Category Archives: Brookside Community News

Brookside Home Sales Report – April 2014

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The spring home buying market is in full swing and Brookside home values continue to rise over last year.  Inventory of well maintained and updated homes is low, and demand is high.  Here are the stats for the main Brookside zip code of 64113 for April 2014 and a year-to-date comparison:

In April 2014, 24 homes sold.  Average median sales price was $345,000 and 58 days on  market.  The lowest sales price was $156,040 and the highest was $980,000.    

In April 2013, 20 homes sold.  The average  median sales price was $285,000 and 84 days on market.   The lowest sales price was $115,000 and the highest was $610,000.

We had a few more homes sell in April 2014 and a substantial uptick in average price-  almost 22%.  We have such a wide range of sales prices in Brookside that it really affects the average sales price when more higher priced homes sell.  Days on market is also lower this year–meaning it takes less time for a property to go under contract.

Checking year to date figures:

From Jan-April 2014, 67 homes sold at a median sales price of $298,000 and 75 days on market.

From Jan-April  2013, 83 homes sold at a median sales price of $285,000 and 108 days on market.  

The lower number of homes selling is affected by the lack of inventory, thus pushing prices up. I’ll share a  personal story of what I experienced recently with a client. A property came on the market  in an excellent Brookside location, nicely updated with good features and curb appeal.  My buyer offered full price the same day it was listed.  There were four offers total and the listing agent told me the winning bid was  $10K OVER asking price. This same home sold two years ago for $317,000 and the current owner had not made any substantial improvements.  I’ve heard the same story for homes in Prairie Village, Leawood and Overland Park.  It is a true seller’s market for the ‘good’ homes.

Currently there are 89 single family homes for sale in the Brookside zip code of 64113 with an average median list  price of $400,000 and 125 days on market.  About one-third of the 89 homes are priced over $1million.  

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

Armour Hills (Brookside) Home Prices Up-April 2014

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Brookside is in full bloom and home buyers are out, admiring our neighborhood!  I’m happy to report that Armour Hills homes sales for the month of April were up compared to one year ago.  Let’s examine the numbers:

Eight  homes sold in April 2014,  with an average median sales price of $235,000.   Average days on market: 73.

Four homes sold in April  2013, with an average median sales price of $196,285.    Average days on market:  69.

Twice as many homes sold this April than last, and at a  higher average sales price.  The homes that sold a year ago were in the lower priced category for our area.  In April of this year, the highest price sale was on  Brookside Road for $425,000 and the lowest sale was $162,900 on E Winthrope.  The days on market change isn’t significant.

Looking at year to date figures:

For the first four  months of 2014, 18 homes have sold in Armour Hills  at an average median price of $243,000 and 65 days on the market.

For the first four months of 2013, 16 homes sold at a median average price of $233,450 and 113 days on market.

Homes are selling faster this year, and at a higher average sales price…so far prices are up 4.9% this year!  As of today, there are 11 homes for sale in AH, with a median average price of $217,000 and 94 days on market.  Five of those homes are priced under $200K, the lower end for our area.  The spring home buying season is off to a strong start for Armour Hills!

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

Brookside Two Story Home For Sale

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You’ve often heard the phrase “if these walls could talk”. Oh how I wish it were true of these older Brookside homes!  This new listing in Armour HIlls still has much of it’s original charm and detail, yet it can easily be updated to incorporate a more open kitchen and a true master bath for the next owner.  I would love to know the backstory of each person who lived in this house!

Spring frontBuilt in 1925, this two story home greets you with a large front porch–a great spot to spend some time chatting with the friendly neighbors or relaxing with a cocktail after work.  Inside you’ll find hardwood floors and unpainted wood trim detailing. It is a center hall floor plan, with a spacious living room and dining room, plus half bath.  The kitchen has some of the original cabinets (still useful and so charming!) and a cozy breakfast room with built-ins.

din roomUpstairs are three bedrooms and a full bath; the master bedroom is large enough to add another full bath to make a master suite.  There is a full basement, and half of it is finished, including two large closets, and another shower/toilet in the basement area.

The backyard is fenced with a deck, a private drive and a two car garage, plus a newer roof.  The home is close to the Trolley Track Trail, Brookside shops, the MAX bus route and Arbor Villa Park. Located at 25 E 68 Terrace and offered at $269,500–contact me or visit my website for more details.

basement firplace

Check Out the New Spice Shop in Brookside

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spice windowI finally stopped by the new spice shop in Brookside called Season + Square….and it’s great!  It is everything we love about Brookside shops:  locally owned, attractively decorated, friendly customer service and it sells goods you can’t find in a traditional boring shopping mall.  Owner Andrea Joseph was working in corporate sales and desperately needed a change of pace.  Inspired by what she told her teenage daughter about career choices (“you can do whatever you want to do”), she quit the corporate job and opened up her own shop.

spice storeRight now the store focuses on selling spices of all kinds, in neatly arranged recycled glass jars and in bulk.  These are high quality spices, chemical-free, and Andrea  knows where every item comes from.  There are currently two original spice blends, Wild Weston Shake and Hyde Park Pork Rub.  She also stocks eco friendly cleaners, olive oil and vinegar from Olive Tree, wildly popular finishing salts, Bittermilk products for cocktails, Morris Kitchen and Royal Rose syrups, Broadway Cafe coffee, Hugo Tea and Askinosie Chocolate. I bought the chocolate and used it in cookies and biscotti–so deliciously different from a bagged chocolate chip!  I also purchased the Sugar Maple Smoked Salt which I am trying out the next time we grill.

spice ownerAlthough the shop just opened in February, it’s already evolving into something more than Andrea imagined at first.  She’s turning it into  a general store for staple food items, where local produce, meat and eggs will be available for purchase (hopefully by early next month).  She will be sponsoring creative cooking courses, the first one scheduled for May 22 on canning, and she plans to host farm to table dinners.

This is a really fun shop to browse–besides buying something for yourself, it’s a great place to shop for unique gifts. Support our locally owned Brookside businesses and stop by soon.  Season + Square is open Tues, Wed, Thurs 11am-6pm and Sat and Sun 11am-5pm at 6205 Oak St.

This Weekend: Brookside Art Annual May 2-4, 2014

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Brookside art fairNow in it’s 29th year…the Brookside Art Annual happens this weekend!  After last year’s record cold temperatures kept attendance low, this year’s forecast is just about perfect!  Here are the details you need to know:

Hours are Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm, and Sunday 11am-5pm.  The booths are set up between 63rd St and Meyer Blvd at the south end of Brookside Blvd.  It’s best to park along a residential street and walk to the fair.  Food will be available from local vendors (Michael Forbes Grill, Brookside Market, the Brooksider and Avenues Bistro) and free children’s activities take place on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

There are so many reasons why I love this art fair above all others, but the primary one is that I feel the artwork is more affordable than, for example, the Plaza Art Fair. Many regional artists display their work, and you can still buy a unique piece of jewelry or wall art for under $100.

You can find a list of artists and other details at www.brooksidekc.org.  Remember, please leave pets at home as the booths will be very crowded with humans!

Brookside Home Sales Report-March 2014

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flowersAhhh….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

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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

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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

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Brookside_003_AA_HR[1]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

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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

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!