A Kansas City Real Estate Blog by Realtor, Sarah Snodgrass

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Hey readers… It has been a busy week for me, and now I’m leaving for the Royals game - but I wanted to quickly feature my brand new awesome listing in Wallstreet Towers. For those of you who don’t know, Wallstreet Towers is my favorite condo development downtown. More to come later, but for now the listing is online, and here are a couple photos. (Most awesome pool in KC by the way - it is on the rooftop of an 11-story parking garage).

Yesterday I spent the afternoon looking at houses in the historic old northeast neighborhood up by the Kansas City Museum on Gladstone Boulevard. There are three neighborhoods in Kansas City where you can find the largest, most beautiful and ornate turn of the century historic homes in Kansas City: old Northeast (Scarritt-Renaissance National Register Historic District), Roanoke, and central Hyde Park. If you haven’t taken a spin through the old northeast, you should do so; these homes will blow you away. Below are a few photos I took of some gorgeous mini-mansions - notice the brick and stone, large porches, and the architectural details such as decorative columns and Victorian towers (first photo is a church).

This photo is taken at the corner of 27th and Holmes. I’m not exactly sure what to call the area - Dutch Hill, Longfellow, Hospital Hill, near the dental school, near Crown Center, Just off Gillham - take your pick. I have a fourplex fixer upper for sale on that corner, so I am there often. From the porch of my listing, I have a great view of the neighborhood which illustrates is diversity. I can see commercial buildings, gorgeous and well-maintained brick victorian’s, shirtwaist homes, other fourplex or apartment buildings, etc… The area feels very bohemian, with beautiful architecture and prices still within reach. In the photo above you see brick victorians and a brick building on the corner. There is a sign on the residential/commercial building on the corner - it looks to be for sale with Colliers Land Advisory Group, Charles Mussorici. I have long admired that property - it looks very cool and I’m sure it has great interior spaces. Because my husband works from home full time and I also do half of the time, I am always looking for interesting space for someone with a home-based business.

Are you a townhome person or a condo person? Generally the difference is that a townhome might have more than one level, private entrance, and it will most likely have an attached garage. I really like the feel of this great townhome in Union Hill. They have attached 2 car garages, 2 bedrooms, and one full and one half bathroom - lots of great space. It is priced at $264,900, which is really competitive with downtown condo prices. Plus, check out the great view of the downtown skyline in their listing photos. Feel free to contact me to learn more about this home, or any others out there!

(Disclosure: All listing info and photos are gathered from MLS (5/29/08). This home is listed in MLS with Reece and Nichols)

Wow, I’m totally in love with this house. As soon as I walked in I recognized it from a feature in last year’s Spaces Magazine. As I understand it, the house is owned by the editor of Spaces which is no surprise once you see how stylish and well-appointed this home is.  I love the terra-cotta tile flooring, and the choice of paint colors - the light colors and the blue on the walls mix perfectly with the floor color and the dramatic 12-foot high ceilings. Plus, there is a lovely in-ground pool in back with a nice patio surrounding. This is truly a unique home - there is nothing like it around here. Plus, it kinda feels like a vacation house - and who doesn’t want to feel like they are always on vacation. Anyway, here are some photos.

(Disclosure: this home is listed with David Costello w/ Re/Max)

These homes are decor-challenged, but demonstrate what I mean when I say a home has great bones. One is a Drummond built ranch in Prairie Village, in an area with all mid-century modern ranches. (Drummond is a builder who built these modern ranches in the 50s-60s- they are in high demand). It has great spaces, incredible modern lines, vaulted ceilings, skylights, but the real show stopper is how well this home integrates with the outside and its surroundings. It has fabulous decks everywhere, plus it just looks cool. I remember someone once told me that Drummond homes have great “sex appeal”, and it is true. I know it sounds weird, but they do feel cool and sexy. He had purchased one when he was a single young man, and that is what attracted him to it. I think men really like this modern style… The other “pick” is a Cape Cod style home in Roeland Park, located just off Johnson Drive by the site of the old Mission mall/new Gateway development. It feels like grandma’s house - lots of carpet and wallpaper, but seems very well maintained with hardwoods under the carpet and a great floorplan. Big bedrooms, great yard, good closet space, big kitchen, attached garage. With a little modernizing of the decor, paint, maybe some updated kitchens and baths, these homes could both be very very cool. Also, the prices are just right.

