70th annual Fall Parade highlights 80 years of building communities in Kansas City

In the 1930s, Kansas City encompassed approximately 58 square miles, the population was about 400,000 people and it ranked as the 19th largest city in America. In 1937, 100 builders who were part of the local real estate board designated themselves as the builder division of the board and then formed the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City (KCHBA). Shortly thereafter, in 1947, the KCHBA held its first Parade of Homes.

The average price of a new home at that time? $6,600.

Seventy years later, a lot has changed. Significant improvements have been made to the materials used to construct a new home, technology now makes it faster to build a home and, of course, consumers’ design preferences have changed greatly.

The Parade of Homes, held in both the spring and fall, offers an excellent opportunity to see builders’ work in person, to find the perfect floor plan and maybe even meet with the builder to learn more about his or her approach to homebuilding. Attracting thousands of prospective homebuyers, the Parades continue to offer something for everyone on both sides of the state line, showcasing nearly 300 homes ranging in price from $250,000 to $1.5 million and built by some of the finest homebuilders in the Greater Kansas City region — all of whom are HBA members.

As the Fall Parade celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, the KCHBA continues to serve as the voice of the housing industry, representing a group that contributes more than $1.5 billion to the Kansas City economy and supports more than 20,000 jobs in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

Whether a builder or prospective homebuyer, the Fall Parade has a great deal to offer.

“The Parade of Homes in the Spring and Fall to an area builder is like the Super Bowl,” said HBA parade chairman, Jerry Braklow, who is also president and CEO of Braklow Custom Homes, Inc. “Consumers want to deal with reputable and reliable homebuilders who focus on quality and affordability. [The Parade] enables a builder to showcase their quality and their latest designs to prospective homebuyers. For homebuyers, the Parade enables consumers to find a specific home to meet their needs, and/or find a custom builder they feel comfortable with to build their dream home.”

Braklow works with a committee made up of builders, real estate professionals, industry vendors, and HBA staff members who review consumer feedback after each Parade on a regular basis. This enables them to enhance the Parade experience toward the needs, goals and desires of today’s discerning consumer.

“In today's market, anything can be built into a home, from smart home technology to energy efficiency options,” Braklow said. “Like in my own building company, we love it when a customer walks into our initial meetings with pictures off the internet or designs from HGTV, because then we can visualize exactly what they want. It makes bidding and the final product design much easier, not to mention, the numerous outlets for consumers to research and find exactly what's in their mind has totally transitioned the homebuilding industry.”

“Since I have been involved in homebuilding and a member of the HBA, the housing market has been at its worst and its very best,” he continued, “and through it all, the Kansas City market consistently remains strong. The Parade of Homes is an outstanding tool for homebuilders and homebuyers to align and make the next steps to purchase their dream home.”

New during this Parade is an improved Parade of Homes app, which you can download for free to your devices from the Apple Store or Google Play store by searching “KCHBA Parade of Homes.” The new app offers updated functionality and improved directions to homes.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 4:00 PM with the headline "70th annual Fall Parade highlights 80 years of building communities in Kansas City."