New Feature! Did You Know...

Thanks to the millions of apps and widgets out there, I have managed to build my iGoogle page to quite the source of useful, and useless, information.  Fortunately, some of the little tidbits that my eyes span daily actually make me stop and ponder.  So...in the spirit of good fun and entertainment...I thought I would start a new blog segment (never fear; it won't be a daily thing) and enlighten you to some of the wisdom the Real Estate market has to share.

Here we go...

Did you know...
...Homebuilders, mortgage bankers, real estate agents, and homebuyers do not recall the early 1980s fondly.  To reduce chronic inflation, the Federal Reserve dramatically raised interest rates causing severe economic recession in the USA.  The national unemployment rate peaked at 10.8%, the prime-lending rate hit a staggering 18.45%, and the mortgage interest rates averaged 16%.

Wow.

USD 232 Sees an Increase in Student Enrollment

According to official numbers released by USD 232, enrollment for the 2010-2011 school year increased by 174 students in grades K-12...a jump of 165 students at the secondary level and 9 at the elementary level.  Overall headcount jumped to a total of 6700 students.  Most believe the increase is due to continued growth in the district.  New programs exist at the high school levels now including more advanced placement courses, an expanded broadcast journalism program, and honors archealogy.  And with the slow increase in new home construction as well as the addition of new businesses, the district is sure to see more growth in the future.


School Total

Belmont Elementary (new): 445

Clear Creek Elem.: 585

Horizon Elem.: 453

Mize Elem.: 386

Prairie Ridge Elem.: 548

Riverview Elem.: 550

Starside Elem.: 451

Lexington Trails Middle: 325

Mill Creek Middle: 570

Monticello Trails Middle: 647

De Soto High School: 644

Mill Valley High School: 1,096

Total: 6,700

Kindergarten through 12th Grade Enrollment

(Up by 260 students over two years)

2010-11: 6,567 +174

2009-10: 6,393 + 86


Early Childhood through 12th Grade Enrollment

(Up by 274 students over two years)

2010-11: 6,700 +167

2009-10: 6,533 +107

Market Stats for Lakepointe in Shawnee, KS

Lakepointe has quite the pickings for houses right now if you're looking to live in Western Shawnee.  Lakepointe currently has 18 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $127,990 to $365,000, three to five bedrooms/2+ baths available.  In the past 90 days, 6 homes have sold...ranging from $169,000 to $318,000 with an average of only 66 days on market, which is great for this price range and time of year.  This is a great location and when the price is right, these homes will move.

Lakepointe is located in Western Shawnee, just off Johnson Drive and Monticello Road. This community is part of the Award Winning De Soto School District, has great highway access, and is close to restaurants and shopping.
To see any of the available homes in this neighborhood or any of the nearby communities in Shawnee, such as Crimson Ridge, Monticello Farms, Brittany Valley, Woodland Park, Brittany Heights, Grey Oaks, Woodsonia, Greens of Chapel Creek, Greenview Ridge, or Estates of Green View Ridge, email, text, or give us a call. As a resident of nearby Grey Oaks, Pickett Property Group is your Western Shawnee expert.

Things to Do in KC This Weekend: Plaza Art Fair & American Royal Parade

Nothing kicks off the Fall season in Kansas City better than cooler temps and these fun activities.  Take a look at what's happening in our area this weekend:

Plaza Art Fair


Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, MO

September 24 – 26

Cost: Free Admission

Details: Come see over 200 artists sharing their works,  experience live music on 3 stages, a Kids’ Art Workshop and lots of great family fun! Get more information here!



American Royal Parade

Downtown Kansas City

Saturday, September 25th

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Cost: Free

Details: Time for another American Royal in Kansas City!! As usual, the event kicks off with the parade! Get details, including parade route info here.

Today's First-Time Home Buyers

In today's market, more than 50% of buyers are first-time home buyers.  That's an amazing statistic considering where we've been and where we're headed (meaning the economy).  But, given the recent tax credit program and the all time lows in interest rates, who can blame them?

