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 Art Annual and Waldo Fall Festival This Weekend!

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It’s a festival of festivals this weekend in our neighborhood! The weather is looking good to be outdoors and enjoy cooler weather while supporting regional artists, local businesses and restaurants.

The 35th Brookside Art Annual is back, after being cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic. Hours are Friday 5-9pm; Saturday 10am-9pm; Sunday 11am-5pm Sept 17-19. Tents will be set up at 63rd St and Brookside Blvd. There will be children’s activities each day and food available from Charlie Hooper’s, Michael Forbes, Cosintino’s and Topsy’s. Please leave pets at home! More details on the artists featured at www.brooksideartannual.com.

Also this weekend is the 29th Annual Waldo Fall Festival, in a new location: the parking lot at Gregory and Wornall off the Trolley Track Trail. According to the Waldo KC website, this year’s festival will feature local pop up shops and vendors with special offers, plus services and local Waldo information. In the past, there have been children’s activities and food trucks but those aren’t mentioned for this year’s event. Still, it’s fun to browse the tents and support our local businesses! Hours are 10am-5pm.

Get out and enjoy our neighborhood celebrations this weekend!

Wine Tasting Room Opens in Waldo

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Waldo is known for it’s small specialty shops, restaurants and services.  Now thee is anotherunique new place just opened you should know about…Marco Polo Selections.  It’s a wine tasting room and event space at 336 W 75th St, a few steps away from the new West Waldo 222 Flats. 

I stopped in recently and spoke with co owners Emily Maher and Nate Riley, who have been friends since high school.  Emily has been raising a family and ran a personal organizing business; Nate has extensive experience working with restaurant suppliers and wine distributors.  One day Nate called Emily saying “I have an idea…..” and Marco Polo Selections was born.

Their tagline is “rare times, rare wines”—and that phrase works on so many levels!  The pandemic has reworked the way we think, play and travel—every moment of a “normal” life is a gift so don’t waste it!  Explore new places, new foods, new wines..and this is a shop where you can get wines you can’t get anywhere else in the city.  Started as an online liquor store, Marco Polo Selections features all “old world wines”,  as Nate explained, from small family run vineyards in  Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Argentina.  Wine flights of four varieties are $25, and most bottles range in price from $13-$25.  The space is small, intimate yet casual and very friendly.  “There’s no pretense or intimidation here” said Nathan.  “It’s a big old world out there and we want to help people enjoy it”.

One of the unique features of Marco Polo Selections is you are welcome to bring in your own food:  grab some take out from nearby Jovito’s or Waldo Pizza; or have Uber Eats bring you a meal.  You can take your time tasting various wines while enjoying dinner!  There’s really no other place like this in Kansas City.  You can also  book Marco Polo Selections for a private event, and they have access to the shaded outdoor courtyard in the back for extra space.  Currently the hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4pm-8pm.  Nate explained they were very busy several weeks ago when the mask mandate was dropped and we all thought most of the population would be vaccinated by summer’s end.  Now that the mask mandate is back in place, traffic has dropped off some.  Still, this is a new, locally owned business and the buzz is spreading.  It has a totally different vibe from your usual Waldo bar—a place where you can taste and learn about different wines, have a conversation without shouting and enjoy yourself chatting with friends.

Next time you are looking for something a little different to do–make a visit to Marco Polo Selections at 336 W 75th St. Catch them on Instagram at marcopoloselections.

Waldo Home Sales Report-July 2021

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Here we are into the ‘dog days’ of summer, trying to stay inside, escaping from the triple digit temperatures. Home sales usually dip in August–next month we’ll see if that holds true for this red hot home buying year. For now, here are the Waldo home sales stats for July 2021, using the boundaries of Gregory to 85th St; State Line to Holmes.

July 2021                                                             July 2020

Median list price:    $234,000                              $199,000

Median sales price:  $255,000                            $210,000

Days on market:                  2                                    3

No. sold:                                31                               47

Those figures represent a 21% increase in sales price compared to last year! Lowest closed price was $138,000 and the highest was $445,000.

Here are the year-to-date numbers:

Jan-July 2021                                                       Jan-July 2021

Median list price:    $250,000                              $215,000

Median sales price: $265,000                             $225,500

Days on market:              2                                              4

No. sold:                           225                                         212

The number of homes sold is running a bit ahead of last year; and properties are still selling very fast once they hit the market. Median sales price is up 17% over last year.

Currently there are nineteen single family homes for sale in Waldo, with a median list price of $245,000 and 16 days on market.

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

Armour Hills Home Sales Report—July 2021

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Hi neighbors! Home sales are consistently strong in Armour Hills, and prices are much higher compared to July 2020. Let’s look at the numbers:

July 2021                                                             July 2020

Median list price:      $375,000                            $319,000

Median sales price:   $395,000                           $335,000

Days on market:                  2                                    1

No. sold:                                11                                 7

Buyer paid about 5% over list price; values up 17% compared to July 2020. Here are the year-to-date figures:

Jan-July 2021                                                        Jan-July 2020

Median list price:     $365,000                             $347,000

Median sales price:  $390,000                            $342,500

Days on market:                  2                                       8

No. sold:                                45                                   44

Median sales price jumped 13% over last year; most homes selling faster as well. The highest Armour Hills closed price in 2021 so far is $605,000 and the lowest is $212,000. Currently there are three active listings, with an average price of $399,000 and 53 days on market.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report-July 2021

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You may have heard that home sales are slowing down…and it is true. That is what I am experiencing and many of my fellow agents. Looking at this home sales report, you wouldn’t think so! However, remember that most July closings had confirmed contracts in May and June–when there was more demand, pushing prices up. The stats are for the main Brookside zip code of 64113.

