A Kansas City Real Estate Blog by Realtor, Sarah Snodgrass

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Sometimes it comes to my attention that there are alot of people out there who don’t understand what a real estate agent does, and the value that they can provide. Here is just a broad, brief list of some of the things that we do as agents.

• Monitor the real estate market daily
• We are a resource to the real estate market
• Resource for mortgage financing
• Resource for any home improvement or home maintenance provider
• Know the best way to market property
• Know the process of buying & selling a home
• Save buyers and sellers time
• Keep up to date on what is happening in the community that will impact real estate

A Tudor, or Tudor Revival, is an architectural style of residential home, built in the early 1900s (mostly the 20s through the 40s) in the United States. The architectural details that set these homes apart are the stucco exteriors, decorative half-timbering, massive chimneys, and steep gabled roofs. This tudor style that we know here in the United States was based on the medieval homes of England, thereby becoming known as Tudor Revival.

Tudors come in many shapes and sizes and they area also called many different things… a cottage, tudor, tudor revival, dible tudor, and my favorite that I hear sometimes - a gingerbread house. While most of those names are pretty self-explanatory, the one that I always got stuck on was the Dible Tudor. I wasn’t sure why some were called Dible Tudors, and others just plain Tudors.

There was a builder named Napoleon William Dible who built many of the Tudors in Kansas City. Most were constructed in the 1920s, but building continued through the 1950s. Those homes that he built became known as Dible Tudors. The term doesn’t refer to an architectural style, just the builder. The Dible brand denotes quality, and sometimes can even garner a higher price because they are thought of as high-quality, well-built homes. Just a quick drive around Brookside will show you that they are holding up beautifully, and there is still quite a demand for them.

Resources:

The Rockhill Gardens Homeowners Association

Another Tudor Link

A Tudor, or Tudor Revival, is an architectural style of residential home, built in the early 1900s (mostly the 20s through the 40s) in the United States. The architectural details that set these homes apart are the stucco exteriors, decorative half-timbering, massive chimneys, and steep gabled roofs. This tudor style that we know here in the United States was based on the medieval homes of England, thereby becoming known as Tudor Revival.

Tudors come in many shapes and sizes and they area also called many different things… a cottage, tudor, tudor revival, dible tudor, and my favorite that I hear sometimes - a gingerbread house. While most of those names are pretty self-explanatory, the one that I always got stuck on was the Dible Tudor. I wasn’t sure why some were called Dible Tudors, and others just plain Tudors.

There was a builder named Napoleon William Dible who built many of the Tudors in Kansas City. Most were constructed in the 1920s, but building continued through the 1950s. Those homes that he built became known as Dible Tudors. The term doesn’t refer to an architectural style, just the builder. The Dible brand denotes quality, and sometimes can even garner a higher price because they are thought of as high-quality, well-built homes. Just a quick drive around Brookside will show you that they are holding up beautifully, and there is still quite a demand for them.

Resources:

The Rockhill Gardens Homeowners Association

Another Tudor Link

So you’re buying a home and you need to know what improvements will pad your pockets when you go to sell it. There are so many different things that you can do that you would think would increase the value - so where to begin? Well, there are no guarantees in real estate, but according to a 2005 article published in Realtor Magazine, these are the top improvements for your money in Kansas City:

1. Basement Remodel
2. Siding Replacement
3. Attic Bedroom Addition
4. Bathroom Remodel
5. Deck Addition
6. Kitchen Remodel
7. Family Room Addition
8. Window Replacement
9. Roofing Replacement
10. Home Office Remodel

Usually, you won’t see a 100% return in our market, but hopefully your enjoyment of your new digs will make up the difference. So, happy remodeling, and make sure to take time to enjoy the improvements you make.

Testing testing 1, 2, 3. . . My new website and weblog are now up! This is the first post in what I plan to be a frequently updated blog that pertains to real estate and living Kansas City.