KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
Thenewest data shows homes under $300,000 in Johnson County are almost impossible to come by, according to the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.
“The price of housing just keeps going up and up and up, and it's because there is more demand than supply,” Lisa Ruben, a ReeceNichols real estate agent, said.
Ruben lives and works in Johnson County. She said there’s a lot to factor in when it comes to simply building more houses.
“The problem is the price of land has gone up," Ruben said. "The price of new construction has gone up. The price of materials has gone up, so it's just very difficult for a builder to build a house for $200,000-300,000.” “It's really, really difficult to win the deal and get a house right now.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says affordable housing is when the occupant pays no more than 30% of their gross income on housing costs with utilities.
The city of Shawnee discussed the rezoning of land Monday night to build around 60 new single-family homes. To be clear, those homes would likely be more reflective of homes in that part of Shawnee’s housing market, which are listed upwards of $500,000. But moves like these to increase housing supply is a step Johnson County leaders say is necessary.
“With the average sales price being around $500,000, that just told a story in and of itself,” President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity KC, Lindsay Hicks, said.
The organization recognized the need for their coaching and assistance in Johnson County. Through their home ownership program, their HUD-certified counselors help applicants through the entire process of owning a home, whether it’s on the open market or through Habitat KC.
“There's a pressure cooker where there's these increasing rents that are happening," Hicks said. "There's this low supply overall and so there really is just limited availability and opportunity for folks to affordably live and to move into our community."
Ruben said the best thing for prospective buyers to do is stay smart and stay informed.
“The three things that go into the price of a house are location, condition and price," she said. "So be prepared to be flexible on all three of those things if you want to be able to purchase a home right now."
