The real estate market is heating up here in Kansas City, and a recent report by Zillow shows that the home value in the Kansas City metropolitan area reached $144,000 at the end of the first quarter of 2014—with predictions continuing to raise that number. Some areas of the Kansas City metro are projected to grow even higher in value than pre-recession prices, such as home values in Overland Park, Olathe, and Shawnee, which are already at or expected to reach pre-recession levels by early 2015.

Interested in moving to Kansas City? Now is the time. Despite initial 2014 growth, the market is expected to grow slower than the national average over the next 12 months. Home values nationally are projected to increase 3.3 percent over the next year, based on Zillow’s survey of more than 300 metropolitan areas. In the Kansas City area, Zillow said home values remained 7.3 percent below their November 2004 peaks.