Overland Park Kansas

Posts Tagged ‘humor’

Overland Park Home Show

Bigger classes at public schools. A tax on nursing homes. A highway plan without any money behind it. A public pension system at the breaking point.

Another year of difficult budget decisions began Monday when some Kansas lawmakers returned to the statehouse to begin work on next year’s budget.

The recession and its effect on state revenues prompted many to predict additional budget cuts are almost certain, even as demand for critical state services goes up.

First-quarter revenue for the state came in 5 percent below pessimistic projections. Lawmakers said they may have to slash $100 million from the current year’s budget before they even begin working on next year’s deficit — projected to be around $400 million.

“If our revenue continues to drop the way it has been dropping, we’re in for drastic changes to the way government is funded,” said Rep. Kevin Yoder, an Overland Park Republican who leads the House budget committee.

Last spring, lawmakers cut hundreds of millions of dollars in state spending. In response, public schools sliced $167 million and eliminated 3,700 jobs; public universities raised tuition; and correctional facilities were consolidated.

Lawmakers who work on the budget forecast that next year’s reductions could be just as dramatic. There’s no second round of federal stimulus money to help. Many lawmakers said they won’t consider general tax increases, which would affect taxpayers at the wrong time.

Legislators on the House Appropriations Committee who reviewed the situation discussed solutions. But here’s what they’re up against:

•Enrollment at universities and technical and community colleges is up as more unemployed workers go back to school. Last session, lawmakers cut funding to those institutions by $100 million. The schools are asking for $16 million next year to cover higher energy and health insurance bills.

•Demand for Medicaid and other social services is up, too, but there’s less money available to cover benefits.

•The state is due for a new long-term highway plan, but money is not set aside for it. Just keeping up with road maintenance costs $375 million a year.

•Additional cuts to public schools — the state’s single biggest expense — would mean more teacher layoffs, bigger classes and the risk of lower student proficiency.

About the Author:

Quoting & Saving just got easier…EasyToInsureME Health Insurance

Colorado Health Insurance
Kansas Health Insurance

Source – Kansas lawmakers begin to confront decline in state revenues

Johnson County Home & Garden Show Kicks Off

Overland Park Newspaper

Everybody understands that every city’s housing market is unique. In the Kansas City area, there are hundreds of people trying to sell property in a market that is currently flooded with new residential construction. You can’t expect to simply put a sign in the yard that says “For Sale” and wait for the phone to ring anymore, especially if you need to sell quickly. With all the choices buyers have, you have to do all you can to make your house look like the best deal. Here are three often overlooked things to consider when you need to sell quickly:

1. Curb Appeal
Curb Appeal, or how your house looks from the road, is very important. If you aren’t careful, buyers can make up their mind, subconsciously, NOT to buy even before walking through the front door. This sounds so obvious, but you would be surprised at how many times I’ve driven up to a house in a nice Olathe or Gardner subdivision and thought how they could have at least gotten rid of that huge dead limb laying in the front yard. This is even more important in the nicer areas of town like Olathe where neglect of curb appeal will stand out even more. But this doesn’t mean that you have to spend thousands of dollars on professional landscaping. Simple things like keeping your grass mowed, picking up the dead tree limbs, touching up the paint on that railing and fixing that twisted downspout can make a huge difference. If buyers are turned off when they pull into the drive, it could well be that nothing in the inside will win them over.

2. Know Your School Districts
If you are considering selling your house yourself, without a Realtor, make sure your potential buyers know what schools are around your neighborhood. Many potential homebuyers are looking to live in specific school districts (Fort Osage or Grain Valley for example) and may not know if your house is included in the district they prefer.

3. Possibility of Creative Financing
In today’s credit crunch, many people with great credit ratings find that they are unable to get a good home loan through a bank. You might consider offering your potential buyers some form of down payment assistance or owner financing. In this way, you are increasing the number of people who actually CAN potentially buy your home. Legal papers for these types of transactions can be set up by real estate attorneys in your area for a fee. This strategy is especially effective in areas like Overland Park and Olathe where there are large numbers of new home construction that are being offered using only conventional financing.

There are many other additional tips and techniques available that can help you sell quickly. Taking advantage of them will help put you above the other sellers in Kansas City who do little more than list their house for sale in the newspaper.

Michael Friedl

About the Author:

Michael Friedl was a graduate of the University of Iowa and has worked in the Kansas City area for the past 8 years, 6 with Liberty Homebuyers. He specializes in residential property in the KCMO, Blue Springs, Liberty and Grain Valley areas.
He can be reached at www.kchomesolutions.biz

Source – 3 Things to Remember When Trying to Sell Your House in Kansas City, or Anywhere Else

Dr. Jeremy Fry on KC Live 11/08/07

Overland Park Time

Question: Where can I find cheap (or free) boxes to pack up my apartment with little or no notice in Overland Park KS?

I need to pack up and move everything, and the only time I have to pack is tomorrow.

I have almost no budget to work with, and I need boxes tonight.

HELP

Answer: Liquir store always have extra boxes. Also drive behind strip malls there are often boxes in the dunpsters or by the backdoors.

A.L. Huber wind turbine in Overland Park Kansas turns for the first time