About a year ago on my radio show Door 2 Door with David Van Noy Jr. on Hot Talk 1510 I featured a series of shows outlining the future of downtown Kansas City and all the tenants that the Cordish Group were in talks with and the commitment from the huge developer and the city to bring BILLIONS of dollars worth of construction and development to the once blighted area. About the time the gentrification seemed inevitable to me I bagan to talk about it with local residents and business owners. I am not claiming that I am at all responsible for it...dont get me wrong. I just mean to say that it was a good topic of discussion then and now it is undeniable. EVERYONE is talking about it now and I cant say I blame them. The Kansas City Power & Light District or Power & Light District is a sho... 03/22/2008

Kansas City Power & Light District: Two Thumbs UpThe Kansas City Power & Light District gets a thumbs up from me and an another from by buddy.  We spent the day there yesterday hanging out in KC Live with all the festivities for the Big XII Tournament.  As you can see from the photo, there was not only a sold out Sprint Center but literally tens of thousands more came down to drink beer or sodas, hang out with friends and watch the game on the 12-15 foot television screen that you can see in the upper right hand corner of the photo.I have no idea on whether or not this will be a long term economic success.  I can tell you from a civic pride perspective that I felt like I was in a real city, again.  The whole atmosphere reminded me very much of Baltimore's Inner Harbor area. (Yes, I know... 03/15/2008

LARGE ESTATE, CONSIGNMENT & SCUBA AUCTION.Saturday March 22nd - 10:00am8253 Wornall Road; Kansas City, MO 64114Indoor Climate Controlled Facility - Bring The Whole Family! Custom Harley Davidson Motorcycle with Sturgis Package, Motorcycle Trailer, Buddy 125 Series Italia Scooter, Lowe Suncruiser Fish and Ski Boat with 115 hp Johnson Outboard, American Star 26 Foot 5th Wheel Camper, 1995 Dodge Ram 2500Brand New SCUBA Gear: Cressi, Cressi-Sub, Mcnett, Armour, Trident, Aqua Craft, Xcel, Spear Guns, Dive Bags, BCD's, Dive Knifes, Masks, Dive Computers, Dive Computer Watches, Dive Fins, Regulators, Wet Suits, Dive Gloves, Dive Boots, Consoles & More...Native American Artifacts, Hopi Woven Blankets, Navajo Sand Painting, Collectible Wood Eskimo Dolls, Southwest Clay Bowls, Vintage Mechanical ... 03/11/2008

New Page 1 According to an article by USA Today, the economy in Kansas City is actually considered in expansion! That is a far cry from what we have been hearing from a lot of the media. The information was gathered by Moody's Economy.com and is based on four factors: employment, industrial production, retail sales and income. In fact, only six states are facing a "recession" and most see it as linked to the housing market: "That's mainly because a marked contraction in housing is leading the overall economy down this time. Housing had been instrumental in boosting many regions, particularly the Southwest, in recent years. During the housing expansion, job growth in related industries flourished, and consumers tapped their growing home equity to buy everything from cars to couches. But... 03/10/2008

We here at Fine Finley Homes continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends.  Below you will find real estate statistics for Platte County for FebuaryNew homes on the market: 143Total homes Active on the market: 960Average Listing Price: $302,441Number of homes sold: 101Average Sales Price: $199,614Number of homes expiring:14Number of homes cancelled, withdrawn, or temporarily off the market: 34To find the value of your home with a free, over-the-net home eval, please visit: www.ScottSellsKC.comIf you would like a free list of homes for sale in this area/neighborhood, would like more information about Kansas City, or would like to be the first to know about hot new listings before other buyers do, then give me a call:Sc... 03/08/2008

Selling Your HomeSometimes, life just hands us the inevitable: just when everything seems right with your home, something happens and you have to sell your dwelling.  No matter what your reasons are for selling, remember that now is no time to dawdle, the process of preparing a home for sale can take a month or more. So, here's how to start:1. Take a Fresh Look at Your HomeYour home looks great to you, but a buyer wants to see it since he and his family will be living in it -- so take a fresh look at your dwelling. Hop in your car, drive around the block, and then scrutinize your home as a prospective buyer will see it for the first time. First, consider what's called "street appeal;" does it need washing or painting? Does the driveway need repair work? Is the landscaping in good shape?... 03/06/2008

