Welcome to Downtown Overland Park, home of the Downtown Overland Park Farmers Market, Clock Tower Series Concerts, and other family-oriented events.

Located just off Metcalf between 78th and 83rd streets in the heart of Overland Park, Historic Downtown Overland Park is an integral part of our community's heritage.

Situated on the historic Santa Fe Trail where it originally bustled with horse-drawn traffic, the famous Steam Electric Interurban Railroad Line, gravel streets, a dance hall, restaurant, dry goods store, blacksmith shop, The Aviation Park and other popular amenities that people enjoyed daily.

A century later, Downtown Overland Park's charming past and small town flavor are thriving through a vast array of 300 locally owned and operated shops, where the business owner still waits on you. Services include eateries, antiques, art and gift galleries, specialty shops, and assorted business services.

Prior to incorporation, Overland Park was part of the Mission Urban Township, which included the cities of Mission and Prairie Village.

In the early 1990s, city officials focused their efforts on renovating the historic downtown area. The Clock Tower Plaza was dedicated and the Farmers' Market Pavilion was constructed.

To help you discover some of the highpoints for yourself, self-guided tour material is available at the Carriage House, 8445 Santa Fe Drive in the Santa Fe Commons Park and at the Downtown Overland Park Partnership office, 7315 W. 79th Street.

Strang Aviation Park Pavilion Building 1913

The City of Overland Park traces its roots back to 1905 with the arrival of its founder William B. Strang, Jr., who platted subdivisions along a military roadway. Strang envisioned a "park-like" community that was self-sustaining and well planned. He also sought strong commerce, quality education, vibrant neighborhoods, convenient transportation and accommodating recreational facilities.

Strang platted several subdivisions and named one "Overland Park." Many of his other subdivisions had "Overland" in their names as well. There soon were more than 21 homes and plenty of businesses.

His limestone car barn at 79th and Santa Fe Drive is now the site of Traditions Furniture. The Carriage House at Santa Fe Commons Park, is the site of the Overland Park Historical Society. Each building is open for tours and located within the downtown Overland Park business district.

Before Strang's death in 1921, he established several housing developments, an interurban railroad and an airfield. Remnants from Strang's interurban line remain today.

Located on Marty between 79th and 80th Streets, the Downtown Overland Park Farmers Market is a thriving open air market offering produce, flowers, specialty foods and entertainment for the entire family.

Open Wednesdays from 7:30am through sellout and Saturdays from 6:30am until sellout, this market offers the best of the best from local growers under the Farmers Market Pavilion.

On the sidewalks near the clock tower, patrons can find fresh pies, gourmet pasta, locally baked bread and other specialty food items.

The Clock Tower Series provides entertainment for the entire family and is the perfect opportunity to bring lawn chairs and gather at this central point in the Historic Downtown Overland Park Business District.

Take a walk through this Historic District and experience the ambiance of Historic Downtown Overland Park!

A easy to use list of all the vendors located at the Overland park Farmers Market :-D

This just made me sick and infuriated me. No wonder our job market is starting to go to crap and Americans jobs arn't being outsourced anymore! Heck they just are being rejected OUTRIGHT! Now isn't that nice.

Good job Hilary maybe you can get it right Tommarrow ;-) If you don't know what I'm talking about just watch the video below. Also (Yes the spelling of Tomarrow is incorrect, Hilary's idea not mine :-P )

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• Diversifying is always essential to design a good investment portfolio. That is, you should never have more than a third of your investments tied up in any one form.

• Mutual funds can provide you with the power of group purchasing when investing, while spreading the risk over a larger group of investors.

Real estate is often neglected when designing a portfolio unless the individual is purchasing property himself. Actually, the best way to invest in real estate is often through what is called a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). This is an entity set up specifically to invest in large properties such as hotels, high rise properties and malls.

