Olathe Real Estate Report For May

 

According to a recent report by the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors, the average area home price in May for the Kansas City Area was as follows:

New: $296,188

Resale: $147,481

Combined:$166,894

When comparing these numbers to a year ago, the new home average is up, but the resale and combined are down.

The good news is there are less homes on the market this May as the total number of homes for sale was 20,196 down from 21,036 in 2007. Other good news is these May numbers are definite improvement over the April numbers.

Click here for the full report

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

Connect With Olathe Real Estate Agent Brad Papa

It seems like there are more and more social networking sites popping up each week. With so many to choose from, it’s hard to know which ones to use! I have created profiles on some of the most popular sites, so if you want to connect with me, please visit my site and be my freind!

 

Papa’s MySpace Profile

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View Papa’s YouTube Video’s

Papa’s LinkedInProfile

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

Olathe Real Estate A Great Investment As Olathe Continues To Grow

 

 

Olathe Gateway : 119th Street and Renner Road

Current stores include: Jason’s Deli, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bass Pro and plans for Houlihan’s and Hilton Garden Inn

 

Olathe Commons: 119th Street and Black Bob Road

32-acre site with both retail and town homes zoning

 

Heritage Crossings: Ridgeview Road and Kansas City Road

 

Wal-Mart Supercenter: Santa Fe Street and K-7

 

Ridgeview Marketplace: K-10 and Ridgeview Road

Current tenants include Watson’s, Corporate Cafe and Johnny’s Tavern

 

Shops at Sunnybrook: College and Lone Elm Road

 

Parkview: Harold and K-7

31-acre site with both retail and town homes zoning

 

119th And K-7: 557,000 square feet of retail with 70 ac res of residential

 

Coffee Creek: Black Bob and 175th

The development is not expected to begin for 20 years

More information from the City of Olathe : http://edc.olathe.org/business_in_olathe/growth_corridors/

More information: http://www.kansascity.com/news/neighborhood/olathe/story/671280.html

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

Olathe Named One Of The Best Places To Live In 2008

 

 

Relocate-America named Olathe as one of the 2008 Top Places To Live! They named only 100 winners and Olathe was the only Kansas city on the list! The interesting fact is, according to their website, this is the only list that is determined by statistics and feedback of the people who live, work & play in these communities. So it looks like some Olathe citizens are happy with their hometown and nominated us!

Olathe’s information page has general information on the city. It also has a link that says “find homes for sale in Olathe Kansas”, but I would not recommend using this link because it doesn’t say which database it uses to do it’s home search. For the most comprehensive search of Olathe real estate, please contact me and I can send you the latest homes!

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

Olathe’s Getting A Conference Center

Olathe just announced plans for a 11 story hotel and conference center that will be going in near K-10 and I-435, that is actually just a couple miles from my home in Olathe!  The hotel will be an Embassy Suites and is expected to be completed by the spring of 2010.

Interestingly though, the Olathe City Council approved a 100% property-tax abatement for 10 years AND the hotel will not have to pay the city’s hotel tax for 20 years. I guess that is the price of a convention center for Olathe!

The new development is called Corporate Ridge and many buildings are already completed which include: Terracon, Farmers Insurance Group,Intrust Bank, Health Ridge Fitness Center, the National Board for Respiratory Care and Garmin International.

Click here for additional details from the Kansas City Star or the Kansas City Business Journal

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985

Tips For Finding A Home With An Olathe Real Estate Agent

 The house you ultimately choose to call  home will play a major role in your family’s life. A home can be an excellent investment, of course, but more importantly, it should fit the way you really live, with spaces and features that appeal to everyone in the family At easy home pay close attention to these important considerations.

Location: Is it convenient for your work? Near major highways and shops? Notice if it backs to a busy street or is near railroad tracks.

Is there enough room for you now and in the near future: How many bedrooms do you anticipate needing? Do you want an extra bedroom for use as an office? Do you need a finished basement?

Is the home’s floor plan right for your family: Open floor plan, office on main level, bedroom on main level?

Is there enough storage space: Check out closets, basement, attic and garage space.

Will you have to replace appliances: Are the sellers leaving the appliances, do they look older or are they matching?

Is the yard the size that you want: Big, but not too big. Do you want a fence, deck or patio?

Are there enough bathrooms? Notice the number of both full and half bathrooms

Is the layout right for you: Two story, Ranch, California Split, 1.5 Story are just a few!

Will your present furniture work in this home?

If you would like detailed information on homes on the market that meet your search critera, contact Brad Papa today at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

 

 

 

Olathe Real Estate : All About Inspections

For your own safety, and to make sure you are getting your money’s worth in the hoe you choose, using a processional home inspector is highly recommended. You can avoid or at least anticipate costly repairs to structural or mechanical systems by having an inspection.

The sales contract specifies that the inspection will take place within a specified time frame, after the offer to purchase has been accepted. Your purchase obligation is contingent of the findings of a professional home inspector.

