Tag Archives: brookside blog

Annual Kristkindl Markt in Brookside This Weekend

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Don’t you enjoy all the annual holiday themed events that happen each year?  These are the friendly and festive happenings that never get tiresome:  driving past the Plaza and Crown Center light displays; seeing Santa at the mall; picking out a tree and stopping for hot chocolate on the way home. Am I getting too nostalgic??

marketThis weekend, Dec 2 and 3, 2016 is the 34th annual Kristkindl Markt at the Country Club Congregational Church in Armour Hills, 205 W 65th St.  This is a free, family centered event that draws big crowds to the neighborhood.  There’s a Biergarten with German food and live music; homemade cookies for sale, the ever-popular Gingerbread House making for kids and several vendors selling crafts and gifts. 

Hours are 5-9pm Friday and 10-7pm on Saturday.  The narrow streets around the church will be crowded with cars, pedestrians and traffic–best to park several blocks away and walk to the church.  Another Brookside holiday tradition–all are welcome!

Brookside Home Sales Stats – Oct 2016

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Hello neighbors!  Time to check Brookside home sales stats for October 2016.  As has been the situation all year, prices are above 2015.  Let’s check the numbers–for the Brookside zip code of 64113:

October 2016

Median List Price:     $340,000

Median Sales Price:   $332,475

Twenty eight homes sold; the highest sales price was $1 million and the lowest was $190,000. Median days on market:  27

October 2015

Median List Price:    $398,725

Median Sales Price    $386,500

Twenty eight homes sold.  Median sales price for Oct 2015 was higher because more of the $500K plus homes sold during the month last year.

Jan-Oct 2016 – 278 homes sold

Median List Price:     $358,350

Median Sales Price:  $353,500

Jan-Oct 2015 – 296 homes sold

Median List Price:     $331,250

Median Sales Price:   $325,000

Prices are up for the year–over 8%.  Fewer homes have sold, however there is still strong demand — that is one reason prices are rising.  Currently there are 37 active single family home listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113. Median list price is $720,000.  Twenty two of the homes for sale are priced over $500K; ten of those are over $1 million.

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

 

 

Brookside Holiday Season Kicks Off Tonight

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brookside-holiday

Brookside is ready to welcome all shoppers with the annual Brookside Holiday Season Opener tonight, Nov. 10 from 5-8pm.  Especially with the mild evening temperatures–this is a good time to get out and do some early shopping while supporting locally owned businesses!

Many Brookside merchants will be open tonight until 8pm. Several restaurants have food and drink specials; shops have special deals.  Worlds Window is collecting new and gently used coats, partnering with Rose Brooks Center.  As you stroll from shop to store, enjoy live music outside and sip free coffee and cocoa!

This event is for all ages, too.  The kids have fun at the special photo spots throughout the area.  

If you can’t make it tonight–the festive atmosphere and specials continue throughout the weekend.  The Brookside shops are located on W 63rd St, just east of Wornall Road.

Shop local in Brookside! 

 

Brookside Home Sales Report – Sept 2016

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Home sales in Brookside are still strong as we head into the fall season…and prices continue to rise.  Here is the single family home sales report for Brookside (zip code 64113) for September 2016, and comparisons to last year:

September  2016

Median list price:               $380,000

Median sales price:           $375,000

Average days on market:     44

Number of homes sold:        29

(Lowest sales price was $180,000; highest sales price was a cash purchase of $1,285,000).

You can see that sellers are getting very close to the asking price during contract negotiations.  Eleven of the homes that closed last month were at or above asking price.

September 2015

Median list price:                $375,000

Median sales price:            $362,500

Average days on  market:      34

Number of homes sold:          22

Compared to one year ago, more homes sold in September of 2016 and at a higher median price…a few more days on market.

Now let’s check year to date figures:

2016, January to September

Median list price:         $359,750

Median sales price:     $356,000

250 homes sold; average 35 days on market.

2015, January to September

Median list price:         $326,777

Median sales price:     $325,000

269 homes sold; average 38 days on market.     

Fewer homes have sold, pushing prices up due to a lack of inventory.  Brookside home values are up 9.5% YTD compared to 2015!

