Friday, October 10, 2008

ABC World News Features KC Housing Market

ABC World News Features Kansas City Housing Market

Kansas City’s housing market was featured ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson Thursday night in a look at the housing market. Kansas City was focused as a Midwestern city where the new-home market has bucked national trends and began to show positive signs and the early markings of a recovery.“Locally, permits have been up over the last three months,” local home builder Kevin Enyeart of Gale Homes said in an interview with ABC News. “We just wrapped up the local Parade of Homes where we open up all the homes from all the builders metrowide. In our sales office we saw triple the traffic – over 150 car loads of families coming through sales office compared to 40 or 50 during a typical Parade of Homes.”
Enyeart explained that builders have significantly reduced their inventory of new of new homes and that homebuyers were realizing that opportunities to take advantage of competitive prices and low mortgage rates are dwindling.“They are wanting to jump in and take that last opportunity on a purchase before things start to hit that uptick on the bell curve,” he told ABC News.“The general consumer confidence seems positive right now,” Enyeart said. “They are watching the headlines; they are watching the credit tightening. I’ve seen folks coming in worried about where the credit tightening is going to and looking to either take advantage of it before things changes too dramatically or get locked in on rates as they are a little bit lower since there is some uncertainty over where rates are going to go.”While national new-home sales plunged 11.5 percent in August, Midwest sales activity rose more than 7 percent, according to the Census Bureau.“I say to my clients, ‘It’s a buyer’s market – why aren’t you buying?’ ” Chicago Realtor Jeanine Wheeler told ABC News. Despite tougher credit and lending standards, mortgage broker Ken Perlmutter explained that credit remained available for buyers in the new-home market.“There is a misconception out there that we aren’t lending money,” Perlmutter said. We are. We’re certainly eager to lend it to people who want to buy homes.

HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER KANSAS CITY600 E. 103rd Street · Kansas City, Missouri 64131-4300OFFICE (816) 942-8800 · FAX (816) 942-8367
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2008 Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City

New Homes Forecast

Forecast Shows Housing Making Positive Transition in 2008Declining inventories show housing headed in the right direction
After back-to-back down years for both new-home starts and sales, the Kansas City housing market is showing a swing in a positive direction. That was the message from the 2008 Housing Forecast presented Thursday, Jan. 17 by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City (HBA). More than 425 housing professionals attended the forecast event at the Westin Crown Center Hotel.
Related Articles
Dan Whitney Presentation
Tim Underwood Presentation
Kansas City Star coverage Adobe PDF of The Star's forecast coverage
New-home inventory levels are falling quickly and home sales are poised to rebound in 2008, suggesting a stronger, more balanced housing market is right around the corner, according to Dan Whitney, president of the housing market research firm Landmarketing based in Overland Park.
“The local new housing market is in a state of positive transition,” Whitney explained to attendees at the annual housing forecast. “Inventory levels have dropped for the fourth quarter in a row and have fallen 15.4 percent from their all-time high in January 2007.”
Whitney said inventories will continue to fall given the 51 percent decrease in housing starts and 32.6 percent drop in new-home building permits. His forecast calls for new-home permits to dip slightly in 2008 before beginning a steady recovery in 2009 to the pre-housing boom levels of the late 1990s.
“While these corrections are difficult for the building industry, they are necessary to bring the supply in line with the demand,” Whitney said. “The appropriate level of new-home inventory is approximately 1,500 fewer than the current 4,188 homes. The supply and demand balance favors the buyer right now but inventory levels will drop fast creating a more balanced market.”
There were 1,421 more closings than starts in 2007, with Johnson and Clay counties accounting for the bulk of the reduction in inventory. Johnson County posted 490 more closings than starts, while Clay County reduced inventory by 410 homes.
Excess inventory should continue to move quickly in 2008. Whitney’s forecast calls for new-home closings to rebound 18 percent following a 10 percent decline in 2007. That would allow net inventory levels to drop to more normal levels. As a result, Whitney expects the best opportunities for consumers to occur earlier in the year before excess inventories are fully absorbed by the market.
While all prices ranges across the metro have a modest buildup in new-home inventories, Whitney said the degree of concern differs from location to location and price range to price range. In terms of prices, the extremes of the market have been the best performing in terms of inventory levels, with homes priced under $175,000 posting the lowest monthly supply on the market. The second-best performing price range is for homes priced more than $925,000.
The biggest buildup in inventory is among homes priced $225,000 to $625,000, yet Whitney said there are locations where that price range is performing well, such as in southwestern Jackson County and southern Leavenworth County.
Whitney said a key factor impacting Kansas City’s housing market correction is clearing the backlog of existing homes on the market. “The number one reason new-home shoppers give for not being able to take advantage of the housing values now is they cannot sell their existing home. Existing-home sales have to increase to allow buyers to purchase new homes.
While instability in the mortgage market sparked by the turmoil in subprime lending is faulted in some markets nationwide, Whitney said Kansas City is fairing much better than average in terms of mortgage accessibility and availability of credit.“The local mortgage situation is in great shape compared to the highly publicized areas around the country, particularly Florida, California, Michigan and Nevada,” he said. “This national coverage continues to overshadow the local relatively stable conditions in Kansas City and the Midwest.”
As the housing market begins its recovery, questions abound about what the new and improved housing market will look like. Underwood said focusing on the development of new housing choices and better connections between housing and transportation will allow residential construction to maintain its role as an economic engine for the region.
“We need to take a closer look at the demographic trends of our metro and establish a regional vision for housing choices that meet the needs and demands of local families,” Underwood said. “Housing affordability, employment, transportation and the economy are critical issues impacting today’s market. We need to address all of these concerns to ensure that we are building strong, vibrant neighborhoods for Kansas City new-home buyers.”
Whitney agreed with Underwood’s assessment that new housing choices driven by changing demographics and the housing needs of local families is critical to future success.
“There’s too much relying on crystal balls instead of market trends and facts,” Whitney said.
The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Kansas City is the voice of the housing industry and the source for housing information. Comprising more than 1,000 member companies, the HBA represents an industry that contributes approximately $2.5 billion to the Kansas City economy, and supports more than 36,000 jobs in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Fall Parade of Homes

