market:
11
3
No. of homes sold:
11
13
Although the median sales price was down 3% compared to a year ago, most sellers last month closed close to asking price. There were three $1,000,000+ sales last month; the highest was $2,000,000 and the lowest was $318,000. Most homes sold well over $500K. Here are the year-to-date stats:
jan-feb 2024
jan-feb 2023
Median list price:
$515,000
$439,000
Median sales price:
$515,000
$430,150
Days on market:
9
47
No. of homes sold:
27
17
Year-to-date, home values are up over 19% compared to 2023, and more homes are selling in a shorter amount of time. Part of the higher median price can be attributed to more higher priced homes selling–over half the homes that closed were over $500K, and we’ve had four multi-million dollar sales in the first two months of the year.
Currently there are just 10 homes listed in the 64113 zip code, with a median price of….$1,222,500 and 28 days on the market. None of the currently listed homes are under $500K; there are five priced over $1,000,000 with the highest list price at $8.5 million.
(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)
One of Brookside’s most beloved traditions is happening this Saturday, March 16: the 42nd Annual Brookside St. Patrick’s Warm Up Parade!
This is a neighborhood, family friendly event and all are welcome. One of the best things about this parade is how close the spectators are to the street and the floats–it’s easy to see all the participants and the details of decorated cars, floats and costumes. There are usually over 100 entries, making the parade last well over an hour.
Please remember that the streets along the parade route will be blocked off early for set up and float staging. Traffic will be rerouted along parts of Wornall, Meyer and 63rd St. The parade begins at 65th and Wornall, so much of Armour Hills will be filled with parked cars, especially along Brookside Road.
Official start time is 2pm–come early, have lunch or a snack, stop by the shops; or stay later and end the afternoon with a drink or early dinner. Please be aware of extra foot traffic, bikes, strollers and wagons around this area. And thank you for supporting our Brookside merchants!Here’s the parade map for reference:
Today’s blog isn’t about a Brookside/Waldo new business, event, or home sales stats..but it is important news! We Jackson County residents remember the property tax assessment disaster last year, where thousands of homeowners protested their double or triple digit property tax increases. With a new program rolling out this year, there is some relief!!
The Senior Property Tax Credit Program is available to Jackson County residents, stating that eligible homeowners will “receive a credit that essentially freezes their property taxes on their primary residence”. There are requirements of course, and some of those include:
*The home must be your primary residence in Jackson County.
*You must qualify for Social Security benefits.
*You must be the property owner liable for payment of the taxes.
*The market value of your home as determined by the Jackson County assessor must be valued under $550,000.
Of course, there is paperwork to complete, and the deadline for applications is December 31, 2024. However, my advice is to not wait until later in the year to get this done–if you meet the requirements, put this on your To Do list asap!!
There are many exercise gyms in the Waldo area, and each tend to have their own vibe. To stick with a regular program and routine, it’s important to feel comfortable and welcome in the space and know it is working for you—gotta stay motivated to get out there and just do it!!
Rare Breed Crossfit and Athletics is a new spot that has something different to offer: first, it is a locally and woman owned, LGBTQ+ business, welcoming all types of humans. And, you can use your health savings or FSA savings account for services!
Owner Ryann Bauser is from a small town in northeast Kansas, and graduated from Texas Tech with a master’s degree in Science and Kinesiology. While working at a gym in Gardner, a client suggested she open her own place and told her about this particular space in Waldo that would be a good fit. She decided to become her own boss and open Rare Breed last December. Ryann told me she is not trying to be an “elite” gym—she promotes her business as a safe, judgement free space and focuses on working up a program based on each client’s ability and needs that works in their everyday life. This is “functional fitness” that can be modified and scaled up or down depending on the customer. In addition to semi private/personal training and group classes, nutritional plans are available and there is open gym time Monday through Friday mornings.
Ryann calls all of her clients “athletes” – no matter what stage of fitness they are in. She “ramps” each person into a program, focusing on their individual goals. That can include building muscle, improving balance, cardio workouts, how to stay fit in your older years—Ryann has the knowledge and background to customize for each person. “I want my athletes to take what they have learned here as they move in their everyday lives.”
Ryann loves her space in Waldo and has felt so welcomed by the community. “I’ve met a lot of other business owners in the area. They have reached out to me to network and give advice when I ask for it. I’ve learned so much from other Waldo small businesses about how to run my own place—they have offered great advice and guidance. Along with my clients we are enjoying this tight knit group of neighbors and love being here!”
Here’s a quick blog to remind you about Waldo Week, starting today February 29 and running through March 5.
This is the 9th annual Waldo Week, where all are encouraged to celebrate and explore all the various services, retail spaces, restaurants and bars Waldo has to offer. Several establishments will offer special deals, including Eclectic’s, Waldo Pizza, Euston’s Hardware, Salumi Rose, Mike’s Wine and Spirits and Crow’s Coffee. The charity partner for this year is The Children’s Place.
