Price of home in KC MO (Independence, Gladstone: for sale, real estate, rentals) - Kansas City - Missouri - City-Data Forum

mybookroom · 02-03-2010, 08:27 PM

Is it possible to find a decent home in a stable (low crime) area of KCMO for under $80K? I don't have kids so schools are not an interest. Safety is. And do you need a BASEMENT in MO (as in basement for tornados)?

Samantha S · 02-03-2010, 08:35 PM

Oh good! You did post here!

I will repeat from the other forum:

It's possible, but be careful.

You might have more luck if you post in the KC section of the forum. Others can speak specifically to neighborhoods on the MO side. I know general areas on the MO side, but I don't know specific neighborhoods in that price range well enough to tell you which would be good or bad.

Personally, I live in Johnson County on the KS side. I wouldn't live anywhere else, even in your price range. The reason is 1) that I just like it better and 2) I think it's the best bet for retaining property values. That's just my opinion though.

It can be done for under 80k in JoCo, although it will take some looking and probably some work fixing up. There are homes in the NE part of JoCo that would be in that range. Although few are likely to have basements.

You will certainly get more house for your money on the MO side. But again, for specific recommendations, you should post in the KC section.

Reece & Nichols Real Estate, Mortgage and Title Experts | Reece & Nichols Real Estate, Mortgage, Closing Title Experts is a great website that shows all MLS listings in the metro and has great search features to narrow down your lists.

Best of luck to you!!!

PS - if you wanted a basement just for tornados, you will need one just as little in MO as you do in KS. I would not let that be a dealbreaker. There are a few threads on the KS forum about tornados. Bottom line: They are not that big of a deal unless you are in the direct path of a big one and that is extemely unlikely and still quite survivable even without a basement. (And I have lived in KS most of my life and have seen tornados up close and personal! ;-)

PPS - schools may not be an interest from a kid perspective. But great schools contribute significantly to retaining property values.

lifelongMOgal · 02-03-2010, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mybookroom

Is it possible to find a decent home in a stable (low crime) area of KCMO for under $80K? I don't have kids so schools are not an interest. Safety is. And do you need a BASEMENT in MO (as in basement for tornados)?

It is possible to find a decent home but will be difficult at best to fulfill the "low-crime" requirement in KCMO for a house under $80K. It was difficult to fulfill this for clients 10 yrs. ago and now I suspect even moreso. I think the basement is a personal choice, I wouldn't own a house without one but then I've experienced tornados too close for comfort. Those who have not usually do not see the need for a basement.

For safety in this price range have you considered outlying suburbs and not KCMO proper?

famusdarlin · 02-03-2010, 09:18 PM

I think it's possible. I would look in Belton, MO. Maybe also try Independence, MO. You could also try Gladstone and Libery in the North land. I think the further out you look the better your chance is of finding something for under 80k not needing major work. You could find something pretty nice in Marlbourough, neighborhood just east of Brookside. The neighborhood is safe, but is close to areas wih higher crime if that is a concern. You could also check out Grandview, we've lived in Grandview for around 10 years and have never experienced any crime.

lifelongMOgal · 02-03-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by famusdarlin

I think it's possible. I would look in Belton, MO. Maybe also try Independence, MO. You could also try Gladstone and Libery in the North land. I think the further out you look the better your chance is of finding something for under 80k not needing major work. You could find something pretty nice in Marlbourough, neighborhood just east of Brookside. The neighborhood is safe, but is close to areas wih higher crime if that is a concern. You could also check out Grandview, we've lived in Grandview for around 10 years and have never experienced any crime.

Look up the crimestats for the Marlborough area. They are not good and being better than the "crime alley" that it borders is nothing of which to be proud.

One could get into a house needing significant rehabbing in Gladstone several years ago for 70-80K but I do not know if this is still the case.

There is a pocket of small homes S. of Waldo that may qualify but the area is still not "safe" comparatively speaking with what I would consider a "safe" neighborhood. It is an area that has many rentals and has seen forclosures flipped in the past decade. No sidewalks, lots of street parking, close to commercial just W. of Wornall Rd.

North KCMO may also offer some options.

famusdarlin · 02-03-2010, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

Look up the crimestats for the Marlborough area. They are not good and being better than the "crime alley" that it borders is nothing of which to be proud.

One could get into a house needing significant rehabbing in Gladstone several years ago for 70-80K but I do not know if this is still the case.

There is a pocket of small homes S. of Waldo that may qualify but the area is still not "safe" comparatively speaking with what I would consider a "safe" neighborhood. It is an area that has many rentals and has seen forclosures flipped in the past decade. No sidewalks, lots of street parking, close to commercial just W. of Wornall Rd.

North KCMO may also offer some options.

I speak from having lived in the area. We still own two homes there and would move in a heartbeat if only we could sell the home we live in currently. We've never experienced any crime while in the neighborhood and my husband and his mother lived there for over 30 years with no issues with crime. Perhaps it is the street we live on, but it's quiet, most of the neighbors speak and look out for each other.

I do agree that it is not like living in the burbs with white picket fences.

luzianne · 02-03-2010, 11:15 PM

I live in Johnson County and love it here - but I just had a thought. Belton. That might be a place that you would be able to find a house $80,000 or under, with a basement, and safe. And like Samantha said, northeast Johnson County you could probably find an older home, probably even with a basement. Maybe in Mission or Roeland Park north of Johnson Drive, between Lamar and Roe is where I would look. Growing up I lived in the 52nd and Maple area for a couple of years and I drove through there recently to look at the old house and the houses in the area seem to be kept up very well.

kcmo · 02-04-2010, 06:48 AM

I wouldn't think so. I would love to see these 80k homes in JoCo though. 80k won't get you much in Indy or Grandview. If you find it, it will need a lot of work (or you will be calling 911 a lot).

The only area I can think of that would be safe that is not very run down and simply has very small houses is just south of Gladstone right alonng 29 (south of 29 and east of North Oak Trafficway). There is a neighborhood in there with very small homes that are probably at or below 80k. Probably no basements though.

luzianne · 02-04-2010, 06:59 AM

Actually, kcmo, I looked at Reece and Nichols after I posted last night and you are right - nothing in Johnson County, even Roeland Park, for $80,000. But there were quite a few in Grandview that were under $80,000 and didn't look bad at all. And Belton is much better than Grandview, in my opinion. Lower crime, nicer, newer, etc.

I bought my house in Johnson County in 1990 for $65,000. Wish I had had the foresight (and money) to buy 5 or 10 of them then because obviously it's worth a whole lot more than $65,000 now.

Samantha S · 02-04-2010, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luzianne

Actually, kcmo, I looked at Reece and Nichols after I posted last night and you are right - nothing in Johnson County, even Roeland Park, for $80,000.

Really? I did a search last night before I posted (just to be sure I wasn't lying :-) and found a few houses in the 66202/66204 areas codes of JoCo listed for less than 80k.

They did look like they at least needed updating though. There are also a couple of starter homes I saaw for sale the other day when I was over near 72nd and Lamar that are probably listed for under 100k.

I know in other areas of the metro, you can get more house for your money. But personally, I'd take the smaller house in JoCo and do a little work to it. This is what did in the 90's as well. Wish we had kept it for a rental!