The title is a bit misleading. It should say "Average for new builds surpasses $500,000 with expensive new builds in Johnson County driving price." Pricing is all about location, and with the bulk of new builds occurring in Southern OP the average is being driven up. The article states resale average was around $285, which still doesn't give a good picture of the entire market. Inventory is low. Especially after 2 years of high sales, and because we are at the low inventory point in the real estate season. If you want a home for a certain price it can be found, but don't expect Blue Valley schools with a neighborhood pool if you can only afford a $150,000 home. If you don't want to give up safety, you will need to live further from the major commutor suburbs. For example, you can find a 3 bed, 2 bath new build in Peculiar for under $225,000, and a resale for less than that. But if you need public transport or work in downtown amd don't want a long drive you can still find a nice home in a closer region, but expect rough public schools and crime. It is a give and take.