Business & Tech

After The Recession, What The Housing Market In KC Looks Like

Susan B. Wilson, Matthew Long-Middleton and Claire McInerny — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:47:39 +0000

The latest report from the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors suggests that the average sales price of an existing home is up 15 percent from a year ago, and the average sales price of a new home is up about 16 percent from December 2011. On the other hand 4% of homes currently on the market are in foreclosure. As the housing market begins to recover from the Recession, those buying and selling houses are facing different issues. Mary Hutchison, a Kansas City relator and Mike Cash, Senior Loan Officer at a1 Mortgage talk about this shift on this Central Standard.

K.C. Gas Price Leap Is Termed An Aberration

Dan Verbeck — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:03:55 +0000

Gasoline prices may have leveled off in Kansas City, following a dramatic one-week leap in the cost of fuel.

The Cash Money Crew On How To Handle Kids Moving Back Home

Bill Anderson and Matthew Long-Middleton — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:51:17 +0000

The recession and recovery have been hard on many. But, among those most effected are those between 20-24, with an unemployment rate of 13.1 percent- almost twice the national average.

With these challenges to financial independence many young adults are returning to their parents for financial and housing assistance.

Truck Sales Tie To Home Building, Kansas City Jobs

Dan Verbeck — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:56:52 +0000

In announcing it would add 2,000 jobs to its Claycomo Assembly Plant, Ford Motor cited increased sales tied to new stability in the home building market. At the truck factory, Ford executives drew parallels that are being seen industry-wide.

Jobs To Nearly Double At Ford Northland Truck Plant

Dan Verbeck — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:04:16 +0000

One of the most poorly kept secrets in the auto industry was completely revealed Thursday. Ford Motor Company will add some 2,000 jobs at its Kansas City Assembly Claycomo plant.

Economic Factors Could Affect Kansas Job Growth

Stephen Koranda — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:00:05 +0000

A new report projects an increase in the rate of job growth in Kansas this year. There are some economic forces that could temper that growth in the future.

The report from Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research projects modest job growth in Kansas this year. It’s driven partially by the energy, construction and services sectors.

KC Region New Home Building Booms 30 Percent In First Quarter

Dan Verbeck — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:09:02 +0000

Housing construction is showing a 30 percent gain in the first quarter in the Kansas City region, compared with the same period of 2012.The reference is to permits for residential building and amounts to 832 single family houses. There were 640 in the first three months of last year.

Managing An Online Business Reputation

Beth Lipoff and Steve Kraske — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Do all those reviews on sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor really matter for small businesses?

Green Bay Packers Player Promotes Kansas Made Products

Laura Ziegler — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:30:58 +0000

Good ad campaigns often have high profile spokespeople, and now so does a campaign to promote Kansas products.

The tag line is From the Land of Kansas, and this weekend Governor Sam Brownback was in Kansas City, Kansas to introduce the big name that will be behind this campaign - Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson .

New Buy Offer Is Speculation Fodder For Sprint Watchers

Dan Verbeck — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:21:30 +0000

It’s too early for people in the Kansas City area to worry about further loss of jobs at Sprint, as executives sort through a higher price offer from a second potential buyer. At least one analyst says the chief question is, whether Dish Network will make one or more attempts to outbid Toyko-based SoftBank Corporation.

As Overland Park-based Sprint is working to consummate selling 70 percent of its assets to SoftBank, Dish has boosted the ante by some $5.5 billion. The Dish offer is $25.5 billion. The Softbank offer is $20 billion.

Getting The Particle-ulars Of The Higgs-Boson

Beth Lipoff and Steve Kraske — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:49:49 +0000

The Higgs-Boson is said to be the key to understanding why mass exists and how atoms are possible. Some call it "The God Particle."

Dish Network Makes $25 Billion Bid For Sprint

Scott Neuman — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:42:00 +0000

Satellite TV distributor Dish Network has offered to buy telecom giant Sprint Nextel Corp. in a $25.5 billion deal, a move that could derail a similar offer by the Japanese phone company SoftBank.

Dish says that it has offered $17.3 billion in cash and $8.2 billion in stock for Sprint.

Is Austin's Google Gain KC's Loss?

Sylvia Maria Gross — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:40:00 +0000

Google announced yesterday that it’s building a new high-speed fiber-optic network -- this time in Austin, Texas. It’s been two years since the company announced it would build its first fiber-optic network here in Kansas City, and many residents hoped it would be everywhere by now.

Planning for the network has Kansas Citians rethinking the future of many aspects of life and business here.

Ground Zero for Google Fiber

Austin Is Latest Testbed For Google's High-Speed Experiment

editor — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000

Google announced Tuesday that its Google Fiber project would be hitting Austin, Texas, next. The company says Austin, famous for its South by Southwest festival, is a "mecca for creativity and entrepreneurialism, with thriving artistic and tech communities."

Google Fiber is the tech giant's blazing fast Internet service, with current rates at 1 Gpbs, about 100 times faster than your typical cable broadband Internet service.

Cash Money Crew: Tax Preparation

Bill Anderson and Matthew Long-Middleton — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:42:23 +0000

Taxes are due in one week and that may have most of your attention, but now is also the perfect opportunity to begin planning your tax preparation and behavior for next year. Our Cash Money Crew with Alex Petrovic, of Petrovic Financial Services; Sandi Weaver, of Financial Security Advisors and Julie Welch, of Meara, Welch Browne; help you navigate the complicated and ever changing world of