|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Although Clay County joined all metro residential real estate markets with a slight leveling in 2005, housing permits were still issued at the third best rate in the region’s history. Regionally, Clay County was behind only area powerhouse Johnson County, Ks., and the area’s core county, Jackson. Increasing mortgage rates were the biggest factor in a slight slowdown of home growth region-wide. But in Clay County, the continued overall demand still resulted in 2,150 single and multi-family residential permits for 2005, compared to 2,656 in 2004 and 2,585 in 2003. One area, Kearney, has grown by an astounding 200 percent in recent years and is one of Missouri’s fastest developing communities. A number of these homes are being built in the Shoal Creek Valley, a more than 4,000-acre area between I-35 and I-435 and along Highways 152 and 291. Several major projects are master-planed communities emphasizing amenities such as golf courses, walking trails and extensive landscaping. Several of these developments have sold at a rate well above the developers’ plans, nearing completion five and even 10 years in advance of expectation. Throughout Clay County, another factor in the residential market is the wide range of pricing and lifestyles. A new development in North Kansas City is creating a community reminiscent of Georgetown, in Washington, D.C., with old-style town homes and small neighborhood stores that are friendly to walk-in shopping. Other examples of “new urbanism” are being constructed in the Shoal Creek area, Liberty and in Kearney. One of Clay County’s most unusual housing options involves the area’s open rural areas and smaller communities such as Excelsior Springs, Smithville and Kearney. Several of these areas boast luxury homes on multi-acre mini-ranches and a “country” lifestyle unique to the region. Clay County’s older neighborhoods are also experiencing development—or redevelopment. One unique program spurred more than $1 million in restoration of 240 homes in the Chouteau and Chaumiere neighborhoods, all significantly affordable housing. A similar program is being planned for areas along North Oak Trafficway.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|