Oh what a year it was!  Far too many deaths due to the pandemic.  After reviewing where most of my new business originated last year--I realized it was due to COVID 19.To be clear, I would have much preferred  that the world lived through 2020 without the virus.  When our city shut down in mid March, I thought my business would shut down too.  The week before I had sold two homes to out of towners moving to Kansas City for jobs. I feared the deals would fall through.   When transportation between states was shaky, one of my pending contracts threatened to cancel, citing the risk of getting infected during the move.  Everything seemed to stop, while agents wondered if real estate would be classified as an "essential business". Three sellers decided to stay put instead of list their homes... 02/10/2021

You’ve probably heard that many of us are craving good old comfort food these days, as we change our patterns and habits due to the pandemic.  Little things you can look forward to—like trying a new eatery—can lift your spirits and provide a happy diversion to your day.  And especially as the cooler weather sets in, indulging in comfort food is a treat for yourself! Make plans to stop in and try Strip’s Chicken, a food truck parked at the southwest corner of 85th and Wornall, next to the Price Chopper. Owner Todd Johnson opened the original location of Strip’s four years ago at 1110 Sante Fe in Olathe.  Based on the success of that place, he started looking for another spot in Waldo.  Right now he’s operating out of the food truck; eventually he’ll open as a restaurant in the adjacent f... 10/01/2020

I am a little late in posting these stats...when every day is (almost) the same, my schedule isn't as rigid!  It's the same story in Waldo--lots of demand, not much inventory, buyers going over asking price to secure properties.  Here are the numbers: July 2020                                                                                              July 2019Median list price:      $199,950                                                         $234,000Median sales price:    $214,000                                                        $241,000No. of homes sold:         46                                                                      37Days on market:              2                                                                        3 Although the sales price is lower th... 09/08/2020

Demand for single family homes in the Waldo area is not slowing down...even with a pandemic going on! Prices keep rising; buyers often pay over list price for homes. Here are the stats for June, using the closed sales in the street boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th St:   June 2020 June 2019 Median list price: $230,000 $217,500 Median sales price: $244,000 $215,000 No. of homes sold: 43 40 Days on market: 2 7   Buyers are paying over list price; an average of 6% ! And as you can see, most homes are going under contract within 48 hours of hitting the market. WOW. Let's see what the year-to-date trend is:   Jan-June 2020 Jan-June 2019 Median list price: $222,500 $222,500 Median sales price: $228,200 $219,500 No. of homes sold: 167 176 Days on market: 5 10   YTD, Waldo ... 08/27/2020

Here in the dog days of summer...the selling and buying market is still very strong in Brookside!  Usually from mid August to mid September, there is a slow down as people take last minute vacations, get kids back in school, have a long Labor Day weekend.  But this year, new listings in the moderate price range are being snapped up almost immediately!  Here are the sales stats for single family homes in Brookside, using the zip code of 64113: July 2020                                                                                  July 2019Median list price:    $425,000                                                 $377,500Media sales price:     $425,000                                               $370,000No. of homes sold:       33                                                  ... 08/25/2020

Halfway through the year!  How are Brookside home sales doing? Well, with interest rates continuing to fall, it's very competative for buyers right now.  Well maintained, well priced updated homes sell  quickly.  Values are up compared to June 2019; year-to-date numbers are lower.  I'm checking the stats for the main Brookside zip code of 64113, single family homes: June 2020                                                                 June 2019Median list price:    $424,900                                  $369,000Median sales price:  $420,000                                 $370,000No. of homes sold:       27                                            31Days on market:           8                                              11Prices were up over 13% compared to last June, and in a... 08/15/2020

Brookside is a widely-known group of communities in Kansas City, Missouri and is regularly chosen as the best neighborhood in the region. It is home to some of the best museums, historic residences, shops, and dining places in the metro area.The Country Club District, where Brookside is located, is comprised of historic and affluent residential communities. It was conceived and designed by J.C. Nichols, a noted real estate developer. Made up of adjoining neighborhoods, featuring mostly of single-family English tudor, bungalow, colonial, shirtwaist and other style homes, the district was built in stages between 1906 and 1950. It is the largest master-planned community built by a developer in the United States. The Country Club District is home to the Country Club Plaza, the country’s fir... 07/09/2020

