What home sellers learn from the latest MLS Statistics for the Johnson C...

What does the average home buyer look like from a numbers perspective in Johnson County, Kansas? Looking closely at the latest statistics from the Heartland MLS, here are some things we can learn:

• More than 51% of all homes sold in August had four or more bedrooms. Of these home sales, 23% were in the $200,000 to $249,999 price bracket, making this the hottest price bracket in the county. 
• The best price point for 3-bedroom home sales in August was the $160,000 to $179,999 bracket.

Some home owners wrongly assume that a hot or improving market mean they can get the price they want; however, pricing correctly for location and condition is still (and always will be) essential. From the August statistics again, we see that...

• 42.5% of homes sold in 0-30 days
• 26% in 31-60 days
• 15% in 61-90 days 
• After 90 days, a seller's chances of selling dwindle dramatically into the single digits.

The KEY really is to price your home competitively from the start and make any necessary adjustments within the first 2-3 weeks on the market!



Home buyers come to the table with a variety of financing packages. The most common is conventional financing, which generally requires 5-20% down. In August, 67% of all Johnson County home buyers used this type of financing. One might think government FHA financing with 3.5% down would be second, but that is not correct. Actually, 14% of all sales were cash, while 13% were via FHA financing. VA loans came in at 4.5% of the market.

With home sales still up 15% year-to-date, there is still time to take advantage of the fall season to sell your house. For a thorough market analysis and to explore putting your house on the market, give Dwight Goodwin a call at 913-912-3470 Today!

Impact of USDA Boundary Changes and Gardner-Edgerton Intermodal on Johns...

The times... they are a'changing!

There are BIG CHANGES in the Johnson County Kansas real estate market as the BNSF Intermodal and Logistics Park KC are scheduled to begin operations in the next several weeks, while USDA lending boundaries are set to change on October 1st.

Located in the small town of Edgerton, Kansas, in southwestern Johnson County, the Intermodal is expected to hire 500 direct employees and anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000 indirect employees, depending on which source you read. While large-scale relocation to Johnson County is not expected in the near future, there already appears to be an uptick in housing prices in nearby Gardner.



Until now, Gardner, Edgerton and all points south have been eligible for USDA rural development home loans. As of October 1st, those boundaries will be extended making previously eligible areas unavailable. In this video, Rick Woodruff of Metropolitan Mortgage (913-266-5800) shows the new USDA boundaries and discusses other types of financing available in these areas.

Although It is self-evident that the small town of Edgerton is in for sizable growth in business and housing as we move forward, it is equally as clear that the cities of Gardner, Spring Hill and Olathe are positioned to benefit early in the process from the perspective of existing infrastructure and housing.

During the housing crisis beginning in 2007-2008, the Gardner and Spring Hill markets in particular, suffered annual declines in real estate between 3-7% depending on specific location. The most recent statistics available reveal that Gardner sellers are now receiving more than 97% of Original List Price.

Please reach out to us today for up-to-date market information and for your next steps to purchasing a home in Johnson County, Kansas. We look forward to earning your business (913-912-3470) and helping you find the right home for you and your family!

September 2013 Real Estate Market Update for Johnson County Kansas

It has been a great year for real estate and that trend continues as autumn approaches...

The average sales price in Johnson County Kansas is up 5% in the past 12 months, creating great opportunity for home sellers. With 20.6% fewer listings than a year ago and 15.3% more sales, limited inventory continues to be a challenge. This is why price pressure is up and many areas around Johnson County are leaning towards a seller's market.

Although interest rates have climbed from the all-time lows of 2012, they are still at near-historical lows. Bottom line? It's now a win-win for Sellers AND Buyers to take the next step... Call us today (913-912-3470) and let us provide the expertise to Make It Happen!



What are the hottest zip codes and areas in the Johnson County Kansas market?

As of the July statistics, Gardner (66030), Olathe (66061, 66062), Overland Park (66213, 66221, 66224, 66225), Lenexa (66227), Shawnee (66218, 66220, 66226) and Stilwell (66085) are all seeing average sold prices exceeding 97% of original list price.

Please call us today to receive a no-obligation market analysis of your home. Call 913-912-3470!