Thank you for supporting our local small businesses in Waldo!
Home values in Armour Hills are rising fast..it just amazes me how much some of this homes sell for in bidding wars! I think demand will remain strong through the end of the year. Here’s a quick look at Armour Hills home sales stats for last month:
january 2024
january 2023
Median list price:
$425,000
$349,900
Median sales price:
$425,000
$351,400
Days on market:
4
92
No. of homes sold:
4
3
Last month all but one home in Armour Hills sold at or above list price. Compared to a year ago, home values are up almost 21%!! The lowest closed price in January was $400K and the highest was $515,000. Currently there are just two homes for sale in Armour Hills, with a median price of $554,450.
(All stats taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)
It seems a little odd to be reporting January home sales stats when the temperature on this February day is in the 70s! I’m remembering the weeks of very frigid temps just last month. Grateful for the warm sunshine today! OK, getting down to business, here are the single family home sales stats for Waldo last month, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th St.
january 2024
january 2023
Median list price:
$285,000
$260,253
Median sales price:
$299,000
$249,875
Days on market:
3
33
No. of homes sold:
11
14
Buyers paid about 5% over list price for their homes and values are up 19.6% over January 2023 numbers!! Homes are still selling within a couple days of going up for sale. The lowest sales price last month was $180,000 and the highest was $277,250.
Currently there are six single family homes listed in Waldo, with a median price of $262,250 and 40 days on market.
And another year has begun; it was quite a month we had, with weeks of frigid temps, frozen pipes, Restaurant week and football playoff games – congratulations again Chiefs! Last year finished strong for Brookside home values, up 15% from 2022. All indications point to another busy buying season with bidding wars for the priced right properties. Let’s take a look at what happened last month; I’m tracking single family home sales in the main Brookside zip code of 64113:
january 2024
january 2023
Median list price:
$437,500
$429,975
Median sales price:
$445,000
$430,075
Days on market:
4
49
No. of homes sold:
16
16
Already prices are up around 4% compared to a year ago. Last month the lowest sales price was $312,000 and the highest was $1.195 million. Currently there are 12 homes for sale in Brookside with a median list price of $924,950! The reason for that high number is this: only two homes are listed under $500K; and there are 5 listings over $1,000,000. Most buyers want an under $500K price tag.
If you are thinking of selling or buying in the Brookside/Waldo area–contact me for a market analysis. There are always people who want to sell and buy; making the perfect connection is what I do!
Before I became a Realtor, I worked at Visit KC, which was then known as the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Kansas City. I worked with meeting planners who brought large conventions to town: touring hotels and special venue places, helping them maneuver red tape at City Hall, connecting them with caterers and transportation options, etc. Often it was local members of associations who encouraged and influenced the larger organization to meet up here in the heart of the country.
For much of that time, Kansas City’s reputation was somewhat …blah. We were always competing with the bigger Midwest cities that had more of a snazzy, national reputation, like Indianapolis or St Louis or Chicago. Meeting planners were hesitant to pick KC as a meeting site because attendees might think “what is there to do in Kansas City except eat barbecue?”and not make the trip. Oh, but I LOVED showing off the city and changing people’s minds once they got here.
Over the years that changed, as KC expanded the Convention Center, built the Power and Light district, added the streetcar and more hotels, refurbished Union Station and the Crossroads area bloomed with local art galleries, restaurants, event venues. Slowly our reputation grew as a “great place to visit”, highlighted in national publications and via word of mouth. We opened a new airport. We had continuous national exposure via our sports teams, especially as the Chiefs were on the rise to the top. We hosted the NFL Draft last year. We were chosen to host games in the 2026 World Cup. We are building CPKC Stadium, the first women’s professional sports venue. The unique Rock Island Bridge is under construction. The streetcar is expanding. As a Realtor, I can tell you that every one of my clients who has moved to the area from other “snazzy” cities–absolutely loves living here. We seem to have it all, without the sky high housing prices of larger cities.
So as I watched the parade yesterday, I teared up several times, so moved by the pride and joy of the thousands of people who turned out to show their appreciation for our Superbowl champions. We looked fantastic! Once again, the national spotlight was on Kansas City. The players were freely mingling with the crowds, literally dancing in the streets as they high fived fans and signed autographs. It was a friendly, family event and all were welcome. Then: confusion, silence, and that sick feeling of yet another mass shooting. In our city.
This is the part of the blog where I will hold back my rant against the lack of significant gun laws in the nation.
I’m not even sure why I’m writing this blog. I think I just felt the need to express how I’ve seen Kansas City’s image change for the better over the past several years, and how much I love living here. What happened yesterday won’t change that.
Inside Brookside (And Waldo) 