Meet Waldo’s New Executive Director!

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How many businesses do you think have a Waldo address?  Chelsea Kapka, Executive Director of the Waldo Area Business Association, has heard over 600 businesses call Waldo home…and about 350 of them belong to WABA.  Since joining WABA last month, she’s hoping to increase membership along with some other goals for the strong, thriving neighborhood.

I stopped in WABA at 7222 Wornall recently to have a chat with Chelsea.  Originally from southwest Missouri, she went to MIZZOU for her undergrad degree and completed a masters at MO State.   She’s spent the last several years in nursing home administration, most recently in Olathe.  Although Chelsea enjoyed working with seniors, she decided she wanted a change in her career, and applied for the WABA job.   She’s lived in Waldo for the past several years, with a sister and brother also living nearby.

Chelsea talked about other goals she has for WABA:  she’s planning a bingo game on Wednesdays at Waldo Pizza that should start soon, and wants to increase community events.  Besides the popular Waldo Fall Festival, she  is promoting the second annual Spring Fling happening May 6, at Gregory and Wornall.  She hopes to get more businesses to participate, including more local makers.  The monthly Waldo business luncheons are open to anyone; details on dates are on the WABA website.  The next luncheon is Wednesday March 1 at HJ’s Community Center, featuring sixth district candidates up for election.  “I really like the WABA Mission Statement—it’s important for me to maintain Waldo as a vibrant and inclusive area.  Waldo feels like its own city within Kansas City—so unique and eclectic”.

Chelsea and I talked briefly about the houseless issue in Waldo and how it can be addressed.  She recently met with Josh Henges, the “homeless prevention coordinator” for Kansas City MO, who has a lot of ground to cover.  The Waldo CID (Community Improvement District) handles security, graffiti and trash removal, marketing,  plus landscape maintenance for the neighborhood.  CID Community Awareness Officers are a daily presence that will report to police any necessary information regarding the houseless population but do not get directly involved.

In her free time, Chelsea spends time with her scientist husband and their three dogs; she enjoys reading and going to live music shows, especially at the Madrid Theater. You are welcome to stop by and introduce yourself to Chelsea, especially if you have a business in Waldo.  The WABA is located at 7222 Wornall.  And feel free to come to one of the monthly luncheons to keep in touch with what’s happening in Waldo!

Armour Hills Home Sales Report-January 2023

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The home sales stats for Armour Hills last month reflect how much the housing market has changed in just one year. Remember, one year ago, interest rates were around 3% and sales were soaring! Let’s take a look at the numbers for this 900+home Brookside subdivision:

January 2023january 2022
Median list price:$349,900$450,000
Median sales price:$351,400$475,000
Days on market: 92 3
Number of homes sold: 3 3

The median sales price dropped by 35% compared to one year ago! However, note that these stats reflect just three homes that closed. It’s worth looking at a few details, too. Just one home closed last month over the list price; the other two listings lingered on the market for several weeks as the list price dropped. The highest sold price was $565K, originally listed at $680K! The lowest closed price was $270,000.

Currently there are four listings for sale in Armour Hills, ranging in price from $335,000 to $715,000. The house priced at $715K (originally listed at $735K) was purchased in summer 2021 for about $50K over the list price (which was $649K)–so probably a bidding war. Now the price is $715K, less than two years later–and the market is very different now as interest rates doubled. There are still properties that command multiple offers–when they are priced at market value. It will be interesting to see what this property sells for.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report-January 2023

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It’s a new year of home sales stats and compared to a year ago, there was a dip in prices last month. However, keep in mind that in January 2022, interest rates were still around 3%; this year they have doubled. That has slowed down the market.

Let’s take a look at the numbers, using single family home sales in the main Brookside zip code of 64113:

January 2023January 2022
Median list price:$429,975$585,000
Median sold price:$430,075$585,000
No. of homes sold: 16 13
Days on market: 49 14

You can see there was quite a drop in the median sold price; yet most sales were very close to list price. And some of the homes that closed sat on the market for a while before getting under contract, which explains the longer days on market number. The lowest closed price last month was $230K and the highest was $2.75 million. There’s still a lack of inventory for buyers to consider and I think that will continue through the year.

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

Waldo Week Starts Today!

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So the hype of the Chiefs winning the Superbowl is winding down, Valentine’s Day is over and ….this can be a bland time of year. Here’s a diversion for you: plan to participate in the 8th annual Waldo Week!

Waldo Week was created to spotlight locally owned Waldo businesses by offering special discounts and deals for several days during the slower winter months….while also supporting a local non-profit organization. This year, the votes came in for Lucky 13 pet rescue as the supported charity. The Waldo Area Business Association hopes to raise $1500 for Lucky 13 through a special virtual auction and donations.

Several local businesses have special offers for the next several days, including Betty Rae’s, Eclectics, Crow’s Coffee, Summit Grill and Breathe. Mention Waldo Week when you stop by to find out details. A complete list of participants is listed on the WABA website.

