Fairway vs. Waldo

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KC_JAYHAWK
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Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by KC_JAYHAWK »

This is like city wars on city data.  I'm looking to buy a house again in the next week or so and I need some assistance or feedback on these two areas.  I've identified two houses, one in Fairway and another in Waldo that I really like.  The Waldo house is priced about $25k higher (which is definitely a deciding factor and has only 2 BRs).  I like both neighborhoods, but I'm more familiar with the Fairway/Roeland Pk/Mission area since that is where my previous house was.

Reasons I am considering Fairway:
- house in in great condition and priced more in my range
- 5 minute drive to Plaza or Prairie Village shops
- easy interstate access (I work downtown)
- safer neighborhood
- probably better resale later
Reasons I don't like Fairway:
- not much culture or activities with out driving somewhere else
- less walkable

Reasons I am considering Waldo:
- currently work in Missouri (downtown)
- like the eclectic nature of the area
- more funs things to do in surrounding area (waldo crawldo, closer pubs, etc)
- neighborhood has more character
Reasons I don't like Waldo:
- yards are much smaller and alot of the homes have shared drives
- higher crime
- not good highway access
- some areas seem pretty rundown or not well kept

So here are the two listings:  First is Fairway, second Waldo

http://www.prukc.com/HomeSearch/Listing ... um=1719633

http://www.prukc.com/HomeSearch/Listing ... um=1733663
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by chingon »

Waldo.

But not just because of homerism. There's a reason the house is listed higher. Hint: its not because the Fairway home will have "better resale value".

In fact there's a bunch of reasons the Waldo house costs more. Waldo has good transit options (especially to DT), 100x better walkability, is just as close to the Plaza and PV shops, to say nothing of Brookside and Waldo itself, is a quick shot up Gregory or 75th to 71 hwy, is more "up and coming" in terms of real estate value, and is less gray. Also, that specific part of Waldo, Rockhill Gardens aka Tudorville, is as stable and well-kept as anywhere else in the city.

Plus, in my experience there is a very strong correlation between living in the urban core of KCMO and enjoying life in the KC metro.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by KCMax »

If schools are not an issue I'd choose Waldo. Its a bit spotty in places, but most neighborhoods are pretty good and you're within walking distance of transit, some really good restaurants and bars, and it gives you more a neighborhood feel. I'd ask Pumpkinstalker where the right hoods are. And you're still within 5 minutes of the Plaza and the PV shops FWIW.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by chingon »

KCMax wrote: If schools are not an issue I'd choose Waldo.
Fact:
Waldo has excellent public grade schools and a significantly better public high school than Shawnee Mission East.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by SAC »

I'd go with the Fairway option, primarily because of the reasons you have identified yourself.  Looks to be much more house (3 bedrooms) for the price.  Much better yard, too, which will certainly impact resale value.  Both are good options, though.  Any "feedback" you get here will be greatly influenced by the MO-KS homerism.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by KC_JAYHAWK »

It is a tough choice and I appreciate all the feedback.  I like having a larger yard and 3rd room for an office (hence Fairway), but I also like the more "neighborhood" feel of Waldo.  I've lived in both NE JoCo and KCMO so I don't have any homerism toward either neighborhood.  Both neighborhoods blend in well with the city in general.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by bobbyhawks »

chingon wrote: Fact:
Waldo has excellent public grade schools and a significantly better public high school than Shawnee Mission East.
Significantly better?  What school is that?

As far as the choice goes, I can't speak from experience on either location.  From what I know, Waldo would feel more like a community, and Fairway would feel more like a nice neighborhood for personal space.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by chrizow »

regarding fairway vs. waldo, i think both are fine areas, and it just depends on your mindset.  if you want to feel like more a part of "the city" (even though waldo is pretty sub-urban) and have dining, culture, and transit close by, then waldo is the obvious choice.  if you favor more yard and a more suburban feel and do not need walkability (i noticed that the fairway area has no sidewalks at all) then fairway is a good choice.

that said, the waldo place strikes me as cute but quite a bit overpriced in my opinion for a 2-bed/1-bath in this real estate market.  
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by KC_JAYHAWK »

chrizow wrote: that said, the waldo place strikes me as cute but quite a bit overpriced in my opinion for a 2-bed/1-bath in this real estate market.  
Agree 100%.  I'm thinking more $160k-165k.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by chrizow »

you should embrace the city fully and move to south hyde park.  i know a wonderful place with two front porches on gillham park on the market in your price range...

