Yesterday after my showing at 5147 Palmer I drove out to Raytown, MO to take a look at Project 76. Located in a quite subdivision only minutes from Highway 350 on a corner lot sits this magnificent Vizion property. Keep in mind while you watch this quick video that this is before the remodel. I will keep everyone posted on the progress of the rehab. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLAYSpjQT0E Project 76 Location: Raytown, MO 4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / 2 Car Garage / Finished Basement / Fireplace Estimated Time of Arrival: Late November Early December Estimated List Price: $160,000 Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous. Project 76 is an all brick spacious home located in a desirable area of Raytown on a corner lot in a very quite and upscale subdivision. Upon completion this property will feature slab g... 10/06/2008

MSN.com and Bankrate.com just released an article on "State-by-state closing costs". First time home buyers are sometimes overwhelmed when hit with closing costs. You will be happy to know that Missouri was ranked 54 and Kansas was ranked 55 out of 56 states/large cities in 2008 for having low closing costs. Average closing costs in 2008 for Missouri were at $2,758 and Kansas were at $2,669. That is great news if you are buying a KC home!!! You can read the full article at: http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Article_bankrate.aspx?cp-documentid=10659825 www.bankrate.com 10/05/2008

As some of you may remember the Housing and Economic Recovery Act signed earlier this year included a provision to give the states a combined total of roughly $4 billion to combat foreclosures. The state of Missouri received just over $42 million of this money and Kansas City is slated to receive $7 million of Missouri’s portion. The funds are expected to be available in the next 30 to 90 days and the jurisdictions will have 18 months to use the funds. While I would love to believe that Kansas City will be positively affected by this influx of money I do foresee a few problems. First, how does this help struggling homewners? It seems to me that if the city now has $7 million to buy up, renovate and then resell property they would benefit from having more foreclosures on the market. Wit... 10/04/2008

Project Brookside Location: Kansas City, MO (Brookside) 4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / Slab Granite Counters / Large Backyard Estimated Time of Arrival: Late November Early December Estimated List Price: $350,000 Its been more than a year since Vizion has done a high end luxury remodel. In fact the last time Vizion did a remodel like this it was also in the popular Brookside area. Rest assured this property will be the best in its price range an when it comes to quality this Vizion home will only be matched by homes in the $500K+ price range. Words like gorgeous will be used to describe this home but its beauty and uniqueness will best be summed up as breathtaking. As I walked through this house today and got a feel for the space I actually got goosebumps knowing that the Vizion crew was planni... 10/02/2008

If you have monitoring service at your home or are shopping for a provider, check this out!  This national alarm monitoring company provides great rates starting as low as $14.95/month.  I know many of us have alarm systems in our home and investment properties, but might not know you have a choice with monitoring!  All of us are trying to save money these days. This service is available nationwide and we are using it locally here in Kansas City with our investment homes, which can be seen at www.MetroREOSales.com.You can also call 1-877-902-5246 to talk with a live representative or visit Home Run Properties, Inc. now.  And, by the way. . .no long-term contracts.Paul Surles1-877-902-5246www.MyFirstResponder.comHome Run Properties, Inc. 10/01/2008

Any great investment requires planning ahead and a solidy strategy to maximize gains.  When these are missing, an investment can quickly go south, or in the best case, generate less than expected returns. Getting it all correct as an individual with no direction or experience is next to impossible.  As an investor with a self-directed IRA, one would want to have a team of experienced professionals to help achieve optimal results and provide maximum returns.  We at Home Run Properties, Inc. have have a team of people who fit that description perfectly. When a person decides to join our program and use a self-directed IRA, the first step is to convert his or her IRA into a self-directed IRA.  This does not require any difficult steps and any fees are minimal for the conversion/annual main... 09/29/2008

Google Page Rank continues to both frustrate and amaze me.  How do those algorithms work?  Just when I think I understand Google’s ranking system they throw a wrench in my understanding.  Over the weekend my page rank increased on four of my five websites.  My ActiveRain Home Page increased from a 0 to 2 page rank. My ActiveRain Blog increased from a 0 to 3 page rank. And both of my word press blogs most notably Justin of Vizionkc increased from a 0 to 5 page rank.  While all of these increases in page rank make me very happy I have no idea what I did or how I can replicate this success.  This is all the more frustrating since the site I was trying to increase in page rank (vizionkc.com) actually decreased in its ranking from a 1 to a 0. I understand that page rank may not play a large ... 09/28/2008

