Category Archives: Kansas City Sports

June 20, 2007 · 7:35 am

Kansas Gets Releford

This has nothing to do with real estate. But it’s just as important. Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks just secured his first big time recruit for the 2008-2009 season. We’re losing 5 seniors in 2008 as well as a couple (probably) players to the NBA. 2008-2009 will be young, young squad. But stocked with blue chippers? I hope so.

Congrats to Travis Releford and Bill Self. Keep the Kansas Basketball tradition alive!

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June 15, 2007 · 7:02 am

News You Can Use

Midwest Airlines is being taken over by Air-Tran. As a Kansas Citian, this isn’t good news. Midwest has been a good civic partner for Kansas City. Air-Tran? Can you say Southwest Airlines without any of the status?

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The foreclosure market is at historic levels, on the high side. And look which states are causing the problem. We have quite a few here, but we are in much better shape in the Greater Kansas City area.

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Hey St. Louis, I thought your baseball team was supposed to be better than ours. Kind of reminds me of 1985. 🙂

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Congratulations to Jacque Vaughn of the San Antonio Spurs. Another Jayhawk gets a ring. I know Kansas has had Clyde Lovellette,Wilt Chamberlin, JoJo White, Darnell Valentine, Danny Manning, Paul Pierce, Kirk Hinrich and so many more. But Jacque Vaughn will always be my favorite point guard. A pure point guard and a perfect NBA backup. Plays 10-11 minutes a game without turnovers but with assists. What else could a coach ask for?

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Newsflash. Slower sales mean higher commissions to your real estate agent. Why is this a surprise? When all you had to do to sell a home was put out a sign and wait 72 hours of course commission rates for real estate agents was going to drop. But now, when sales are slower and it takes a professional to get the word out about your home, of course commission rates are going to rise.

Why do people not think economic theory applies also to real estate? Same with the whole rising prices thing. Didn’t we see this story a few years ago with the stock market? Learn people. Learn.

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June 14, 2007 · 8:05 am

Kansas City Events and Other Miscellaneous Thoughts


Kansas City’s Rhythm & Ribs is happening this weekend. If you like the Blues, Jazz and BBQ, you might want to think about visiting Kansas City’s historic 18th & Vine district. Pat Matheny, George Benson & Al Jarreau. Need I say more? See you there.

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My son went down this really cool luge ride yesterday in New Zealand. Check it out.

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I have a closing today. That’s always an exciting day for everyone. My investor gets a sharp new property that will help them have a retirement worth having. (Especially these. Brand new townhouses for $108,900 that rent for $925-$950/mo. Eat your heart out California.) The builder sells another property which frees up money to build more. A tenant will get a quality home. And I get paid for my efforts. Everybody wins.

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Just so you’ll keep up to date: It’s only 120 more days until Midnight Madness. What’s Midnight Madness? It’s when the NCAA allows college basketball teams to begin practicing. Ahh. Soon my beloved Jayhawks will be taking the floor again!

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April 26, 2007 · 7:11 am

Kansas City Wizards Soccer: Build A Stadium

Sorry. This isn’t going to be a real estate post. It could be an investing post. Since OnGoal LLC purchased the Wizards last fall there have been some player and coaching changes. OnGoal LLC is hoping to do what the previous ownership (Lamar Hunt) wasn’t able to do. Get a soccer specific stadium built in Kansas City to help the Wizards succeed here.

Last night the Wizards came into their home opener 1-1. They won the game 3-0 by waxing a pretty poor Toronto FC. Announced attendance: 7,438.

Even by MLS standards, this is pretty darn low. Now, if you live in Kansas City you know we had one monster rain storm last evening. Precisely why the attendance wasn’t at lest 7,441. No way I was taking my boys out to sit in that kind of rain. (For all you that think soccer is boring, at least they still play in the rain….I’m just not going to sit in it!)

Everywhere soccer specific stadia have been built in the USA attendance has jumped. KC can get 16,000-19,000 out at Arrowhead. Do you know what that looks like in Arrowhead? But build a soccer specific 22,000 seat stadium and you’ll create an atmosphere. A demand for tickets. A good time. Look at Columbus, LA, Dallas, etc. You might say that DC United thrives in RFK. And you would be right. I used to love going to games there. But DC has 3 times the population of KC, at least 2 times the money and 2 times the immigrants.

