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 corne... 09/02/2010

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... 09/01/2010

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. 08/31/2010

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! 08/28/2010

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 d... 08/27/2010

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 ... 08/26/2010

There really is some truth behind the saying, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone."  Lucky for you, it does't have to be that way.  As a homeowner, it's important to know the value of your belongings...the material items that make a house a home...in case you ever lose those items de to fire, theft, natural disaster...you get the idea.  The solution?  Check out the What You Own Home Inventory free software system. This FREE software program will help you keep track of everything...from furniture and jewelry to artwork and dishware...even your child's favorite toy.  Once you have your home set up, you can easily begin your home inventory process room by room...organize your items by room and categories, upload pictures, and you can even upload your receipts.  When you're finished... 08/24/2010

Good news!  If you're considering a move into the DeSoto School District (USD 232) or are already a part of it, your child's education will be in good hands.  Students of USD 232 continue to score above state and national peers on the ACT assessment.  The district received a composite average of 22.3 on the 2010 college entrance exam.  This score is five tenths of a point lower than last year, but the district attributes this to the increase in the number of students taking the exam.  There was a 12% increase over last year.  You can see the individual high school results below:   ACT ScoresComposite AverageAll Students 2010 2009  2008 2007 USD #232 22.3  22.8 22.9 22.7 Mill Valley High School 22.4  23.4 23.0 22.8 De Soto High School 22.1  21.5 22.6 22.5 State of Kansas 22.0   21.9 22.... 08/23/2010

        Grey Oaks in Shawnee, KS has been busy in terms of real estate activity this summer.  If you're looking to be a part of this great neighborhood, there's still quite a few to choose from.  Grey Oaks currently has 12 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $270,000 to $399,950, four to five bedroom floorplans for the picking.  In the past 90 days alone, 8 homes have sold ($300,000 to $529,666) with an average days on market of 128 days, which is great for this price range.     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 ... 08/22/2010

If you happen to love food as much as I do, then you do not want to miss Restaurant Week in Kansas City's Power and Light District.  Starting today, you can take advantage of some great deals on lunch and dinner.  These promotions will last for ten days-through August 29th.  The offers include: Lunch:  2 course meals priced at $10 Dinner:  3 course meals priced at $25 or $30 Dining Gifts:  each guest ordering the Restaurant Week meals will receive a complimentary gift card with each visit to use at a later date at the participating restaurant ($5 for lunch; $10 for dinner) The restaurants that are participating in this offer include: 801 Chophouse   Bristol Seafood Grill   The Peachtree Restaurant   Fran's Restaurant   Kobe Japanese Steak & Seafood   Johnny's Tavern   Lucky Strike Lane... 08/20/2010

  Come September 7th, the FHA will be increasing the annual mortgage insurance premiums for FHA loans to 0.85% or 0.9%, depending on the loan-to-value ratio of the loan.  In addition, the upfront mortgage insurance premium will be reduced to 1.0%.  In most cases this will result in an increase of $38/month for the average homebuyer using an FHA loan.  Why the increase?  According to the FHA, the fees are necessary to help replenish the FHA capital reserves fund and to ensure the continued availability of the FHA loan program.     With all the news regarding the FHA and interest rates and loans to save homes from foreclosure, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out by the end of the year.   08/19/2010

  The numbers are out and overall, July brought what we as Realtors expected.  With the expiration of the tax credit, home sales dropped.  New homes decreased 67% from last month and existing homes decreased 39% from last year and 33% from last month.     However...we are starting to see home prices increase, which is excellent news.  The increase is slight, but we'll take it.  The average new home price for July is 7% higher at $331,567 than the same time last year.  Most counties saw an increase in average sales price for existing homes this month over the same month last year.   There is still a slight buyer's edge present in the new home market, existing home and combined markets.  Interest rates are at historic lows, but are predicted to rise in 2011...so if you're currently "on th... 08/17/2010

  Good news if you're not a fan of the 47th Street Detour around the K-7 & Johnson Drive intersection...The Silverheel Street Spur located via Clear Creek Parkway south of the interchange project is now OPEN to all traffic.  The Silverheel Street Spur will provide an additional detour route, either to Clear Creek Parkway or you can continue on to Woodsonia, which will give you easy, quick access to the retail shops and restaurants in the Woodsonia West Shopping Plaza.  To view an aerial map of this route and others available during construction on the interchange project, click here.   Purple Detour signs and arrows will be installed early this week (week of August 16), though some are up already.  Drivers will be able to detour via Clear Creek Parkway to Silverheel Street to Woodsonia ... 08/15/2010

