Tight housing market not easing up, according to new data, WSU expert

While some national headlines are indicating improvements in housing supply, it could be some time before considerable progress is seen in the Wichita metro area, says one real estate expert who is supported by new data. According to Realtor.com data, U.S. inventory in April was 12% lower than April 2021, the smallest year-over-year decrease since the end of 2019. But Stan Longhofer, director of Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate, said it is important to understand that movements in national metrics do not mean those changes are seen in everyone’s own region — and that’s the case with Wichita and the surrounding area.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Ranson Financial2022-05-12T06:45:37-05:00May 12, 2022|News|

Newton considering change to form of government

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Commission began discussion of possible changes to the City’s form of government, including having a directly elected mayor. At Commissioners’ request, City Attorney Chris Towle prepared a memo outlining the different forms of municipal government in Kansas – Commission, Mayor-Council, Commission-Manager, and Mayor-Council-Manager. Newton currently operates under a Commission-Manager form, with five elected at-large City Commissioners…. A mayor is appointed each year from within the Commission. … Commissioners expressed interest specifically in the Mayor-Council-Manager form of government, which is used in our region by Wichita and Derby. The mayor is a directly elected position with some additional administrative authority compared to the Commission-Manager form. Commissioners said they see value in a mayor serving a longer term, providing continuity of leadership and more time to accomplish goals.
Source: City of Newton

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T17:51:58-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

10-year Treasury yield jumps back above 3% after hotter-than-expected inflation data

Inflation rose again in April, continuing a climb that has pushed consumers to the brink and is threatening the economic expansion, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The consumer price index, a broad-based measure of prices for goods and services, increased 8.3% from a year ago, higher than the Dow Jones estimate for an 8.1% gain. That represented a slight ease from March’s peak but was still close to the highest level since the summer of 1982. … The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield jumped on Wednesday after a release of key inflation data showed a faster-than-expected rise in prices. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose more than 3 basis points to 3.023% and the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond ticked up 1 basis points to 3.14%.
Source: CNBC

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:55:00-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

City of Pittsburg to help low income residents

The City of Pittsburg is helping its low income residents. Tuesday night the City Commission approved something that will help more people afford rent. “Right now we have seen a large increase of rent going up in Pittsburg and so our payment standards are not reflecting that,” said Megan Keener, Housing Manager for Pittsburg Public Housing Authority. Tuesday night, the Pittsburg City Commission approved increasing its Section 8 payment standards. “It would affect the individuals that are currently housed and we would adjust the rent. And we would contact the individuals who currently have vouchers and let them know the payment increased. And then moving forward our applicants will have a better chance,” Keener added.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:51:51-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

New affordable housing project in eastern Lawrence plans to build homes as small as 500 square feet

A bigger home is a better home. That is a notion that has won the day many times in Lawrence, but it’s not doing much to help the community win its battle for affordable housing, Rebecca Buford, executive director of Tenants to Homeowners, said. “Some of what has to happen here is a change in mindset,” Buford said. Indeed, Buford’s Lawrence-based nonprofit has filed plans at City Hall for a new affordable housing development in eastern Lawrence that intends to add about a half-dozen new homes to the market but also change some minds about smaller homes.
Source: LJWorld

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:39:41-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

Lawrence leaders hear update on reforms to municipal court; some suggest additional changes

Lawrence Municipal Court staff says the city has been implementing reforms to how the court operates, and that additional changes will continue to be discussed. … The presentation included trends regarding cash bonds posted, the number of people being held in the jail on municipal offenses, and traffic citation costs, among other data points. Court data indicates that the amount of money the city has collected for cash bonds has decreased significantly in recent years, the average number of people serving time in jail on a daily basis for municipal offenses has declined, and that traffic citation costs in Lawrence are lower than several nearby communities.
Source: LJWorld

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:37:31-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for May 10, 2022

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:34:12-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

Councilmember, petition call for Shawnee’s new co-living ban to be revisited

Shawnee’s new rules on the number of unrelated adults who can inhabit a single living space are unclear enough that one city councilmember suggested Monday that they need to be revisited and better explained. “For me, I got this one wrong,” said Councilmember Jill Chalfie during the meeting’s final minutes. Chalfie was part of the unanimous vote in favor of the ordinance April 25. However, there is no indication that the rest of the council would be willing to take another look at the new regulation. Chalfie’s remarks came after a week in which Shawnee drew national news and social media attention, much of it negative, over the new restrictions governing co-living arrangements.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:26:16-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

You could save up to $30 a month on high-speed internet under federal program

The Biden Administration unveiled its plan Monday to increase the availability of low-cost, high-speed internet for families across the country. The government secured agreements with 20 internet service providers to reduce monthly service costs by up to $30 a month (or $75 a month on Tribal lands). About 48 million households—40% of the U.S.—qualify. Participating companies include AT&T, Comcast/Xfinity and Spectrum, among others. It’s called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and is part of bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed last year.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:27:07-05:00May 11, 2022|News|

Biden announces program offering discounted internet service

President Joe Biden announced Monday that 20 internet companies have agreed to provide discounted service to people with low incomes, a program that could effectively make tens of millions of households eligible for free service through an already existing federal subsidy. “High speed internet is not a luxury any longer. It’s a necessity,” Biden said at a sun-drenched rose garden event with representatives from participating companies, as well as members of Congress. The $1 trillion infrastructure package passed by Congress last year included $14.2 billion funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides $30 monthly subsidies ($75 in tribal areas) on internet service for millions of lower-income households.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2022-05-11T07:27:53-05:00May 11, 2022|News|