Top 10 Tips to Successful Home BuyingTip #1: Research Is The Key To DiscoveryHome sellers won't call you with an offer to buy a maintenance-free home with a wonderful mortgage. You have to find the gems yourself! Only by reading available materials, talking to friends and experts, and spending time looking at different homes, schools, and neighborhoods will you end up with your American dream. Avoid the nightmares by learning how best to buy and maintain a home.Tip #2: Make A Plan And Get Pre-QualifiedEvery important decision needs to be clearly thought out. Developing a home buying plan can help you focus on the important factors and organize the entire process. You may even want to use a binder with sections on house hunting, home financing, service providers, etc. Loan pre-qualifying... 03/06/2008

Shermans Travel ranks Kansas City the #4 most underrated city in the United States.  As someone who was not raised in Kansas City, I can agree with that. Before moving to the Midwest, I (like many East coasters) really did not know how much Kansas City really had to offer.  Kansas City Real Estate 03/05/2008

The US News and world report compiled a list of "America's Most Miserable Airports" and this is one list where it is better to be at the bottom.  Fortunately Kansas City International was pretty close to the bottom.  It was the 3rd least miserable on the list of 47 major US airports.  For the frequent traveler, another good reason to call Kansas City home.Kansas City Real Estate 03/05/2008

As someone with personal ongoing experience in the Kansas City marketplace as both a Kansas City Realtor and Lender, this recent article distributed to the news media by McClatchy-Tribune  Information Services suggests that buyers and sellers look to Realtors who have forged strong relationships with ethical lenders. "Realtors take their responsibilities quite seriously and can provide valuable insight to the home buyer for just about every aspect of the transaction.  Each home purchase has things that make it distinctive from any other home purchase.  There are physical differences in each home as well as variations in the way the home has been kept.  But the most dramatic difference brought to each home sale is the buyer's qualification for financing." The article outlines the Three "... 02/28/2008

Kansas City Music Hall Schedule The Kansas City Music Hall is having some big name shows coming up! With all the buzz about the new Kansas City Power & Light District, this season would be the perfect time to catch a show. My wife already has her tickets for Rent (March 14-16) and the nearly sold-out Wicked (May 7- May 25), but they also announced their regular season shows and it's quite a line up! Season tickets range from $128 - $439. Tickets can be purchased through Tickmaster here or call the box office at (816) 513-5000 The Lion King: Oct. 2 through Nov. 9 Annie: Dec. 30-Jan. 4, 2009 Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy: Feb. 24-March 1, 2009 Phantom of the Opera: March 25-April 19, 2009 The Color Purple: April 28-May 3, 2009 Riverdance: May 19-24, 2009   Brad Papa RE/MAX Stateline 913-5... 02/27/2008

Kansas City 2007 Home Values Kansas City 2007 Home Values The Kansas City Star did an article a couple weeks ago about the 2007 Homes Values and on their website they have a great interactive map here that let's you click on a zip code and it will display the Average Sales Price of Existing Homes for 2003-2007. It's a really great tool because it demonstrates that in some zip codes, the housing market is still very active. For example, the results for area code 66062: 2003 - $174,342 2004 - $186,321 2005 - $217,705 2006 - $231,987 2007 - $249,611 Percentage change from 2006-2007: 7.6% Percentage change from 2003-2007: 43.2%     Brad Papa RE/MAX Stateline 913-526-4985 bradleypapa@remax.net www.PapasInTheHouse.com Come to Papa For All Your Real Estate Needs! 02/26/2008

New Page 1 New Page 1 Free Boulevard Brewery Tours The Boulevard Brewery located at 2501 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, MO known for making great beer, but many people might not now that they offer free tours of the facility, which begins with a movie about the history of the brewery and ends in the tasting room for free beer samples! This is a great activity for a leisurely Saturday or for entertaining out-of-town guests! Free public tours are available at these times: Thursdays at 3 p.m. Fridays at 1 p.m and 3 p.m. Saturdays at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The catch is, reservations are REQUIRED and they book up very fast. You used to have to call for reservations, but not there is a handy online form here that you can make your reservations. You need to book early as tours... 02/26/2008

