Brookside Home Sales Report-March 2014

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

Ahhh….Spring in Brookside! The trees are blooming, flowers finally popping up and the homes look even more charming than usual surrounded with fresh green grass and bright floral colors. This is one reason why home sales surge in the warm weather months–curb appeal is best in spring and summer months.

Let’s examine Brookside single family home sales for March 2014. There was a lower number of homes sold, but average prices are up. These figures are for the main Brookside zip code of 64113:

In March 2014, 19 homes sold. Average median sales price was $322,500 and 103 days on market. The lowest sales price was $152,000 and the highest was $775,000.

In March 2013, 32 homes sold. The average median sales price was $313,000 and 131 days on market.

More homes sold in 2013, but in 2014 the average sales price was almost $10K higher. This market activity reflects the lack of inventory this spring–the demand is there, but not enough supply, pushing up prices.

Checking year-to-date figures:

From Jan-March 2014, 43 homes sold at a median sales price of $298,000 and 84 days on market.

From Jan-March 2013, 63 homes sold at a median sales price of $280,000 and 115 days on market.

You can see the trend continuing into the busy Spring buying season–prices are up 6% so far this year.

As of this writing, there are 77 single family homes for sale in the Brookside zip code of 64113 with an average median list price of $457,000 and 143 days on market. Of the 77 homes for sale, 30 homes are priced over $1million, which affects average list pricing.

The demand is quite high for updated Brookside area homes priced between $250-$400K. If you are thinking of selling this year–get your house spruced up and ready to take advantage of this hot market!

(All figures taken from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed).

Be Grateful For Another Day

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

It’s Monday in April and the weather has turned cold and it’s snowing – are you complaining? Will you go about your routine day, slightly bored with the monotony of everyday life: tackling the daily to-do list, bugging the kids to get homework done, annoyed that your boss doesn’t appreciate your hard work? Stop…now… and be grateful because you have another day.

The shootings in Overland Park, KS yesterday have shocked everyone. It was a normal day, with normal people going about their business of living everyday life. Was it a normal day for the alleged shooter, a man who must be so filled with hate that he is compelled to shoot innocent people? A man who must so hate his everyday world that he feels he has to end the lives of others? A man who feels no remorse for his actions?

I am not going to rant about the need for more gun control and mental health counseling. Nothing will change. Not today, not a year from now. There will be more massacres and more people killed. This is practically a daily occurrence in our country.

Credible sources tell me the third person murdered yesterday was a Brookside resident. She and her family are members of St. Peter’s Church as we are; she coached my daughter’s volleyball team for a year. Her son and my daughter were in the same class at St. Peter’s School. She was visiting her mom at the time of her murder. Just a normal day for her, until the actions of one man ended it all…forever.

So, be grateful for another day and everything that comes with it: the wet snow you see falling on the spring flowers; the exasperation you feel when your kid is annoying; the extra project that just plopped on your desk; the comfort of the blankets on your bed at night. There is no time to complain about the small stuff…you could be dead tomorrow. Right now, you are alive.

Brookside Home Prices Rise in Feb 2014

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

It’s the last day of March 2014..and I am just squeaking in to report February 2014 home sales for Brookside! The year is getting off to a strong start with average prices rising. Here are the stats for single family home sales in the Brookside zip code of 64113, using median average pricing:

In February 2014, 11 homes sold. Average list price was $305,000 and average sales price was $298,000. Average days on market: 31. The highest sales price was $657,000 for a home on Morningside Drive; the lowest sales price was an Armour Hills home at $199,900.

In February 2013, 14 homes sold. The average sales price was $293,000. Days on market: 135.

You can see the average sales price is higher, and the average days on market is lower.

Checking year-to-date figures:

Total homes sold in Jan/Feb 2014 was 24 and at an average sales price of $289,000 and 69 days on market.

Total homes sold in Jan/Feb 2013 was 31 and at an average sales price of $265,000 and 99 days on market.

It’s true that fewer homes were sold, but average price is up. This reflects the lack of inventory we have so far this year.

As of this writing, there are 78 single family homes for sale in the Brookside zip code of 64113 with an average list median price of $450,000. Buyers are actively looking for updated, well maintained homes in the $200-$300K range in our neighborhood. It will be a busy Spring home buying season!

(All figures taken from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed).

Brookside Shops Sold to Out of Town Company

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

The Kansas City Star reported this week that a large section of the Brookside shops have been sold to an out of state company. The area includes the commercial strip of the north side of 63rd St from Wornall to Brookside Blvd, plus Cosentino’s Market and other nearby locally owned businesses. My first reaction to the news was ‘oh no, there goes the neighborhood’.

