Market Watch - KCK - The Heart of America Is Still Beating

Kansas City, Kansas is not an ordinary city. KCK is annexed to Kansas City, Missouri, (KCMO) and its administrative structure is such that it is not just a city, but a county as well. This city/county entity has absorbed many smaller communities nearby such as Strawberry Hill, Rosedale, Muncie, Piper, the Fairfax district and others.

I remember as a kid many fun times watching the Kansas City Royals in their beautiful Kauffman stadium, soaking up the atmosphere and downing as many dogs as my dad would buy for me! The dogs and Royal Crown cola. Good times!

I only recently learned that the team was named after the American Royal - a horse show and rodeo held every year in Kansas City - and yet another event I remember having lots of fun going to. My favorites were always the Clydesdales pulling the Budweiser wagon!

The real estate market in the Heart of America is, according to a study conducted by HousingPredictor.com expected to be a great place for investors to focus their attention. As mentioned in their report “Best Investor Markets for 2012”, Kansas City is named among other cities as a location expected to see rising prices because of high crop prices in the region.

According to Trulia.com, during the last quarter of 2011, KCK experienced a decrease of 16.9% in the price per square foot for homes when compared to the same time the previous year, however the median sales price rose by 12.4% during the same time period. I’ve always put more stock in long term trends, however, so news that over the last five years, prices have appreciated by 7.4% is welcome news, especially when considering the recent report about crop prices.

Individuals wishing to buy in the Kansas City area need to take a look at the favored communities of Turner, Bethel,Welborn, Victory Hills, Kensington, Riverview and Arengentine.

The parents reporting to Trulia.com about the area schools give very low ratings (1 out of 10) to most of the area schools. There are a few bright spots, however, such as Bertram Caruthers, Christ the King Elementary School and others who stand out above the crowd. Trulia.com is not the authority, however, on schools, so if you are planning to move to the area it is advisable to check out the schools in person.

KCK has several buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places; Fire Station No. 9, Granada Theatre, Great Wolf Lodge, Sauer Castle among others, and its rich history of starting as a “cow town” can still be seen, albeit dimly, past the shining city that is Kansas City, Kansas.