Home Buyer Tips: Low Down Payment

Good news!!  If you are a first-time homebuyer, you may not need a 20% down payment.  According to a recent survey, nearly 75% of first time buyers only put down 3.5% or less.  Of course, with interest rates still low, now is a great time to buy!  Contact your mortgage professional for your situation; then give us a call to help get you started.   Check out this video for more info:

February 2011 Market Snapshot

Though we are only 2 months into the new year, signs are peeking everywhere that consumers are feeling better: an increase in the food & services industry indicate we're eating out more, vacations are on the rise due to an 8% increase in the travel industry, and believe it or not, household net worths are increasing thanks to a strong stock market and the focus on shrinking personal debt.  What does this mean for the housing industry?  For now, buyers can benefit from historically favorable buying conditions and sellers can enjoy increased stability in the market.

We are still seeing an upward trend in existing home sales activity.  Though sales remained 2.9% below the level seen last year, this trend is a welcoming sign.

Home prices softened in December, down 1% from the year before, but mostly due to the number of distressed properties, which accounted for 36% of sales for that month.  However prices continue to hold steady and mortgage rates remain historically low, offering favorable buying opportunities.

Keep in mind...as the ecomonic recovery stays the course, rates are expected to rise to keep inflation in check.  So if you are looking to buy, don't wait!  Now really is the time to take advantage of the market.  Give us a call or email to schedule your appointment today.

Market Stats for Lakepointe in Shawnee, KS

Lakepointe has several homes available right now if you're looking to live in Western Shawnee. Lakepointe currently has 8 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $189,950 to $299,000, four to five bedrooms/2+ baths available. In the past 60 days, 3 homes have sold, with an average sale price of $244,333 and about 67 days on market. 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.

Why Now is a Great Time to Sell Your Home

Some interesting statistics out now explain it best....Don't wait until Spring!  NOW really is the time to sell your home.  For starters, 89% of all homebuyers start their search on the internet and catering to those buyers will give you a jump on those sellers waiting until Spring.  When there are fewer houses on the market, those that are priced right and staged well will stand out even more.  On average, it takes about 12 weeks to sell a home, so those listed right now are in a better position to market to buyers looking to buy now and close in the Spring.  Check out the video below for more information:

Snow and ice can be dangerous to your home

As I sit here witnessing a blizzard outside my window, it's only appropriate that I bring up how this type of weather can wreak havoc on your home as well.  Let's be honest, streets and sidewalks aren't the only areas that become dangerous when there's snow and ice.

According to many roofing experts, snow, ice, and strong winds could cause roofs to fail and collapse....think Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN this past December.  But this could happen to residential homes as well.

Approximately 16 inches of snow equals about 20 extra pounds of weight per square foot.  But if there's a layer of ice underneath, there's even more weight.

Growing up with winters in Minnesota as a child, I remember my dad climbing on top of the roof to shovel off snow and chip away at any ice in the gutters.  HOWEVER, I do NOT recommend any homeowners try getting rid of it themselves.  You'll just be adding even more weight to an already weighty issue and if the snow starts to slide, so will you!  Call a professional if you hear any cracking or see any leaking in your home.  They will have the right ladders, tools, and know-how.  If you must do it yourself, invest in a roof rake.  When used correctly, it's safe for your house and won't scratch your asphalt.

A Must See!! 3 Bedroom Ranch in Overland Park only $130,000!

Perfect 3 Bedroom Ranch only $130,000!!!

Bedrooms:	3	Bathrooms:	1
Home Size:	912 sq.ft.	Garage:	1
Lot Size:	9,202 sq.ft.	Community:	Maple Crest
County:	Johnson	Property Type:	Single Family Detached
Year Built:	1953	MLS Number:	1704148
Property Description
Here's your next home. Well cared for Overland Park Ranch with a large eat-in Kitchen, big bonus mud room/laundry room, and huge back yard and deck for entertaining or relaxing with family and friends. Just a block from Sante Fe Trails Elementary ... GREAT location. Call us to take a look or find out when the next Open House is.  All measurements are approximate. Check out the neighborhood here: View Larger Map Call 24hrs to 913/787-1870 for more details on this or any other property in the area.  Schedule your showing today! Visit www.PickettPropertyGroup.com for more info and helpful FREE BUYER INFO.

Market Stats for Woodsonia in Shawnee, KS

If you're looking to be a part of this great neighborhood , there are a few to choose from. Woodsonia currently has 6 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $169,900 to $235,000, three to five bedrooms available. In the past 60 days, only two homes have sold, from $154,000 to $218,000, with an average cummulative days on market of 85.

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.

Market Stats for Clear Creek in Shawnee, KS

Here is a community market snapshot of Clear Creek Community in Shawnee, KS.  Clear Creek currently has 4 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $229,900 to $310,000, four bedrooms available. In the past 60 days alone, 4 homes have sold with an average days on market of 63 days, which is great for this price point.


Clear Creek is located in Western Shawnee, just off Shawnee Mission Parkway and Johnson Drive. 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, Brittany Heights, Brittany Valley, Lakepointe, Woodland Park, 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.

