Brief Summary–Armour Hills Annual Homeowners Assn Mtg

Last night was the Armour Hills Annual Homeowners Assn meeting.  Happy to say, we had our best attendance–over 60 people!  I think this was due to some extra promotion and a little different format as well.

In the past year, Armour Hills  HOA has accomplished quite a bit:  new wind screens on the tennis courts, new picnic tables in the park, the pool was sandblasted and painted, there’s a new island and sign  just off Brookside Rd at 70th (landscaping coming in the spring next year), and we signed a contract for snow removal for the winter of 2010/2011.  Still, at last night’s meeting we wanted to hear more of what the homeowners would like to see the association do–what are the priorities?  So Gunner Hand broke up the attendees into small groups and we all spoke out about some possible improvements and concerns for the neighborhood. 

All four breakout groups would like to see better contact and cooperation with the City of Kansas City MO when reaching out for information, complaints, problems.  A number of residents would like to see a better public school option and expressed concerns about the ongoing upheaval at Southwest High.  Better codes enforcement was mentioned, along with a printed Armour Hills directory, appointment of block captains, park improvements and neighborhood clean-up/sustainability workshops.  The board will take all of these suggestions, narrow them down to the top 4 or 5 we feel we can tackle, and report back to the residents through the Clarion.

Our city council representative Jan Marcusson was in attendance–she actually joined one of the break out sessions and listened to comments from the group.  Mayoral candidates Deb Hermann, Jim Rowland and Mike Burke also came by.  Deb and Mike left early–Jim stayed almost to the end of the meeting.

We elected two new board members, Dan Newman and Mistie Costaker.  David Pucci was re-elected to the board and serves as treasurer.  Finally, it was almost unanimous vote that a small annual increase in dues was passed.

Armour Hills is the Brookside subdivision with the largest number of homes. Overall, we have a great neighborhood and a very active HOA with so many caring residents who love living here.  Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting in support of our HOA!

Thanks for reading my blog–your comments are appreciated!  Reach me at maryhutchison@prukc.com.

Armour Hills Home Sales Stats

Hey neighbors–here are home sales stats for August/September 2010 in Armour Hills:

9 homes sold, average price $203,983.

38 active homes for sale as of today, ranging in price from $145,000-$469,950.

In comparison, 10 homes sold in August/September 2009, average price of $236,643.

(information taken from Heartland MLS–deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

Lower average price reflects the constant amount of foreclosures in the area and sellers who keep lowering prices to move inventory.

There is still a lot of competition out there …if you are thinking of selling your home, my advice is to spend the next few months cleaning, painting, decluttering and making needed repairs…then put it on the market in February/March.

Thanks for reading my blog; you can reach me at mary.hutchison@prukc.com

Armour Hills Home Sales Statistics

It’s been a while since I posted home sales stats for Armour Hills in Brookside…so here we go:

As of today, there are 36 homes for sale, ranging in price from $134,900 to $469,950. Averages days on market for these homes is 81; average listing price is $234,800. 

Since May, 18 homes have sold in Armour Hills; the average price was $224,800.  Looking at these stats, final sales price for an Armour Hills listing is about $10K below asking..and this doesn’t include any seller paid closing costs or repairs.

As we get into the dog days of August and back to school hoopla, showings have slowed down.  There seem to be very few serious buyers out there right now.  There are buyers who  want to ‘look around and see what’s out there’, and there are the usual buyers who want to see everything available, expecting  to find the perfect house for a bargain price.

 Right now is such a great time to buy because of the low interest rates–with a good credit score and down payment, I’ve seen rates quoted at below 4.5%!

One day the housing market will start looking better…and the key to the jumpstart is JOBS.

Low Priced Duplex for Sale in Brookside

OK so I’ve been lax feeding the blog beast … a New Year’s resolution to do better!  Today I will do a little self promotion–and talk about my new duplex listing near St Peter’s.

This duplex is a great investment, particularly for a first time buyer.  Live on one side, and have the renter on the other side pay half your mortgage!  Each side features a living room, dining room, two bedrooms upstairs and a full bath.  The kitchen is original, but usable.  There are hardwood floors under the carpet.  Most of the windows have been replaced, the HVAC is newer, the garage is attached in the basement–and it’s not a steep driveway down to the garage–it’s a level entry.  Best of all, the current seller wants to stay on as a renter.  The vacant unit needs some updating: paint, a good cleaning and a usable stove.  Dedicate  a few hours of labor to fix it up and you’ll have a nice home in a good location:  620-622 E 63rd Terrace.  Best of all–the price is very reasonable–just $139,900!  Need some money for the fix up? There are loans that will lend you the money for a re-do with the mortgage. Below are a couple of pictures of the exterior–contact  me at 816 510 1262 or mary.hutchison@prukc.com for a personal tour!