It’s Back Vizion’s 5147 Palmer Dr is now available for rent only $800 per month. This property was fully remodeled by Vizion in 07′ and has only been occupied by one tenant thus far. Here is a quick run down of the property. 3 Bedrooms / 1 Baths / One Car Garage / Full Unfinished Basement / Fenced Backyard. If your interested in renting this property go to vizionkc.com click “Apply Now” inside the Move box. Print out the application. Fill it out. Fax it in. Here’s a quick video tour enjoy! 09/27/2008

… Looks like Project Craig has legs….. anticipated buyer maybe in the mix. A couple, who do to timing, were not able to purchase Project Kenwood are now primed and possibly ready to purchase Project Craig. If indeed Craig sells before even hitting the open market this could potentially build up quite a bit of anticipation for Vizion’s next Project codenamed 76 According to planners on 76 this project could have as many as 5 bedrooms…and its in Raytown Schools. That alone is reason for hype. Combine that with Project Kenwood being on the market for only 7 days and Project Craig selling before even hitting the market, and that builds quite a bit of anticipation for Project 76…makes for an interesting Winter. …Updates on Project Rosedale Project Rosedale is scheduled to close tomorrow Sep... 09/25/2008

   I wrote previously about the Music Exchange about it being a Kansas City Icon and that it was now closed due to the untimely death of the owner. I mentioned that I'd gone with my daughter to the sale........ well it was on a PART of the sale.... Below is the notification of the next segment of the sale of memorabilia from The Music Exchange.    Presents... Historical Memorabilia AuctionFeaturing Items from "The Music Exchange" Auction Date:Saturday, September 27th at 10AM Public Exhibition:Saturday, September 27th at 8AM Auction Location:Sunflower Auction Gallery(Inside The Kansas City Gift Mart)6800 West 115th StreetOverland Park, KS 66211Phone: (913) 491-2930www.sunflowerauction.comgregg@sunflowerauction.com Click Here to View the Online Catalog (Proxibid) Click Here to View the Pr... 09/25/2008

When we talk with investors considering using their retirement accounts, we refer them to Equity Trust Company because of their high level of customer service and reasonable fees.  It might seem that a company with the level of their customer service would charge high fees, but not Equity Trust Company.  They are fees are very competitive and easy to understand.  Maybe the biggest difference from other companies is that ETC doesn't charge transaction processing fees.  Although these might seem rather low, for those who actively invest in new assets and move money around these fees add up quick. Many companies have different fees for the purchase and sale of an asset; while Equity Trust has the same fee for both activities: $0. The company also takes no check charges, document safekeepin... 09/25/2008

Things are developing faster than expected on the Grandview property acquisition. Today we walked thu the Grandview property (now code named Project Craig) with the contractor. This house is huge, tons of space, awesome cornet lot with a great lawn. Think Episode 8 of Nastiest to Nicest Remodels only double the size of the house. Here's a few stats on the house. Stay posted for details. 4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / Two Car Garage / Granite Counter Tops / Estimated List Price Mid $140k ETA Mid November. vizionkc.com -- Justin of Vizionkc 09/24/2008

Coins - Glassware Collectibles - Furniture Boats Saturday, September 27- 10:00AM 8253 Wornall Road; Kansas City, MO 64114Indoor Climate Controlled Facility - Bring The Whole Family! Glassware: Fenton, Imperial & Fire King Glass; Lalique & Waterford Crystal; McCoy, Hull & Haeger Pottery Estate Jewelry: Gold, Diamond, Men's & Lady's, Rings, Watches and More Coins & Paper Money: Gold, Silver, Copper, Carson City Morgan, Bust Half Dollar, Key Date Morgan and Standing Liberty Quarter, $10 Gold Certificate, Fractional Notes, Large Note Silver Certificates, Proof Sets, Mint Sets and More  Middle Eastern Jewelry & Artifacts: Authentic, Unusual and Antique Bedouin, Saudi & Northern African Items Boats: 2001 Tracker Tahoe Q5, 19ft Fiberglass Boat with Trailer190 HP 4.3 Liter Mercury Inboard/Outbo... 09/24/2008