Market Stats for Lakepointe in Shawnee, KS

Lakepointe has quite a few homes available right now if you're looking to live in Western Shawnee. Lakepointe currently has 7 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $189,950 to $350,000, four to five bedrooms/2+ baths available. In the past 60 days, 6 homes have sold...ranging from $173,000 to $292,859 with an average of only 102 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: Last Call...Plaza Lights!

It's that time of year again!  The Plaza lights will be turned off Sunday to officially signal the end of another holiday season.  Head down there this weekend and take in their beauty one last time...at least until November 2011, when you can see them come on all over again!

1 Minute Housing Market-January 2011

Take 1 minute to update yourself on what is happening in your housing world.  This month's eNewsletter is filled with local and national real estate sales and price activity provided by MLSs and the National Association of Realtors, U.S. Census Bureau key market indicators, consumer videos, blogs, real estate glossary, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, and REALTOR.com local community reports.

To see your 1 Minute Housing Market eNewsletter, click here.

Market Stats for Woodland Park in Shawnee, KS

Woodland Park has a few available homes to choose from if you're looking for something in Western Shawnee. Woodland Park currently has 3 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $175,000 to $189,950, three bedrooms available. The average days on market for this community has been 109 days so far. However, nothing has sold here in the past 120 days.  This is a great location and when the price and timing is right, these homes will move.

View Larger Map

Woodland Park is located in Western Shawnee, just off Shawnee Mission Parkway 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, Lakepointe, 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!

Market Stats for Grey Oaks in Shawnee, KS

As this time of year typically dictates, Grey Oaks in Shawnee, KS was pretty quite in terms of real estate activity over the holidays. If you're looking to be a part of this great neighborhood, there's a few resales to choose from, in addition to the new lots that are available in the next phase. Grey Oaks currently has 17 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $265,000 to $485,000, four to five bedroom floorplans, with average cumulative days on market at 219 so far. In the past 60 days, only 1 home has sold and 1 home pending.


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.

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.

You're Approved, Now What?!...Follow These Rules!

I wrote about this subject a few months back, but feel it's important enough to revisit....so much so, that I'm re-posting the whole article and not just the link.  These rules are applicable for being able to obtain approval for a home loan, but are even more important once you have that hot "you're approved" letter in your hands. 

Getting approved for a home loan can be a nail-biting experience for some people. There's the whole uncertainty of the entire process, the waiting, and the overall anxiety that comes from getting approved for a home loan. However, below are some simple ways to calm your nerves and ease your fears regarding the process:

1. Pay Everything on Time! Even though this sounds pretty obvious, many borrowers will get so wrapped up in their every day lives that they will forget to pay a bill. A recent late pay on your credit report could increase the interest rate quoted for the home loan or worse...jeopardize your chances of getting the loan altogether. To avoid late pays, send yourself online reminders via your bank or internet calendar, write it down in your Day Planner, or post a sticky note on the bathroom mirror. Whatever way you choose to be organized, pay those bills.

2. Don't Pay Ahead. It's not necessary to have all your debts paid in full when you are ready to start the loan process. In some ways, having some debt with a good payment history can be stronger. There are some underwriting systems that will allow higher debt to income ratios, depending on the status of everything else in your file. Your mortgage planner can guide you here.

3. Save, Save, Save. However...should there be a debt that the underwriter wants to have paid off, having cash on hand will allow you to do that comfortably without jeopardizing yourself financially in other areas. In addition, just having the savings in general can be a positive factor in the loan approval process.

4. Do NOT Obtain New Debt! I know this one also sounds like a no-brainer, but there are people out there that believe once they have been pre-approved that they can start buying things for their new home...furniture, appliances, paint, etc. DON'T DO IT!! Additional debt can easily ruin a pre-approval. Wait until you close on your home.

Home Seller Tips: Condition

When putting your house on the market, everyone wants their home to sell quickly...for top dollar and in the least amount of time possible.  Yes, pricing and staging are obvious factors and key elements to do just that.  But there is one more tip to help your home get noticed and sold fast.  Check out the video below to learn more....

The Real Estate Market in 2011

Everyone is wanting to know what is going to happen in real estate in the new year.  Unfortunately, there is no way to predict one way or another, but there are signs out there indicating that the market is improving.  Take a look at these recent statistics:

According to the National Association of Realtor, pending home sales rose 3.5% in November.  Based on trends from the 5 months prior, this is indicating a gradual recovery into 2011.  Affordable housing and the improvements in the economy are bringing buyers into the market.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is forecast to rise gradually to 5.3% around the end of 2011; at the same time, unemployment should drop to 9.2%.

Existing-home sales are projected to rise about 8% to 5.2 million in 2011 from 4.8 million in 2010, with an additional gain of 4% in 2012. The median existing-home price could rise 0.6% to $173,700 in 2011 from $172,700 in 2010, which was essentially unchanged from 2009.


New-home sales are estimated to rise 24% to 392,000 in 2011, but would remain well below historic averages, while housing starts are forecast to rise 21% to 716,000.

