Why Kansas City Works: History, Culture, and Long-Term Stability

This week’s blog post comes to us from our own Alex Larson!

Culture and Quality of Life

Kansas City doesn’t try to be something it’s not. That’s one of its strengths.

Food, Sports, and Arts

Barbecue is just the start. The food scene has real depth. James Beard winners, ethnic restaurants, neighborhood spots that have served the same families for generations.

Sports are part of the civic heartbeat. Chief’s games feel like a city-wide holiday. Royal’s games are woven into summer. Sporting KC has built a culture that’s loyal and loud and KC Current is making history for women’s sports right before our eyes.

And the arts scene is accessible, not gated. Museums, theaters, galleries, live music, you can participate without needing a calendar six months out and a budget that hurts.

Parks, Green Space, and Weekend Life

Kansas City has parks and trails everywhere: Loose Park, Swope Park, the Riverfront Heritage Trail, plus lakes and green space within easy reach.

Weekends here don’t require a “getaway budget” just to feel alive. That supports balance. Families stay because kids have space. Professionals settle because life doesn’t feel like a treadmill. Communities form because people actually have time to connect.

Why Kansas City’s History Makes It More Livable

My favorite part of Kansas City is downtown, and it’s not just nostalgia from those childhood summers.

Downtown Kansas City sits at the edge of what used to be the frontier. This was the jumping-off point for the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and the California Trail. The place where westward expansion began.

That history shaped how the city was built. Wide streets designed for wagon traffic. Warehouses for provisions. Rail connections to move goods and people. River access for trade.

But here’s what matters today: that infrastructure still works.

The bones of the city are strong. The layout makes sense. Buildings were built to last, and they have.

When downtown was revitalized, it didn’t require tearing everything down and starting over. The Power & Light District, the Crossroads Arts District, the streetcar expansion, all of it built on existing structure.

That’s rare. Most cities pave over their origins. Kansas City built around them.

The result is a downtown that feels authentic. It has character that can’t be manufactured. And it functions well for modern life.

What Makes Kansas City Different

Kansas City doesn’t always show up on national “hottest market” lists. That can be an advantage.

Hype-driven markets tend to move violently, up fast, down hard. Prices spike. Renters get displaced. Buyers get trapped. Kansas City tends to be steadier. When it rises, it often rises more gradually. When it cools, it often cools with less drama.

Price Resilience

Kansas City values have historically shown more resilience than many overheated markets because the city leans on fundamentals: jobs, incomes, and real household formation.

For buyers, that can mean less risk of being underwater in a downturn. For renters, it can mean rent growth that’s steadier and more manageable. For long-term owners, it supports planning without constant fear that the ground is about to shift.

People Who Stay

Kansas City attracts households who plan to stay.

That’s the difference between a livable market and a speculative one. When people plant roots, communities form. Neighborhoods stabilize. Schools improve. Small businesses thrive. That cycle reinforces livability year after year.

Why I Came Back and Why I Stay

I returned because Kansas City made sense for the life I wanted to build. I could afford a home. I could build a career. I could have time for things besides commuting and surviving.

I’ve stayed because those things remain true.

Kansas City isn’t perfect. No city is. But it’s practical, balanced, and real. You can build a life here without sacrificing everything else.

What This Means for Buyers and Relocators

If you’re considering Kansas City, here’s what matters:

You can afford to buy. Entry points exist across multiple neighborhoods and price ranges. You’re not locked out by runaway prices.

You can afford to live. Monthly costs beyond your mortgage, utilities, groceries, transportation, remain reasonable. You’ll have margin in your budget.

You won’t lose hours to commuting. Most jobs are within 30 minutes of most neighborhoods. That time adds up over years.

You’ll have options. Urban, suburban, historic, new-build. The market offers real diversity. You can find what fits your stage of life.

You can participate in city life. Culture, sports, parks, dining, it’s all accessible without planning months ahead or spending a fortune.

You can stay. The market supports long-term ownership. You’re not forced to move every few years because of rising costs or market volatility.

Kansas City works because it’s built on fundamentals, not hype. Jobs support housing. Housing supports communities. Communities support quality of life.

That’s livability.

A City That Still Makes Sense

Kansas City isn’t trying to be the next Austin or Denver. It’s not chasing trends or marketing itself as something it’s not.

It’s just doing what it’s always done: providing a solid foundation for people who want to build real lives.

The same qualities that made it the gateway to the frontier, central location, strong infrastructure, practical mindset, still make it work today.

I returned in 1993. I’m still here. That’s the best endorsement I can give.

Kansas City works. For real life. For the long term. For people who want more than hype.

Considering a Move to Kansas City?

If Kansas City is on your shortlist, the next step isn’t guessing, it’s getting clarity.

Relocating well means understanding which neighborhoods fit your lifestyle, how pricing really works at different levels, and what tradeoffs matter most based on how you live day to day. That’s not something a listicle or national ranking can tell you.

I work with buyers and relocators who want:

Honest guidance on where Kansas City actually works for them
Clear expectations around pricing, taxes, and monthly costs
A plan that balances lifestyle, commute, and long-term stability

If you’re early in the process or already narrowing things down, I’m happy to walk through your goals, timing, and options, no pressure, just a practical conversation.

If Kansas City makes sense for the life you want to build, the details matter.
Let’s make sure you get them right. Contact me today to get started on your Kansas City move.

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Why Kansas City Works: Neighborhoods, Commutes, and Daily Life

This week’s blog post comes to us from our own Alex Larson!

Neighborhoods for Every Stage of Life

Kansas City isn’t one “market.” It’s a collection of markets, and that variety is part of what makes it livable.

Downtown and the Urban Core

Downtown, the Crossroads, Midtown, and the Plaza attract people who care about proximity, culture, and convenience.

The streetcar connection has made car-optional living far more practical, and development has followed that pattern. Condos, townhomes, and smaller-lot homes are common in the core. Price per square foot can be higher, but you often trade “more house” for “more life.”

For me Downtown is the crown jewel. Although my home is in the suburbs, anytime I find myself South of Downtown I make it a point to drive through the streets as I make my way North. It’s my favorite part of the city, partly because the history is everywhere. Union Station. River Market. Old warehouses that now hold studios and local shops.

New restaurants open in century-old buildings. The arts scene thrives. Weekend farmers markets still operate just like they did when Kansas City was the last stop before the frontier.

What I love most is that it feels authentic. Kansas City’s urban core didn’t get rebuilt as a theme park version of a city. It evolved. You’ll see new energy inside old bones, and that’s a rare kind of charm.

These neighborhoods tend to draw:

Professionals who value short commutes
Downsizers who want walkability
Remote workers who want city life without big-city prices

Rental demand is typically steady, too because people genuinely want to live in these areas.

Suburban Areas Built for Families

For families prioritizing schools, parks, and space, Kansas City’s suburbs are a major advantage.

Communities like Lee’s Summit, Overland Park, Olathe, Liberty, and Parkville are popular for a reason:

Commutes often stay reasonable
Homes skew newer in many pockets
You can often get more space for the money compared to larger metros

These areas also tend to attract longer-term homeowners. When people stay put, neighborhoods stabilize. Schools improve. Local businesses thrive. That’s what real livability looks like not just shiny new construction.

Jobs and Economic Stability

Housing only stays livable when jobs stay stable.

Kansas City benefits from a diversified employment base, healthcare, logistics, engineering, finance, and tech all play meaningful roles. No single industry dominates everything. That reduces “shock risk,” where one sector’s downturn collapses the whole local housing market.

The metro also benefits from what you can’t fake: location. Kansas City sits in the middle of the country, which supports transportation and distribution in a durable way. Add in remote work, and you get another steady layer of demand, people bringing higher salaries into a market that still functions on local fundamentals.

Income-to-Housing Balance

This is the quiet metric that separates stable cities from chaotic ones: housing costs relative to incomes.

Markets break when prices detach from paychecks. Kansas City has generally stayed closer to alignment than many “hype” metros. That helps:

Buyers remain qualified even when rates change
Forced sales become less common in downturns
Price corrections tend to be less violent

Kansas City isn’t built for explosive “flip culture.” It’s built for sustainability.

Time and Convenience Matter

Livability includes how you spend your time because time is the one asset you can’t refinance.

Commutes That Don’t Kill Your Day

Kansas City’s traffic is manageable compared to many major metros, and the highway layout is fairly logical.

For many residents, commutes land in the “under 30 minutes” range. Some are under 20.

That’s not a small thing. Shorter commutes mean more time with family, less stress, and lower transportation costs. I can’t imagine living in a place where an hour commute is normal. It drains you. Kansas City doesn’t require that kind of daily trade.

Regional Access and Transportation

Kansas City International Airport, recently remodeled is modern and far easier to navigate than many large hubs. Nonstop routes continue to expand, and you’re rarely stuck feeling “isolated.”

The streetcar has also reshaped downtown mobility and development patterns. It’s made urban living easier, and it’s created a clearer spine for growth.

Up next: Livability isn’t just about where you live, it’s about why a place holds together over time. In Part 3, we’ll explore Kansas City’s culture, history, price resilience, and why this city supports people who want to stay.

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Why Kansas City Works: Cost, Livability, and Buying a Real Life

This week’s blog post comes to us from our own Alex Larson!

I was born in Kansas City, but I didn’t grow up here. Not exactly.

