Another new boutique has opened in Brookside East...just in time for holiday shopping!Katy Hamilton, owner of Shopgirls at 6245 Brookside Plaza , opened HAMILTON last month at 6215 Oak Street, just south of Season + Square. It's a cozy and welcoming space, perfect for browsing and checking out items you'll want to buy for yourself and others.The tagline "neighborhood style for all" reflects her products: she features men's and women's clothes from local designers, Charlie Hustle tee shirts, locally made jewelry (including unique necklaces featuring letter charms from the KC Star printing presses), Kansas City skyline socks, candles with surprising scents and other uncommon items. At stores like this, it's always interesting to see how the owner has made the space unique: Katy used disc... 11/16/2016

 I was trying to think of full service, big menu breakfast spots in Waldo....came up with Classic Cookie at 75th and Wornall and Game Day at 8950 Wornall. Now there is another place, Neighborhood Cafe, at 7531 Wornall next to Lew's . It opened at the end of August and is already drawing breakfast crowds on the weekends.Neighborhood Cafe is more than just breakfast...they offer a large menu featuring 'home style' cooking: meatloaf, liver and onions, burgers, open faced sandwiches, hoagies, 'skillets' and on Sundays: all you can eat fried chicken. All of the baking is from scratch (biscuits, pies, cornbread) and breakfast is served all day. No matter when you choose to dine here....the server brings you a cinnamon roll with water upon being seated! Like the original Lees Summit location, ... 10/27/2016

Time to check home sales stats for Waldo (Kansas City MO) for September 2016! September 2016: Number of homes sold:    34Median list price:              $177,000Median sales price:          $173,750Average days on market:    31 The lowest sales price last month was $82,000 and the highest was $293,000.  Final sales price was just under 2% of list price.September  2015: Number of homes sold:      34Median list price:              $130,000Median sales price:          $129,500Average days on market:    23 Comparing Sept 2016 to Sept 2015 finds a jump in the median sales price--however, this year more of the higher priced homes sold, raising that median price. Notice how fast homes are going under contract--within 30 days of listing.                                                       201... 10/25/2016

  Checking home sales for Armour Hills September 2016...overall, prices are steadily rising this year.  Let’s look at the numbers: Sept  2016:                                                         Sept  2015:   Median list price:      $244,950                            Median list price:        $269,500Median sales price:  $247,500                            Median sales price:    $265,000Number of homes sold:  6                                   Number of homes sold: 3Days on market:             39                                 Days on market:           91 You can see median sales price for last month was considerably lower than August 2015.  However, in September 2016, four of the six homes sold at or above list price. Days on market was much less as well.   Checking year to date... 10/23/2016

Home sales in Brookside are still strong as we head into the fall season...and prices continue to rise.  Here is the single family home sales report for Brookside (zip code 64113) for September 2016, and comparisons to last year: September  2016 Median list price:               $380,000Median sales price:           $375,000Average days on market:     44Number of homes sold:        29(Lowest sales price was $180,000; highest sales price was a cash purchase of $1,285,000). You can see that sellers are getting very close to the asking price during contract negotiations.  Eleven of the homes that closed last month were at or above asking price.  September 2015 Median list price:                $375,000Median sales price:            $362,500Average days on  market:      34Number of homes sol... 10/17/2016

  Fall is THE time for special events in Kansas City, and PorchFest KC is relatively new to our metro area.  This year marks #3 for the unusual yet charming local music celebration happening next month in the Valentine neighborhood. PorchFest is a one day free event, when local acoustic (and nearly acoustic) individual performers and bands play music on the porches of private homes in a specific area. For the first two years, the West Plaza neighborhood hosted the event. This year it's Valentine--a 12 block area between Southwest Trafficway and Broadway in Kansas City MO. Organizers are hoping that with the larger streets, porches and house lots, the event won't be as congested as past years.  Hours are noon-5 on Saturday October 8, 2016. If you plan to go, please remember to take publi... 09/30/2016

It's that time of year for outdoor festivals! Everyone is welcome to attend MeyerFest on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at St Peter's School and Church.  Meyer Blvd, between Holmes and Rockhill,  will be blocked off for the festivities. Bring the kids to the carnival, offering games, inflatables, a climbing wall and food trucks between 10am-2pm.  At 5pm it's adults only (18 and up) for the Block Party, featuring live music and dancing until 11:00pm. Tickets available online at the MeyerFest website. Thank you St Peter's for hosting this annual neighborhood event! 09/28/2016

 The weather has finally turned cooler, and you may be thinking about adding a few new pieces to spruce up your cold weather wardrobe. How about something different? Consider a hat...made right here in Brookside at Amina Marie Millinery.Amina's shop is in Brookside East at 633 E 63rd St. She's a KC native, grew up in Prairie Village and went to textile school in San Francisco. She loved fashion and worked in visual merchandising but really never thought about being a hat maker until a friend asked her to create a hat she could wear to Burning Man. Amina accepted the challenge, Googled some instructions on hat making and ... made a top hat that caught the attention of other Burning Man participants. Amina decided millinery was her calling. Last year she was a finalist in the Lock and Com... 09/27/2016

I love art fairs....browsing and talking about the art you like, don't like, don't understand, the prices, the creativity--always a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening.  This weekend is the Plaza Art Fair, now in it's 85th year, and probably the premier free social event in Kansas City. Although the weather forecast isn't in tune with the official Fall season we're in, you can bet there will be thousands of people visiting the Fair over the next three days. The art is displayed in tented booths; still bring your sunglasses and an umbrella to be prepared. One of the best parts of the Fair is the variety of food booths. Many of the Plaza restaurants serve smaller versions of their specialities:  steak sandwiches, tacos, burgers, barbecue, thai pizza, mixed drinks and sangria. The lin... 09/23/2016

Waldo continues to attract homebuyers this year..sales are strong, desireable inventory is low.  Here are the August 2016 stats for single family home sales in Waldo, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th:August  2016: Number of homes sold:    47Median list price:              $150,000Median sales price:          $158,000Average days on market:    35 You are reading that correctly--the final sales price was higher than the list price! Last month, half of the homes sold at or above asking price.  The lowest closed price was $56,001; the highest was $338,687. August 2015: Number of homes sold:      24Median list price:              $125,000Median sales price:          $126,000Average days on market:    30 That’s a large jump in median sales price compared to Aug... 09/22/2016

The nickname is....Wonderful Waldo!  And there is a reason for it:  Waldo is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Kansas City MO.  Located about seven  miles from downtown Kansas City MO, Waldo is a friendly, vibrant area, offering a mix of residents:  families, singles, seniors and married folks.  This is not a suburban, cookie - cutter area.  Most of the homes in Waldo were built from the 1920s all the way through the 1950s.  There are grand old homes with lots of architectural detail and small, two bedroom ranches less than 1000 square feet!  Waldo was named after the man who purchased the land back in the 1800s: Dr David Waldo.  At that time, the boundaries were Gregory to 81st St, Holmes to State Line.  A streetcar used to run through Waldo--that section now a very popular walk... 09/21/2016

  Thinking about purchasing a home located in the Brookside/Waldo area of Kansas City? It's a desirable  location:  this area features so many unique locally owned and operated businesses, restaurants and shops; easy MAX bus service to midtown and downtown; the popular Trolley Track Trail and several parks.  Homes in Brookside/Waldo were built in the 1920s-30s, so just like a human...after a while, more maintanence is needed!  Here are five common issues to expect during an inspection of a Brookside/Waldo home: 1) Three prong outlets that aren't grounded.  This is an easy fix, yet a common issue.  Also, sometimes there is active knob and tube wiring in the basement area; fuse boxes (instead of a breaker box) and outlets in kitchens and baths that do not have GFCI protection. An electric... 09/20/2016

 Checking home sales for Armour Hills August 2016...a drop in prices compared to last year.  However, year to date-- home values continue to rise.  Here are the stats with commentary!August   2016:                                                          August  2015:   Median list price:      $250,000                            Median list price:        $277,500Median sales price:  $242,000                            Median sales price:    $280,000Number of homes sold:  7                                   Number of homes sold: 4Days on market:             47                                 Days on market:           11 You can see median sales price for last month was considerably lower than August 2015.  However, in August 2016, all homes but one sold under $280K. In August 2015, fewer... 09/19/2016

Ready to look for a home? Want to visit some open houses? Get an idea of 'what's out there for the price' ? Open houses are a good way to explore a neighborhood, see different styles of homes, finishes, prices and features. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your open house touring:1) Know your price range--and only visit homes that fit your budget. If you are comfortable spending $250-$300,000 for a home--and consistently look at homes priced over $300K, you could be disappointed with the houses in your price range.  2) Take a flyer and make notes about your likes/dislikes for each property. Looking at 5-6 homes in one day will take a few hours, depending on location. You probably won't remember each home's characteristics. If you take a flyer and make notes on each property--w... 09/18/2016