I’ve lived in Kansas City long enough to see how the Country Club Plaza has changed since Highwoods Properties purchased it several years ago. There aren’t as many locally owned places as there once were, and the majority of the establishments are the same national chain retail and restaurants you find in just about every shopping mall. The Plaza is still a huge draw for tourists and residents, and Highwoods has done a good job maintaining the original charming architecture, beautiful landscaping and popular events such as the Plaza Art Fair. I enjoy walking around and shopping there. So what changes can we expect when Washington Realty Inc, based in Bethesda MD, owns a majority of the prime real estate in Brookside? No one knows, as the company is not commenting.

For now, George Gilchrist of BKS Real Estate will continue to manage the properties for Washington Realty. When I was shopping in Brookside yesterday, I asked Casey Simmons, co-owner of Stuff if she had any comments about the sale. She said when she and her sister moved Stuff to Brookside from Westport, their building was owned by (North Carolina based) Highwoods Properties. There may be some changes several months from now; eventually management may be switched to the Bethesda location and rents/lease terms could be altered. Like everyone else, she found out about the pending sale by reading it in a news report. She invited me to ‘come back in a year’ and ask then how things have changed under the new owners. Looking at the Washington Realty website, you see a list of the places they own properties, but you can’t tell if there is a mix of smaller, local businesses with the larger chain stores.

I’m going to be optimistic and believe that the new owners won’t eventually kick out the locals and bring in generic businesses. Brookside has succeeded and thrived for years specifically because of the unique, locally based shops and restaurants and popular, family oriented, community events. Isn’t that what attracted the out of town buyers in the first place?

Welcome to Waldo: Second Best Coffee

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

How many coffee shops does it take to satisfy our craving for a cup ‘o joe or a creamy latte? Another locally owned coffee cafe opened January 31 called “Second Best Coffee” at 328 W 85th St–in the strip mall with Corner Cafe and Chelly’s. Owners Nathan and Leih Anderson felt other parts of KC are already saturated with many types of coffee shops and decided on Waldo for their location (and they live nearby). The space is cozy and comfortable, featuring an exclusive Slayer Expresso machine to prepare the drinks. They also offer breakfast burritos and Mexican Coke.

Nathan Anderson, co-owner of Second Best Coffee in Waldo

I asked Nathan what distinguished his shop from others in the area, and he said “Second Best Coffee is an espresso centric café that makes every drink to order. We focus on quality, yet value approachability. As we move forward, we will be offering coffee classes with varying topics from home brewing to coffee cupping.” His wife Leih added the espresso selections rotate daily, and Second Best Coffee focuses on bringing out of town blends to their shop as they feel local brews are already well represented. Indeed, a friend of mine stopped by their shop recently and was surprised to recognize a coffee from Michigan on the menu–where he is from! A couple of other unique things about Second Best Coffee: they make their own flavored syrups (including a lavender honey and chocolate) and offer whole and soy milk only, no 2% or skim. Hours are 6:30am-1pm Mon-Fri, and Sat 7:30am-2. One of my favorite aspects of this shop is the easy parking…you can always find a spot in the large lot!

Welcome to Waldo, Second Best Coffee…it’s the locally owned shops and businesses that make this neighborhood unique and special. Stop by and try a cup of Second Best Coffee soon!

February 2014 Home Sales Stats – Armour Hills, Brookside

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

How many people showed up for the Brookside St Patrick’s Day Warm Up Parade on Saturday? Hard to tell…thousands for sure, as it was a beautiful day! I saw so many neighbors and friends while walking around, watching kids pick up tossed candy and older adults comfortably seated on the sidelines to watch the festivities. This event shows off the diversity of Brookside residents and how we all come together for a good time in support of our neighborhood. Special thanks to Marti Lee and her team at Southtown Council for their hard work in pulling this event together every year, whatever the weather.

It’s that time of the month where I check monthly home sales stats for the Brookside area. This blog will focus on my neighborhood of Armour Hills–below see a summary of February 2014 sales with a comparison to February 2013:

Three homes sold in February 2014, with an average list price of $226,450 and an average sales price of $223,800. Average days on market: 32.

Four homes sold in February 2013, with an average list price of $261,238 and an average sales price of $257,375. Average days on market: 79.

Although we had one less sale last month than a year ago–look at the days on market. Less than half compared to Feb 2013. The average sales price was significanltly higher in 2013 because one home sold for $390K–an unusually high price for AH which skewed the numbers up.

Looking at year to date figures:

For the first two months of 2014, seven homes have sold at an average price of $239,333 and 22 days on the market. For the first two months of 2013, six homes sold at an average price of $245,250 and 62 days on market. Again, the $390K sale upped the 2013 average price, with days on market much shorter this year.

Currently there are 13 homes for sale in Armour Hills, with a median average list price of $244,000 and 98 days on market. I am using the median price as the house at 6625 Brookside Road is priced at $450,000–on the high end for our area.

