WELCOME HOME

New construction is up and houses are in short supply as the metro discovers the joys of De Soto.

ARTICLE BY Rachel C. Murphy

PHOTOS BY Rob Daniels

What do you get when you add a highly rated school district, easy highway access, ample job opportunities, and enough space to spread out without encroaching on your neighbors? The short answer is De Soto.

In recent years, De Soto has become a destination for those looking for a quiet, pastoral experience without sacrificing great amenities like big-city shopping and recreation. With proximity to several other growing cities such as Olathe and Lawrence, De Soto also draws people who want some separation from hectic jobs without a strenuous commute. With various styles of neighborhoods and housing available, from townhomes and apartments to larger estates, the developers of De Soto are trying to meet the growing need.

City administrator Mike Brungardt says De Soto has several vital factors drawing in residents.

“I hear it time and again. They like to live in Johnson County, with proximity to the larger city amenities, combined with the more rural atmosphere. The school district is a terrific draw. It’s probably our best economic development tool in terms of residential growth,” Brungardt says.

Another major draw of the De Soto area is space. With larger lots, people who want to stay close to the city can stay a bit farther away from their neighbors. Estatesized lots are popular to the point of selling out for some developers, like Don Parr. His Arbor Ridge development has a mix of townhomes and single-family homes, both on standard-sized lots and estate-sized lots. He’s currently completely sold out though he expects 63 lots to become available in the spring.

With four different builders offering model homes in Arbor Ridge, Parr says they try to keep their housing prices in the $350,000–$400,000 range for standard-sized lots. After his 1- to 3-acre estate lots sold out, he started offering smaller but still spacious estate lots that are roughly 10% larger than traditional single-family home lots.

Brungardt says De Soto faces the same struggle as many small cities—finding lower-cost housing options for their workforce. With several large employers in the area, workforce housing is one of the greatest needs. Parr says this is part of why he makes sure there are townhomes available in his developments.

Other apartments and townhome options are developing as well. K-TEN Place opened in 2018 and expects to finish phase There’s just not much realtor who lives and two of its plan by mid-year. Property manager Sabrina Fleming says the need for workforce housing is part of what drove the developers to build K-TEN Place. The response for their one- and two-bedroom floorplans has been enthusiastic, with nearly 93% occupancy of their available units as of this writing. With their impending completed second phase, they will add another 56 apartment-style homes, some with garages.

Fleming says in addition to their community amenities like a fitness center and barbecue grills, location is a big draw for many residents.

“We do have a lot of couples that one may work west of De Soto, the other one may work east of De Soto, and this is a great halfway point for them. We have had De Soto residents (who) wanted to downsize from a house into an apartment,” Fleming says.

Fleming says many of their residents work outside of De Soto in neighboring Olathe since growing traffic congestion has made entry from the west much more efficient than fighting traffic from the north or south,

Kris Johnson, a Keller Williams realtor who lives and specializes in De Soto, says contentment may be the area’s most significant issue. With so few people leaving their homes, available housing is nearly impossible to find.

“Most of our available homes are new construction. There’s just not much available for resale. Houses are selling quickly too. Houses are showing for four days before selling. For new construction, it’s an average of 40 days. That’s just not much time at all,” Johnson says.

At this time, Johnson is selling in the Oak Country Estates VIII, where there are currently six lots available out of 27. With the growth of Parr’s Arbor Ridge and another new development, Arcadian Estates, new single family homes will be available soon, creating more opportunity for those who want to grow with De Soto.

Brungardt says incentivizing home construction in the aftermath of the 2008 recession has resulted in a building boom that has provided great options for single family homes. But even with that increased supply, demand is outstripping supply and driving prices up. Now, the city has to tackle the issue of lower-cost housing.

“There’s an incredibly strong demand for workforce housing. That’s the next challenge to find—workforce housing at price points (so) the people who work here can afford to live here,” Brungardt says.

With a city government that’s sensitive to the community’s needs, hopefully new solutions will emerge to allow more people to enjoy the small town feel and big city advantages that De Soto offers.