July 2021                                                                   July 2020

Median list price:    $434,500                              $425,000

Median sales price: $460,000                             $425,000

Days on market:      3                                              5

No. sold:                    28                                           33

Buyers paid an average of 5.8% over list price to purchase their homes, with some houses going way over asking: the highest sale last month was $981K on a $950K house; another listed at $799K and closed at $862,000! People will pay a lot for updated, charming 1920s homes! Here are the year-to-date numbers:

Jan-July 2021                                                           Jan-July 2020

Median list price:    $450,000                              $387,475

Median sales price: $478,500                             $393,750

Days on market:      2                                              8

No. sold:                    196                                         152

Home values are up 21% compared to 2020; highest sale so far is $4.2 million and lowest is $212,000. I don’t think these trends will hold through the end of the year–we will see! Currently there are 12 active listings in Brookside, with a median price of $562,450 and 40 days on market. Twelve homes are priced over $500,000; four over one million dollars.

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

Waldo Farmers Market-Smaller But Still Here!

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Last week I was driving along Holmes and noticed a sign for the Waldo Farmers Market. I remember a few years back when the market was operated on 79th St just east of Wornall. Now it’s at 7850 Holmes..so I pulled in to take a look.

There were just a couple of vendors there but I wanted to write about it anyway. If you don’t want a crowded atmosphere, this is it! One table was set up with prepared home made pork dumplings and vegetarian Malaysian style noodles–an easy dinner to go! The other table was full of fresh garlic, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, corn and a few other vegetables and plants. The vendor here was Fresh From The Field in Independence.

So if you aren’t sure what to make for dinner tonight night…stop by the Waldo Farmers Market for a ready to eat meal or…get inspired! I’m thinking of fat BLT sandwiches with the fresh tomatoes! The market opens at 3pm on Wednesdays.

Armour Hills Home Sales Report-June 2021

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Hello neighbors! As we hit the halfway mark of 2021, Armour Hills houses are still selling quickly; comparing the June numbers to last year–almost identical to June 2020 stats! Let’s take a closer look:

June 2021                                                                                 June 2020

Median list price:      $337,500                                                   $334,900

Median sales price:  $347,500                                                   $347,750

No. of homes sold:      8                                                                8

Days on market:          2                                                                 22

The stats for last month were just about identical to June 2020; most buyers are still paying over list price to secure a contract on a home. Days on market was much less this year; that is an indication of demand and that homes are priced right at market value–what a buyer is willing to pay. Below are the year-to-date numbers:

Jan-June 2021                                                                               Jan-June 2020

Median list price:      $365,000                                                   $349,900

Median sales price:    $367,450                                                 $342,500

No. of homes sold:     34                                                             37

Days on market:         2                                                                10

Compared to last year, home values in Armour Hills are up just over 7% YTD. The lowest closed price so far in 2021 is $212,000 and the highest is $605,000. Currently there are three active listings in Armour Hills, with a median list price of $425,000 and 26 days on market.

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

                                                                                       

Waldo Home Sales Report-June 2021

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Waldo continues to be one of the most desirable locations for homebuyers this year–like everywhere else, prices are going way up. Halfway through the year, let’s take a look at what’s been happening in Waldo. I’m tracking single family home sales, in the area bordered by Gregory, 85th and State Line to Holmes.

June 2021                                                                         June 2020

Median list price:      $255,000                                        $229,900

Median sales price:  $270,000                                         $237,000

No. of homes sold:       49                                                    45

Days on market:            2                                                  2

Buyers are paying about 5% over list price, and values are up 14% since last June. Most houses go under contract within 48 hours of listing. Here are the year-to-date stats:

Jan-June 2021                                                                               Jan-June 2020

Median list price:     $250,000                                                    $219,950

Median sales price:  $265,000                                                   $226,000

No. of homes sold:     200                                                           169

Days on market:           2                                                              5

More homes closed at this halfway point than last year; prices up 14% YTD compared to last year. The lowest sold price this year so far is $65,000 and the highest is $605,000. Currently there are 18 active Waldo listings, with a median list price of $272,500 and eight days on market.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report-June 2021

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We are halfway through the year and there isn’t a slowdown in the demand for Brookside homes–most homes are still closing at over asking price and go under contract within a few days. Here are the stats for June 2021, single family home sales, using the main Brookside zip code of 64113:

June 2021                                                                                                June 2020

Median list price:      $482,000                                                                  $424,900

Median sales price:    $500,000                                                                $420,000

No. sold:                       38                                                                              27

Days on market:           2                                                                                8

Last month, four homes sold over $1,000,000–including the highest sale so far this year, at $4.2 million. The lowest closed price was $212,000. Final sales prices were 19% over 2020. Now let’s look at the year-to-date numbers:

Jan-June 2021                                                                                         Jan-June 2020

Median list price:      $470,250                                                                  $425,000

Median sales price:   $482,763                                                                 $433,000

No. sold:                        168                                                                           208

Days on market:           2                                                                                6

Fewer homes on the market means fewer homes sold, which in turn means home prices go up. Compared to last year, home values have risen 11.49% this year–amazing! Currently there are 19 active single family homes for sale in Brookside, with a median price of $595,000. Fourteen homes are priced over $500K; four of those are over $1,000,000.

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

Brookside Sidewalk Sale This Weekend July 8-10

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It’s time for the annual Brookside Sidewalk Sale, happening this weekend July 8-10, 2021! Hours are 10am-6pm each day; stroll around Brookside checking out the various sales and special deals. Don’t forget to plan a stop for a beverage or meal as well!

You can also take advantage of the Shred Event on Saturday, starting at 8am until the trucks are full. Limit two boxes; drop off is in the parking lot behind Jalepeno’s next to the tennis courts.

Thank you for supporting our locally owned Brookside shops, restaurants and services!