Why do so many homebuyers want to live in Brookside? You need to spend a day here and find out!As a Brookside resident for many years now, I will try to describe here why it's one of Kansas City's most popular areas to live in. It's a friendly spot, very walkable, and a convenient location near the popular Country Club Plaza and Westport areas, plus just about five miles south of the Kansas City downtown business core. Most of the homes here were built in the early 1920s...therefore, so charming! The architectural detail and pride of craftsmanship is evident. Although there are some similarities in styles (many Tudors) and construction (brick and stucco exteriors; peaked roofs; arched doorways; glass doorknobs; intricate crown molding), the exteriors all look a bit different--no cookie ... 09/16/2016

 It's taken three years....and finally, we have new playground equipment in Arbor Villa Park in Armour Hills!  Special thanks to Armour Hills HOA President Tiffany Moore for soliciting PIAC funds for this project. Her hard work paid off! The park features several new pieces of equipment:  a climbing structure, arch swing, and large play equipment on top of rubberized 'hills' to minimize injuries during a fall.  The new playground equipment joins the new tennis courts that were installed in the park last year.  And of course the kiddle pool is still there, now closed for the summer.   All kids are welcome to play in Arbor Villa Park, located at Edgevale and Main Street in Armour Hills, Brookside.  Also note:  Armour Hills is sponsoring a Movie Night for neighborhood kids on October 1 at ... 09/15/2016

  Hi neighbors!  It's time for Waldo Fall Festival!  Now in it's 24th year, the festival is happening this Saturday, September 17 2016 in the heart of Waldo...at 75th St and Wornall. Waldo is known for it's neighborhood get togethers, and this is usually the largest event for the area.  It's a family friendly festival, starting at 10am, finishing up at 5pm.  Here are a few more details:*Free admission*Games, face painting, rides for the kids*Various local vendors in booths*Live music*Food trucks!*Brought to you by the Waldo Business Association   If you plan to go....please remember this is a high vehicle intersection on any regular day--will be more so during festival hours. If you must drive--park on one of the residential side streets nearby. You can also walk to the celebration via ... 09/14/2016

   Time to check home sales stats in Brookside for August 2016.  Numbers show a drop in value compared to one year ago...but if you are a Brookside homeowner, you’ll like the year-to-date comparisons!    Here is the single family home sales report for Brookside (zip code 64113) for August 2016, and comparisons to last year: August  2016: Median list price:               $328,900Median sales price:           $322,000Average days on market:     13Number of homes sold:        30(Lowest sales price was $225,000; highest sales price was $$835,000.) The lower priced homes ($400K and less) sell faster and are in high demand.  Notice the low days on market figure (13)?  That means last month a home was under contract within two weeks of list date.  Higher priced homes, especially over $700K--te... 09/13/2016

  The thriving Brookside East area has another new tenant....Farm Dog Studios.  Amy January is working and selling her artwork now at 633 E 63rd St in Brookside. If you live in Brookside or Waldo...you will appreciate these unique, modern yet nostalgic-tinged signs.  Amy got the idea from seeing subway signs promoting landmark streets...and wondered why Brookside didn't have similar themed wall art.  She made one sign for a local school auction..and people asked for more.  She knew she was on to a good idea...and created Farm Dog Studios. Every sign is hand made in the Brookside space.  The process is a stencil and mask system, going through several steps from start to finish.  Besides the subway style signs, Amy creates decor for children's rooms, sororities and fraternities, local spo... 09/12/2016

Wonderful Waldo continues to be a sought after location for homebuyers...so many bars and  restaurants to explore, along with personal services, coffee shops, grocery, Trolley Track Trail and convenient bus service.  Here are the July 2016 stats for single family home sales in Waldo, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th:  July 2016 Number of homes sold:    41Median list price:              $165,000Median sales price:          $164,000Average days on market:    22 The lowest sales price was $91,000 and the highest was $340,000. July 2015 Number of homes sold:      46Median list price:              $157,000Median sales price:          $155,750Average days on market:   43 As you can see from just 22 days on market, new listings are going under contract quickly, ... 08/23/2016