When we talk with investors considering using their retirement accounts, we refer them to Equity Trust Company because of their high level of customer service and reasonable fees.  It might seem that a company with the level of their customer service would charge high fees, but not Equity Trust Company.  They are fees are very competitive and easy to understand.  Maybe the biggest difference from other companies is that ETC doesn't charge transaction processing fees.  Although these might seem rather low, for those who actively invest in new assets and move money around these fees add up quick. Many companies have different fees for the purchase and sale of an asset; while Equity Trust has the same fee for both activities: $0. The company also takes no check charges, document safekeepin... 09/24/2008

Once again The Housing Authority of Kansas City is proving it is a colossal, glittering jewel of incompetence! This is not the first time I've posted a blog about HAKC's incompetence. http://activerain.com/blogsview/227481/HAKC-Section-8-Housing In that blog I described what section-8 is and how the system works, I also outlined how simple it is to work with any other housing authority in the Kansas City Metro area; except HAKC. So here is the latest: A tenant calls HAKC for a "complaint inspection", this is pretty common, they call them instead of asking us to make a repair. We never get the opportunity to make the repairs before the inspector arrives. The inspector arrives on 8/21/2008; they only tell you the inspector will be there in a four hour time block, so you have to go there a... 09/23/2008

I just got off the phone with a lady who is looking to rent a 4 bedroom 2 bath house with a finished basement, 2 car garage and a backyard all for $700 per month.   Is it just me or is this lady looking for something that doesn’t exist?  Or at least something that doesn’t come along all that often…….except on Craigslist. I figure getting a call like this is the unintended result of having my phone number on hundreds of signs all over the city.  Only now I have a problem.  I document each and every person who calls.  I find out their phone numbers, names, price range they can afford, what they are looking for in a house and even where they want to be located.  Only a select few of the individuals who call in will qualify to rent a Vizion property but I know that the great majority of peo... 09/23/2008

Our next Vizion property on Rosedale in Kansas City, KS doesn’t close till this Friday September 26th.  Our most recent Vizion property on Kenwood was completed September 12th.  So for the last few weeks our crews for the most part have been waiting for us to close on Rosedale so that they can get to work on the rehab.  During this down time our head contractor while posting some items on Craigslist came across a website where you pay for contractor labor leads.  The cost of each lead is paid up front and is priced according to the labor intensity of the job.   For instance a job like installing a window would be $15 per lead.  But a job like remodeling a kitchen would be $60 per lead.    From the get go I was very skeptical about this service but was willing to give it a try. After all... 09/23/2008

The song writing team of Leiber and Stoller was responsible for some of the most popular songs of early rock n' roll, including Hound Dog as recorded by Elvis.  They were two white guys who wrote songs that were popular with, and usually recorded by, African Americans. Originally, such music that appealed to the African Americans was referred to as "race" music. Eventually, and fortunately, the industry came up with a new term -- rhythm and blues. The first hit for Leiber and Stoller ended up being one of the all time classics of rock n' roll. The song was originally released in 1952, named K.C. Lovin. It flopped. However an artist named Wilbert Harrison picked it up and it became a huge hit in 1959. It is amazing to me, but a good quality video of this little know artist, performing th... 09/23/2008

6212 E. 108th St is one of my favorite Vizion homes. This property has it all. 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, Finished basement, 2 car garage, awesome backyard. Great price only $1,250 per month. If your interested get on my website and apply this home will not be vacant for long. Showings on this property are slated to begin the second week of October. Here’s a Quick Video Tour. 09/23/2008

For Sale. Located in Kansas City.2000 Grand Prix SE 3.8, 3800 Series II 6 Cyl., 4 Door Car. Real sporty. Rides Great. Appearance is good. Has a small dent near the rear break light. Has a Broken Break Light Lense which I will replace before purchase. 140,000 light miles. Engine has no grease or oil sots.. We are asking $2500 OBO. Below Blue Book Pricing! Gregg Please email me your questions, interest and full contact info. I will get right back to you! I apologize for the photos taken at night.Gregg   09/22/2008