Tag Archives: Brookside realtor

It’s Ice Cream Season–Stop by Brookside’s Newest Treat Shop!

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Did you make a career change due to the COVID 19 pandemic? Jessica and Alex Wood did—and Brookside is better off for it! Their new ice cream shop is called French Custard.

Alex and Jessica Wood, owners of French Custard

Pre pandemic, the Woods were living in Manhattan NYC; the couple had their own e- commerce clothing line, Discourse NYC.  Jessica says they always like to “make our own stuff: we bake our own bread, make our own pizza, we ferment stuff” so when COVID hit and they reassessed priorities, the pair moved to Kansas City (where they are both from) and decided to make their own ice cream. “It was a COVID project” Jessica explains, “we love French custard ice cream, which is very popular in New York. There are so many artisan ice cream shops there and we missed being able to walk to our favorite spot for a  treat”.  Alex’s grandmother found an old 1980s ice cream maker in her basement (complete with instructions on a video cassette!!) and they started experimenting.  They gave samples to friends, hosted several pop ups and based on the enthusiastic response, decided to open a storefront. 

There are two different styles of ice cream, Jessica explains.  The “Philadelphia style” is  most common in the US—this style does not use eggs and does use a lot of stabilizers for consistency.  Jessica and Alex prefer the French custard style, which uses only eggs, milk, cream, and sugar— no other additives.  You can really tell the difference too: French Custard tastes very natural, fresh, and clean—rich and smooth with that special homemade burst of flavor.  All of their ice cream is made in the back of the store and the flavors change often.  Right now their best selling scoop is Salted Caramel Pretzel; other flavors include  Brookside Butter Pecan, Fruity Pebbles, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Churro, Cookies and Cream and French Vanilla.  Alex and Jessica also have quite a few collaborations going on with other local businesses; Heirloom Bakery sells their ice cream during their Wednesday Summer happy hour and Bacaro Primo (Italian restaurant in the Crestwood Shops) features French Custard ice cream on their menu.

Alex and Jessica live in Brookside, within walking distance of the store.  “We are so excited to be open in Brookside; this is where we wanted to be.  We feel we have something very special to add to the flavor of Brookside” says Jessica.  “Everyone here is so very nice and helpful; French custard ice cream shops in NYC are very, very competitive.  Here, it’s a very friendly atmosphere”.

French Custard is currently open Tuesday/Wed/Thursday  from 2pm-9pm; Fridays from 2-10pm; Saturday noon-10pm and Sunday noon-9pm.  French Custard is located at 5905 Main St, along the Trolley Track Trail in the Morningside Shops.  Treat yourself soon!

Brookside Home Sales Report – April 2023

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Home prices aren’t rising as drastically as they were; however the number of units sold is way down. Why? Here’s one reason: homeowners do not want to give up locked in low interest rates for a more expensive home with much higher interest rates. That means less inventory for buyers. Let’s take a look at the numbers; I’m using the primary zip code of 64113 for this report:

April 2023april 2022
Median list price:$519,000$479,950
Median sales price:$516,000$500,000
No. of homes sold: 17 35
Days on market: 3 2

Prices are up just over 3% compared to one year ago, and most buyers are paying slightly under list price. Notice the number of units sold–50% fewer than April 2022. Lack of inventory and higher interest rates contribute to fewer homes selling. Now let’s look at year-to-date figures:

January-april 2023january-april 2022
Median list price:$550,000$499,000
Median sales price:$537,250$529,250
No. of homes sold: 62 84
Days on market: 7 3

So far home values are up 1.5% compared to 2022. Most homes are still going under contract quickly and yes, there are still some bidding wars. Currently there are 12 single family homes for sale in Brookside, with a median list price of $789,450 and 31 days on the market. Most of the houses are priced well over $500K, including 4 over $1,000,000.

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

Brookside Art Annual and Waldo Spring Fling Happen This Weekend

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The weather forecast looks good for this weekend–fortunately for two outdoor events you can check out! The biggie is the 37th Brookside Art Annual, at 63rd St and Brookside Plaza.

Booths open tomorrow, Friday May 5, at 5pm. Enjoy browsing through all sorts of local and regional art: painting, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, photography and a few pieces that will certainly make you ponder…what is it exactly?? In addition there are things for the kids to do: arts and crafts and face painting plus several food and snack options. The Art Annual continues on Saturday from 10am-9pm and Sunday 11am-5pm.

Also happening on Saturday is the 2nd Annual Waldo Spring Fling, at the NE corner of Gregory and Wornall. This is a smaller, growing event and family friendly; several local Waldo businesses will have booths set up plus food trucks for noshing.

You can easily enjoy one or both outdoor events this weekend; remember to drive slowly near these two areas and watch for extra pedestrians and tight parking on side streets. Thank you for supporting our local Brookside and Waldo businesses and events!

