KSTHANE wrote:
So what is that neighborhood like for the housing prices to be in that range? We are thinking of purchasing a home in Westheight in KCK and are wondering how comparable the neighborhoods are.
Havenhurst, in the link above, is a trophy house. The interior is in good condition, and has many fine details you just can't find in newer homes for the same price. I think $280,000 is a real steal for that house, because if you compared it to a house for the same price in the suburbs, none would be has fancy on the inside. One could probably get it for $265,000. It looks like the white parts of the house need to be painted--especially in the back. I would have a good house inspector look at the front portico--especially up at roofline to see what condition it's in. The floor look like they might need to be redone as well, so one could use all these deficiences to get the price down.
Gladstone Boulevard is lined with old mansions that were built around the turn of the century when the area was home to affluent citizens that mostly worked downtown--which is about 5 minutes away. It's an older neighborhood that Westheight. The neighborhood is called Scarritt-Renaissance, and they have a good neighborhood association. Most of the houses are in pretty good shape, or have been renovated.
The neighborhoods are similar in the respect that they have big fancy houses that are surrounded by urban neighborhoods of mixed smaller houses and apartments. Westheight has some winding streets with old streetlamps. Gladstone adheres to a rectangular street grid.
There are probably more "trophy" houses along Gladstone that have have fantastic interiors with a lot of detail--since they were built by very affluent people. Gladstone is a pretty long boulevard that goes north from Independence Avenue, and then turns and heads east around Benton Circle. As you pass the Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall, there are big houses that have been in some families for generations. Then Gladstone turns north again for a short distance, before it heads east again along the bluff. The neighborhood changes here and you start to see more of a mix of small bungalows and ranch houses.
I would recommend you take a drive along Gladstone Boulevard and Benton and get a feel for the neighborhood. There are some nice old homes along Benton north of Independence Avenue. I wouldn't hestitate for a second to buy that house if I could afford it, but I have a higher tolerance for urban neighborhoods than some people.
Compared to Westheight, and in general, the property taxes for a similarly assessed houses would be cheaper in KCMO. KCK has a reputation for higher property taxes. The other thing is that overall taxes in Kansas tend to be higher than in Missouri--even with KCMO's e-tax.
When I was looking for houses in KCMO, I looked at some in the same price range in KCK, and I found that the property taxes were higher there than in KCMO.
You can get some pretty good deals on house in the Old Northeast. Of course, it depend on where you work when you are deciding which neighborhood will be more convenient. If you work downtown, the Northeast is really close and convenient.
If you want to look at houses in the Northeast, contact Eric Bellamaganya. He is probably the most knowledgable realtor in the Northeast. He is the listing agent for Havenhurst on Gladstone Blvd, so you'd have to find a buyer's agent to help you negotiate for any of his listings.
http://www.ericbsellskc.com/
