Possible move to KC Area (Kansas City, St. Louis: HOA, buying a home, employment)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by northbayeric

No no, stick to plan A. The KC metro area is large enough that you should definitely be able to find an ideal home that isn't cookie-cutter and certainly not made out of stucco! That was the most jarring thing I noticed about the houses around here compared to those back in my hometown of Florissant, MO. In Florissant, many houses are at least partially made out of brick. In Santa Rosa, CA and surrounding towns, most are made out of either stucco or wood because they evidently fare better in a large earthquake. The stucco homes just seemed more junky-looking to me than all-brick.

Anyway, I think we're just trying to help you find something other than a cookie-cutter home or a McMansion neighborhood that has great big homes squished close together and very tiny front and back yards with decidedly less than mature landscaping. There's got to be some places that were built in maybe the 1960s that are sturdily built, aren't jammed together, are distinct from neighboring houses, and have attractive, mature landscaping (as long as there isn't a tree that will damage or destroy the roof in the event of a severe thunderstorm or winter ice storm). Between us and a good real estate agent, something great has to happen. Or you might conclude that buying a bit of acreage and having a custom home built on it is the way to go. Let us know what.....develops! (pun intended)

It is great that you brought up the point of older homes. I feel that many of the 1960s ranch style homes are excellent buys. The floor plans in these homes are VERY functional along with the convenience of having all bedrooms on one level.

For the OP:
I would look at the Brookridge neighborhood in Overland Park. Most of the homes in this neighborhood were built in the 1960s and has mature landscaping. The price range in this area would probably be between 200-300K. The school district in this area is the well regarded Shawnee Mission School district. I am very familiar with this neighborhood because my grandparents lived in the Brookridge neighborhood for over 16 years and liked the area and location a lot. It is located north of I-435 and is bordered by Metcalf on the east and Lowell Avenue to the west. The commute to Downtown and even KCI airport is very reasonable from this location.

[aragx6]

I just don't know what I would do with 3000 sq feet. How much furniture could you possibly need? I always make fun of my SO because his folks live in South OP and have a huge house with two masters one of which he got because he was the only child. And while his parents have nice stuff it's just a stuccoed house with crappy builder finishes.

It's not that hard to sell a small house with nice finishes in most areas - though I can see with the JoCo mindset that it might be hard. I'd far rather live in a super nice small home. (Esp! if I didn't have any kids)

[denverian]

Here in Denver I have a bit over 2000 sq. feet, plenty of space for us, with hardwoods throughout, granite/stainless kitchen, crown molding and lots of upgrades. I definitely take quality over quantity and see no point in wasted space or expansive lawns that only get touched when being mowed. Denver's more expensive though because 2000 sq. feet is worth $500K.

[kcmo]

Exactly. 300,000 dollar home and linoleum floor in the kitchen, vermica counter tops, a 4x12 deck that might have a stairway, $50 ceiling fans, everything builders grade crap. But closets big enough to park a car in and a garage so big that it makes it hard to find the actual home, all on a lot with less actual space to play catch with your kids than most city lots and all those stupid utility boxes are in the way anyway. But you can see the entire neighborhood since there are no trees.

Yea, I’m not too fond of the ultra suburban living

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Exactly. 300,000 dollar home and linoleum floor in the kitchen, vermica counter tops, a 4x12 deck that might have a stairway, $50 ceiling fans, everything builders grade crap. But closets big enough to park a car in and a garage so big that it makes it hard to find the actual home, all on a lot with less actual space to play catch with your kids than most city lots and all those stupid utility boxes are in the way anyway. But you can see the entire neighborhood since there are no trees.

Yea, I’m not too fond of the ultra suburban living

Yes, but whether you or I like it or not it has become the American dream.

My brother actually loves the suburbs, he hates change and his favorite restaurant (and I mean favorite) is TGI Fridays. How we came from the same family is beyond me. But as long as he's happy that's good, and maybe I'll come visit him and his 2 1/2 kids at Christmas)

[rondamarchant]

You can definatly find all brick homes all over the area of KC. When you focus in on certain areas, a realtor can search MLS by many different criterias...one of them being exterior construction. So, w/ that criteria and your price range, some good possiblities should come up.