2008 Parade of Homes
September 7-21

YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE CHANGE IN SEASONS BUT HOW ABOUT A CHANGE IN SCENERY TOO? NOW THAT THE SUMMER HEAT WAVE IS COOLING OFF, IT'S THE PERFECT TIME OF YEAR TO GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE AND CHECK OUT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES FOR YOUR NEW HOME ON THE 61ST ANNUAL PARADE OF HOMES!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Wow, the Action is HERE!


Rosie & Thesa are the PROUD community representatives of several new homes going up in our MP community. Our builders are going to town building 11 homes now, 2 of the homes are ready for immediate occupancy, several more will be ready in 30 to 60 days, and we have a few in the very early stages of the building process just waiting for your personal touch. 1/3 of the homes sites already have homes on them in a few short months!

Ashford Villas have tile roofs, low E vinyl windows, granite Kitchens & Baths, our builders are also offering WALK OUT, DAYLIGHT, AND LEVEL HOMESITES. We feature 2, 2.5 & 3 car garages. We really do have something for everyone.

This is a fantastic location 144th Place & Quivira offering 5 Popular floor Plans from 4 Award Winning Quality Builders, Dakota Villas, KC Builders & Design, Lambie-Geer Homes, & Pinecrest Development.

We are also sporting around in our NEW Ashford Villas Shuttle Cart. No need for lots of walking to see our Wonderful community, come over and we will be happy to shuttle you from home to home.

See You Soon!
Thesa & Rosie

Saturday, March 29, 2008

WE ARE OPEN!!!!!!!!!




We welcome you to stop by and see our furnished model.
THE MONTICELLO by DAKOTA VILLAS, INC.
We have Five different floor plans to choose from or each of our builders can custom design a home just for you! Ashford Villas only has 31 Homes Sites Available in this "Close-In" Location.

Please stop in we are OPEN DAILY 11-5 and open Sundays 12-5.


See ya soon,


Thesa & Rosie
Marketing Team
913-402-9911

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

New Pictures of Progress






These are the updated pictures of The Monticello by Dakota Villas, Inc. will be completed in 2 WEEKS!!!!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

We have Inventory Ready to go Very Soon!

The Monticello, by Dakota Villas Lot 4 for $389,900 is a 4 bedroom Reverse 1.5 Story on a level lot with 2 car garage. It backs to the South with a huge easement between its backyard and the neighbors backyard. The trim & cabinets are up and we will be working on spraying the ceiling and then start painting! It will be ready in 60 days.



The Siena by Pinecrest Development Lot 2 is sheetrocked and ready to be trimmed with cabinets coming this week. The Siena is an open floor plan reverse 1.5 story. Wonderful Kitchen that looks out into the Great Room and Eating Area. The lower level has a wet bar and a Wine Cellar! The Garage is a 2.5 car garage, plenty of room for 2 cars and storage! This home also backs up to the huge easement area to the South. It is ready for color selections and will be completed in 60 to 90 days.



The Chalet by KC Builders and Design Lot 20 is getting sheetrock very soon and has a 3 car garage. The open floor plan is new and very exciting. We have had great response to it so far. The rooms are very spacious and the covered patio has a fireplace for extra outdoor living. The lower level has plenty of room for company with the Rec Room and Wet bar along with 2 more bedrooms all on a walkout lot. This home has a 3 car garage and should be completed in 60 to 90 days.