  During these warm, humid summer nights, it’s just too hot to cook.  It’s easy to make a light meal of cheese, fresh bread, salami and wine..does that sound tasty?   One of our new neighborhood shops is ready to help—Geo’s Cheese has opened at 221 E Gregory Blvd!  Owner Spencer Woodard is a wholesaler by trade, owning Geo’s Foods.  He’s been in the cheese business for fifteen years, was born and raise in Kansas City, and lives in Waldo.  Spencer says he’s always wanted to open a gourmet cheese place in Kansas City, and after looking at a few other locations, decided on this spot at the corner of McGee and Gregory.  “The word ‘cheese’ draws so many people” he explained.  “ I always thought Kansas City needed a cheese shop.  We love the neighborhood and being here, everyone is so support... 06/19/2020

Three months into the pandemic and home sales in Brookside and Waldo are strong...for those updated homes priced under $400K.  Still, values have slipped since last year.  Let's take a look at the specific numbers, using the main Brookside zip code of 64113: May 2020                                                                May 2019Median list price:     $368,000                              $424,900Median sales price:   $371,500                             $422,500No. of homes sold:      32                                           40Days on market:          4                                             22 Several of the homes that closed last month were at or above list price; five homes priced over $500K sold quickly.  Still, prices were a little lower and fewer homes sold--prob... 06/16/2020

I am SO glad to be back writing a blog about a new business in the Brookside/Waldo area!   There is another bike shop option in our neighborhood--offering electric bikes! Pedego Kansas City opened in mid March, in the space of the former Family Bicycles at 7335 Broadway.  This is the second dealership for local Brookside resident Dan Cain, who has another store in Columbia MO along the Katy Trail.   Pedego is the number one brand of electric bikes in America, according to Navigant Research.   When I stopped by the store recently, Dan explained that each bike is ordered, assembled and delivered to specifically fit its owner.  There are several designs:  cruisers, commuters, folding latch, fat tire, mountain and tandem--each style built to perform on a specific terrain. The shop also carr... 06/04/2020

Waldo home prices have been rising fast--will the pandemic slow down the market?  Prices in the Brookside/Waldo area have taken a dip, but I still see strong demand for homes in these areas.  Let's take a look at the numbers for Waldo, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th:April 2020                                                       April 2019Median list price:     $197,500                       $227,000Median sales price:    $208,000                    $217,750No. of homes sold:       26                                  32Days on market:           5                                    9 Home prices down about 4.5% compared to April of last year. However, note that sellers were getting over list price for their properties.  This may be due to bidding wars a... 06/01/2020

It's the last week of May 2020; have you noticed how much more daylight we have in the evening?  Many more people out walking and I often hear the bagpipe player here in Armour Hills.  We have a long summer ahead dealing with the coronavirus..but we persevere! Here are the home sales stats for Armour Hills, the largest subdivision in the Brookside area: April 2020                                                                   April 2019Median list price:    $340,000                                    $358,700Median sales price:   $336,500                                  $366,250No. of homes sold:      6                                                  10Days on market:        20                                                  2 Home prices were down 8% compared to the year prior.  ... 05/28/2020

Oh I am late posting these stats for Armour Hills!  When I'm not going to the office every day and working from home...easy to get distracted!!  In a couple of weeks I'll have home sales reports for April.  In the meantime....here's the information for Armour Hills in Brookside, for March 2020: March 2020                                                             March 2019Median list price:      $349,900                            Median list price:     $339,900Median sales price:   $337,500                            Median sales price:   $327,000No. of homes sold:      3                                         No. of homes sold:      7Days on market:         10                                       Days on market:         69So prices are up since last March, fewer homes sold in a sh... 05/01/2020