You can also invest directly in real property without becoming a part of an REIT. After all, the need for real estate will never go away, and land generally increases in value over the period of time, so its a relatively good investment strategy. Its a low-risk strategy that historically has shown to be quite profitable in most cases.

When adding real estate to your investment portfolio, be sure to do the research and legwork to educate yourself. Study the market in your area, learn all you can about any property you are considering and decide whether becoming a landlord or flipping properties will be more lucrative in the long term. Its important to know if you have enough available cash flow to be able to keep your property until it's value has reached the point where selling makes the most sense. To include real property in your portfolio, you need to periodically check the market and make sure the property is working for you in the most profitable way possible.

Soruces : Investing Ideas

Democrats Seek Formula To Blunt AMT
One Plan Would Impose Surtax Of 4.3% on Richest Households

House Democrats looking to spare millions of middle-class families from the expensive bite of the alternative minimum tax are considering adding a surcharge of 4 percent or more to the tax bills of the nation's wealthiest households.

Under one version of the proposal, about 1 million families would be hit with a 4.3 percent surtax on income over $500,000, which would raise enough money to permit Congress to abolish the alternative minimum tax for millions of households earning less than $250,000 a year, according to Democratic aides and others familiar with the plan.

Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), chairman of the House subcommittee with primary responsibility for the AMT, said that option would also lower AMT bills for families making $250,000 to $500,000. And it would pay for reductions under the regular income tax for married couples, children and the working poor.

All told, the proposal would lower taxes for as many as 90 million households,(story continued Tax on Rich)

The company also said it is withdrawing its fiscal guidance as a result of the review, which could be affected by certain strategic decisions.

The company said there is no guarantee a transaction will occur, and it does not plan to disclose further developments until its review is complete.

The move comes after a hedge a hedge fund run by former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Richard Breeden nominated four candidates last December to the board of Applebee's.

Breeden Capital Management has said it wants the company, which has seen its shares substantially underperform the Standard & Poor's restaurant index recently, to reduce capital expenditures, boost cash returned to shareholders and sell more restaurants to franchisees.

Contributing: Reuters

source: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2007-02-13-applebees_x.htm

The new owners, who take over operations of the club on Friday, promised to keep the Major League Soccer team in the area. Terms of the sale agreement were not disclosed, although Patterson said it was a cash transaction using the owners' personal funds,

The deal was announced Thursday, three days after Overland Park's city council voted to put a $75 million soccer complex on the November ballot. The new ownership group, OneGoal LLC, hopes to have the Wizards' stadium built in that complex.

Even if that doesn't happen, Patterson said at a news conference, he and the other owners are committed to staying in the region.

"It's a done deal," he said. "There are no contingencies. We're entrepreneurs."

Hunt, who has owned the Wizards since the league began play in 1996, said finding a local buyer was a high priority.

"I'm especially pleased to see us consummate this transaction with the end result that the Wizards will stay in Kansas City, in the Kansas City metropolitan area," Hunt said.

Patterson and Illig are co-founders of Cerner, a medical software design company based in North Kansas City, Mo. Patterson is the chairman and chief executive officer, and Illig is the vice chairman.

The Wizards now play in Arrowhead Stadium, also home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. Hunt also owns the Chiefs and two other MLS franchises - FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew - through his family's Hunt Sports Group.

Extensive renovations planned for Arrowhead would have forced the Wizards to look for a new home anyway, and MLS also is pushing for its teams to play in soccer-specific stadiums.

The new owners said Thursday that they hoped to have the new stadium open for the 2009 season and would look for an interim home in Johnson County - on the Kansas side of the two-state metropolitan area - until then.

OneGoal takes over with Kansas City in fourth place in MLS' Eastern Conference, headed into the final weeks of the regular season. The Wizards are clinging to the conference's final playoff spot, one point in the standings behind New England and one point ahead of New York.

Wizards forward Josh Wolff, who earlier this season called the drawn-out sale process a "joke" and a distraction, said he was relieved to see a deal reached to keep the team in the Kansas City area.

