Lee's Summit - Made the 2009 BusinessWeek's List of Best Places To Raise Your Kids?

In case you haven't heard, Lee's Summit has been named to the list of top towns for 2009 to raise your kids by NewsWeek. They rated towns on the following criteria: "towns with at least 50,000 residents and a median family income between $40,000 and $100,000. We then narrowed the list of towns using the following weighted criteria: school performance; number of schools; household expenditures; crime rates; air quality; job growth; family income; museums, parks, theaters, and other amenities; and diversity. We weighted school performance and safety most heavily, but also gave strong weight to amenities and affordability".

10923 Blackwell Road, Lee's Summit, Missouri

PERFECT HOME WANTED! This custom built fantastic 1.5 Story all Brick Home delivers and is inviting you to come take a look. Quality througout with a very open floorplan & beautiful hardwoods. Abundant Walk In Closets & Built-ins. Finished Lower Level includes a media room with surround sound. Relax and enjoy the Salt Water Pool and stone waterfall. Huge 40x60 Detached Garage -- Perfect for all of your toys or home business. Sprinkler System. Beautiful treed/landscaped yard. Award winning Lee's Summit Schools. Visit http://www.debbiewhitehomes.com/ for more information, slide show and virtual tour.

Want a quick peek now...click on the photo for a quick video!

Value Range Pricing

January's Real Estate Corner Question:

Q. I’m looking for a larger house and will be selling my current home. I keep seeing “Value-Range Pricing.” I’m confused. What is Value-Range Pricing, and what should I know about it?

A. Value-Range Pricing is a relatively new pricing strategy that is popular in some parts of the country. Typically, most houses are sold when the seller lists their home with a fixed price based on an analysis of similar properties in the area.

Some real estate agents now use Value-Range Pricing as a marketing strategy when selling a home. Instead of a fixed price, a house is listed within a particular price range. For example, a range price of $260,000 to $290,000 would bring in more potential buyers (and potentially more offers) than a fixed price listing.

There are additional terms that can be negotiated beyond the price: closing dates, costs, home warranties, or title insurance. One word of caution: homes that are Value-Range Priced don’t necessarily sell more quickly, or at a higher price, than fixed priced homes.

If you are buying or selling a home and need competent and caring representation, please call me at 816-875-1661!

Arctic Chill Brings Real Estate Warming

Is it cold enough for you? We may be experiencing an arctic blast, but we are also experiencing an amazing warming of the Real Estate Market! The historic low interest rates, great purchase opportunities and first time home buyer incentives has warmed it up. A renewed activity in real estate since the first of the year shows 2009 to be more promising than the previous 2008. Don't miss out on tremendous opportunities and wish you would have when we can show you how you can.

What is Appraised Value?

· Appraisals provide an objective opinion of value, but it’s not an exact science so appraisals may differ.

· For buying and selling purposes, appraisals are usually based on market value — what the property could probably be sold for. Other types of value include insurance value, replacement value, and assessed value for property tax purposes.

· Appraised value is not a constant number. Changes in market conditions can dramatically alter appraised value.

· Appraised value doesn’t take into account special considerations, like the need to sell rapidly.

· Lenders usually use either the appraised value or the sale price, whichever is less, to determine the amount of the mortgage they will offer.

Used with permission from Kim Daugherty, Real Estate Checklists and Systems

Welcome to 2009!

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2009! There were many things to be thankful for in 2008 and many others that I believe we are happy to leave behind. I think 2009 will be a year for hope, new challenges and an opportunity to live BIG. Living BIG (Be in Gratitude) is concentrating on what we think about and that which we can be thankful for. What we think about expands. Thoughts of gratitude, optimism and positive energy compounds exponentially. So does unhappiness and negativity. Regardless of our circumstances we can choose! I hope for you in 2009 that it will be your year to live BIG!

Welcome to 2009!