Real Estate Investing Class at UMKCOnce again I will be teaching at UMKC on March 1 and the topic will be The Basics of Real Estate Investing.  If you are a neophyte trying to decide to whom you should listen to I would encourage you to come on out. You'll need to put in your reservation with UMKC's Communiversity.  Just follow the link or give them a call at 816.235.1448. As always I try to make it at least a little bit of fun.  We'll see you there! 02/20/2008

In his Feb. 14th, 2008 commentary, Dr. Lawrence Yun commented on the reality of the current state of the nationwide housing market. He states, that although the national media churns out article after article about how bad the housing market is, there are many markets which are not only seeing appreciation, but are red hot! He notes that while the big laterday boom markets such as Las Vegas, some coastal states where subprime loans predominated, Florida, Detroit and Sacramento are suffering serious value declines, other markets such as upstate New York, most of Texas, and Utah are increasing in value. His ultimate analysis draws a picture of economic prosperity where housing markets can't be contained in a bubble of fear forever.         "Many markets have solid fundamentals of very aff... 02/20/2008

Here is the January activity report in the Kansas City Real Estate market according to the Heartland MLS.This information is provided directly from our local MLS. Please feel free to check back often for the most accurate and updated information available in the Kansas City area for local real estate reports and statistics.For more free reports and Kansas City Real Estate visit http://www.scottsellskc.com/Newly Listed Homes - 197Sold - 73Average Sold Price - $229,000Cheers,Scott Finley 02/19/2008

Here is the January activity report in the Kansas City Real Estate market according to the Heartland MLS.This information is provided directly from our local MLS. Please feel free to check back often for the most accurate and updated information available in the Kansas City area for local real estate reports and statistics.For more free reports and Kansas City Real Estate visit http://www.scottsellskc.com/Newly Listed Homes - 197Sold - 73Average Sold Price - $229,000Cheers,Scott Finley  02/19/2008

Yesterdays KC Star described the 2007 real estate market as ugly. They spewed off a bunch of sales that showed some sellers taking a real beating on the sale of their home. The question I want to ask is this truly what is happening in our market? or is it more isolated? Perhaps there is a side of this story that you are not seeing or haven't thought about.By reading yesterdays article you would think that 50% of the homes in the area are in foreclosure and the other 50% have lost over 10% of their value. Let the truth be known that homes are selling and selling everyday and not everyone is losing money. The sellers who are losing money have generally bought in the last 2 years. If you don't believe that look at the 4 year percentage change listed in the Stars article 80 of the 96 zip co... 02/19/2008

New Page 1   I run as part of my regular workout, and I've been known to participate in a few 5K's around town, but my wife has set a goal for 2008 is to run in 6 races! She has chosen the annual St. Patrick's Day Run in Westport to be one of them. This is a very festive run with many individuals and groups dressed in green attire such as hats, wigs, scarf's and those wacky green shamrock sunglasses. And don't worry, it not on St. Patrick's Day, it's the Saturday before!   I have participated in this race before and it's actually a 4 mile run, not the regular 5K, so participants might need some extra training. Around 3,000 people participate and the course winds through Westport and in spots it can be a little hilly. You actually finish by running up the main street in Westport, so sav... 02/19/2008

There’s no hiding Kansas City’s historic Hyde Park Neighborhood, nor should there be, though occupants of the original namesake subdivision might think someone did just that! Having moved to the east of the earliest version, the present day Hyde Park community is bordered to the west by both Hyde and Gilliam Parks, stretching from 31st St. to 47th St., and from Troost Avenue to Gilliam Road. Built in an area that was once a stop for wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trail, the first homes were built there over a century ago in the 1890s. The community grew in desirability and prestige through World War II as the number and variety of the homes increased. Hyde Park features a diversity of architectural styles including Bungalows, Kansas City Shirtwaists, Victorians, Colonial Revivals, and ... 02/18/2008