"I'm certainly one that's doubted this process," Wolff said. "I'm elated for the fans and the players. We certainly deserve it. The last two years have been pretty poor, so to have it end - and to have great new owners - is fantastic."

Despite their onfield success in recent years - winning the MLS Cup in 2000 and reaching the finals again in 2004, the same year they won the U.S. Open Cup - the team's low gate figures have been a concern.

The Wizards' average home attendance is 10,313, the lowest in the 12-team league and almost 5,000 fans below the MLS average.

The fans are there, Patterson said. It's just up to the club to put them in the seats.

"In this community, there is a huge soccer fan contingent and fan base," he said. "We have to make sure we reach out to that group, and we have to reach out to the corporate side of Kansas City. When we build a new stadium, we believe we'll fill it."

MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who attended Thursday's news conference, had said the Wizards would likely be sold and moved - with Philadelphia as the most likely candidate for a new home - if a local buyer could not be found.

"I was trying to manage expectations," he said. "This was something that took a long time to put together, and I'm very pleased that it happened. It took a lot of hard work."

With the league expanding into Toronto next season and hoping to add three more clubs by 2010, Philadelphia is still a leading candidate to get a team, Garber said.

"We're still very bullish about Philly," he said. "It had the potential of being a move team, and now we'll focus our efforts there on the next level of expansion."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/wizards/2006-08-31-wizards-sale_x.htm

So, here's the jargon directly from Mr. Mackey, m'kay?(Southpark Mackey not me :-P)

The words and expressions used by doctors, lawyers, and other professionals may sometimes sound like a foreign language. Because real estate terms also can be confusing, here is a mini-glossary of some of the most common ones:

• Agency: The relationship that a real estate agent has with a client.
• CMA: Comparable Market Analysis, a home evaluation based on properties that have sold in the neighborhood similar to the property being priced.
• Disclosure: An oral and/or written communication about agency, property condition, or other key factors.
• Earnest Money: A good-faith deposit provided as consideration when a buyer offers to the seller of a property a contract to purchase the property.
• MLS: Multiple Listing Service, information on properties that is shared among brokers belonging to a specific multiple listing organization.
• Purchase and Sale Agreement: A contract from the buyer to the seller offering to purchase the property for a certain price.

When you're ready to sell your home, I'll be happy to explain all the terms and transaction details and walk you through the entire process. Please don't hesitate to email or call me (E-mail JordanMackey@reeceandnichols.com and phone 913-707-7314) if I can help you or answer any questions.

You have received a notice of foreclosure on your real estate. It may seem hopeless, but the last thing you should do is give up. Many people encounter life-altering events that interfere with their ability to pay their debts. Usually the last payment to be late is the mortgage, but it happens. Too many late mortgage payments mean a possible foreclosure.

First and foremost, lenders do not want to foreclose on your real estate. They are not in the real estate business and are willing to work with homeowners. If you have not been able to reach a solution with your lender or you have ignored the lender's letters and phone calls, then foreclosure is their only option.

Since commercial lenders usually include the clause, which grants them the right of non-judicial foreclosure, the mortgage contract you signed automatically gives them the power to seize your real estate in order to recoup their losses.

With the non-judicial foreclosure, you usually have 120 days to redeem your real estate before it is sold. With a judicial foreclosure, your real estate is auctioned off immediately to the highest bidder.

Under the judicial foreclosure, you may seek a deficiency judgment to recoup some of your losses on the seizure and sale of your real estate. Under some circumstances, you have up to one year to redeem your property. Under the non-judicial foreclosure, you have no rights of redemption nor can you seek a deficiency judgment.

So, your best bet is to do something before your real estate is seized and sold. Here are some ideas:

1. Speak to a HUD-approved counselor, especially if you have not kept in contact with your lender or you wish information before contacting them again. A counselor can help you determine what options may be available to you, as well as help you negotiate with your lender to work out a repayment program. To find a counseling agency in your area, call HUD at 1-800-569-4287.