:P
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by KC_JAYHAWK »

chrizow wrote: you should embrace the city fully and move to south hyde park.  i know a wonderful place with two front porches on gillham park on the market in your price range...

:P
shoot me a pm....I'm open to take a look.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by WSPanic »

chingon wrote: Fact:
Waldo has excellent public grade schools and a significantly better public high school than Shawnee Mission East.
Center is nice - please show how it is significantly better than SM East....
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by chrizow »

WSPanic wrote: Center is nice - please show how it is significantly better than SM East....
i believe he is talking about Lincoln Prep, part of the KCMO public schools, which Waldo feeds into.  see the other thread ranking high schools nationally, where Lincoln is ranked way ahead of SME and all the other ranked JoCo schools.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by WSPanic »

chrizow wrote: i believe he is talking about Lincoln Prep, part of the KCMO public schools, which Waldo feeds into.  see the other thread ranking high schools nationally, where Lincoln is ranked way ahead of SME and all the other ranked JoCo schools.
Ohh.... so every neighborhood in KCMO has high schools that are significantly better than SME. Got it. Great argument for a message board - not so much for someone trying to figure out where to live in real life.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by chrizow »

WSPanic wrote: Ohh.... so every neighborhood in KCMO has high schools that are significantly better than SME. Got it. Great argument for a message board - not so much for someone trying to figure out where to live in real life.
Well, people can make up their own minds about the usefulness of that information, but I think it is relevant "in real life" that folks choosing to live in the KCMO district have the option of one of the best high schools in the KC metro area.  I would imagine that 99% of people in this region have no idea this is the case, and believe every KCMO school is like the film "Dangerous Minds," which is not correct.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by WSPanic »

chrizow wrote: Well, people can make up their own minds about the usefulness of that information, but I think it is relevant "in real life" that folks choosing to live in the KCMO district have the option of one of the best high schools in the KC metro area.  I would imagine that 98% of people in this region have no idea this is the case, and believe every KCMO school is like the film "Dangerous Minds," which is not correct.
There are plenty of Waldo parents that are scared to death to send their kids to Lincoln Prep. It's still 21st/Woodland - regardless of where it's ranked.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by cknab1 »

The Waldo property has a full basement.  In this part of the country, I always found that comforting.  The Fairway with the crawl space wouldn?t do it for me.  Maybe a 3rd bedroom and bathroom could be added in the basement later.  They both just have one bath at this point.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by NDTeve »

Waldo.
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by chrizow »

WSPanic wrote: There are plenty of Waldo parents that are scared to death to send their kids to Lincoln Prep. It's still 21st/Woodland - regardless of where it's ranked.
wusses/racists.  

a shawnee mission east student and gangsta wannabe shot and killed a shawnee mission north student in roeland park a few weeks ago - should i be scared to send my kids to SME?  

peoples' perception of risk is completely out of wack.  a child is much, much more likely to be hurt or killed riding in their parents' SUV to SME from their suburban home than in any sort of violent event anywhere in town, including 21st and Woodland.  too many scary blacks in that part of town for comfort, i suppose?  
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Re: Fairway vs. Waldo

Post by bobbyhawks »

Hate to continue off-topic, but wouldn't someone from Waldo have to take tests and be accepted into Lincoln Prep?  SM East was also in the top 2% in the country along with Lincoln, and all you have to do is live in the borders.  And to say that any of the top 500 schools are "significantly" better is ridiculous.  There are, according to sketchy internet sources, 27.5k high schools in the country.  Measuring school quality isn't exactly like looking at baseball stats either, so I doubt that school #500 is really that much worse than school #1.  I get that Lincoln is an amazing school, but I can't stand this need to discount JOCO and the hatred for Kansas.  Lincoln is ranked better.  From all accounts, they deserve it and are likely a better school.  But don't act like SME is some hack school in comparison.
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