A Kansas City Real Estate Blog by Realtor, Sarah Snodgrass

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This house is soooo cute. The owners have taken excellent care of it and made many updates including remodeling the baths and kitchen. Everything is just so cute and charming. Part of the charm has to do with the decorating, but it’s still an excellent house with tip-top fixtures. If it has an “open house” I would suggest visiting because the photos just don’t do it justice.
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A friend pointed out this article about Zillow to me recently. Zillow is an online real estate site that gives estimates on home values. No real surprises in that it there are certain areas and unusual houses that Zillow can’t compute correctly, but I think it’s a great tool for people out there who are interested in learning about the value of their home or certain areas. Just don’t take those estimates as gold until you’ve done some more research or talked with a real estate agent and gotten them to do a comparative market analysis for you.

This week I’ve decided to highlight a great area of our city, the old Historic Northeast. I have some buyers who are purchasing a home in that area, so I have been spending some quality time there recently. It’s located just a little bit to the east of the River Market area in downtown Kansas City. Just take Independence Avenue (about the equivalent of 5th Street), to the east and you are there. The Kansas City Museum is located here, and you’ll find a great mix of ethnic cultures and businesses. Take a little drive down Gladstone Boulevard and see some beautiful turn of the century homes and mansions, then run into the museum.

Out of the many I saw, I picked this house at 136 S. Kensington because of the awesome price, the excellent condition, and the charm. This 4 Bedroom Shirtwaist has been lovingly restored and it looks gorgeous - it’s totally move-in ready. It’s got a large updated kitchen, a beautiful dining room with cool original architectural ceiling details, three bedrooms on the second floor with laundry facilities, plus a large bedroom on the third floor which would also be great as an office, art studio or a playroom. As a bonus, the previous owners put alot of work into the deck and backyard - it is so pretty and private.

VIEW FULL LISTING HERE

For all you do-it-yourself gardener’s and landscapers out there, there is a great monthly reader in town called The Kansas City Gardener. It’s always fun to read with timely articles, plus it has tons of great tips and advice and upcoming garden-related events. One of my favorite features is a monthly “to-do”, which will tell you things like which month to plant bulbs, or prune bushes, or fertilize roses… those kinds of things. The kinds of things that us amateur gardeners either don’t know or need to be reminded from time to time.

You can pick up an issue at your friendly, local garden center. I always pick mine up at the Soil Service, which is conveniently located close to Brookside/Waldo at 7130 Troost. If you can’t find it anywhere, you can email them at cavsgarden@kc.rr.com

This home on 73rd street in Brookside/Waldo are is fabulous! It’s an older Dible Tudor (see my previous post to learn all about Dibles), and it is in top condition. All the updates are so cute and unique - this is definitely not another one of those boring clones! The kitchen has been renovated in a funky, retro/modern style - but it’s not too overwhelming and it still would appeal to many different people. The baths are great - one has been redone in those tiny subway tiles which are kinda retro, but are starting to be very popular and making a big comeback. It’s got a 3 car garage which is so very rare for a tudor of that age. It’s just so cute - a very impressive home! Learn more about this home here.

Ever been to the River Market Antique Mall? If not, try it sometime. It’s one of my very favorite pastimes- it’s like a 20th century household design museum. This place is huge - four stories of a big ole brick building in the River Market - and it is crammed full of stuff. Pretty much whatever you are looking for, they have (as long as it’s old). Plus, you can find super deals, and every month they run a special with 10% off a certain category such as lamps or chairs (according to their website, February’s special happens to be jewelry). Plus, it’s great for first-time home buyers who need to furnish a house on a budget and want to get creative with it. Happy shopping…