An independent study of over 2000 first-time homebuyers recently shed some light on this group of buyers.  Take a look:

• The median age is 28 years old...down from 32 just four years ago.
• The median home size is about 1600 square feet
• Location or neighborhood was the #1 "must have" for 36% of first-time home buyers
• 66% of sellers paid at least some of the buyer's closing costs
• 76% used their own savings for the down payment
• 25% had help from their family for the down payment

Having worked with several first-time home buyers, I can say that these statistics are pretty close to what I have seen in the area.  If you are looking to buy your first home...or second...give Pickett Property Group a call.  We'd love to help!

Kansas City, MO Ranks 7th Most Affordable Housing Market in US

Well, our friends at Coldwell Banker have released their Home Listing Report and ranked Kansas City, MO as the seventh most affordable housing market in the US.  Their report is based on average listing prices of four bedroom, two bathroom homes across the United States.

Number one in the nation?  Detroit, MI, with an average price of $68,007.

Rounding out the top 10?  Our very own Topeka, KS, coming in with an average of $116,343.

On the flip side, Overland Park ranked as the least affordable city in Kansas, with an average list price of just less than $231,000.

And the least affordable housing market in the nation?  You guessed it!  Newport Beach, CA...with an average list price of $1.8 million.

Free eBook: 7 Reasons Why Now is a Great Time to Buy a Home

With interest rates at all time lows and sellers looking to sell, this really is a great time to buy a home.  Whether you are a first-time home buyer, an investor, or even if you're considering a second home, don't let the less-than-glamorous media messages delay you from achieving your dream.  Download this FREE eBook:  7 Reasons Why Now is a Great Time to Buy a Home.  If you're like me, you'll love it:  quick, easy to read and includes simple charts and graphs to really make you think.  Once you're done, email, text us, or give us a call.  We're here to help you with that next step!

Just Reduced!! Immaculate West Plaza Bungalow only $145,000!!

A Must-See at $145,000!!!

This immaculate West Plaza bungalow is move-in ready, yet loaded with vintage charm.

This 2-bedroom home features wood floors, crown molding, a claw foot tub, high ceilings, designer colors, custom blinds and more!  Full basement and large pantry add tons of storage options and the back sun room makes a perfect office or breakfast nook.

This house also boasts a private backyard, alarm system, automatic garage door, dishwasher, central A/C, and new 200 amp electric panel.  Conveniently located within walking distance of The Country Club Plaza and Westwood Park.

Be sure to add this one to your list of must-sees!  For more information on this house or others in the Holly Garden, West Plaza, Westwood area, contact us at PickettPropertyGroup.com today!

Looking for a home? FHA Changes Coming in October

If you are currently looking for a home and plan on using an FHA loan, get a case number now as some new changes take effect on October 4, 2010.  See the hypothetical example below:

The bright side?  If you are looking at an FHA loan with a value of $250,000, the Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium is decreasing from 2.25% to 1%.  This will bring about a $3000+/- savings in closing costs!

The not-so-bright side?  If you borrow more than 95% of the value of the home, your monthly payment is going to go up.  For example, TODAY, a loan for $250,000 at 4.5% will give you a monthly payment of $1381.58 (principal+interest+PMI).  After October 4th, your monthly payment will be $1454.50.  The payment increase isn't huge, but it will affect those buyers trying to qualify for a larger loan amount.  On the flip side, if you borrow less than 95% of the value of the home, the payment will increase from $1381.58 to $1433.67 on the 4th.

In addition, borrowers with a credit score at or above 580 will be eligible for maximum financing.  Those between 500 and 579 will be limited to 90% LTV.  And those below 500 will not be eligible for FHA-insured mortgage financing.

This is just a brief summary of the new changes that will take effect.  For more info, speak to your mortgage lender and/or visit these HUD guidelines.

