A Kansas City Real Estate Blog by Realtor, Sarah Snodgrass

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Westwood Hills, Kansas is storybook cute. Driving through, it could be the scene of a movie - winding streets, picturesque cottages of varying styles, great landscaping, attractive families… It’s kind of a pricey area with the average sales price for homes this year at $354,500. So, it comes as no surprise that this beautiful three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home is listed at $429,000. Take a look - it’s a sharp house! Updated, move-in ready, great attention to detail, spacious… Feel free to contact me for a showing or more information!

My husband and I just bought an investment property. We bought it to be a rental because it’s a cute house in a great location near shops and universities. We knew we had a little fixing up to do on the exterior, but trees were our last concern because it was just a cosmetic issue mainly. The ones in the back yard were a bit wily and overgrown, so we had a guy come out from a tree care company to give us an estimate on thinning them out and removing some of the dead branches. When the Arborist arrived, he made a beeline for the beautiful tree in  the front yard with all the great, green foliage. He said the trunk has extensive damage from carpenter ants and the support system is compromised and the tree was a big hazard and liability. It needed to come down. Holy Cow, that is not cheap! So, we lost the big, beautiful tree with the great green foliage, but our tenants will be safe and we won’t have to worry about insurance claims and yucky stuff like that.

I guess the moral of the story is that there are always some unexpected surprises when you buy a house. Some good, some not so good. But as a Realtor, with each transaction I do and with each real estate property I purchase, I learn more about what to watch for and how to better guard my clients against the unexpected.

My husband and I just bought an investment property. We bought it to be a rental because it’s a cute house in a great location near shops and universities. We knew we had a little fixing up to do on the exterior, but trees were our last concern because it was just a cosmetic issue mainly. The ones in the back yard were a bit wily and overgrown, so we had a guy come out from a tree care company to give us an estimate on thinning them out and removing some of the dead branches. When the Arborist arrived, he made a beeline for the beautiful tree in  the front yard with all the great, green foliage. He said the trunk has extensive damage from carpenter ants and the support system is compromised and the tree was a big hazard and liability. It needed to come down. Holy Cow, that is not cheap! So, we lost the big, beautiful tree with the great green foliage, but our tenants will be safe and we won’t have to worry about insurance claims and yucky stuff like that.

I guess the moral of the story is that there are always some unexpected surprises when you buy a house. Some good, some not so good. But as a Realtor, with each transaction I do and with each real estate property I purchase, I learn more about what to watch for and how to better guard my clients against the unexpected.

This house at 2025 W. 95th Street in Leawood is very pretty and well maintained, it has lots of space - and is a great price for such a high-quality brick home in this area of old Leawood north of I-435. True, it is on 95th Street which has a fair amount of traffic, but you’ll forget all about it once you are inside or when you take a peep at the HUGE backyard. This house sits on almost an acre of land, and it is a beautiful yard - it would be great for kids or a garden, or even a pool. It’s got a cool new tile roof, and lots of upgrades throughout. It’s also got an awesome walkout basement which the current owners use as a room to hang out in, watch tv, & make cocktails at the built-in bar.

Contact me with questions or for a showing of this awesome home!

The pick of the week carries a high price tag at $739,900, but it really is an exceptional home. It is a rare, craftsman-style ranch home with 3 Bedroom, 3 Baths, that backs to the trolly-track trail. There is a sign out from that says “station house”. Not sure if it was a station on the original trolly line or what - but either way - it does have a historic feel to it. All the original woodwork has been meticulously restored, removing layers of paint and bringing out the original luster. The kitchen is a dream, with top of the line everything and it opens out to the back deck.

It’s a very special place. It will be interesting to see what it actually sells for and how long it takes. I’ll keep you posted. Stay tuned!

As if working with me weren’t reason enough to use a Realtor, the Star published an article this weekend outlining an additional 12 reasons to use a Realtor to buy or sell your home.

VIEW ARTICLE!

Typically I don’t make it out south on my Tuesday tours, but this week I concentrated on viewing some larger homes in the Blue Valley school district, south of I-435. I viewed a giant in Hallbrook, a nice larger home on a golf course also in Leawood, but in a more modest subdivision, I viewed a cool designer home near Deer Creek (which I’m holding open this Sunday from 1-4), and then I saw a very special home. Word is, it was built by someone in the Sutherland Lumber company’s family. It’s all wood everywhere you look. Wood walls, wood ceilings, wood floors, wood beams. It sorta feels like you stepped into a Colorado lodge home. I think I would feel like I’m on vacation all the time if I lived here. There’s a big pool which has a portion of it that is covered and a portion in the sunshine. There’s a tucked-away hot tub. There are three pretty stone fireplaces, a big family room, a deck that spans the whole length of the house, a wall of sliding glass doors from the kitchen and living room out to the deck, a secluded little courtyard in the front… It’s a family house with lots of room to roam, but it’s cool and it even has a contemporary feel to it with some of the angles and the vaulted ceilings and the stone on the inside. It’s in a very nice neighborhood just off 119th and Nieman - and there is an open house this Sunday if you want to view it. Or feel free to call me for more info or a private showing!