Currently there are 44 active single family listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113; just over half (25) are priced over $500,000.  The median list price is $637,000.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report- Aug 2016

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Time to check home sales stats in Brookside for August 2016.  Numbers show a drop in value compared to one year ago…but if you are a Brookside homeowner, you’ll like the year-to-date comparisons!

Here is the single family home sales report for Brookside (zip code 64113) for August 2016, and comparisons to last year:

August  2016

Median list price:               $328,900

Median sales price:           $322,000

Average days on market:     13

Number of homes sold:        30

(Lowest sales price was $225,000; highest sales price was $$835,000.)

The lower priced homes ($400K and less) sell faster and are in high demand.  See the low days on market figure (13)?  That means last month a home was under contract within two weeks of list date.  Higher priced homes, especially over $700K–tend to sit on the market longer.

August  2015

Median list price:                $382,000

Median sales price:            $363,750

Average days on  market:      27

Number of homes sold:          30

Higher median price one year ago…means more higher priced homes sold last August.

Now let’s check year to date figures:

2016, January to August

Median list price:         $359,500

Median sales price:     $353,000

221 homes sold; average 34 days on market.

2015, January to August

Median list price:         $325,000

Median sales price:     $325,000

246 homes sold; average 38 days on market

Brookside home values are up 8.6% YTD compared to 2015!

Currently there are 49 active single family listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113; about one half of those (23) are priced over $500,000.  The median list price is $489,950.

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

Arbor Villa Park in Brookside Features New Playground Equipment

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Thanks to the hard work and persistence of Tiffany Moore, the Armour Hills HOA President, Brookside kids now have brand new playground equipment at Arbor Villa Park!

Tiffany has been submitting requests for PIAC funding since 2012 for this project.  The money was committed last year, and construction started this Spring.

 

 

ah twoFeatures include a new arch swing, climber, spring rider, swings, and play structure on top of mounded rubberized ‘hills’ .

 

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All children are welcome to play in the park, located at Edgevale and Main St in the center of Armour Hills.  Now that school has begun, the kiddie pool adjacent to the play equipment is open on weekends through Labor Day.

Special thanks to the PIAC (Public Improvements Advisory Committee)  board and the City of Kansas City MO for completing this project for neighborhood children!

 

Brookside Home Prices Rise Over 12% This Year

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Home prices in Brookside….up, up UP!  When will it stop?  It is still a sellers’ market, as it has been all year.  Take a look at these numbers, my friends, and the comparison to last year. You will understand why you keep hearing stories of bidding wars for homes in our neighborhood.

Here are the single family home sales stats for Brookside (zip code 64113) for July 2016, and comparisons to last year:

July  2016

Median list price:               $339,950

Median sales price:           $345,000

Average days on market:     28

Number of homes sold:        26

(Lowest sales price was $178,000; highest sales price was $3.246 million, the highest so far this year.)

Note that the sales price was higher than the asking price.  Out of the 26 homes that closed, 14 sold at or over list price. Also, note that the number of homes is way down compared to July 2015 (usually it runs around 50 or so) — lack of inventory pushes prices up.

July  2015:

Median list price:                $325,000

Median sales price:            $319,750

Average days on  market:    36

Number of homes sold:        42

Now let’s check year to date figures:

2016, January to July    

Median list price:         $367,900

Median sales price:     $361,000

191 homes sold; average 39 days on market

2015, January to July

Median list price:         $325,000

Median sales price:     $320,000

216 homes sold; average 39 days on market      

Brookside home prices are up 6.31% compared to July 2015 and up 12.8% year to date.

Traditionally, demand slows in the second half of the year.  I’m not seeing that–when listings pop on the market priced between $200-$450K in Brookside, they are usually under contract in a day or two (if updated, well maintained and priced at market value).  It is the buyers that offer more than asking price if there is a bidding war.  Some of these homes are selling for $25,000 over the list price.  This is an interesting market for the appraisers!!

Currently there are 49 active single family listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113; most of those (30) are priced over $500,000.  The median price is $650,000. If you are looking in the $1 million+ price range–there are eleven to choose from!