 As I drive around my neighborhood of Brookside in Kansas City MO, I'm thinking....just how long will these small, locally owned businesses be shut down?  There are plenty of places to park in front of the boutiques, the toy store, the barber, the gift shop.  I see folks walking in and out of our local coffee shop and the grocer; and stopping by for curbside pick up at a few restaurants.  But I know cafes and restaurants can't survive indefinately on  orders.  Part of the pleasures of having a coffee or meal is enjoying the slower pace of conversation with a friend, sipping the glass of wine and being waited on!  I feel it's going to be a very long time before neighbors and friends can lounge in a restaurant with a good meal and cup of joe. So how can I help?  Our family is ordering mea... 04/25/2020

As I reviewed these stats, I noticed home sales were lagging behind 2019 during the same period.  Normally, April through June is very strong for home purchases--with the pandemic going on, I think we will see a slowdown in the coming weeks.  For now, here's the single family home sales report for Brookside, using the zip code of 64113: March 2020                                                             March 2019Median list price:       $347,450                            $399,950Median sales price:    $338,750                            $380,000No. of homes sold:        15                                          29Days on market:            12                                         69 About half as many homes sold last month than March 2019, but sellers were getting within 2% of ... 04/15/2020

My apologies for posting this blog a little late...the entire country is not in the usual routine!  I'm going to keep posting home sales stats as usual, as I am curious how the pandemic will affect home buying and selling.   We'll see the effect within the next 60 - 90 days.  In the meantime, here are the February home sales stats for the Armour Hills subdivision in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City: February 2020                                                    February 2019Median list price:      $339,900                            $362,499Median sales price:   $332,000                            $341,438No. of homes sold:       3                                           4Days on market:           49                                        87 Although median sales price lowe... 04/06/2020

This is my first blog post in several days, and since then the Corona virus has taken over our everyday lives.  I plan to continue to post home sales stats; as far as reporting on new businesses and events in the Brookside/Waldo area--that news is on hold, since most of it right now consists of shops and restaurants shutting down.  I know our neighbors and residents will support our local businesses as much as possible as we get through this day to day.  Please patronize CurbsideKC !  Here are the February home sales stats for Brookside, using the zip code 64113 for stats: February 2020                                                  February 2019Median list price:       $359,975                        $374,999Median sales price:   $354,500                         $355,000No. of homes ... 03/19/2020

 Like most people, I love my neighborhood--Brookside, Kansas City MO. It's in my DNA to live here, as I grew up in St Louis, in a neighborhood very much like Brookside (called University City).  As a Realtor, I know how much buyers are also attracted to this area..and I'm excited to tell you why! Walkability is probably the biggest attraction for this area.  The heart of Brookside is at 63rd St and Brookside Road.  This is the center of the Brookside Shops--mostly locally owned, small storefronts featuring all kinds of services and restaurants.  Within a four block area you will find:  two grocery stores, a post office, pharmacy, toy/science store, an old fashioned general store, two banks, tennis courts, farmers market, two coffee shops, several restaurants, liquor store,  two women's ... 03/11/2020

There are already so many local small business owners in Waldo that I feature on this blog…and here’s another one:  Soap Refill Station, at 7441 Broadway, a few steps south of Waldo Pizza.  Soap Refill Station just opened late last month. The concept for this business is simple and timely:  bring your own container to the shop and refill with one of their natural soaps and cleaners.  The motto is “If you clean it, we have something eco-friendly to clean it with”.  Anne Dezort, who owns the shop with her boyfriend Adam McKay, explained that many other countries have a similar type of business, and they regularly used one while living in California.  Anne and Adam opened the first Soap Refill Station in Springfield, MO and it became very popular—people from Kansas City would drive to Spri... 03/06/2020

It's a new year and the buyers are out, searching for homes to purchase!  Inventory across the city was at a record low last month--less than two months' supply!  I expect Waldo will be another hot spot for buyers in 2020.   Below  are the stats for January 2020, and a comparison to last year. I'm using the Waldo boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th Street.  Year-to-date comparisons will resume next month. January 2020                                                             January 2019Median list price:     $205,000                                  $219,900Median sales price:     $197,500                              $206,100No. of homes sold:        17                                             21Days on market:           35                                      ... 02/27/2020