(Disclosure: These homes are both listed in MLS. 7815 Chadwick is listed with Reece and Nichols, 4904 w. 58th is listed with Prudential Kansas City Realty)

Ah, Sunset Hill. You are so lovely, yet so expensive. This house is for sale for $889,000, and it really isn’t all that large or extravagant. It just has so much beauty and charm, and the lot is perfectly landscaped (in an eclectic and creative way) and the location is unparalleled. The house itself has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and 2 car garage, plus plenty of living space and lots of windows providing ample natural light. Sunset Hill is a beautiful subdivision nestled in the hills just south of the Country Club Plaza, just west of Loose Park. For those of you unfamiliar, I would encourage a leisurely Sunday stroll or drive through (i’m sure the neighbors would hate me for that). Anyway here are a couple photos.

(The house is listed with David and Sally Costello with Re/Max Premier Realty)

Affordable housing in downtown Kansas City? Seriously, why would you buy anything else? They are practically giving these suckers away and they are really nice. Not everyone can qualify though, there are income restrictions you must meet in order to purchase this development; you can find those rules on their website. Present tenants and city employees were given the first chance at purchase, but now it is free to anyone who meets their requirements. Prices range from $79,500-$89,500 for one and two bedroom condos, with upgrades available. Also, for the first residents, a $3000 downpayment assistance grant is being offered. Wow! This deal just gets sweeter and sweeter.

For those of you who don’t know, Quality Hill is a historic area on the west side of the downtown loop, at about 10th and Broadway. Quality Hill has changed over time, but for the last 20 years or so, it has been an area with nice, well-maintained apartments - built to look like brick walk-ups. I guess there will be a different developer converting some of the other apartments soon, and I believe it will be a more normal pricing structure based on market prices so it seems to me that these are the ones to buy if you can qualify. Why, you may ask, are the developers offering such low prices??? Well, I’m not exactly clear on this but it has something to do with some sort of tax development deal… There are appreciation and rental restrictions for a certain period of time.

Feel free to ask me questions or learn more at the Quality Hill Square Condominiums Website

How would you like to own Architecture Magazine’s 2004 Home of the Year? Well then hurry to this sleek Studio 804 home before it sells! There are only four of these amazing prefab, modern architectural marvels in the greater Kansas City area, and they are in high demand. For the uninitiated among you, Studio 804 is an architectural design+build studio course for architecture and urban design students at the University of Kansas. These students must conceptualize, design, research, and build a home in a single spring semester. The class professor and founder is the much celebrated local architect known for his cutting-edge dramatic modern structures and embracing the newest materials and trends, Dan Rockhill.

This particular home was built in 2004, and was the first home where the students left Lawrence and broke into the Kansas City housing market. It is located just down the street from the University of Kansas Medical Center, and the 39th Street shops. It is built on a private & spacious double lot, with a wooded lot behind. You’ll see in the photos that this home is very sleek and modern - but also feels very light and airy. It is a 1200 square foot, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home, with a 2 car garage, and it is being offered for sale at $199,950. Feel free to contact me with questions or for a showing!

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, this is my new listing and I will get paid when it sells, but that’s not why I am writing about it. I am writing about it because it truly is an adorable house. It is located in the heart of Brookside’s most desirable subdivision, Armour Hills, and it is on one of the most picturesque streets around. It is totally move-in ready, it has an updated kitchen and bath, and it is elegant and stylish. This house has lots of original charm including crystal doorknobs, beautiful hardwood floors, and an inglenook (fireplace corner with bench - I just learned that word). It has a new deck surrounded by eclectic native landscaping, great for a little backyard retreat. It has an office with new tile flooring, and it has a finished room in the basement - great for a hobby room. All this can be yours for the sales price of $198,000.

Here are some photos of this home, taken by favorite local photographer, Matthew Collins:

There are two new kids on the condo block downtown, and they are very nice - Wallstreet Tower and The Reserve. It is refreshing to see a project without exposed joists and piping, with a little style and elegance. These projects have all sizes and price points, both have tax abatements, parking, and nice amenities. Here are a few photos I took of them:

The Reserve (living/kitchen area, bathroom, and a door with architectural details):

Wallstreet Towers (sign, entrance, living area, bedroom):

Well, I haven’t really see anything cool this week in my neck of the woods so I thought I would feature this home I stumbled upon while searching online. I have not seen it in person, nor have I ever had the pleasure of driving all the way out to Cedar Creek (though I hear it is actually very pretty), but this house looks totally cool… Lots of clean, modern lines and windows everywhere. Check out some photos:

It is for sale for $739,000. I heard Cedar Creek is like living at a resort so there are sure to be lots of amenities to enjoy. Feel free to contact me for more information or for a showing.