As a kid, I spent summers here with my dad and grandmother, plus the usual orbit of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Those summers stuck with me. Kansas City had weight, history, character, a pace that felt grounded. Even then, it left an impression.

I returned to KC in 1993. That’s more than three decades ago now.

And I’ve stayed because Kansas City works. Not in a flashy way. Not in a “top 10 trendiest cities” way. It works in the ways that matter when you’re trying to build a real life: buying a home, keeping your commute reasonable, finding neighborhoods that fit different seasons of life, and doing it without stretching every dollar until it snaps.

That combination is rare. It’s also why people keep choosing Kansas City.

Cost of Living That Actually Works

The strongest reason Kansas City remains livable is simple: your money goes further here.

Not “cheap.” Not “exclusive.” Balanced.

Housing You Can Actually Afford

Compared to places like Denver, Nashville, or Austin, Kansas City still offers a path to ownership that doesn’t feel like a constant emergency.

More attainable price points across a wider range of neighborhoods
Fewer “every home is a bidding war” scenarios as the default
More options for first-time buyers, move-up buyers, and downsizers

When I returned in 1993, being able to buy mattered. Today, it matters even more—because in many cities, the first rung on the ladder got pulled up.

In Kansas City, first-time buyers still have entry points. Young families can still find homes with yards. Professionals can still own downtown condos without needing three roommates. And for buyers who want stability, Kansas City tends to move with fundamentals, not mood swings.

For investors, the math can still work in a way that supports stability rather than pure speculation. Rent-to-price relationships often remain more realistic than “hotter” markets, which helps keep neighborhoods from being whipsawed by hype cycles.

Kansas City doesn’t rely on buzz to grow. It grows through jobs, households, and steady demand. That’s a big deal.

Everything Else Costs Less Too

Livability isn’t just the purchase price. It’s what your monthly life costs after you move in.

In much of the metro, you’ll typically feel relief in categories that quietly control your budget:

Utilities that don’t punish you year-round
Groceries and services that are generally more manageable than coastal metros
A lifestyle where entertainment and dining don’t require constant financial gymnastics

When fixed costs are lower, you gain margin. Margin is underrated. Margin is what lets you save, invest, travel, handle repairs, and breathe.

Kansas City still leaves room.

Up next: Cost of living is only part of livability. In Part 2, we’ll look at how Kansas City’s neighborhoods support different stages of life, from downtown living to family-focused suburbs, and why that flexibility matters long term.

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Trump’s Call to Ban Some Institutional Investors From Buying Single-Family Homes

This week’s blog post comes to us from our own Miles Barkley!

On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, President Donald Trump sent out a message calling for a ban on “large institutional investors” buying single-family homes. For this to have any legal standing, Congress would need to act and codify it. We will have to wait and see whether any of this comes to fruition, but it certainly has people within the industry talking. Of course, there are many questions that need to be answered such as: What counts as a single-family home? Does it include building to rent? Who counts as a “large institutional investor?” And the most pertinent of all: How does this impact Auben?

To start with, the most glaring question is: what qualifies a company as a “large institutional investor?” There are many definitions that one can cite, such as the definitions provided by the American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center and Cotality, a data analytics site. Cotality defines investors in four groups with the largest being Mega, or having 1,000 or more units owned and large with 100-999 units. The American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center calls a large investor one that owns at least 100 properties. Auben would fall into the “large” investor category by each of these definitions. In the lawmaking process, there is opportunity to further differentiate who qualifies.

The main follow-up question that anyone would naturally have is: will this have any impact on the housing market? The short answer is we will have to wait and see. Of course, many are skeptical this will achieve the desired outcome. This Globe St article cites the 24 largest owners as holding roughly 520,000 homes – less than 1% of US single family dwellings¹. Blackstone has said they are a net seller of homes over the past decade.

Institutional investors are an easy target to pin the blame on as people continue to see home prices continue to increase. To add insult to injury, that is paired with higher mortgage rates. Viewing the issue from this lens, would it seemingly do much to ban institutional investors? They have more access to capital and can certainly deploy it easier, but banning them will not solve one of the main issues for individual buyers: getting them the access to capital they need at an affordable rate.

Inventory is also part of the conversation with housing prices increasing. Homes on market have not kept up with the number of homebuyers. As more products enter the market then prices should adjust as they will have more housing than demand, creating a softening of prices. There are certainly more direct approaches that local authorities can take that could have a lasting impact to create opportunities for families and individuals looking to buy homes. These could be adjusting the permitting process, allowing higher density and building smaller homes.

Whether Congress acts will determine if we see anything stem from this idea. In the meantime, Auben has done a good job of positioning itself as a community-involved company that has scaled operations responsibly and remains a strong investment vehicle.

¹Trump’s Call to Bar Institutional Homebuyers Faces Legal, Market Uncertainty

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