Your home cannot pass or fail an inspection, and your inspector will not tell you whether he/she thinks the homes is worth the money you are offering. The inspectors job is to make sure you are aware of repairs that are recommended or necessary.

A seller may be willing to renegotiate a price to accommodate needed repairs or you may decide that the hoe will take too much work and money. A professional inspection will help you make a clear-headed decision. in addition to the whole house inspection, you will want to have a separate inspection conducted to check for terminate. Talk to your Olathe real estate agent, Brad Papa for additional inspections options such as testing for radon or a separate chimney inspection.

In choosing a home inspector, consider one that has been certified as a qualified and experienced member by trade associations. Your Olathe real estate agent can refer you to several qualified inspectors.

Remember, the purpose of a home inspection is to help you learn things about the home that are not easily discoverable during your home buying tour. It is NOT intended to be a laundry list of minor repairs for sellers to complete!

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

Big Lakes Near Olathe

  This weekend we were supposed to travel to the Lake of the Ozarks, but a last-minute illness prevented that from happening. So were were left without any plans! I did a little research to see if there were any lakes within driving distance that offered marinas to rent boats or jetskis and I was pleasantly surprised that there were three in the area!

When I called I realized that last-minute rentals are impossible to come by, but it’s good information to have on had for future weekends. I would recommend making reservations two-three weeks in advance if you actually want to have a rental!

SMITHVILLE LAKE Located northeast of Smithville, Missouri on U.S. 169 and Hwy. 92. Two full-service marinas offering boat rentals, equipment and dining facilities are listed on the website, but I could only get ahold of one. The other number was out of service. For more information, call 816-407-3420

 

BLUE SPRINGS LAKE Blue Springs Lake is located south of Hwy. 40 on Woods Chapel Road, Blue Springs, Missouri and one of only a few in the area that is  available for unlimited powerboating. A full-service marina provides rental boats, concessions, tackle, bait and boat slip rental. For more information, call (816) 795-1112.
 

LAKE JACOMO Located on the grounds of Fleming Park, east of I-435 on Woods Chapel Road, Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The lake includes a full-service marina, concessions, lakeside gasoline pumps and fishing bait and tackle. In addition, boat and canoe rental is available.  For more information, call (816) 795-8888.

More information on all area bodies of water, including water in Johnnson County and Olathe, can be found here: http://www.experiencekc.com/parks.html

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

Olathe Real Estate Agent Suggests Steps To Buying A Home In Olathe

When it comes to buying a home, there are really only two primary steps. 

1.  Get pre-approved

2.  Find a realtor you trust 

Getting pre-approved is like getting your license to shop for a home.  You don’t want to waste your time looking at homes that aren’t in your price range.  The pre-approval process should NOT cost you anything.  This process is simply meeting with a lender to let them know what your financial picture is so that they can determine how much money they feel comfortable loaning you.   They’ll take a look at your credit score, income, debts and assets.  One of the easiest ways to determine how much you can afford is to determine what monthly payment you would be comfortable with and working backwards.  If you are pre-approved for $180,000, but you don’t feel comfortable with the monthly payment, then make sure you find the right price range that you would want to stay under so that  your monthly payment will be in your comfort level. 

The second step is to find a realtor that you trust.  There are a lot of steps involved in the home buying process and you want to make sure that you are represented by a realtor that is working for you. They can walk you through the ropes and save you a lot of time and money! In addition, a buyers agent is free to the buyers. The seller’s pay the buyer’s agent commission upon closing.

For more information, come to one of my FREE First Time Home Buyer’s Seminars. This seminar will show you step-by-step how to save time, effort & money when buying your next home. Anyone considering the purchase of a home will gain valuable insight from this seminar especially first time home buyers. The class is held most Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and is FREE, but you must RSVP to attend. Spots fill up quickly, so make sure to contact Brad Papa at bradleypapa@remax.net  or call 913-526-4985 and reserve your spot today!

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.

Olathe Real Estate Agent Presents : Top Signs You Are Ready To Buy In Olathe

•  You’re ready to stop paying your landlord’s mortgage payment, and start building wealth of your own. 

•  You could use the property tax and mortgage interest deductions. 

•  You want a vested interest in your community.
 

•  It’s mid-August and you can no longer tolerate waiting for your landlord to send someone to fix your air conditioner.
 

•  You are tired of hauling your groceries up three flights of stairs.
 

•  You are ready to hear only your TV, not the TV’s of your neighbors though the thin walls.
 

•  You want to provide yourself and/or family with a sense of stability.
 

•  You want the freedom to paint the walls of your bedroom any color!
 

•  You are tired of saving all your quarters for the laundromat.
 

•  Your job is going well and you are ready to take another step in showing your independence.
 

•  You want the feeling of pride of ownership.
 

•  You want to start building up financial equity.
 

•  You want to profit using someone else’s money. (your lenders!)
 

•  When you say you are “going home,” you want to really mean it!

Brad Papa specialized in Kansas City and Olathe real estate and can be reached at www.PapasInTheHouse.com, bradleypapa@remax.net or 913.526.4985.