A Kansas City Real Estate Blog by Realtor, Sarah Snodgrass

If you are buying a home in Missouri in 2010, listen up. You could be eligible to receive up to $1750 as a home buying incentive. The Home Ownership Purchase Enhancement, or HOPE program, is being offered by the Missouri Housing Development Commission for a limited time (until the 15 million allocated runs out). Here are the details according to their website:

MHDC is allocating $15 million towards the HOPE program. Qualified Missouri families that purchase a home in 2010 are eligible for a HOPE incentive equaling the amount of the 2009 real estate tax bill associated with the property they purchased, up to a maximum of $1,250. Additionally, homebuyers who are approved for the real estate property tax HOPE incentive may also be eligible to receive an additional amount if they bought a qualified, newly-constructed, energy-efficient home or bought an existing home and remodeled or purchased items such as Energy Star® appliances to make the home more energy efficient. The maximum combined total of the HOPE property tax incentive and the HOPE energy-efficiency incentive is $1,750.

Learn all about it on their website; I found the FAQ page very informative. Feel free to contact me with questions – and a word to the wise – don’t delay once you close on your home. This money will run out so get your applications in as soon as possible.

My Pick of the Week is a home in Fonticello Gardens, a subdivision located off 69th Street, just west of Roe Ave in Prairie Village. What an incredible little jewel in Prairie Village and greater Kansas City. While colonial style homes abound, there is nothing quite like this authentic cluster of brick colonials. It appears the development began in 1956 and the architect may have been a woman by the name of Garland T. Bowers, though I cannot find any record of her. My pick of the week is a spacious, traditional, well-built home, and, though it is not brand new, I think its size and features would please many new-home buyers as well as those looking for the quality and charm of years past. This one will be gone before we know it.

My boss made this chart – I’m sorry it reads kinda backwards. As you can see, there was a big dip in showings over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Once the new year hit, showings began to creep back up again. I’m sure the storm we are expecting today will slow us down again briefly, but I know there are many people out there who want to buy and sell so I don’t expect it to stay down for long.

As to my 2010 real estate predictions… Of course they mean nothing especially with all the extraneous factors that could affect the world, the city and the economy – but here goes. I think what everyone else probably thinks, which is that sales will be strong from now until the end of summer and then will taper off sharply. With the tax credit for both first time home buyers and repeat buyers in effect until April 30 (June 30 to close), people are anxious to get into the market now but once that ends I expect sales to decline. If only the weather would cooperate so people can get their homes ready to sell and buyers could get out there – I’d hate for folks to miss out on the whole month of January because that April 30 deadline will be here before we know it.

I expect interest rates to gradually raise and end the year higher than where we started. Already we are higher than where we ended 2009, though still very low at about 5.1%.

There is a new website on the scene in Kansas City that you need to take seriously. Many come and go, but this one is for real. Real writers, real photographers, video, photos, relationships with local bloggers, in-depth journalism, local flavor, lifestyle, food, full listings of local spots, and finally a legit events calendar for KC (similar to the exceptional Lawrence.com calendar of events). Also notable is the top-notch design and layout. This site is easy to use and read. KCFreePress.com

New mid-century ranch listing in Prairie Village with a cool contemporary look. Check out the photos and listing page. Nice kitchen renovation with an updated look, while remaining harmonious with its architectural style.

(This property is listed in the local Heartland Multiple Listing Service; Listing Company: Reece and Nichols Country Club Plaza; Listing Agent: Sandy Murphy)

Below are two graphs reflecting the number of sales by area, by month, over the last four years. I made them this way because I wanted to see trends which would indicate the best time to list a home. Here are my thoughts:

• Peak sales are in about June.
• Sales start picking up in March, which means you would want to have your house listed in early February. (it takes 30-60 days to go from contract to closing)
• People are ALWAYS buying homes so there is nothing wrong with selling in January. But the more people buying, the more chances you have of selling your home.
• 2009 seems to be a bit unique from the other years… I attribute this to the first-time home buyer tax credit that was set to expire November 30. I think it gave a boost to the second half of this year. (Congress has just extended and expanded this tax credit through April 2010).

Many friends and readers who knew and read about my recent kitchen renovation have requested that I share photos of the finished product. I have been delaying because it isn’t quite finished; however, the realization has set in that it will take time to find the perfect fabric for curtains and just the right artwork to adorn my walls so I have given in. Most people think I am crazy to paint my kitchen pink (especially my friends in the real estate business), but I don’t care. I love it – I think it is happy and whimsical, and I love the 1950’s retro look. If only I could snap my fingers and magically transform my mismatched appliances into the Big Chill retro appliances to match my retro look. Oh well, everything works and that is what is important.

It was a great day for Chiefs fans yesterday at Arrowhead with a much-needed win against the Steelers. When they pulled out the win in overtime, the fans went absolutely berserk. It was a fun game and a spunky crowd. I very rarely go to Chiefs games, but when I do I have a great time viewing the local flavor. Check out my photo editorial below from yesterday’s game. (don’t miss the guy doing the box-wine-pouch shot)

We had some lively discussion on the fate, design, and appreciation of the Meyer West Condominiums in my recent blog entry. Coincidentally, as I was checking the new listings in our local MLS system this week I saw that the retail space on the street level of the Meyer West Condominium building is for sale. I believe it is a 2397 square foot space (per MLS) set up to be a salon and coffee shop/restaurant, currently listed at $280,000. VIEW PROPERTY LISTING (listed by David A. Cox with Century 21 All Pro)

Below is an image from the Missouri Valley Special Collections of the Kansas City Missouri Public Library’s online catalog. This was taken in 1960 at the corner of Brookside Boulevard and Meyer looking southeast toward the Meyer West Condo building. Check out the fins on those old Chevys!

Image Credit: Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Missouri.

Check out my new Dash & Albert rug from Stuff in Brookside. This is a high quality rug company with interesting designs and colors, and they come with a modest price tag which can be challenging to find with rugs. They come in all shapes, sizes, material (wool$$$ and cotton$), and colors. I was feeling really frustrated shopping for a back-door rug for my newly pink kitchen, but they had the perfect woven cotton rug for me in a pink and aqua striped pattern. Chester models his new rug below…

While most condos and lofts are concentrated around the plaza and downtown areas, Brookside has two condominium developments, the Meyer West Condominiums and the Crestwood Condominiums. Today I viewed a condo in the Meyer West building in the heart of Brookside at the intersection of Meyer and Brookside Blvd. They are fairly nondescript inside, however the outside is anything but. The large, blue 1950’s modern high-rise building is positioned amongst the picturesque backdrop of tudors, brick and earth-toned homes – none rising more than 2 stories in height. Despite the incongruous mixture of architectural styles, I like Meyer West Condos and I have chosen to feature it as my pick of the week. Below are some photos I took there today.

KC Skyscraper

Sunny interiors

Entrance on Meyer Blvd

The before and after pictures below are from a home I recently sold in Leawood. It was a newer home, but my clients wanted a sleek, more modern look so they had the cabinetry stained. I think it turned out fantastic. This is such an easy and cheap way of completely changing the look of your kitchen, baths, staircase… Anywhere that has an outdated stain color or with paint that needs updating. This work was completed by State of the Art painting, Beverly Tovar, (913) 238-9170.

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER