New Page 1 Review Your Monthly Expenses: Take account of how much you spend and where. Can anything be cut back? After you analyze your expenses, you should then be able to come up with a monthly payment you are comfortable with. This is the amount you should take to your leader, NOT how much of a house you think you can afford. Payments are not simply principal and interest, there is also taxes, insurance and sometimes PMI (private mortgage insurance) Get Pre-Approved: A pre-approval letter is basically  your "license to shop". You should have this letter before you begin looking, so you know how much of a house you can truly afford. Your Olathe real estate agent, Brad Papa has a handful of trusted, qualified mortgage brokers to recommend. Remember, a pre-approval and credit check sho... 03/26/2008

1.  What Area's Do You Serve? Brad Papa is licensed in both Kansas and Missouri and has completed multiple transactions all over the Kansas City Area including Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa, Leawood, Mission, Merriam, Johnson County, Kansas City, Waldo, Brookside...the list goes on and on. If you live in the Kansas City area, Brad Papa is the real estate agent for you!     2. Do You Have A Specialty Location? Brad Papa Is Your Olathe Real Estate Agent! As a native of Olathe and also a current resident, Olathe real estate has become a main focus of Brad's business model  He has experience with new construction, foreclosures, first time home buyer's, repackaging homes that didn't sell the first time around and much more!  Please contact Brad  today at bradleypapa@remax.net for any reside... 03/25/2008

There are different types of appraisals and it is important that you understand the different types.  The 3 common appraisals in the Olathe real estate market are the following:  refinance, county and independent.A refinance appraisal in typically an over inflated value of your home.  Banks , of course, make money by letting you borrow money, so they will usually over appraise your home in order to let you borrow more money so that they can make more money.  County appraisals are usually not the most accurate numbers either, for they are based on a combination of  basic raw facts such as: number of bedrooms and baths, square footage, finished/unfinished  basement finished, subdivision etc. The flaw with this type of appraisal is that it doesn’t take in account if you have done any updat... 03/18/2008

 They Represent YOUR Best Interests: If you call the listing agent on the sign, you are speaking to the agent that works for the seller. That agent will do what they can go get the house sold for the highest value, for THEIR client. Therefore, you need an agent on your side that is looking out for your best interests. A home is a huge purchase, and a decision that you should be 100% comfortable making and a buyer's agent will help you write a contract when you find YOUR dream home. Expanded Market Search: An Olathe buyers agent can show you ANY property that is available - regardless of the sign in the yard. A buyer's agent will search for all available properties that meet your search criteria including unlisted properties, new construction, foreclosures. A common misconception is that... 03/11/2008

Sell Your Olathe Home . . . Save Thousands!Full Service Olathe Real Estate 1.5% to 4.9%                                                                                                 · Your Olathe home listed on the Kansas City Heartland Multiple Listing Service                                                                                                · Your Olath home marketed to 500+ Olathe real estate buyer's agents                                                                                                · Your Olathe home marketed on 1,000+ real estate websites                                                                                                · Your Olathe home found on the first page of Google and Yahoo                                                          ... 03/11/2008

Remember the main rule of selling your home: the way you live in a home and the way you sell a home are two totally different things! You should try to make your house as universally appealing as possible with natural colors, minimized personal items and absolutely no clutter!Top Tips For Getting Your Home Ready To Sell:• Clear the clutter: You plan to move, so start packing now! Pack away collections and valuables, a good rule of thumb is to pack away 30% of your belongings. Store extra possessions in the garage or a storage unit• Organize closets: Take things out of closets & cabinets that are not essential to your life and pack them away. Arrange items neatly. In your closet, arrange shoes neatly and hang clothes either by color or by category (all blouses together, all shirts etc)• ... 03/10/2008

Discover money-saving secrets to buying a home! This seminar will show you step-by-step how to save time, effort & money when buying your next home. Anyone considering the purchase of a home will gain valuable insight from this seminar especially first time home buyers. Brad Papa, and Olathe Real Estate Agent, has been hosting a Home Buyer's Seminar for almost four years with tremendous success! Topics Include: Tips to Improve Your Credit Score How to Capitalize on the Current Buyer's Market The Latest Mortgage Terminology Steps to Buying a Home (from identifying the property to closing) Different Financing Options, Including Buying a Home For Less Than $500 Down How: Seminar is FREE, but you must RSVP to attend. Spots fill up quickly, so make sure to register! Register online here or ... 03/09/2008

