About

Margie Desmond, real estate agent

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE. PRACTICAL GUIDANCE.

About Margie Desmond

Real Estate Agent | 1st Class Real Estate

KeysToKansasCity is a resource from Margie Desmond for people thinking about buying, selling, and making a home in the Kansas City area. The articles bring together practical questions, useful observations, and ideas for your next chapter.

A conversation that starts with you

Margie works with buyers and sellers to understand their goals, explore their options, and prepare for the decisions ahead. Her approach begins with the way a client wants to live and the practical details of the move. Whether you are beginning a search or preparing to sell, a conversation about your priorities is a useful place to start.

Visit Margie's real estate website

Explore before your next move

Find original guides on home tours, selling preparation, exploring the Kansas City area, understanding real estate conversations, and caring for a home. Use these ideas to organize your questions and discuss your plans with the appropriate professionals.

Home inspection resources

For professional inspection service information, visit Metro One Home Inspection.

Real estate services are provided through Margie Desmond and 1st Class Real Estate. Inspection services are provided separately through Metro One Home Inspection, LLC. Articles are general educational resources.

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Make a Kansas City Weekend Your Neighborhood Research Day

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Online listings show individual homes. A neighborhood visit helps you understand the setting around them. An unhurried weekend outing can give you a more useful picture of the places you might spend time after a move. Choose a question for the trip Instead of trying to rank an entire area, pick something specific to learn. You might want to see how you would reach a trail, where you would park for errands, or what the walk between two destinations feels like. Focus on your own routines and preferences. Plan a route with everyday stops Include the ordinary places you expect to use, not only a landmark or entertainment district. Look at the route to groceries, recreation, and work. Check current hours and access details with each destination before setting out. A weekend visit is useful, but it cannot tell you everything about a weekday commute. Spend some time on foot Where public access is permitted, walk a short route and notice sidewalk continuity, crossings, shade, slopes, and the d...
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A Better Kansas City Home Tour: What to Notice in Every Room

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A home tour can move quickly. By the time you have seen the kitchen, walked through the bedrooms, and looked at the yard, details from the previous house may already be fading. A repeatable checklist helps you compare what you actually saw. Start with the way you live Before the first showing, write down three daily activities your home needs to support. That might mean working from home, carrying groceries in from the garage, or having a place to leave muddy shoes. During each tour, follow those routes in your mind. Notice stairs, doorways, storage, and where furniture would fit. Give each room the same attention Look beyond the furniture and wall color. Note natural light, usable wall space, closet access, and the placement of doors. Ask whether your existing furniture would leave comfortable walking paths. A room that photographs well may work differently once you imagine an ordinary weekday in it. Keep observations separate from questions Use two columns in your notes. In one, reco...
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Before You List: Build a Home Information Folder

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Preparing to sell is easier when the information about your home is gathered in one place. A home information folder can save repeated searches through email and make conversations with your agent more productive. Collect records you already have Start with receipts for completed repairs, maintenance invoices, equipment manuals, and available warranties. Add dates and the name of the company that performed the work. If a record is missing, label it as missing rather than guessing about an installation date or the scope of a past repair. Create a simple equipment list Write down the equipment that will remain with the property and where its manuals can be found. Include model information when it is accessible without removing covers or entering unsafe areas. Keep account numbers, passwords, and access codes in a separate private file. Separate completed work from plans A quote, a scheduled appointment, and a paid invoice describe different things. Keep them in separate sections so unfin...
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