Market Stats for Grey Oaks in Shawnee, KS

Grey Oaks in Shawnee, KS has had a slow August, considering the number of listings out there. If you're looking to be a part of this great neighborhood though, there's still quite a few to choose from. Grey Oaks still has 12 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $270,000 to $399,950, four to five bedroom floorplans for the picking. For the month of August, only 2 homes have sold ($265,000 and $439,950) with an average days on market of 245 days.

Grey Oaks is located in Western Shawnee, just off K-7 Highway and Johnson Drive. It features a neighborhood park, community pool, walking trails, part of the Award Winning De Soto School District, great highway access, and close to restaurants and shopping.

***Don't let the construction on K-7 scare you!  Silverheel is now open and offers great access to the community! ***

To see any of the available homes in this neighborhood or any of the nearby communities in Shawnee, such as Crimson Ridge, Brittany Heights, Brittany Valley, Lakepointe, Woodland Park, Woodsonia, Monticello Farms, Greens of Chapel Creek, Greenview Ridge, or Estates of Green View Ridge, email, text, or give us a call. As a resident of Grey Oaks, Pickett Property Group is your Western Shawnee expert.

Woodsonia Market Stats in Shawnee, KS for August 2010

Woodsonia in Shawnee, KS had a quiet August, which is not surprising for a month surrounding back-to-school. If you're looking to be a part of this great neighborhood though, there's still quite a few to choose from. Woodsonia currently has 7 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $174,900 to $245,000, three to four bedrooms with 2-3 baths available. In the past 30 days, 1 home sold after only 22 days on the market!  Talk about the right condition/right price!

Woodsonia is located in Western Shawnee, just off K-7 Highway and Johnson Drive. It features a neighborhood park, community pool, part of the Award Winning De Soto School District, great highway access, and close to restaurants and shopping.

To see any of the available homes in this neighborhood or any of the nearby communities in Shawnee, such as Crimson Ridge, Brittany Heights, Brittany Valley, Lakepointe, Woodland Park, Grey Oaks, Monticello Farms, Greens of Chapel Creek, Greenview Ridge, or Estates of Green View Ridge, email, text, or give us a call. As a resident of nearby Grey Oaks, Pickett Property Group is your Western Shawnee expert.

Pricing Your Home to Sell in Today's Market

When it comes time to list your home, pricing is critical.  Especially in today's market, pricing can either bring you many showings but no offers, send you multiple offers from multiple buyers (which is ideal!), or it can put your home out of consideration all together (bad!!). 

In simple terms, houses that are priced well and in good condition sell.  Houses that aren't sit...and sit...and sit.

Before I take a listing, I make sure my clients understand this.  Every once in awhile though, I will have a client that wants to price their home at a number higher than I would recommend and I have to stop and have a very honest conversation with them.  Click on the link below to watch a video that explains exactly how a successful pricing strategy will make your house stand out from the crowd:

Why Some Houses Sit While Other Houses Sell

Still have questions?  Feel free to email, text, or give us a call...Pickett Property Group.

Redbox Hits One Billion Rentals!

Every once in awhile, I like to post a deal that I think will benefit my clients, readers, and anyone else that might be interested.  And today...who doesn't like movies?!!?!

Redbox...you know, the big red boxes in most McDonald's, grocery stores, and Walmarts that spit out movie rentals for around a buck...has hit a major milestone...one BILLION rentals!  To celebrate, they have kicked off their Thanks a Billion Promotion!  Everyone will get a free rental...and if you're lucky, other prizes too.

To get your free rental, you must first rent one movie as usual.  When the disc comes out, take a look at the DVD itself; there will be a code printed on it.  Then, simply enter the code on this screen and you'll get the code so you can rent the next one free!

Don't forget...Redbox also sends out a promo code good for one free rental the first Monday of every month to customers that have signed up to receive SMS text messages.  To set up your own account to start taking advantage of this offer, click here.