New Page 1 If you are bored this weekend and wondering what is going on in Olathe and surrounding areas, see below for various Olathe Calendar of Events and general Kansas City Calendar of Events. Remember to mark your calendar for a Free Home Buyer's Seminar each Tuesday at 6:30 p.m presented by your Olathe Real Estate Agent, Brad Papa. Contact Brad at bradleypapa@remax.net for more information on this no obligation seminar.Olathe Chamber Calendar: http://www.olathe.org/olathe_cvb/festivalandevents/ City of Olathe Calednar of Events: http://www.olatheks.org/event/2008/01/31 Kansas City Calendar of Events Page: http://kcevents.robkraft.org/index.html Another Kansas City Calendar of Events Page: http://lucyslist.blogspot.com/ KCTV 5 Calendar: http://www.kctv5.com/calendar/index.html (cl... 03/08/2008

New Page 1 Interested in catching some local theatre or maybe even doing a little acting? Then the Olathe Community Theatre could be just the ticket for you! The Olathe Community Theatre Association located at 500 E. Loula Street, Olathe offers entertaining productions throughout the year that hold open auditions for local talent. The upcoming shows include:     Little Me March 14, 15, 16*, 21, 22, 28, and 29, 2008. Little Me tells of the poorest girl on Drifter’s Row, Belle who becomes a Hollywood star and a Countess, but still longs for the love of her life. Will they find each other at the right time in the right place? Can they live happily ever after, after all?   Crossing Delancey Auditions for ‘Crossing Delancey’ by Susan Sandler will be held at The Olathe Community Theater at 5... 03/08/2008

New Page 1 K-7 is getting a facelift! Well, there are plans for it at least! The plan makes K-7 a 6 lane highway though certain parts of Olathe, but unfortunately funding is still lacking for the construction, which still could be 10 years to 30 years away. Certain changes were revealed at a recent public meeting regarding the plans. Below are the revised intersections: →   127th Street →  Santa Fe →  Old 56 Highway/Dennis Avenue →  151st Street →  167th Street →  175th Street →  183rd Street Residents expressed concerns about how the plan affects the local Olathe real estate market. Concerns such as not being able to sell properties on or near the route, not being able to receive compensation from government until funding is secured and the plan causing an increase in the number of re... 03/07/2008

New Page 1   Low interest rates and the high volume of houses on the market make this Spring the perfect time to purchase a home! First time home buyers and anyone else considering purchasing a home in 2008 will gain valuable insight from Brad Papa’s FREE Home Buyer’s Seminar. How To Register Seminar is FREE, but you must RSVP to attend. Spots fill up quickly, so contact Brad Papa at bradleypapa@remax.net or call 913-526-4985 and reserve your spot today! When & Where Seminar is held most Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m at RE/MAX Stateline, 10200 Stateline Road, Leawood, KS    Brad Papa RE/MAX Stateline Specializing in Olathe Real Estate913-526-4985 bradleypapa@remax.net www.PapasInTheHouse.com Come to Papa For All Your Real Estate Needs!     03/05/2008

New Page 1 Olathe Citizen's Are Happy! So the survey says! Olathe residents overall satisfaction with the city's services reached a new high according to the annual DirectionFinder citizen survey. According to the survey: Satisfaction with City services showed increases in 71 areas out of 98 areas surveyed. Compared to other Kansas City area cities surveyed, Olathe ranked as a “metro leader” in five areas: overall quality of City services, overall satisfaction with Police, Fire and ambulance services, overall satisfaction with City water and sewer utilities, overall satisfaction with the City stormwater runoff system and overall efforts to keep residents informed. Olathe also ranked in the top 25 percent in 15 other surveyed areas.   This is an annual survey of Olathe citizens to asses... 03/05/2008

New Page 1 <!-- p.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; } p.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-parent:""; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-top:0in} --> Ravenwood Place This Olathe gem just sizzles with value! Ravenswood Place represents one of today's most outstanding new home values. Located just 1-1/2 miles east of Highway 7 on 119th Street at Monroe, Ravenwood Place is only minutes from desirable shopping, dining, and business destinations. With all that Ravenwood Place has to offer, it's quite possible that your new home search could easily, and happily, begin and end ... 02/11/2008