Waldo Week runs from Thursday Feb 16 through Friday Feb 24. Thank you for supporting our locally owned Waldo businesses!

Discussions Underway for a New Waldo Library

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The Waldo branch of the Kansas City Public Library system, at 201 E 75th St, would like more space to serve local residents. It’s currently the second busiest location; the Plaza branch has the top spot.  Preliminary talks are underway between the library and the Kansas City Public School district about a move to the old Bingham school site, at  7618 Wyandotte (77th and Wornall, behind the Firestone Tire building).

I recently spoke with Eric Gunderson, President of the Waldo Tower Neighborhood Association to find out more.  Last November, he hosted a public meeting at the library to start a dialogue with neighbors about possible plans.  Shannon Jaxx from KCPS and library consultants were present. The site of the former school is 7.5 acres, and a new library building would use up just part of the empty lot.  The current building on 75th St has 14,000 SF; a new building would ideally be between 22-25,000 SF and include useable outdoor space for patrons.  Inside, there would be a larger, dedicated children’s area; a computer lab, an array of different sized meeting rooms and more storage space. The library and consultants feel that with the current building maintenance issues (leaky roof, space constrictions, etc), it would be less expensive to build a brand new building.  Currently the library is funded by a portion of KCMO  resident property taxes; it was stated in the meeting that no new taxes would be needed to fund a new structure.  No building plans have been drawn up; at this stage, it’s all talk and figuring out various options.  Eric says if the relocation does happen, it would be at least five years, probably more, before the new library opened.  He reports that there wasn’t any opposition to a new building; the challenge would be some increased traffic in the residential area, as the entrance to the site is off Wyandotte and not Wornall.

I also asked Eric about other significant happenings in Waldo; we talked about all the new locally owned businesses that chose Waldo as their home—so many in just the past couple of years, despite the pandemic.  The biggest changes are happening in the streetscapes:  along Gregory from Wornall to Oak, you’ve seen the construction workers and detours as KCMO installed “traffic calming” elements like curb extensions and a dedicated bike lane, .all of these improvements will make this area more pedestrian/bike friendly.  In the near future, major changes are coming along Wornall from 74th-79th St, especially in the busy area in front of Waldo Pizza.  Plans include new streetlights, water main replacement, a new roadway, parking lot improvements, and more.  You can read more details about these plans at the Waldo neighborhood website under Resources. And you can keep up with other Waldo news/meetings at the site as well.

Armour Hills December 2022 Home Sales Report and Year End Recap

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Another year of home sales in Armour Hills and I’m ready to report the specifics! Closed prices were off last month compared to December 2021; overall though, Armour Hills is still one of the most popular Brookside subdivisions for homebuyers! Let’s look at the specifics:

December 2022December 2021
Median list price:$385,000$394,950
Median sales price:$365,000$394,500
Days on market: 3 45
No. of homes sold: 9 3

The lowest closed price last month was $290,000 and the highest was $477,000. The median price was down 7% compared to a year ago. Below, let’s take a look at sales numbers from the past five years:

20222021202020192018
Median list price:$399,000$365,000$345,000$339,450$315,000
Median sales price:$427,000$380,000$344,000$340,000$315,000
Days on market: 3 3 7 21 9
No. of homes sold: 84 70 99 82 80

The trend is…higher prices! Since 2018, the median sales price for an Armour Hills house has risen 35%! Last year, buyers paid about 7% over the list price. The number of homes that changes owners each year is pretty consistent. This neighborhood is always one of the most popular for buyers looking in Brookside, and I don’t see that changing.

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

Waldo Home Sales Report-December 2022 and Year End Recap

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I have some interesting numbers to report regarding last month’s Waldo home sales stats; although home sales are traditionally slower in the last quarter of the year, prices were down compared to December 2021; usually there is an increase year over year. Let’s take a look at the details; as usual, I’m using the street boundaries of Gregory to 85th and State Line to Holmes for the numbers:

December 2022December 2021
Median list price:$240,000$255,000
Median sales price:$235,000$268,000
No. of homes sold: 18 35
Days on market: 25 10

Compared to a year ago, Waldo homes closed at 12% less than the median sales price in December 2021; also 50% fewer homes sold. The lowest closed price was $117,500 and the highest was $540,000. Note this year’s December list price was lower, which accounts for some of the median sales price drop. Overall, though, Waldo home values had a healthy increase overall last year; below are the stats, with a five year comparison.

20222021202020192018
Median list price:$264,900$249,975$223,000$220,000$200,000
Median sales price:$276,000$260,000$230,000$217,225$205,000
No. of homes sold: 300 412 377 362 381
Days on market: 3 3 4 10 19

You can see the chart indicates that most of the time, buyers are paying over the list price for Waldo homes by about 3-4%, although 27% fewer homes closed last year. And houses are continuing to go under contract quickly. From 2021-2022, Waldo homes gained 6% in value, and 34% since 2018. There is so much demand for housing that I don’t foresee prices drastically coming down in 2023. When I drive around Waldo, I see several new build homes going up–and brand new houses sell for quite a bit over $300K. The old saying is true: it’s all about location, location, location in real estate!

