Overwhelmed looking for rental in KC area (Kansas City, Independence: apartment, rental homes)

[emarie313]

Hello

My husband's job has relocated our family to KCK last week. They have us set up in a temporary apartment in Shawnee while we look for a place to live. We are encountering sticker shock I think while trying to find a home for our family. In OK we were able to rent a nice small 3br/2bath home for $825. That doesn't seem to be the case around here.

A little about us:
We have 2 young children, ages 5 and 7. So we are looking for an area that is safe for children. My husband's job is on the KS side and I currently don't work. My husband is thinking he would prefer to live on the KS side and somewhat closer to work. We were hoping to rent a small house or duplex and we are needing it to be pet friendly. Any tips? Are we out of luck? I am just starting to stress a little.

Thanks in advance!

~Elizabeth

[lovekcmo]

Have you looked in Lenexa?

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by emarie313

Hello

My husband's job has relocated our family to KCK last week. They have us set up in a temporary apartment in Shawnee while we look for a place to live. We are encountering sticker shock I think while trying to find a home for our family. In OK we were able to rent a nice small 3br/2bath home for $825. That doesn't seem to be the case around here.

A little about us:
We have 2 young children, ages 5 and 7. So we are looking for an area that is safe for children. My husband's job is on the KS side and I currently don't work. My husband is thinking he would prefer to live on the KS side and somewhat closer to work. We were hoping to rent a small house or duplex and we are needing it to be pet friendly. Any tips? Are we out of luck? I am just starting to stress a little.

Thanks in advance!

~Elizabeth

KCK is a big city. It would help if you would share what part of KCK your husband will be working in. It would also help if you describe what type of place you want to live. There are about a dozen suburbs and towns that ring KCK that should have affordable rental houses. But those range from inner-ring suburbs pretty deep into the city to outlying towns that provide a small-town environment and are a little bit country. Depending on where your husband works, you may not want to discount the Missouri suburbs that border or are nearby KCK. Shawnee is a good place to start, though, if you like it - there are a lot of small houses and duplexes there.

[emarie313]

My husband works in KCK off Kansas Ave at Associated Wholesale Grocers. We are used to living in a small suburb of Oklahoma City, but I am not opposed to living outside the city in a small town as long as it isn't too far of a drive to shopping. Where are the small homes and duplexes in Shawnee? I am having a hard time finding them. I have noticed no one around here seems to list things in the paper, so I just don't know where to look. I have been calling around to different property management companies to see what rentals they have, very few seem to have anything under $1000/month that is big enough for my family. What are the areas outside of JoCo and how do I find what is available in those areas? I feel like my searches are only bringing up things in either JoCo or Independence.

Thanks again!

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by emarie313

My husband works in KCK off Kansas Ave at Associated Wholesale Grocers. We are used to living in a small suburb of Oklahoma City, but I am not opposed to living outside the city in a small town as long as it isn't too far of a drive to shopping. Where are the small homes and duplexes in Shawnee? I am having a hard time finding them. I have noticed no one around here seems to list things in the paper, so I just don't know where to look. I have been calling around to different property management companies to see what rentals they have, very few seem to have anything under $1000/month that is big enough for my family. What are the areas outside of JoCo and how do I find what is available in those areas? I feel like my searches are only bringing up things in either JoCo or Independence.

Thanks again!

Independence is inexpensive, but clear on the other side of the metro.

Personally, I would look at Bonner Springs and Edwardsville, and I say that because you've come from Oklahoma, yet I don't know how to explain it. Those towns are along K-32, which is what Kansas Ave flows into when you go west. Bonner Springs is the larger of the two, but they are right next to each other. There's a Walmart Supercenter, a nice Price Chopper grocery store, and a variety of everyday restaurants. They even have a Mazzio's, which is rare in KC, but should remind you of Oklahoma! But Bonner Springs and Edwardsville both provide a small-town environment and are only slightly detached from the immediate KC area. All the while, all of the shopping and restaurants in and around the Legends (by Kansas Speedway) are only a few miles from Bonner Springs. Associated Grocers, though, is 15 miles from Bonner Springs, either via K-32 or I-70.

But to answer your question, most of the houses east of Quivira Road in Shawnee are small, as are many in the adjoining suburbs of Merriam, Mission, Roeland Park, and adjoining areas of northern Overland Park. Most of JoCo east of Quivira and north of 83rd-ish Steet are small. Duplexes are spread out here and there but I can't think of where any are grouped, sorry.

Bonner Springs and Shawnee both have newspapers with websites, but they are part of a co-op, the same co-op, and the classifieds on both sites only list rental houses from Lawrence, another newspaper in the co-op, which is stupid. You'll have to try CraigsList and look for the names of all the places I've mentioned.

You can try to call this number 913-362-8424 and inquire about rental properties. It's a law firm on Johnson Drive in Shawnee, but the last I knew one of the lawyers had some inexpensive but decent rental properties, unfortunately I can't remember which one, and it was the firm's secretary who I dealt with when doing business regarding their properties, so you might at least call and inquire.

Sorry I can't help further. It's a shame the classifieds in newspapers are useless these days or just nonexistant. Another thing you might do is pick up a copy of the KC Star if you're here in KC and check their classifieds. Or try your way through this:

Kansas City Star | Classifieds

[kc chris]

Don't forget to try craigslist when looking for rental homes.

[aragx6]

Honestly, I'd be shocked if you could find a 3/2 for anything close to your budget in an area with good schools for your children and a short commute for your husband. Homes in my neighborhood go for more than that, and our schools are decidedly bad.

I'd probably look in the Northland, which won't be the shortest commute for your husband but should provide decent schools and a house near your desired pricepoint. Like this one: Nice 3br Home in Northland or this one: 1 NW 67th Street, Gladstone, MO

Best of luck to you!

[aragx6]

A couple of options on the KS side (there will be some compromises -- like a second bathroom):

Duplex Bounty in Johnson County
Shawnee Ranch

[emarie313]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions! We settled on a place in Bonner Springs for now. It seems like a good place to live as we familiarize ourselves with the KC area.

[RjRobb2]

I live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Kansas City North right outside of Gladstone for $900 but that is actually pretty cheap. For the most part you are going to spend $1000 or more up here.