At Home in KC : The Real Estate Blog of Kansas City Realtor, Sarah Snodgrass

Trader Joe’s at the Landing???

sarahkc — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:09:42 +0000

Speaking of grocery stores, last night was my neighborhood association’s annual meeting with special guest Beth Gottstein, our 4th district city councilwoman. One of the most dramatic moments of her speech was when she said she was working to bring a Trader Joe’s Grocery store to the Landing - calling it her “dream project”. What! Of course everyone in the room ooh’d and aaah’d and clapped, but really- come on! This sounds about as likely as the Chiefs winning the Superbowl this year.

For those of you unfamiliar, the Landing is an old mall at the corner of 63rd and Troost that has been declining over the years. Currently it houses a big thrift store, a Harold Penner’s, a Glamourama, among others. Trader Joe’s is a trendy low cost, health conscious grocery store mainly found along the east and west coasts. It’s kind of like a poor-man’s Whole Foods. Of course I would like nothing more than to see a Trader Joe’s in Kansas City, and the Landing would be extremely convenient for me, but come on. That is so far-fetched and irresponsible for her to be spouting out at neighborhood meetings. If Trader Joe’s were to come to Kansas City, is that really the spot they would choose? No. And does Trader Joe’s even want to come to Kansas City? Probably also no. It’s great to have high aspirations for Kansas City, but I think Beth should have kept this “dream” to herself.

(Thanks to Malls of America Blog for that incredible image!)

Downtown Grocery Store coming soon

sarahkc — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:31:30 +0000

BlogKC reports that the downtown Cosentino’s grocery store has pushed back their opening date until January. Let’s hope we actually see that date - downtown needs it. Not only for those poor souls who must travel far and wide for their groceries, but to increase the legitimacy of downtown as a viable residential district. I hope and believe that once it opens, it will breathe some life into downtown and condo and residential sales will gradually pick up. We need it, sales are soft and slow now. There are currently 574 condos and townhomes for sale in the downtown area (crossroads, city market included), while only 183 have managed to be sold in the same area this year. That’s pretty ugly… And of course all this is not the fault of missing groceries. Obviously we have a huge inventory in a small area and we are in an economic downturn, but the store will help and that is something we need.

Kansas City’s Historic Garment District Museum

sarahkc — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:27:40 +0000

Lately I have been volunteering at the Historic Garment District Museum in downtown Kansas City. Not many people realize that we have such a museum, mainly because it is more of a guided tour and interest is so focused, but it is a fabulous glimpse into the history of our city. Tours are by appointment only, and for a $5 per person donation, you get to stroll through the museum seeing historical images of the district as well as original Kansas City made garments, then walk through a few of the major blocks of the district as well as a stop at the needle sculpture. Your knowledgeable guide is Ann Brownfield, who was a designer in the garment district back in the 1960’s. Tours last about an hour.

Pick of the Week - Urban Living in a Former Firehouse

sarahkc — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:19:20 +0000

There is a very unique home for sale downtown in the crossroads. Just a few years ago, it is possible that some would have felt that it was a bit on the outskirts of the main crossroads zone, but now it is right in the thick of it. With the addition of the sprint center, KC Star building, and the inevitable spread of the gallery district eastward- this building finds itself in a perfect spot - not too noisy, but within reach of all the fun stuff. But the location is just part of it, this is an incredible building. Built in 1885, it was one of our first firehouses downtown so the historical value is huge. It is all brick, and it is over 6000 square feet. The first floor can be (and is currently) used as an art gallery or some sort of retail space, with additional studio space and a garage. The second floor is a very large living area with a balcony. The finishes are all very nice and unique. Not so unique that they wouldn’t appeal to a large audience, just unique enough that they appeal to more people because it was done with love - not the generic finishes that are all too common these days. The building is listed at $900,000. Let me know if you have any questions or interest.

Local MLS Real Estate Statistics - Not so bad

sarahkc — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:40:04 +0000

Along with the usual low number of sales and slight drop in average sales price, we see a small glimmer of hope here. In Johnson County, sales prices are pretty much holding steady from last year, while new construction prices are slightly up. As for Jackson, the prices are down but the number of sales seems to be increasing. The entire metro area is still reporting fewer sales and slightly lower sales prices.