Thanks for reading my blog! Next month I’ll post January 2023 numbers. Here’s to a new year!

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

Brookside Home Sales Report-December 2022 and Year End Recap

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Another year of home buying in Brookside has come to a close…and even though our neighborhood is 100 years old, it remains quite popular! They don’t build houses like this anymore….

The first graph below outlines December 2022 single family home sales stats for Brookside (using the 64113 zip code); in the second graph, I’ve outlined sales for the past five years for comparison. Home values in Brookside…just keep rising!

December 2022December 2021
Median list price:$490,000$441,750
Median sales price:$501,000$436,750
Days on market: 15 4
No. of homes sold: 22 28

Last month, we had six homes sell for over $1,000,000- the top sales price was $1,395,000 (cash!) and the lowest was $290,000. Although some houses sat on the market a little longer, most buyers are paying at or over list price–even with higher interest rates. Now let’s look at the five year trend:

20222021202020192018
Median list price:$495,000$465,000$419,000$389,950$405,000
Median sales price:$500,000$475,000$417,000$380,000$397,000
Days on market: 3 3 8 23 18
No. of homes sold: 293 337 325 300 285

Home values in Brookside have risen just under 26% since 2018; the number of homes that turn over each year is fairly consistent. Fewer homes sold in 2022 than the past two years, most likely due to the rapid rise in interest rates and the persistent problem of not enough inventory.

As a Realtor, I am asked quite often: what’s happening with home sales? Here’s something that is always true: buyers want updated, well maintained homes that are priced at market value. The higher interest rates have affected some buyers’ purchasing power, but there is still a great demand for homes in the Brookside/Waldo neighborhood. Owning a home can be an excellent long term investment!

Make Reservations Now for Kansas City Restaurant Week!

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I’ve got an answer for that annoying daily question…”what’s for dinner?”. Make plans now to participate in Kansas City’s annual Restaurant Week, January 13-22.

Restaurant Week began as a way to get more business into restaurants during a traditionally slow dining out period, but it also benefits local non profit organizations. This year, part of the proceeds from each meal will go to Cornerstones of Care, along with other organizations.

Here’s how it works: restaurants across the city offer special pre fix menu options for lunch ($20) and dinner ($40). You’ll find all kinds of cuisine choices, from casual to pricy; and you can order carry out, delivery or dine in. Web searches are easy–by cuisine, part of town, or special diet. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for the most popular spots on the weekends. Download the app–it’s very easy to use; you’ll see menus and can check table availability. This is the perfect opportunity to try a new, locally owned place with friends or grab a quick lunch with co-workers. Many Brookside and Waldo restaurants are participating; here is a partial list, including Aixois, The Well, Boru, Charlie Hooper’s, Plate, Red Door Grill, South of Summit and Summit Grill.

Celebrate Kansas City Restaurant Week 2023–beginning Friday and running through January 2022!

Big Belly’s- New Restaurant in South Waldo

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Everyone likes to try a new restaurant…especially if it’s a small, locally owned place. And, most everyone likes Italian food!  So, bring your hungry belly to Waldo’s newest Italian restaurant, Big Belly’s at 8940 Wornall!

Owner Josh Drake has teamed up with chef Ken Viereck and Jessica Gattenby to create a friendly, casual, family oriented place, focusing on scratch cooking and a variety of meal options.  Josh and Ken have a food service background: Ken learned cooking from his parents and over the years, tweaked the recipes.  Josh has a catering company that’s nominated for Caterer of the Year from WedKC.  Josh looked at several locations for the restaurant, and settled on this spot after a friend who owns Social in Waldo recommended it. There was already a  kitchen in the back, and plenty of space for tables, a bar and parking.  “I know Waldo is a community of many types of people: families, blue collar workers, young professionals, older folks—and that’s the type of community I wanted to be in” Josh says.  “When I picture myself in 20 years, I think of LC’s Barbeque.  I went there once a week, and the owner was always at a table, doing paperwork, chatting with the regulars, greeting people as they walk in.  That’s what I want this place to be. I want this place to be affordable for families and also a nice spot for date night”.

Ken Viereck, Jessica Gattenby and Josh Drake

Big Belly’s has a large menu—you’ll find several types of pasta, salads, and entrees that include two sides with garlic bread!  The most popular items so far are the chicken piccata, chicken parmesan and rattlesnake pasta.  There’s also a wide selection of appetizers, mac n’ cheese, and sliders, available in 2 and 3 item portions with sides included.  If you are craving pizza, Big Belly’s has you covered with their flatbread pizzas.  Jessica makes all the desserts fresh every day; after two days they are marked down to 99 cents.  Daily specials include the popular lasagna (only available on Thursdays); kids eat free on Tuesday and a pasta discount on Wednesdays.  And if you are feeding a crowd—check out their family meals and catering menu for Chiefs games, birthday parties and other celebrations. 

Hours for Big Belly’s are Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-9pm and Sundays from 11am-8pm.  Stop in and fill up!