Smithville or Excelsior Springs??? (Kansas City, Kearney: HOA, buying, school district)

[Hal Roach]

Looking to invest in a second home. I need decent Internet and grocery shopping. Hate saggy pants, petty crime, and meth. Hopefully water/sewer and prop taxes are OK. Do either of these towns offer a good quality of life without a big mortgage? Thanks in advance.

[Okey Dokie]

I live in Smithville and I am very familiar with Excelsior. Our water (2 adults) runs about $70 a month (in non-lawn-watering months), and that includes $18 +/- for trash. As far as taxes go, the only difference between the two would be school district and city taxes. All the county tax nonsense is the same. Smithville school levy is $5.179, Excelsior is $5.19. Smithville has a city tax (.4773), Fire District (.4906) and ambulance district (.43), so that would be a total of $1.3979 for whatI consider city services. Excelsior is 1.18, which includes fire and ambulance.

Excelsior is a little bigger than Smithville and has quite a bit more shopping and restaurants, including a Walmart and Aldi. Smithville is getting a new (replacement) Price Chopper grocery by next spring. Shopping in Kansas City is a lot closer from Smithville than Excelsior. Other than groceries, I shop for everything else in KC.

Excelsior has A LOT more older, run down housing than Smithville. It also has a Job Corps center which I personally feel brings a certain unsavory element, but that might be my prejudices showing.

If you anticipate using KCI much, Smithville wins hands down. 20 minutes door to door from my house.

Smithville High School was recently named the #2 high school in the Kansas City area, Missouri side by US News and World report. I don’t know much about schools in Excelsior.

Internet speed. In my subdivision I have ATT u-verse and consistently get 120 mbps. I don’t know if that is the case every where in town.

Bottom line: Excelsior has more shopping/restaurants but Smithville is closer to Kansas City. Housing and schools are better in Smithville.

You might also consider Kearney and Platte City, two other outer ring suburbs north of the river.

I hope this helps.

[Traveling Mike]

Op doesn’t doesn’t mention if schools are important, but if they are Smithville hands down. They are fabulous! Excelsior leaves a lot lacking in this regard.

[Hal Roach]

Originally Posted by Traveling Mike

Op doesn’t doesn’t mention if schools are important, but if they are Smithville hands down. They are fabulous! Excelsior leaves a lot lacking in this regard.

No kids, but have worked at a few, and am aware of their impact on property values.

What impact does the lake have on Smithville?

[Okey Dokie]

Originally Posted by Hal Roach

What impact does the lake have on Smithville?

I walk on their extensive trail system a lot. Traffic is a little worse on weekends in summer but not irritatingly so. Probably more boat storage businesses per capita than average.

If you do move here, and you have strong feelings one way or the other about people storing boats in their driveway, check out the HOA covenants before buying. A lot of them don’t allow it.