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

Element Wellness Has Moved to Brookside East

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You’ve probably noticed the empty storefront at 6236 Main, the former home of Element. While driving along Main St in the pre-dawn hours, I would often see women practicing yoga through the floor to ceiling windows on the corner lot.   The business moved out at the end of April, and is now located in Brookside East at 601 E 63rd St.  

They are not quite settled in yet…the space is still a bit rough, but they are doing business. No more yoga studio here–“Kansas City’s only holistic and organic medical spa” (that statement from their website) is focusing on massage and waxing services, botox injections,  weight loss  programs and esthetician treatments.

sign

This building has undergone a complete facelift, courtesy of new owner Butch Rigby, who has purchased several buildings along this stretch of 63rd St.  In addition to Element, there is a pet service on the first floor, a recruiting service and  fine arts appraiser.  And it’s oh so easy to park here…under the building or on the surface lot. There is plenty of office space in the building, and rent is much less expensive than west of Oak on 63rd so watch for more businesses moving in.  The new Brookside 63 apartments should start leasing later this year.

Other new businesses along E 63rd include Golden and Pine, Brookside Gardens event space and Unbakery and Juicery.  Thank you, Butch Rigby, for helping to revive this part of Brookside!

Brookside East Welcomes Fox Sports & Activity Center

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Another business has opened in Brookside East..this one focused on the children growing up in our neighborhood. Fox Sports & Activity Center has this goal: to engage and enhance kids’ minds, bodies and spirit through holistic training.

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Caroline Fox, owner of Fox Sports & Activity Center

Owner Caroline Fox explains that holistic training is ‘the whole self’ – meaning her classes and camps focus not just on skills training, but also nutrition, health and wellness and the individual child. Here, it’s not about ‘winning’, but about developing the skills needed for the game and building self esteem. She and her staff offer sports – focused classes for kids up to age 11, teaching soccer, lacrosse, badminton, and volleyball. There are also enrichment activities for art, chess, bridge, painting and jewelry making and afternoon summer camps. Classes are  small, with a one to five adult-child ratio; additional classes are scheduled on request.

fox activeCaroline says she’s been an athlete since the age of four, and she played collegiate volleyball and softball. She taught student development classes for 15 years  before moving her family to Waldo to open the business. She is passionate about encouraging children to get involved with sports/fitness at an early age, as it’s been proven that when kids get regular exercise when young, they will continue to be active through their adult years.

Additional plans for the Center include Parents Night Out, Mom’s Day Out and other adult programs. And yes, Fox will host birthday parties with several different options and activities.

Fox Sports & Activity Center is located at 414 E 63rd St, phone is 816 895 8999. Another locally owned and operated business for the Brookside/Waldo area!

Brookside Farmers’ Market-Peaking Now!

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bside veggies

On Saturday I made a trip to the Brookside Farmers’ Market.  At the opening time of 8am, it was hot, sticky….and busy! 

Most of the booths offered fresh vegetables: lettuces, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, squash blossoms, cucumbers, kale, herbs, flowers, etc.  It all looked delicious and so fresh!  The only fruit I saw was peaches and berries.  There was one booth selling bison, beef, pork and duck eggs. There was a non-stop line in the Ibis Bakery booth. 

bside organic sign

The Brookside Farmers’ Market features vendors that travel less than 100 miles and offer “organic and non-GMO food” (a description of those terms are explained on the website).  Buying organic pushes prices up (a pint of blackberries was $6; a small bunch of carrots priced at $3). When you purchase at the market, you are speaking with and buying from directly from the folks who grow and raise what they sell.  Despite the higher pricing, these folks aren’t making the big bucks–it takes so much time, dedication and grit to grow sustainably, and then figuring in the travel costs, plus the whims of Mother Nature’s weather patterns. But these people love what they do; they are driven by passion and commitment.  Often your sale will be made by a youngster helping out her folks or a multi-tasking parent with an infant slung around his chest.

This Saturday, July 16, 2016, the market will feature live music from 9am-1pm; vendors start selling at 8am.  This is peak time for fresh, locally grown produce so plan a stop to the Brookside Farmers’ Market soon!

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