Brookside Home Sales Report-March 2023

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I have some interesting stats to report regarding Brookside single family home sales this month, as you will see in the charts below. The median sales price is up compared to last year; however it’s not higher than the median list price. Let’s take a look–I’m using the main Brookside zip code of 64113 for these numbers:

march 2023march 2022
Median list price:$657,000$481,000
Median sales price:$650,000$512,500
Days on market: 12 2
No. of homes sold: 16 20

Home values rose 26.8% compared to March 2022; note that buyers generally paid within 1% of the list price and many homes sat on the market a little longer (12 days compared to 2 days a year ago). Ten of the 16 homes that closed were priced over $500K; there were 4 million dollar plus sales. The highest was $1.45 million for the very contemporary house at 65th and State Line. Let’s take a look at year-to-date numbers:

jan-march 2023jan-march 2022
Median list price: $550,000 $500,000
Median sales price: $542,500 $535,000
Days on market: 19 4
No. of homes sold: 45 49

The numbers of homes sold is about the same; the bidding wars aren’t quite as strong this year as you can see with the median sales price being lower than the median list price. And some homes are sitting on the market longer. Currently there are 18 single family homes listed in Brookside, with a median sales price of $704,500 and 7 days on market. The median price is high because 1) six million dollar + homes are for sale and 2) only 5 of the 18 listings are priced under $500K.

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

Brookside Sip & Shop Today!

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Shoppers can’t get enough of Brookside! You may know about the fall Brookside Sip & Shop; due to it’s success, the Brookside Business Association added another event for Spring! And it looks like the weather will be pleasant for a leisurely stroll along 63rd St.

It’s happening tonight, March 30 from 5-7pm. Ditch the car and walk along 63rd St later today, stopping in the shops, taking advantage of special giveaways, deals and free drink samples! Make an evening of it and dine in one of the many restaurants in the area. Be sure to ask about any Sip & Shop specials! All are welcome.

Thank you for supporting our local Brookside merchants!

Brookside Home Sales Report-February 2023

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Brookside home sales last month were pretty consistent with a year ago; prices were up and a similar number of homes closed. Let’s look at the details; I’m using the main Brookside zip code of 64113 for these stats:

February 2023february 2022
Median list price:$650,000$550,350
Median sales price:$650,000$538,575
Days on market: 3 54
No. of homes sold: 13 16

Although the median sales price jumped way up, note that we had two million dollar plus sales last month, and so many homes in Brookside now are priced over $500K. The days on market were shorter; some houses sit on the market for weeks due to over-pricing, condition, etc. The lowest closed price last month was $265K and the highest was $1.5 million. Below are the year-to-date numbers:

Jan-Feb 2023Jan-Feb 2022
Median list price:$525,000$570,800
Median sales price:$530,000$550,000
Days on market: 43 46
No. of homes sold: 29 29

Although we have a lower median sales price compared to a year ago; many buyers are paying list price or above for homes. The same number of homes closed–interesting because in early 2022, interest rates were around 3%; today they are at least double that amount. Buyers are getting used to these rates and although it does affect what they can afford, they are just dealing with it.

Currently there are 13 homes for sale in Brookside, with a median price of $600K and 18 days on the market. Four of the 13 homes are over one million; over half the homes are priced over $500K.

(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.)

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!

Brookside Home Sales Report-November 2022

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Home sales are definitely slowing down in Brookside as we head towards the end of the year; however, prices are still rising–just not quite as much as earlier in 2022. Let’s take a look at single family home sales for last month in Brookside, using the main zip code of 64113 for the stats:

November 2022November 2021
Median list price:$475,000$425,000
Median sales price:$472,500$425,000
Days on market: 8 4
No. of homes sold: 19 31

The lowest closed price last month was $200K and the highest was $1,055,000–which was over the asking price. Fewer homes sold compared to November 2021 and the median price was just under list price. Here are the year-to-date figures:

Jan-Nov 2022Jan-Nov 2021
Median list price:$492,450$467,725
Median sales price:$500,000$475,000
Days on market: 3 3
No. of homes sold: 272 310

For the year, most homes have been selling over the asking price and go under contract in a very short amount of time. Sales have slowed–12% fewer homes have sold this year so far. There is still a shortage of updated homes priced under $350K in Brookside–those days may be gone forever! Currently there are 15 active listings, with a median list price of $565,000. Most of the homes are priced over $500K, with three homes over $1,000,000.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report-October 2022

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These things are true: sales of single family homes are slowing, and Brookside homes are generally defying the trend. Those sellers who have well maintained homes in a desirable location, and priced right–buyers are still out there, purchasing in Brookside! Let’s look at the numbers. I’m using the main Brookside zip code of 64113 for the report:

October 2022October 2021
Median list price:$584,475$485,000
Median sales price:$622,500$472,000
Days on market: 3 3
No. of homes sold: 18 27

Last month, of the 18 homes that closed, four homes were over $1,000,000 and 12 closed over $500K. That accounts for the higher median sales price-31% over October 2021! As you can see, most buyers paid over the list price. Houses continue to go under contract within a few days. . Here are the year-to-numbers:

Jan-Oct 2022Jan-Oct 2021
Median list price:$499,000$475,000
Median sales price:$505,500$480,525
Days on market: 3 3
No. of homes sold: 252 279

Comparing the YTD figures, Brookside home values are running 4.84% higher than last year even though less homes have sold. As interest rates have risen this year, some would-be sellers are sitting tight on their fixed low rates rather than have a new mortgage at a much higher price. Less inventory usually pushes prices up. Currently there are 19 homes for sale in Brookside, with a median list price of $525K and 38 days on the market. Four homes are priced over $1,000,000.

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