K-7 and Johnson Drive Interchange Project Update for September

Heads up, Western Shawnee residents!  Starting Monday, September 13th, K-7 will be down to one lane, going north and southbound.  This will start just north of Johnson Drive and go to just south of 47th street.  Both northbound and southbound K-7 will be placed directly next to each other on the existing southbound K-7 lanes.  All of this will allow construction on the new K-7 nterchange alignment to tie it into the existing K-7 alignment.

As expected, there will be delays around this area, so prepare yourselves accordingly.  For more information, check out the KS DOT site.

Learn Backyard Composting at the Johnson County Library in Lenexa

This year has been a year of experimentation for us.  My wife started her first square foot garden this Spring and at the same time, we set up our own compost bin.  Keep in mind, though, that neither one of us have "green thumbs"...let alone any knowledge about gardening or composting beyond what we have Googled.

Fresh out of the gates though, it's actually been pretty productive for us.  We've managed to dine on fresh green beans, strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers.  And as long as my wife doesn't see the inch worms and grasshoppers that like to hide here and there, she'll eat the cauliflower and broccoli too.  Not only are we teaching our sons and ourselves about the importance of growing and eating fresh veggies, we're also taking it a step further...literally...to the back corner of the yard...the compost bin.

Though it's not the fancy rolling kind, it's also not the chicken wire kind...just your basic black bin.  We toss in our garden cast offs...like the squash plants that rotted out for some reason...with a little bit of kitchen scraps, combined with lawn clippings and weeds, saw dust, and coffee grounds.  Mix it up a few times and we now have a small, but decent amount of compost available.  And now that the weather has cooled a couple degrees, we'll head back outside and spread some of our homemade compost in our flowerbeds and pots to give our landscaping a bit of nutrition.

Composting isn't hard...and once you get past the initial "fear", it's easy to maintain.  Lowe's has some great information about composting.  But if you happen to live in the Kansas City area, check out the FREE class on backyard composting to be held Sept. 16th at the Johnson County Library on 87th and Lackman in Lenexa.  Just in time too...the county commission is considering new regulations that would prohibit grass clippings and other yard waste from being deposited into the county landfill.

Debunking the 4% Home Sales Tax Myth

Some emails and reports are circulating the various media outlets announcing a 4% sales tax or transfer tax on real estate stemming from the new federal health care legislation.  I'm here to tell you that this information is FALSE.

Instead, what was included was a 3.8% Medicare tax for some high income households that have "net investment income".  Set to take effect January 1, 2013, this new tax applies to households with an Adjusted Gross Income of  more than $200,000 for individuals and more than $250,000 for couples.  When these limits are met, the new tax would only apply to any home sale gain realized in excess of the $250K/$500K existing primary home exclusion that pushes the filer's AGI over the $200K/$250K adjusted gross income limit.

Clear as mud, right?!  For more information, check out the NARs' Myth Busters Flyer.

Market Stats for Western Shawnee 66226

Western Shawnee, KS has a lot to offer as far as current homes for sale on the market.  Currently, there are 81 active homes for sale, ranging from $145,000-$700,000, three to five bedrooms available depending on the floorplan.  For the month of July alone, 20 homes sold, ranging in price from $165,000-$625,000.  The good news is that the average days on market was only 94, which is great for the price and the time of year.

To see any of the available homes in the Western Shawnee communities, such as Brittany Heights, Crimson Ridge, Crystal Park, Deer Ridge Estates, Deerfield Trace, Grey Oaks, Hillcrest Farms, Oakmont, Woodland Park, Woodsonia, and more, email, text, or give us a call!  As a resident of Grey Oaks, Pickett Property Group is your Western Shawnee expert.

Love to bike? Check out the Tour de Shawnee!

Tomorrow's forecast?  Sunny and mild in the morning...perfect for a bike ride!  And what's better than a little exercise and fresh air for yourself?  Benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at the same time, of course!

