There has been a movement in Missouri and other states to give residents more of a say in where to send their children for school. While this movement has a ways to go to know its full effects, there are some policy changes already in place.

(1) The voucher program, or tax credit education savings account program, allows for some property tax payments to be used as credits to private school payments. (2) Certain public school district residents are allowed to send their children to other districts, typically due to their current district being unaccredited. (3) Charter schools, magnet schools and homeschooling have become more mainstream options, all of which can cross traditional public school enrollment boundaries. There is more to it than this simple overview, I advise you to research for yourself if any of this appeals to you.

All of this may have an effect on property values, which have been tied somewhat to the public school district it is located in. That can mean Parkway vs Rockwood or Valley Park; Clayton vs U-City or Maplewood/ Richmond Heights; Affton vs Lindbergh or St Louis city; Ladue vs Kirkwood or Pattonville. It can also mean individual schools that have higher demand due to academics or sports, such as certain elementary or high schools, although this resulting value has much less to do with School Choice matters and more internal district policies and plain demand.

I see less difference in home values across school boundaries today than in the past, and I expect that to continue leveling out over time - that public school district boundaries will become less of a factor in buyer's decisions and resulting home value differences. Bear in mind that many times these will overlap, as higher demand school districts and higher demand areas tend to run together. And a popular private school will increase nearby values due to proximity. Many years ago, agents used to search primarily by school districts as it was the easiest way to identify a particular area. ZIP code searches were secondary as that was more data to enter. Then map searching technology became available, and that has easily become the number one search control. The most noticeable value change may be where school districts have very different scores, and the homes just across the line into the lower score district are cheaper, so you can obtain the location benefits and not suffer from the school district boundary.

As we are on the verge of spring, the inventory shrank 14% from January. Here is an update on local, existing home sales activity as of Tuesday, Feb 25th:

  • ##Manchester had 4 homes available and 20 under contract##
  • Ballwin had 16 homes available and 38 under contract
  • **Kirkwood had 38 homes available and 49 under contract**
  • St Peters had 24 homes available and 66 under contract
  • Arnold had 15 homes available and 25 under contract
  • **Florissant had 65 homes available and 74 under contract**

**Flipped from Buyer's Market to Seller's Market**

##Strong Seller's Market##

The ratios range from 1.1 to 5.0 pending sales for every 1 available, averaging 1.7 pending to every 1 available. My last comparison of these areas in December was 1.0 to 1 (and 2.8 to 1 in June 2022) with the available home supply DOWN 10% from December. That shows sales picking up Very quickly, moving back to a solid seller's market. Manchester is still on top for best seller's market at a 5.0 to 1 ratio of pendings to available, while Kirkwood and Florissant both flipped from being a buyer's market back to a seller's market! Interesting how the news reports are now indicating a lean toward buyer's market. That was 1-2 months ago folks, not today. My way of showing you the most up-to-date stats (my "available vs under contract" measures the last 6 weeks, their "months of inventory" stretches back 12 months) tells you what is really happening out there. Take advantage of this spring market and call me about selling your house during the heavy spring market!

To move or improve in 2025, contact Gary to sell or buy (HRE), or for ongoing home and design management (HHC) in your current or new home.

May you have a wonderful spring season!