2. A reinstatement may be possible, if you can promise to pay a lump sum to bring your payments current by a specific date.

3. Forbearance allows you to delay payments on your real estate for a short period, but you must be able to bring the payments current again by a specific date. Reinstatement generally is used in combination with forbearance.

4. A repayment plan is another option. It is used for homeowners who are behind in their mortgage payments, they can now begin making payments on time, but they do not have the resources to catch up the past due amount in a lump sum. Usually a lender adds a portion of the past due amount to a specified number of payments in order for you to catch up.

5. Rather than a repayment plan, your lender may agree to a mortgage modification. There are two possibilities here - (1) add the past due amount to your existing real estate loan and finance it over a long term, or (2) if you need the payments reduced, extend the length of the loan in addition to adding the past due amount.

6. Selling your real estate is another option, if all else fails. Ask your lender, however, if they will put the real estate foreclosure on hold to give you time to sell. Otherwise, the public will learn through their realtors about the foreclosure, and you will not get a very good price for the real estate. If you must sell quickly, this also can lower your sale price.

7. Called a deed in lieu of foreclosure, you may be able to deed the real estate over to the lender. This forgives your debt to the lender and has less of a negative effect on your credit rating than a foreclosure.

8. Veterans and military personnel have some extra alternatives. First, contact your VA loan representative for counseling. Active duty personnel may be able to stop foreclosure under the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act, and may be eligible for a reduction in their interest rate. Additionally, veterans may be eligible for "workout" programs (options to resolve the foreclosure) under FHA, VA and some conventional real estate loans.

9. If procedural errors were made in the lender's foreclosure or in the original real estate loan origination, you may consider filing a lawsuit to enjoin or stop the foreclosure. Consult with an attorney in this instance.

10. Bankruptcy is a temporary solution, since it will stop the foreclosure for a short period only. It may give you some leverage in resolving the situation. Again, consult with an attorney.

Source

Whatever plan you consider to stop the foreclosure of your real estate, you must put the plan into action, contact the appropriate people, and provide any requested information to the lender and/or its trustee (representative). Do not take a "wait see" attitude. Also, put everything in writing. If you have a phone conversation with your lender or the trustee, follow it with a letter reiterating the important points (say you want to ensure you understood the conversation correctly). Finally, follow through on your promises - you will not get a third chance.

It's been a significant part of Overland Park's growth and development and it's time to re-examine portions of Metcalf Avenue's current status.

Overland Park, KS - infoZine - Vision Metcalf is the most inclusive public process the city has ever launched in an effort to define potential re-development along Metcalf. As many as 6,000 people may be involved during the study.

Every resident, business operator, and those who work in Overland Park are encouraged to provide their thoughts on the future of this major arterial roadway.

Tuesday is the first of six meetings. Each meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and concludes at 9 p.m.

Meeting dates and locations are:

• Tuesday, May 8, Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, 8787 Reeder Road, 913/888-8440.
  
• Wednesday, May 9, Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites.
  
• Thursday, May 10, Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites.
  
• Tuesday, May 15, Sheraton Overland Park Hotel, 6100 College Boulevard, 913/234-2120.
  
• Wednesday, May 16, Sheraton Overland Park Hotel.
  
• Thursday, May 24, Sheraton Overland Park Hotel.

• New types of residential and commercial development
  
• Enhanced landscaping and streetscape design
  
• Future transportation and transit improvements

• Bucher, Willis and Ratliff - engineering, environmental and transportation planning
  
• Corporate Communications Group - public relations and media outreach
  
• Economic Research Associates - demographic and market projections and economic analysis
  
• RH Johnson - analysis real estate issues and financing options
  
• Spencer, Fane, Britt and Browne - legal analysis related to financing options