The Granada by Dakota Villas, Inc. Lot 27 is framed and getting electrical & plumbing work now. It will be completed between 90 & 120 days. The Reverse 1.5 Story home is situated on a Walk-Out lot and is approx 3000 sq ft. with a 2 car garage. It features Dining Room & Breakfast Room with a more secluded kitchen area. Lower level finish includes a Rec Room, full bath and 3rd Bedroom with optional Wet Bar & 4th Bedroom.



The Siena by Pinecrest Development Lot 22 All the same fantastic features of the Siena on Lot 2 but with a bigger 3 car garage and a walkout homesite. Pinecrest trys to stay "Green" on his homes by using Tile Roofs, Low E Windows, I Joists Beams, R-38 Attic Insulation. Right now it is being framed in and will be complted in 120 days. Plenty of time to make your selections.



The Granada by Dakota Villas Lot 21 All the same wonderful features of The Granada on Lot 27 but with a bigger 3 car garage! Dakota Villas is known for their Elaborate Millwork and Trim Package, quality of construction and great customer service before and after the home is yours! We are digging the foundation now and we are about 150 days from completion.



The Raphael by Lambie-Geer Homes Lot 9 & Lot 28 We are staked and ready to start the foundation process on Lot 9. We are all very excited to see The Raphael Plan, it is new to the wonderful Lambie-Geer Line up of popular floor plans.



We encourage you to drive by and see our progress, for more info please call us Thesa 913-636-8118 or Rosie 913-707-7496.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Happy New Year from Ashford Villas

2008 started off with a bang. We Sold the existing home that we were using as our Welcome Center! We would like to welcome the new family to Ashford Villas, we think they are going to love it here.

We are on track to have several floor plans completed by spring. Right now there are 4 homes being framed, The Chalet, The Monticello, The Siena, & The Granda. We have one foundation, ready for The 3 car, walkout Siena Plan and One Lot staked for The Raphael Plan. If you are in the area please drive by to see all the action.

As of now, we are not on site but our officing out of GWA corporate office right down the street at 151st & Antioch. Thesa and I are only a phone call away from being there in minutes. Thesa 913-636-8118 and Rosie 913-707-7496. We also plan to be at the subdivision on the weekends when the weather is good or call us for an appointment. We would love to show off the newest maintenance provided community.

Happy New Year!

K.C. Builders & Design: No housing slump here

K.C. Builders & Design

According to information recently published in The Kansas City Star, despite interest rates that have continued to drop in the past few months, consumer confidence has been affected by the many negative articles in print across the country that have been forecasting a melancholy real estate market.
The feature went on say that many local experts say that the subprime market experienced elsewhere in the country is quite the opposite of what is happening in the Midwest, and that both new and resale homes 5 years old and newer are still a great buy.
Builder Kelley Babb of K.C. Builders & Design echoed that assessment.
“People need to realize that in Kansas City we don’t have the peaks and valleys like the coastal areas of the country, which is where the (Associated Press writers) are located and basing their information,” Babb said.
“A few months ago there was an article about the sky falling, and all of the doom and gloom, and at the end it said, ‘This applies to everywhere but the Midwest.’ That needs to be in big bold letters to draw attention to it. It is damaging our market wholeheartedly, and it is not fair for the areas that are doing well.”
Babb maintains that because Kansas City is geographically located in the middle of the country, it is cost effective for big businesses to operate here in terms of logistics regarding shipping of goods, travel and so forth.
“Those businesses bring in new residents who are buying homes, and the good areas are still good. They are slower, but still good. The subprime confusion does not affect Johnson County as much.”
K.C. Builders & Design, operating since 1997, is a well-known and respected custom homebuilding firm working primarily in Overland Park, Olathe and Lenexa, Babb said. Its award-winning homes, priced from $375,000 to $700,000, are found in communities such as Polo Fields, Cedar Creek, Patrician Village, Deer Valley and Prairie Brook, the new maintenance provided community Ashford Villas.
“Creative designs and basement finishes from simple to elaborate are our specialty,” Babb said. “People like us because we change anything and everything in our plans. If you like the layout of the house but need a mudroom, let’s include it. If you want a spectacular basement, we can do it while we are building the home, or after you move in. There’s nothing that we cannot do.”
Working with the belief that building a new home should be an exciting and enjoyable process, the firm places great emphasis on good communication and great customer service.
“We have over 75 referral letters and these accolades are wonderful because we pride ourselves on catering to our clients and modifying our plans to accommodate their needs,” Babb said.
Another source of pride is the boutique size of the firm that comprises primarily family members.
“We are not a big operation, but we are very lean and efficient,” Babb said. “Every year since we have been in business, we have doubled our sales. Despite the market, we built 41 homes in 2007 and hope to exceed 50 in 2008. We have done well, and can’t build homes fast enough to keep up with the demand.”
K.C. Builders & Design will be featured in a 30-minute infomercial on “The Savvy Homebuyer,” tentatively scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Jan. 19, on WDAFTV