Johnson County, Kansas: Johnson County adjusted sales were down 6.59% from 2007 with 571 contracts for 2008 versus 611 in 2007. Sales prices for the month were down only 0.80% from last year. The average price in September was $245,725 versus $247,696 last year. Dissecting the numbers, we see that the average sales price of new construction was up this month by 3.9% at $387,152, and the resale price decreased 1.2%, to $220,856. Year to date, the Johnson County average price is under last year. The average 2008 price is $254,430, versus $261,062 last year, a 2.5% difference. Johnson County’s new listings were down again in September and continue to be lower month over month since last November. New listings decreased by 5.19% to 1,114 units. Inventory was down 3.13% from last year or 150 units, and down 76 units from last month.

Jackson County, MO: Jackson County sales were up for the month 6.48% from 2007. Units were at 772 versus 725 last year. The average sales price for the month was down 5.23% from last year, with an average price of $122,196. New listings in Jackson County were down 310 units to 1,434, down 17.78% from last September’s 1,744 units. Inventory dropped again, down 14.10% from last year and is running at 7,268 units. September inventory is down 308 units from last month.

Entire MLS area: For the month of September… Sales for the entire Heartland area were off for the month by only 1.3%, or 29 units. The average price was down 6.9%, averaging $159,812. For the year to date… Heartland sales were off 11.3% to 24,311 units. Average sale price fell 6.9% to $169,735.

Wallpaper Makes a Comeback with Cool Textures and Colors

sarahkc — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:54:37 +0000

I found the coolest shopping and decor website, Design Public, featuring modern designs and cool tactile textured wallpaper, like the one at left which is based on a Braille design. There are others, including a beadboard wallpaper which is very popular in bathrooms and kitchens in our older homes of Brookside and other older areas of Kansas City. These are an excellent solution for some of our more brittle or cracked plaster walls to hide natural imperfections that occur over time. The best thing about this wallpaper is that it is paintable so you can totally customize it to your decor.

A Profile of the Southmoreland Neighborhood

sarahkc — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:57:35 +0000

My friend and local blogger, Lucas, wrote an amusing feature story published in the Star Magazine on the Southmoreland neighborhood of Kansas City, where he resides. Lucas has a way with words, painting a kooky and vivid picture of what to expect in this neighborhood.

But down to real estate details… According to the Southmoreland Home Association website, the subdivision is located just north of the Nelson from about 39st-47th Streets on the north/south borders, and Gillham to Main on the east/west borders. The house above/left is currently for sale and is just a stone’s throw from the Kemper Museum, Nelson, and Art Institute. It is listed at $395,000. Currently, there are 6 homes and condos for sale (view all six) in that subdivision ranging in price from $152,000 to $1,050,000. Five residences have sold in the past year with an average sales price of $229,400.

This Weekend in KC

sarahkc — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:00:07 +0000

Lots happening around town…

This is the weekend of the American Royal BBQ. This is my favorite KC event - I’m so excited. Friday night is usually when the big parties go down, so be sure to hit it up then. If you can’t be there Friday night, it goes all weekend long Friday-Sunday so stop by anytime and chat with the teams. Be sure to grab a map though, it’s like a BBQ labyrinth only no David Bowie.

Urban Mining Homewares: You can always count on this local monthly flea market to score a cool retro treasure. Open all weekend.

First Fridays in the Crossroads - all the galleries are open late and have opening receptions for their newest installations.

Kansas City Fashion Week: I heard a rumor this was happening but I can’t find any information about it. Anyone out there know anything about this?

Go look at some condos to buy! Here are two awesome I have for sale - one is on the Plaza, and the other condo is just down the street the Power and Light District downtown at Wallstreet Towers and it is totally swanky and cool.

The Estates of Old Leawood

sarahkc — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:49:21 +0000

There is a new project in the pipeline for the beautiful older area of Leawood near 89th and Lee Boulevard. It is called The Estates of Old Leawood, and it consists of 23 planned homes being developed on a 17 acre piece of land. I love this area with the unique charming homes, the large lots and the winding streets and rolling hills. This project is quite a goal in this slow market and turbulent economy, especially since the homes are between 1.2 and 3 million, but I wish them luck. It sounds like a very cool project.

KCPT airs program on Foreclosures

sarahkc — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:17:30 +0000

KCPT is airing a program at 7pm tonight entitled “Foreclosed in Kansas City”, with host Nick Haines. Discussed will be the local effects of the housing and lending crisis, and there will be a panel of local real estate and foreclosure experts to offer their knowledge. Evidently there have been over 25,000 foreclosed homes in the Kansas City area since 2006. Wow, that number is shocking. Hopefully this program doesn’t just offer doom and gloom - I’d like to see some sort of ray of hope here…