Congratulations on the win last night, Coach Onalfo. Let’s hope the city can get behind you and the boys and go to Arrowhead and build a new stadium. I fully understand that the funds should mostly be private as there is no way any jurisdiction is going to build a stadium for soccer when they would just barely approve improvements for the Chiefs and Royals.

Even though the Wizards are Kansas City’s last National Champions in 2000. Think about that.

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April 9, 2007 · 7:32 am

Monday Morning in Kansas City

Just a few thoughts on this cold Monday morning;

  • It’s hard to take the scientific proof of global warming seriously when we here in Kansas City have suffered through the coldest winter I can ever remember here. It’s been below 33 degrees for each of the last 4 evenings. Out east they had a White Easter. What is going on? (Actually, I’ve read this is a result of GW.)

  • Staying with the global warming theme (and I’m not saying it’s fact…but very well could be) I believe there is no reason for us not to be doing more to conserve the earth’s resources. If we can do better we should. Take a look at this link. Apparently the technology is real and it is there to cut energy use drastically. Johnson County tax payers even benefit from it. Why are we not using it more? Smart growth is more than zoning. It’s also energy use, aesthetics, healthy.

  • Tomorrow I will be speaking at the MAREI monthly meeting. If you are wanting to find out more about Buy & Hold real estate investing then you will want to be in attendance. I’m going to break it own for you so that you will know what to buy.

  • Speaking of Kansas City real estate investing make sure you read Sunday’s Kansas City Star. Yet another article of crooked people doing crooked things. You may think you know what you are doing when it comes to real estate investing, but are you sure? These people lost tens of thousands of dollars and ruined their credit. But hey! They saved the REALTOR fees!
  • The Kansas City Royals are off to a 2-4 start. This has ruined my hopes for an undefeated season.

  • April’s issue of National Geographic has a great feature on the Flint Hills of Kansas. Beautiful photography (as always) and well done.

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Filed under Kansas City, Kansas City Sports, Social Issues

March 23, 2007 · 1:46 pm

Kansas Jayhawks Move On To Elite 8 & Some Real Estate Thoughts

I’m trying to keep my mind on real estate today. But I have to be honest and let you know it keeps going back to last night’s game and forward to tomorrow’s game against UCLA. Don’t worry, however. I had a closing today. Showed a couple places. Writing an offer tonight. So I haven’t stopped working. Just have Jayhawks on the brain!

Kansas City real estate seems to be getting quite a bit of attention from around the country. I have probably had 11-13 inquiries this week by phone and email asking about our market, what places rent for, where is the best place to own? Owning rental property to help fund your retirement is a great idea. And Kansas City is one of the few metropolitan areas around the country where investment property is still “affordable”.

And don’t forget…there are 4 Benefits to owning income property in Olathe, Kansas City, Overland Park, etc.

  1. Cash Flow Before Taxes
  2. Principal Reduction
  3. Depreciation
  4. Appreciation

I spotted some great condos in Lawrence, Kansas yesterday. Priced at $73,000 they are converted apartments with new mechanicals and vinyl siding. Two bedrooms and one bath located a few minutes from the campus of the University of Kansas. Rents should be $550-$600/month. Priced at $73,000. Email me for more info.

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March 16, 2007 · 7:41 am

Real Estate and Life in Kansas City

Just some meandering links to help you see what I’m reading…

This article is found in today’s Kansas City Star. From my own personal view let me say that what the United States is allowing to go on in the Sudan is absolutely terrible. Genocide is unacceptable. This article that you can read is great news for this individual, however. A true success story.

The housing/foreclosure crisis that is quickly setting in will have impact on you. No question about it. Even if you have great credit just one or two foreclosures in your neighborhood will help to further bring down property values. Columnist Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post has written a column that I really can’t argue to much about. Worth your time.

Conversely, if you have cash right now you are KING! The market is opening up to you in big ways. Loans favor the 80% LTV buyer. Sellers favor the buyer with cash to invest.

The Olathe Serve Day put on by volunteers from Olathe Bible Church (my home church), Indian Creek Community Church, Life Church and College Church of the Nazarene went splendidly. This article in the Olathe Daily News spells out the home building that went on. In addition, a team of volunteers changed oil and did car inspections for single mothers and widows and another group cleaned up and landscaped at least 10 of the local schools that I know of. Congratulations and thank you to all.

Kansas gears up tonight for their first round game against Niagra. Go Jayhawks!

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