Below I posted a few pictures from the parade on Saturday. Be safe today as you celebrate St Patrick’s Day! Watch for wobbly pedestrians. I’ve decided on a U2 music marathon today as I work at my desk. Turn it up!

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

Brookside St Pat’s Day Celebrations 2014

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

It’s not officially Spring until March 20, but I always think of the Brookside St Pat’s parade as the real kick-off to the warmer weather season. And as of today, the weather is forecast to be partly cloudy and in the upper 50s for the big day! Here are the details:

The 34th Annual Brookside St Patrick’s Day Warm Up Parade is this Saturday, March 15 at 2pm. The route: parade vehicles will line up along Brookside Road, and the starting point is 65th St and Wornall; turning north on Wornall to 63rd; east on 63rd to Main;, south on Main to Meyer; West on Meyer back to Brookside Road. Bring your lawn chair early to grab a close in spot along the route, and watch for road closures and heavy pedestrian traffic in the afternoon.

And if you plan to celebrate all things Irish on the official St Patrick’s Day, two Waldo bars make it easy for you to party all day on March 17. One ticket gets you access to both Lew’s and The Well for the St Patrick’s Day Irish Hooley. Enjoy drink and food specials plus live music at both locations. And thankfully both spots are close enough to walk back and forth! Advance tickets are $5 online at www.waldowell.com or www.lewsgrillandbar.com.

Have a fun celebration with friends and family…and be safe!

Waldo Area January 2014 Home Sales Report

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

Wonderful Waldo!

I have started to report Waldo home sales stats in this blog each month as suggested by a reader. The geographic boundaries I am using are: 85th St to the south, Gregory to the north, State Line to the west and Troost to the east. There is a huge range of prices in this area, and already prices are up compared to one year ago. Let’s look at the numbers:

In January 2014, 16 single family homes sold. The median price was $120,000 and 112 days on market.

In January 2013, 23 single family homes sold. The median price was $97,500 and 70 days on market.

Although more units sold in January 2013 and in a shorter amount of time, the median price was higher this year. As I mentioned, the range of prices in this area is all over the board: last month the lowest sales price was $36,000 and the highest was $299,000.

Currently there are approximately 74 homes for sale in the Waldo area with a median sales price $130,000. The lowest list price is $29,900 and the highest is $374,900. I think we will see strong sales for Waldo once again in 2014!

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

Brookside Home Prices Rise in Jan 2014

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

January home sales stats for the Brookside zip code of 64113 are in, and already we are seeing an increase in home prices compared to last year. This is a good sign as we head into the busy spring buying season! Let’s look at the numbers for single family homes sales in January 2014:

In January 2014, 13 homes sold. One closed sale was for $1.445 million at 629 W 55th St. Taking that sale out of the math equation, the average list price was $312,942 and the average sales price was $308,111. Days on market: 62. Using a median sales figure, the average price was $295,000.

In January 2013, 17 homes sold. The average list price was $275,635 and average sales price was $257,767. Days on market: 70. Using a median sales figure, the average price was $263,000.

One reason for the lower number of units sold this January could be the severe winter weather we’ve had; also, there usually isn’t much inventory early in the year for buyers to choose from. Still, there was a healthy increase in average sales price compared to one year ago.

As of this writing, there are 63 single family homes for sale in the Brookside zip code of 64113 with an average list price of $767,850. Eleven of the homes for sale are priced over $1 milion. The average median price is $410,000.

Now that the snow is gone and the weather is warming up–buyers are actively looking for fresh product on the market. If you are thinking of selling your Brookside home–get it ready for the market as soon as possible to take advantage of the strong demand!

(All figures taken from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed).

Armour Hills Home Sales Report – January 2014

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Mary Hutchison

Armour Hills finished 2013 with a big increase in home values–over 10% compared to 2012. We are off to a strong start in 2014 as well. Here are the January 2014 home sales stats for Armour Hills:

Four homes sold in January 2014, with an average list price of $251,238 and an average sales price of $250,983. Average days on market: 15.

Two homes sold in January 2013, with an average list price of $235,000 and an average sales price of $221,000. Average days on market: 26.

Typically, home sales are slower in the beginning of the year. However, having four home sales in January, considering all of the cold weather and snow we’ve had, with the higher average sales prices –that’s a strong way to kick off the year! Two of the four homes that sold were updated and move in ready–those properties always tend to sell quickly.

Currently there are 11 homes for sale in Armour Hills, with an average list price of $257,641 and 102 days on market. One of these homes is a foreclosure, a few of them need updating, have some sort of oddity, and/or some of them are aggressively priced (in my opinion). These reasons explain why the homes haven’t sold yet, causing the longer average days on market statistic. I think 2014 will be another strong year for Armour Hills homes sales!

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

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