Moving to Wichita (Derby, Andover, Green: appointed, real estate, affordable apartment)

[modsquad]

We may be moving to Wichita, We have a job opportunity in Wichita that may work out for us. If so we would need to rent for a while in Wichita. Any ideas on where to rent until I decide to sell our home?
What is there to do in Wichita.
If this is where we move I think we have settled on Andover. I was there last year and there were homes in Andover that were priced at 125k for nice homes with finished basements. How is the home down turn in Wichita and surrounding areas?
Where would you rent at on a temp. basis.

[IRISHFAN512]

Originally Posted by modsquad

We may be moving to Wichita, We have a job opportunity in Wichita that may work out for us. If so we would need to rent for a while in Wichita. Any ideas on where to rent until I decide to sell our home?
What is there to do in Wichita.
If this is where we move I think we have settled on Andover. I was there last year and there were homes in Andover that were priced at 125k for nice homes with finished basements. How is the home down turn in Wichita and surrounding areas?
Where would you rent at on a temp. basis.

Watch out for special land taxes if you aren't familiar with them. My husband and I found a beautiful home brand new $211K then with the specials that were on top of regular taxes....about $2,000 a month wiht principal and interest then specials. Talk to a realtor have them explain to you about specials. Tax specials help put in sidewalks, landscaping and city lights. It's in addition to your regular property tax and I believe it's roughly a 20 to 30 year tax. From what I also understand, Andover has higher property taxes than Wichita - coming from California we have overly inflated homes, but our property tax is only 1%, think last we discovered 11.5% for some Andover areas....really do your homework prior to buying!

[crazyma]

RENT RENT RENT
unless you are filthy rich.............
why? Well we relocated from the east coast. Hubby came in Oct 06 and we bought a house in Feb. 07. And hubby was unexpectedly downsized after 14 months on the job. So here we sit, still no job (well over 3000 resumes out there)
and been trying to sell the house(in the NE), all since Jan.
So my bugle call is do not buy..I am still so shook up over this I tell hubby I do not ever want to buy again............
Really consider if you want to buy. There are quite a few property managemnt groups and I am certain between that, networking and CL you can find a decent rental.

Don't let what happen to us happen to you.

good luck

[modsquad]

Thanks. We built a home in Hot Springs and love it here. but with family and work opertunity in Wichita being better for my wife at least, she is in the title business and has had no offers here in Hot Springs, we thought about renting in Wichita and closing down the house here and coming back every couple months for a long weekend, and renting in Wichita. I see that there are many nice apt. rentals for 4 to 500 a month. I think also if we rented for at least 6 months to a year and see how things go before we pack up and move.

[KevK]

You can get a job in an airplane plant- Cessna, Beech, Boeing and the others. They are all there. What is there to do? What do you want to do? You can do most of what you might want there but the weather sucks most of the year so if you are an outdoors type, it might not be to your liking.

[athfo]

Originally Posted by KevK

You can do most of what you might want there but the weather sucks most of the year so if you are an outdoors type, it might not be to your liking.

I find the variant weather to be exciting and a plus to living in Kansas. Having four seasons is a nice thing in my opinion .

[lanclotlink]

I am looking to move to Wichita. I have family there and the work seems to be good.
still do not like the area but may learn to.
Where I live now there are blues clubs and music all the time playing. Nothing much to do in Wichita but like I said family and work. at 45 I still have to play in the work force. I hope homes in the Andover area are dropping in value a bit. I read one poster who said you could not get a good home for under 260k, some people are not looking at things relative. I would not pay more than 126 for a 2bed 1bath up with 1bed and 1 bath down finished. I have seen them and toured them myself in Andover. If you want to over buy and risk getting a return on your money knock yourself out. Real estate 101 is never buy the nicest home in the sub. if you have to buy middle of the road, better yet buy the worst one and fix it up and you will get the most bang for the $, in this market this works even better. I have been across this country since the end of the housing bubble, and can tell you from experience that there is no place that is untouched by the current economy, do not let any Realtor tell you otherwise. As one wise person said if an A-bomb went off in your sub a Realtor would list it as a quiet neighborhood, and the creator would be a developing lake.

[drjones96]

Originally Posted by athfo

I find the variant weather to be exciting and a plus to living in Kansas. Having four seasons is a nice thing in my opinion .

Ditto. I just came from a place that has two seasons: Winter and Summer.

[jbdallas]

I see that there are many nice apt. rentals for 4 to 500 a month.

Have you actually visited these apartments? Don't believe the little apt guides or online photos. We moved here 2 years ago thinking exactly the same thing. We were pretty disappointed after a few days of looking. The photos they have are either ancient, or taken from a very specific angle. When we moved here the newest apartment complex was roughly 6 years old.
I would contact some realtors in Wichita/Andover and ask if they have a leasing agent. You can find homes for rent at fairly reasonable prices (1k/month). If that is higher than you are willing to pay, consider looking at the apartments about 10 miles south of town on a golf course, I believe rent gives you access to the golf course for free!
It's called The Greens at Derby. The apts were really nice and they have new set just built within the last year I think. They don't allow pets in all but 1 building, plus no garages. Lindsey Management co., Inc. affordable apartment homes, executive suites, golf courses in Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

We live in a duplex in NW Wichita for 1K/month + utilities, but the new mgmt company has a new and somewhat crazy lease and I probably wouldn't rent from them. Our neighbors place is being forclosed on and the mgmt company seems to not care at all.

Wichita Apartments - Rental Homes, Lofts, Condos, Flats, Wichita Apartment, Wichita Rentals - 360Wichita.com has some links as well.

Good Luck, PM me if you want.

[drjones96]

I agree with what jbdallas is saying. A lot of apartment complexes around here are very dated or the photos do not tell the whole story. I'm living in a place temprarily that is kind of on the shabby side but I knew that coming in. I just needed a cheap place to lay my head to save some money ($450/mo)....and it's nice that it happens to be very close to my place of employment. But it seems to be the norm around here. There don't seem to be a whole lot of modern appartments around here accept for the one jb mentioned in Derby. I had considered moving there if my family was going to have to wait an extended period for our house to be completed. I strongly advise you to view the apt first hand before you sign anything....unless you aren't particular and then go ahead and sign whatever you want.