[Thrillcekr]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Parkville not upscale? Are you freaking kidding me? Ever been to Riss Lake? The Cliffs? Tom Watson’s National Golf Course community? Parkville is just north of Briarcliff which is also very upscale 400k +. Most of Platte County is nice and most of Platte County is KCMO. Just drive up I-29 and get off any exit and you will find all sorts of nice subdivisions all the way up to KCI.

Shopping is plentiful too. Briarcliff Village, The Tulleries, Zona Rosa. Schools are good too. The Northland has great schools, even though much of it is in KCMO.

Clay County also has some very up and coming areas too along I-35 near Liberty and the entire 152 corridor has plenty of newer options of all housing types, including upscale.

The best thing about the Northland is Downtown is only minutes away. KCI is nearby, the casinos are nearby, the amusement parks are nearby. The plaza is easy and quick to get to.

Can’t say that about 135th and Nall in Kansas.

But even if you don’t go north, don’t go to JoCo, go to Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs or Independence. You will get much more house for the money and much less of the snobby attitude that hovers over the Kansas suburbs. You can live in an upscale area and not think you are better than the rest of the city.

If you work in Raytown and can afford a big home I would live in Lee’s Summit. Lakewood has everything from 275k to millions. There are also many very upscale neighborhoods south of 470 in Lee’s Summit. Raytown would be a 5-10 minute drive.

But don’t overlook the “city” either. KCMO has some very charming urban neighborhoods. Just take 435 to Holmes or Wornall and go north. Of course KCMO also offers all the “urban” choices too. If you want to live in a highrise (condo or loft) or lowrise rowhouse or single family home in any of KCMO’s urban neighborhoods like Valentine, Hyde Park etc.

If you must live in Kansas, then try NE JoCo, Prairie Village, North Leawood, Mission, Fairway etc. If you move to Southern or Western JoCo, you will become just another brainwashed KCMO hater that never goes north of 435. May as well live in Wichita.

Yep. The 400,000 you mentioned actually only applies to a few lower end homes in The Nationals. Many of them are priced in the 1 to 5 million range.

A lot of people make assumptions based on what they see from the interstate. They don't know about things like the castle home that just sold for around 8,000,000 on Weatherby Lake. You can't see Riss Lake, Highlands of Weatherby, Tiffany Greens or a whole slew of other developments that cater to the extremely wealthy suburbanite crowd in Platte County. PC has some older housing stock lining the freeway but probably 90% of what's being built there now is 400,000 +. It recently made the list of 100 wealthiest counties in the US.

[Thrillcekr]

Originally Posted by Plains10

I think I got Parkville confused with Platte City. Sorry about the confusion Parkville and southern areas of Platte County ARE upscale, and the latest C/D stats indicate the average home value in Parkville is in the 280-290K range.

Even Platte City has quite a few homes in the half million and up bracket these days. Definitely a lot more than you would normally find in a town it's size. There are plenty of doctors and big shot attorneys in the area that grew up in smaller towns and prefer to maintain that lifestyle so they open up shop down here and call places like Platte City home because it's one of the rare examples of a small town that does offer those kinds of homes.

[Thrillcekr]

Originally Posted by christina0001

I adore Parkville! And yes, there are definitely some upscale neighborhoods, and I am not an expert in Parkville, but I have not yet seen many neighborhoods that don't have the houses relatively close together, which the OP does not seem to like. Otherwise I would recommend Parkville whole heartedly. If my husband and I hadn't both found jobs so far south of the city, we'd be living there right now.

To 03psd's last post: they sure do love the stucco down here. You may very well have to do a custom build if it is not your style. I am from the east coast and I love brick and stone myself.

You didn't see all of Parkville then. the older parts of Parkville near the river are close together like you said. However, you can find the huge McMansions with the massive yards by taking 9 highway north and then heading west down 64th Street (aka Tom Watson Pkwy). Riss Lake is actually east and so is Monticello but the rest is west. There are literally miles of huge homes that span all the way to I-435. Besides subdivisions like Riss Lake and The Nationals you'll see some homes that are all by themselves and are literally ranches with horses and their own lakes.

[aragx6]

They were no. 6 in Money mag's rankings in 2006- I doubt the quality of life could have dropped too strikingly within a year.

The reason it wasn't chosen this year is right on the Web site you linked to:
"For this year's list we focused on smaller places that offered the best combination of economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do and a real sense of community."

OP has over 150k people, not the small town they were going for. Liberty has less than 30k.

You should really check your facts before accusing others of not.