JoCo investing ideas

In this episode of The Kansas City Real Estate Podcast, we discuss the Sharper Image, Trump Steaks, Starter Homes, cameras, and Home Prices in Kansas City. Bryan talks about the Sharper Image and how much he loved going there to look at the interesting products. We also take a look at Trump Steaks since they were sold at The Sharper Image. 

We then move on to starter homes in the Kansas City area and explore whether or not they are a good option for first-time home buyers.

Finally, we take a look at the current state of the housing market in Kansas City and discuss whether or not home prices are increasing or decreasing.

Note: This episode was initially recorded in 2022, and has been updated for a better experience. 

 

This Episode's Free Resources for Real Estate Agent

Free House Flipping Spreadsheet

 

 

One of the perks of hosting a podcast with someone like Joe Stephenson, a seasoned REALTOR® in Kansas City, is that you can’t help but soak up some serious knowledge. This guy has been in the game for over 20 years, so when he talks about real estate, you listen, especially when the topic is property investing.

During one of our recent episodes, we dove into several corners of the real estate market, from starter homes to vacation rentals, and sprinkled in some laughs along the way, of course. Here’s a summary of the investment lessons and insights I picked up from our chat.

The Realities of Low-Cost Homes

We started with the fantasy of buying a home under $50,000. Sounds like a steal, right? Well, it turns out those homes either need a ton of work or aren’t even close to being livable. Joe talked about walking into one house where the roof had a gaping hole—it was way closer to a set from a post-apocalyptic movie than a “home sweet home.”

“Most of these homes are cash-only deals,” he said. Banks won’t touch them because the condition is just too bad. While that might scare the typical buyer, it doesn’t scare investors or handy buyers who see potential in fixing them up. It's a tough game, though. You walk into these places and have to figure out if it’s worth saving—or if you’re just buying yourself a headache.

Longer Listings & Market Perception

We also touched on the idea of listings that seem to hang around forever. Have you driven past a property with the same “For Sale” sign in the yard for years? It turns out that isn’t always a good look.

Joe explained how prolonged listings can actually hurt an agent’s reputation. “You want to show people you can sell the property, not just park your sign in a visible yard.” It’s a balancing act—you want the exposure, but at the end of the day, closing the deal is what counts.

 

Investors Rule This Space

If you’re dreaming of buying a fixer-upper for cheap, you’re probably up against seasoned investors. Joe pulled back the curtain on how this crowd operates. A lot of them snag properties through wholesalers, who find deals off-market and resell them before the average buyer even knows about them.

“A lot of these homes don’t even hit the MLS,” he shared. If you’re serious about investing, you’ve got to play the game differently, know your strategy, and figure out your niche—whether that’s flipping, long-term renting, or holding onto a property for appreciation.

Real Estate Is a Solid Inflation Hedge

Here’s something I didn’t fully appreciate until this conversation—real estate holds up shockingly well against inflation. Joe broke it down simply. “If you’ve got $100,000 in cash, it’s losing value as inflation creeps up. But if you buy a $100,000 house, it’s probably keeping up with inflation—or even beating it.”

.css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}