A Kansas City Real Estate Blog by Realtor, Sarah Snodgrass

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1. Columbine in bloom - thrives on east side of house, 2. Doggie with the Catnip - this low-maintenance perennial loves it here, 3. Tomato Plant - getting bigger every day, 4. Roses in full bloom

I do believe in downtown Kansas City and buying condos, but I think you have to be careful when buying and don’t expect a windfall if you decide to sell in a year or two. Remember, real estate is a long-term investment. This is an interesting time for Kansas City, not only is it a slower market, but we have a downtown revitalization going on with many new condo developments both new and old, and many still on the way. A staggering number of condos have been added to the KC market since January 1, 2008: 358 condos have been listed. During this same period of time, just 74 condos have gone under contract or sold. Bumping up the number of those just listed is The Reserve condo development which is the converted Federal Reserve Bank building downtown at 9th and Grand.

For this reason, I urge you to use a (good, knowledgeable) Realtor when you buy. We have very valuable resources to help you evaluate your situation and the market.

(This is info derived from the Heartland Regional MLS system, for the area of Kansas City, Missouri from Downtown to about 75th Street.)

Some clients of mine who are architects & builders with Framework Design, will be breaking ground after the winter thaw on a project in the Westside neigbhorhood at 17th and Jefferson. The image at left is the most recent rendering of the project. There will be two Row Homes correction: one living space and one apartment, and also retail space with parking. One interesting note, the architects of the project are using some reclaimed and salvaged materials for some of the exterior construction. For example, they found an old wood barn near Bonner Springs and purchased the wood which they intend to use on the 2nd floor exterior. It should look incredible and really fit into the neighborhood nicely. One of the Row Homes will be available for sale, and the retail space will be available for rent. Please feel free to contact me to learn more about this project or renting the retail space.

If you are looking for a scent to fill your home that is autumnal and seasonal, I have the candle for you: The Gingered Pumpkin candle from 5b & Co Candle Company in Brookside, Kansas City, Missouri. It is so perfect for the Fall, Thanksgiving and Halloween season. I love to take them to my open houses and to my listings before they have a showing. I think it gives the home a nice warm feeling, and there is nothing that kills a sale faster than a stinky house…

Another way to get your home smelling ready for company is to boil a concoction of your own - I always use some combination of orange peels, cinnamon, apples, any other spices such as clove or vanilla, and water on your stove. A lovely aroma like spiced apple pie will fill your home. This is a nice way to use your on-hand resources when you don’t have time to get out and buy something.

Thought my loyal readership would enjoy seeing a photo of my Halloween costume. I attended a costume party last weekend, and my husband and I dressed as our favorite band. Can you guess who it is?

Yes, we went as the gorgeous soft-rock duo of Hall & Oates. I’m Oates.

Found this article on a blog I like to read from a Realtor out of St. Paul.  So funny, and yet, so true! I think it might be called “spin”.

Saturday night should be awesome in downtown Kansas City. There will be people, energy, commerce and music! The Sprint Center will host its first big event - the sold-out Elton John concert. Also, nearby at Crossroads KC (the great new outdoor live music venue at 18th and Locust), the quite popular band Wilco will be playing. This should be one of the first times in a long time, that we actually have thousands of people downtown and not just because of a WalMart Convention… (hee, hee)

By the way - I’m not on board with this parking argument about the Sprint Center. I’m taking the bus downtown and so can you. It’s called “park and ride” ya’ll. If you want to park and walk two steps to your destination, then stay in the burbs and go to the movies. We’ll be having fun downtown!

Tony sure calls it like he sees it. I enjoyed reading this post from one of our most prolific KC bloggers.

I’m not too sad about this. I don’t live in the neighborhood, so it didn’t matter to me how high it was or anything like that. It’s just that there are so many condos for sale right now from the river market to brookside, that it was just one more project in a flooded market. I think they are wise to hold off until things level off a bit.

My favorite local KC food blog, Noodletown, gives love to one of our historic downtown neighborhoods, Columbus Park. There are a few listings for sale there right now… here are a some to browse! There are a couple details to be aware of about the neighborhood though… there is some a subsidized housing development, Guinotte Manor, nearby on the east side of the neighborhood which could affect values. Also, the mysterious construction planned for widening the lanes over the nearby Paseo Bridge could potentially swallow up some land in Columbus Park, or not. I wouldn’t be buying on the southeast side though, just in case.

1819 Baltimore is one of those loft buildings in the stylish crossroads neighbhorhood that I could actually see myself living in. There are currently three units for sale in the building.  Of course, the unit I would want to live in is over $600,000, but who’s counting. The building was originally built in 1940 and housed a linen and uniform manufacturing company, and was recently renovated into 19 loft units, and 4 roof-top penthouse units which are all new construction in an addition onto the building. The building is pet friendly, all the units I have seen have balconies, and there is ample parking with an underground parking garage and outdoor lot. Plus, the building is located in the center of all the action down in the crossroads.

As if working with me weren’t reason enough to use a Realtor, the Star published an article this weekend outlining an additional 12 reasons to use a Realtor to buy or sell your home.

VIEW ARTICLE!