While I can't guarantee any of these expectations, I can guarantee that if you are a motivated seller or buyer, WE are your motivated Realtors.  Pickett Property Group is in this business to move houses...whether you are buying or selling.  We will help you achieve your goals.  Contact us today!

New Texting Law Takes Effect January 1st for Kansans

You're not the only one making resolutions this year...so is the state of Kansas.  Only, their's will stick!  Starting today, January 1st, anyone caught texting, emailing, or IM-ing behind the wheel will be given a ticket...and in the city of Shawnee, it's going to cost you $110.  Kansas is one of 30 states to enact the no texting-while-driving law.

To illustrate why this law is so important, check out these interesting facts below:

• Texting while driving increases the risk of accident 23.2 times over unimpaired driving.

• Texting while driving results in longer response times than even drunken driving. While an unimpaired driver can respond quickly to changes in traffic and begin braking within half a second, a legally drunk driver needs four additional feet to begin braking and a driver who’s texting needs 70 feet.

• In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spend nearly five seconds looking at their mobile devices—enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more area than the length of a football field. (124 yards at 55 MPH)

• Though 95 percent of drivers surveyed said texting behind the wheel was unacceptable and unsafe, at least 21 percent admit to doing it anyway.

• Especially amongst teens, texting results in erratic driving behavior, like lane weaving and speeding up and down, increasing the likelihood of hurting pedestrians and running into other vehicles.

• Texting behind the wheel is generational: 37 percent of drivers 18 to 27 admit to texting while driving, compared to 14 percent of 28 to 44 year olds, and 2 percent of 45 to 60 year olds.

• An accident can happen in two to three seconds while texting.

Let's make this a year of responsible cell phone use.

Rising Rates Will Impact Home Affordability

Buyers who have been waiting for that perfect deal on a home are now finding themselves in a more costly predicament.  Record low interest rates over the past few months have made it the best time to buy a home in the fifty years...unfortunately, it doesn't look like they are going to hang around much longer.

Those who “choose to wait until prices come down more” are gambling that interest rates will hold steady or drop. However, the truth is even a 10 percent drop in home prices is nullified by a 1 percent increase in interest rates. The figure below illustrates how this works for a $250,000 home purchase and the relative likelihood of each scenario.

When thinking about which is more likely: an increase in mortgage rates or a further drop in home prices...consider the findings below based on the last ten years of monthly home price and mortgage interest rate data:

1.  A one percent increase in mortgage rates is ten times more likely to happen than a ten percent drop in home prices.

2.  A one percent rate increase more than offsets a ten percent reduction in home prices.

3.  When interest rates fall by one percent, the total interest paid is almost three times more than the interest savings from a ten percent drop in home prices.

4.  The probability of both happening at the same time is ridiculously small, and homeowners would still pay 15 percent more in interest over the life of the loan.

Interest rates have dominated the news in recent months as we’ve shattered record low after record low. Potential home buyers need to understand the positive financial impact low interest rates have on the cost of home ownership and the thousands of dollars that can be saved over the life of a typical mortgage loan.

When you're ready to list your home or if you're looking to buy, feel free to give us a call.  We've helped hundreds of families and we'd love to help you!  Email, text, or give us a call anytime...913.787.1870 or PickettPropertyGroup.com.

Home Seller Tips: Staging

Studies have shown that it takes about a twentieth of a second for Web surfers to make a decision about a site (so I may have lost some of you already) and only about seven seconds to make a good first impression in person. Believe it or not, this includes homes too!

Within seconds after entering a home, potential homebuyers are already deciding whether or not they want to buy your home. Your goal is to create an inviting, beautiful, spacious atmosphere that will create that emotional "I want to make an offer" trigger. How do you do that? Simple...through staging.

Check out this short video below to see what staging can mean for your wallet:



Read my previous post for 10 Tips to Staging Your Home.  When you're ready to list your home or if you're needing some help getting it ready, feel free to give us a call.  We've helped hundreds of families prep their homes for the market and we'd love to help you!  Email, text, or give us a call anytime...913.787.1870 or PickettPropertyGroup.com.

Great 3 Bedroom Ranch in Overland Park...Only $130,000!!

Perfect 3 Bedroom Ranch only $130,000!!!

Bedrooms:	3	Bathrooms:	1
Home Size:	912 sq.ft.	Garage:	1
Lot Size:	9,202 sq.ft.	Community:	Maple Crest
County:	Johnson	Property Type:	Single Family Detached
Year Built:	1953	MLS Number:	1704148
Property Description
Here's your next home. Well cared for Overland Park Ranch with a large eat-in Kitchen, big bonus mud room/laundry room, and huge back yard and deck for entertaining or relaxing with family and friends. Just a block from Sante Fe Trails Elementary ... GREAT location. Call us to take a look or find out when the next Open House is. All measure & sqft are approx. Call 24hrs to 913/787-1870 for more details on this or any other property in the area.  Schedule your showing today! Visit www.PickettPropertyGroup.com for more info and helpful FREE BUYER INFO.