Tomorrow marks the 21st Annual Tour de Shawnee...a bike ride sponsored by the Shawnee Parks and Rec Department, Shawnee Hy-Vee, and the Santa Fe Cosmopolitan Club.  Starting and ending at Power Play Family Entertainment Center, you can choose from a 12 mile or 24 mile bike route.  Check in begins at 7am and the ride starts at 8am.  The entry fee of $25 will get you a t-shirt, breakfast, lunch, rest stop snacks and drinks, medical assistance, SAG vehicle support, and mobile bike repair.

It's not too late to register, so click here for more information!

Things to Do in KC this Weekend: Habitat for Humanity ReStore Drop-Off

If you are finishing up a remodel in your house or getting ready to list your rehab with me and happen to have extra building materials laying around, now you can put them to good use!

Heartland Habitat for Humanity's Johnson County ReStore Drop-Off is now available!  The 4th Saturday of every month (which if you don't have a calendar in front of you would be tomorrow), you can donate new and used building materials, hardware, fixtures, appliances, furniture and more at the Sam's Club on 135th Street in Overland Park, KS.

All donated items are taken to and sold at the HHfH ReStore and all profits go to further the Heartland Habitat's building projects in Wyandotte, Johnson, Leavenworth counties in Kansas and Clay and Platte counties in Missouri.  There is absolutely no cost to you for donating your items and they may even be tax-deductible.

For more information, check out Heartland Habitat ReStore.

Thinking About New Home Construction? Let Pickett Property Group Help!

Having sold new construction homes as well as existing homes for years now, I was surprised to learn that a couple of my clients, had they not talked to me, would have bought a new construction home without a Real Estate Agent.  Thinking that working without an agent would have saved them money, it actually could have cost them more.  Before you make such a large purchase, consider the benefit of having an experienced agent working on your behalf at no cost to you.  Here's a quick run-down of how we at Pickett Property Group can help:

From Western Shawnee to Olathe, Overland Park and more, the Kansas City area offers a great selection of home builders...Rodrock, Pulte, James III, True Builders, Duckworth, and J.S. Robinson to name a few. It's easy to wander into a new home model center to look...but before you know it, you've fallen in love with a floorplan. We offer information on the builder, neighborhood values, factors impacting prices, and more. We can also help negotiate the best deal for your money, review contract terms and facilitate the smoothest possible closing.

We Work for You!
There are several reputable builders in the Kansas City area, however the builder’s primary mission is to sell homes.  So they hire sales agents to respresent them, the builder. If you work directly with the builder’s salesperson, then who is looking out for your interests throughout the selection, negotiation, financing, inspection and closing processes? We will help you throughout the transaction at NO COST to you.

No Cost to you!


That's right!  Kansas City area builders pay all Real Estate commissions. You will not pay more if you work with an agent, and with the right agent (eh-hum!...ME!) you may actually pay less because of negotiation skills and relationships.

The Right Home

A Real Estate Agent is also a FREE resource who can suggest communities that you may not have considered before and can help make sure you are able to recoup your costs from floorplans and upgrades when it comes time to re-sell.
The Best Price

Going directly to a builder does not mean you will get the best home, the best deal, or the best advice. We will negotiate additional incentives that otherwise may not have been offered or show you a home in a better neighborhood for less money. Either way, we'll make sure you are getting the best deal, help you through the paperwork (contracts, lender arrangements, upgrades, etc), and make sure you get through closing with no surprises.
Avoid Pressure to use a Builder’s Lender

Many builders will offer incentives and closing costs assistance if you agree to use their lender, title company and/or other related service providers, especially now with the economy and the industry the way it is. This may or may not be a good deal for you. For example, the value of a 3% builder contribution toward closing costs can be offset by hidden fees or interest higher rates. We will offer several different service providers to help find the best fit for you.

Closing Process

We will also help facilitate the inspection, financing, title, home insurance, and closing process to ensure a smooth transaction.
So the next time you venture into a builder’s model center, tell the builder’s sales agent that you are working with Pickett Property Group at Keller Williams.  For more info on purchasing a your next home in the Kansas City metro area, call, text, or email Pickett Property Group today!