Did Travis Kelce buy a new house because of Taylor Swift? The rumor mill is churning

Rumors have swirled for months — long before Taylor Swift arrived on the scene — that Travis Kelce might be moving out of Kansas City’s upscale Briarcliff neighborhood.

Even if he weren’t, it would make sense now with annoying paparazzi and lookie-loos buzzing his Northland house for any sightings of him and his new girlfriend. His neighbors reportedly are not happy about the irritation.

On Thursday, TMZ reported that Kelce has bought a new home in Kansas City for “just under $6 million … and, yes, for that kinda dough in KC, he’s getting a place that’s way bigger and more secluded than his old house.”

The house reportedly is in “a gated community, and it’s a straight-up mansion … 6 bedrooms, 6 baths and over 16,000 square feet of living space,” the celebrity website reports.

Comparing that description to real estate listings led fans — and the Kansas City Business Journal — to think that the location might be in/near Leawood’s Hallbrook community.

Thursday afternoon the Leawood Chamber of Commerce and the Johnson County Democratic Party each welcomed Kelce to Johnson County on their Facebook pages.

“Leawood Chamber of Commerce approved! Welcome to town, Travis!” the business group wrote.

“Welcome to Johnson County, Mr. Pfizer. (Friendly reminder to take Taylor’s advice and update your voter registration!),” the Democratic party wrote, referencing the nickname Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers gave Kelce after the Chiefs star promoted flu and COVID vaccines.

The listing on Realtor.com describes the home as an “elegant estate home in Leawood. Luxury nestled into nature and privacy.” It sits on about 3.3 acres.

The home was originally listed at $6.9 million but the price had been lowered to $5.9 million, the listing said.

The custom home is about 17,000 square feet. The grounds “include a ‘Beverly Hills’ style grand pool area, an ultimate whirlpool, expansive patio, outdoor kitchen, waterfall and everything in between,” according to the listing.

It’s a house built for entertaining, with a lighted tennis/pickleball court, mini-golf course with a practice green, chef’s kitchen and wine cellar and sauna on the lower walk-out level.

The feature that might have attracted Kelce, a known car buff: a “fully equipped six-car garage.”

Ever since quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, moved into Loch Lloyd, a resort-like, gated community in Cass County, Chiefs fans have speculated/hoped that Kelce would move there, too.

The need for privacy was a definite benefit of Loch Lloyd living for the Mahomeses, they have said.

TMZ said Kelce is making the move because his home in Briarcliff has become a “tourist attraction.”

The Leawood home is larger than his current digs with the same number of bedrooms.

TikTok user Celebrity Homes noted Kelce’s Briarcliff house is 10,000-square feet and has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It has a large pool in back and wine storage in the home.

According to the website Velvet Ropes, the house was built in 1994 and “underwent a massive renovation in 2007.”

“The entire main floor and upper level were redone — adding travertine tiles as well as new lighting, updated equipment, and granite countertops in the kitchen,” per Velvet Ropes.

That website noted Kelce also owns a penthouse at One Light Luxury in the Power & Light District.

One reason Kelce may be looking to move from Briarcliff: privacy. A Daily Mail story included video, apparently from a neighbor, showing Swift leaving his home before heading to Arrowhead Stadium for a game.

The rumor mill

New rumors of a possible move heated up Monday after Jenna Bush Hager suggested that Kelce and Swift were buying a house together in Kansas City.

“A friend from Kansas City texted me there might be news they’re buying a house,” she said on NBC’s morning talk show “Today with Hoda & Jenna.”

She warned that the tidbit was “not confirmed by NBC News” after her co-host, Hoda Kotb, cautioned her that they work for a news outlet.

Bush Hager said sometimes Realtors know about celebrity real estate transactions before the media and the public.

“Is (your friend) a Realtor?” Kotb pressed.

“No, but she knows Realtors,” Bush Hager said.

Entertainment Weekly and many other sites quickly shot down that rumor from Bush Hager.

Ever since Swift and Kelce became an item, media have reported on their individual real estate assets, noting Swift’s overwhelmingly larger portfolio — eight homes in four states, $150 million worth of real estate, according to an Elle Decor story earlier this month.

They range from “a $150 million penthouse in Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood to an 11,000-square-foot historical landmark in California,” the magazine wrote.