A few years ago, my wife and I decided to take a Saturday afternoon and go see all the new construction homes on the Spring Homes Tour. This time though, we decided to only look at homes priced over $700,000. That was a few years ago so a home at $700,000 in Kansas City was considered the starting point of the luxury market. Today that number is probably closer to $1 million. New construction prices pretty much start at $500,000 now, so a $700,000 home is more average in most new construction communities.
I remember how jaded we became as we looked at 10 homes on the tour that were priced between $700,000 and $1.2 million. I started making comments like, “You know, this home doesn’t have a butlers pantry” or “You’d think for $900,000 they’d have a movie theatre in the basement!” It was funny how the different homes compared with each other and it was interesting to see them all in one day. Yes, I’m in real estate so I do have access to go see these homes anytime I choose, but I really don’t have spare time to go do that, so being able to simply drive around and go when we wanted without having to make an appointment was pretty nice. That’s what I love about this.
The Spring Parade of Homes is happening right now in Kansas City from April 29 through May 14. The spring parade will feature hundreds of homes by some of the area’s finest builders and includes townhomes, villas, and single-family homes with a variety of floor plans featuring the latest design trends.
Presented twice a year by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City (KCHBA), the Kansas City Parade of Homes is the second largest in the United States. Since 1947, millions of greater Kansas City residents and visitors have enjoyed viewing the latest in-home innovations, styles, and decorating, and this year’s spring parade will be no different as it showcases the area’s premier new homes, home builders, and communities.
Homes will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free. Free parade guides will be available for pickup at the KCHBA (I-435 & Holmes) beginning the Monday prior to the start of the parade and at all parade homes during the event.
Consumers can also download the user-friendly mobile app from the Google Play or Apple Store. Using the app, parade-goers can save their favorites and then map a customized route to each home. For more information, please visit KCParadeofHomes.com.