New Page 2 Life surrounds you in the beautiful homes of Foxfield Village located along Johnson County's K-10 growth corridor.  Just minutes from shopping and conveniences, this superior location also provides easy highway access. Outdoor activities beckon with a community pool, cabana, and 10-acre park loaded with recreational choices in Olathe, Kansas. Brad Papa is a licensed realtor with RE/MAX Stateline and is an expert in Foxfield Village and surrounding neighborhoods. Brad has sold multiple homes in Foxfield Village, and is also a resident of the subdivision.  He is a local specialist of the neighborhood, homes values and of the various floor plans. In addition, since Brad owns property in Foxfield Village, he also has a vested interested in getting you the most money for your pro... 02/11/2008

Woodland Creek is located in Olathe, Kansas between 155th Street on the North side, 159th Street on the South Side, Lackman/Blackbob is the Eastern border. Currently Woodland Creek has 5 homes actively for sale with 36 homes sold in the last 365 days. At the current rate of absorption or demand, this provides a roughly 2 months supply of homes. As spring draws near more homes are likely to appear on the market. View Homes for sale in Woodland Creek The price range for Woodland Creek Homes for Sale (Listed) is $205,000 to $244,950. The price range for Woodland Creek Homes which were listed and sold ranges from $175,000 to $263,000. Great Reasons to Live in Woodland Creek Meadows or Woodland Creek Estates There are two creeks running through the neighborhood Woodland Creek is within the a... 02/06/2008

They opened a new Mi Ranchito in Olathe on 119th Street a few months ago, and I am a huge fan of Mexican food, so it wasn't long before I had to try it! The restaurant is fairly small and was packed when we went there on a Sunday night, which translated into a 15 minute wait. The set-up is unusual since the hostess stand is in the back entrance so park in the back if you can!The waiter was very quick with the chips and salsa, and the salsa is excellent. It's on the thicker side with plenty of cilantro and onions. My wife and I both ordered the Fajita Con Queso Enchiladas with chicken and they were excellent. It came with two large enchiladas covered in espinaca cheese dip and sides of beans and rice. The service was excellent, the restaurant was clean and the food was delicious. I have ... 02/06/2008

Here are the past 12 months of market statistics for the Symphony at the Reserve subdivision as of 01/31/2008. If you would like more information or are thinking about buying or selling in Symphony at the Reserve, give me a call. I will be more the happy to provide you with a detailed market analysis to estimate the current market value of your home. Michael Pierce Real Estate Total Listed:16 Off Market Units:1 Sold Units:12 Remaining Units:3* Min Sold Price:$191,000 Average Sold Price:$223,416 Median Sold Price:$218,000 Max Sold Price:$272,500 * Remaining Units = (Total Listed) - (Off Market Units + Sold Units) Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 01/31/2008

Here are the past 12 months of market statistics for the Parkwood Hills subdivision in Olathe Kansas. This statistics are as of 01/31/2008. If you would like more information or are thinking about buying or selling in Parkwood Hills, give me a call. Michael Pierce Real Estate Total Listed:31 Off Market Units:7 Sold Units:23 Remaining Units:1* Min Sold Price:$186,500 Average Sold Price:$217,648 Median Sold Price:$220,000 Max Sold Price:$244,000 * Remaining Units = (Total Listed) - (Off Market Units + Sold Units) information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 01/31/2008

Olathe is building a new elementary school on Woodland Road and I have been closing monitoring the progress of the project since I drive by it on my way home every day! It was recently released that the school is being built following the U.S. Green Building Council principles. Olathe is going green! I think this is an exciting concept that buildings can not only be beautiful, functional, but also good for the environment.Check out this article from the Kansas City Star with more details: 01/29/2008

I know this an old story but I have not been able to find it on Activerain and thought this is some great information about Olathe and should be posted.  For those who don't already know, Money Magazine named Olathe, Kansas number 13 on their list of 100 best places to live.  This article has a lot of great information on Overland Park and I hope you find it helpful.  More information about Olathe Real Estate can be found on http://www.michaelpiercerealesate.com/Olathe. Here is a link to the article: 01/28/2008