Today, I'm going to wrap up the week with a summary of the market performance in the Woodland Park subdivision in Shawnee, KS.   Woodland Park has seen quite a bit of activity this summer.  And with schools starting today and next week (for Kindergartners), there are still several available homes to choose from if you're looking for something in Western Shawnee.  Woodland Park currently has 7 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $169,975 to $190,000, three to four bedrooms/2+ baths available.  Five of these active listings have been on the market for more than 130 days so far, which is normal for this price range.  However, in the past 90 days, 5 homes have sold...ranging from $153,900 to $193,000 with an average of only 37 days on market!!  This is a great location and w... 08/13/2010

    This past week, I've been going over the market stats of some of the communities in Western Shawnee for the past three months or so.  As a resident of Grey Oaks, I cover my community quite a bit, but wanted to share what's happening around me.  Tuesday, I covered summer market stats for Woodsonia and yesterday, I reviewed Monticello Farms.  Today, I'm taking a peek at Brittany Heights.       Brittany Heights has had a very productive summer.  And with schools starting this week and next, there are still several available homes to choose from if you're looking in this area.  Brittany Heights currently has 4 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $186,950 to $234,900, three to four bedrooms available.  In the past 90 days, 5 homes have sold...ranging from $169,000 to $242,... 08/12/2010

        In continuing with the summer market stats for the Shawnee, KS area, today I'm looking at Monticello Farms.  Monticello Farms, a Rodrock Community, had a cool summer in terms of real estate.  Even though a couple of homes sold in the past four months, there is still a handful of available homes to choose from.  Monticello Farms currently has 5 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $185,000 to $254,950, three to five bedrooms available.  In the past 120 days alone, only 2 homes have sold with an average days on market of 80 days, which is good for this price point.   Monticello Farms 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 i... 08/11/2010

    Woodsonia in Shawnee, KS saw its fair share of real estate activity this summer.  If you're looking to be a part of this great neighborhood, there's still a few to choose from.  Woodsonia currently has 5 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $199,900 to $245,000, four bedrooms with 2-3 baths available.  In the past 90 days alone, 5 homes have sold with an average days on market of 47 days, which is great for this price range.   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, suc... 08/10/2010

    Whether you're upside down, over your head, or in the FHA's eyes "underwater" in your home mortgage, the future may look a little brighter come September.   The FHA released details recently on its Short Refinance option to help those homeowners who owe more than their home is worth.  Starting September 7, 2010, the FHA will offer certain "underwater" non-FHA borrowers the chance to qualify for a new FHA-insured mortgage...as long as you are current on your existing mortgage and the lender agrees to write off at least 10% of the unpaid principal of the first mortgage.  In addition to that, you must also meet the following criteria:     Must qualify for new loan under FHA underwriting requirements Must have a credit score equal or greater than 500 The property must be the homeowner's... 08/09/2010

Have you heard of the Home Depot Garden Club? This site is dedicated to all those born with green thumbs and those hoping to get one.  As a member you get unlimited access to expert advice, time-saving tips specific to your region of the country,  and money saving offers and coupons delivered right to your inbox.  It's filled with great advice and as well as the latest and greatest in landscaping, gardening, and outdoor living.  And the coupons aren't too shabby either...in the past, I've received coupons for Buy One Get One Free Rose Bushes and Houseplants, and $$ Off Weed Killers and Pest Controls.   Joining is easy and best of all...it's FREE! 08/08/2010

 Houses are still moving in the community of Grey Oaks in Shawnee, KS.  We just saw one house get an offer after only two days on the market!  If you're looking to be a part of this great neighborhood, there's still plenty to choose from.  Grey Oaks currently has 13 active homes listed for sale ranging in price from $270,000 to $399,950, four and five bedrooms for the picking.  In the past 90 days alone, 12 homes have sold with an average days on market of 241 days, which isn't too bad for this price range.  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 Ri... 08/04/2010