Moving to KC-need help with neighborhoods (Kansas City, California: real estate, low crime, houses)

[Luke9686]

Hello,

I just got word that I may be transferred to KC in about a year. I am originally from Des Moines, so this will be good for my family. I currently live in San Jose California.

I have been researching the area, and it seems that the Brookside and Waldo neighborhoods are pretty good. Here is my first question: I did a search for homes in the Brookside and Waldo neighborhoods on the net, and it seems some houses are $200,000, and some are $40,000. Are the cheaper ones just run down houses in decent neighborhoods? Or are they run down houses in run down neighborhoods? It seems they were only a few blocks away from each other.

I would really like to buy a fixer upper in a decent neighborhood, but am afraid of this area because of the facts I stated above.

What I am looking for is a fixer upper in a good neighborhood with low crime. Schools and commute time isn't an issue. Demographics of the area is not an issue neither. Preferably under $130,000 for a home that needs work.

Could some one please direct me to the areas I am looking for? I'll have you over to watch a Chief's game when I move out there.

Thank You

[MissouriLady]

I advise you to come to Kansas City for a few days, bring a map, and drive around. You need to know what is where before you decide where you want to buy. The areas you are looking at could be a fine area with a blighted area across the street. Also, you may find what you want in a suburb instead of innercity. I'll be happy to give you more info on what is where if you want it as I like to keep track of which areas are improving and which need to. I am interested in rehabs myself but have not gotten into doing any yet. If you are coming this way, let me know and maybe I would be able to help you a bit.
MissouriLady

[midwest456]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...packages/hood/

Just ran into this looking for info on the weather today and thought it might be helpful just as a start for people comparing neighborhoods around KC.

[christina0001]

Originally Posted by midwest456

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...packages/hood/

Just ran into this looking for info on the weather today and thought it might be helpful just as a start for people comparing neighborhoods around KC.

Wow, thanks for posting this!

[Will]

Thanks for the link - I noticed on that page that if you are looking at the suburbs, they also have a review here:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...kages/suburbs/

[midwest456]

Luke, do you know yet where in the Kc metro area the job would be if the transfer happens?

[ellaz]

Both Brookside and Waldo have much to offer. The Waldo area is just south of Brookside. I grew up in the Waldo area and returned after living on the east coast for many years. I am quite familiar with the Brookside neighborhood, also. I love both areas.
A few thoughts on both areas:
Both have a sense of "neighborhood" with Brookside having a quaint shopping area while Waldo has a more eclectic shopping area. Unfortunately, there are a number of billboards on a 10 block strip of Wornall Road (which runs through both neighborhoods) in the Waldo area but aside from that, the Waldo area also has "cute" shops and a dozen or so antique shops. Brookside is much more expensive. The housing has appreciated greatly in the last 5 to 10 years. The housing tends toward Tudor and two-story traditional styles on small lots. Waldo has a cheaper housing stock but prices have risen in the past few years also. It probably has more room to appreciate versus Brookside. The styles in Waldo range from WWII bungalow style housing to ranch to two-story traditionals on larger lots. More house/less lot in Brookside vs less house/larger lots in Waldo. Waldo even has it's own "mayor" (an active shop owner). Brookside tends to attract families who are trading up while Waldo tends to attract singles or families who are buying for the first time. People tend to stay in both areas for a while. Both are on bus lines, not that that matters much in KC - trust me, you'll be in your car most of the time but it's there if you need it. Brookside merchants have a Halloween candy give-away that attracts hundreds of kids. The area is known for its block parties while Waldo comes a close second for them also. Both have very different feels but are both wonderful neighborhoods. Brookside is more quaint while Waldo is a bit more eclectic. You might need to look a bit more closely at the real estate in the Waldo area as it varies a bit more than in Brookside but I don't think you could go wrong in either areas. As I said earlier, Waldo is just south of Brookside (you could walk from one neighborhood to the other) and both are in the southwest corridor of KCMO, which contains some of the highest per capita incomes in KCMO. There are mature trees in both areas and the Trolley Track Trail is a nice walking trail that winds through both.
Hope this helps.

[ellaz]

Neither areas would be considered rundown although Brookside would be considered superior to Waldo. If you're looking for a fixer-upper, focus more on Waldo not Brookside. There are plenty of nice houses in Waldo but there are some fixer-uppers. On and around Main Street, there have been older bungalows that have been recently remodeled or torn down and replaced with newer homes (not McMansions but nicer houses).