Tag Archives: Brookside homes

Annual Armour Hills Board Meeting/Recent Burglaries

Posted on by
2

Fellow Armour Hills residents–the Kansas City MO Police Department has confirmed there were six burglaries last Saturday night into early Sunday morning on 69th St, 69th Terrace and Rockhill Road. Only one home was occupied at the time.  The same person is believed to have committed all the break-ins.  The description is a young black male, about 120 lbs, acting alone and on foot.  Please be vigilant keeping your doors and windows locked, lights on, and look around while getting in and out of your vehicle and/or home.  Report anything you see that looks suspicious!

Also mark your calendar for the 2011 Annual Meeting next week:  Thursday November 17 at 7pm at the Country Club Congregational Church, 205 W 65th St.  We will conduct the election of board members, discuss the budget, goals for next year and recap our accomplishments for 2011.  We hope to see you there!

Don’t Split Brookside in Half–The Proposed Redistricting Boundaries

Posted on by
Reply

You may have heard about it on the news…perhaps you didn’t pay much attention…but Brookside is about to be split into two different council districts,  represented by two different City Council persons.  How does this affect you?   Read on…

Currently, the Brookside area is in District 4, represented (very well)  by Jan Marcason. (You can see the proposed map here, good luck figuring it out.  Why can’t the committee members draw a map that translates well on the internet AND has the actual street boundaries written at the bottom of the map’s key?? ) Roughly, the current north/south boundary is from downtown to 79th St.  New census population figures support a redistricting of the boundaries…the 4th district would extend north into Briarcliff and stop at 59th St, effectively splitting Brookside in half.  The 6th district would begin at 59th and continue south way past 435 and east past James A Reed Road.

Redistricting boundaries also means redistrubing political power as well, because of how your tax dollars are divided up in the neighborhood and commercial areas of the district.  Redistricting is necessary to keep the population distribution somewhat equal between districts, and so that minority residents are properly represented.  How elected officials from each district respond to the needs of the residents, including how public money is requested for and spent in that district, is of concern to everyone.

The Brookside area is known for it’s politically active residents.  Neighbors  work together to pressure the city for public funds to keep the area appealing to residents and future home buyers.  We contact our council rep when problems pop up regarding infastructure and demand repairs.  We are a very active voting block during elections.  Splitting Brookside in half could create problems gettiing tax dollars for the area as a cohesive neighborhood.  If two separate council persons are working on behalf of one neighborhood, it could appear that the Brookside area is requesting too many public dollars, too many improvement projects, more PIAC funds than other areas.

Recent public meetings brought out residents opposed to the proposed map.  An alternative map, outlining different boundaries for the 6th district was proposed but not considered.  You can bet there is quite a bit of political back door dealings going on with the current map if other proposals are not even being seriously examined.

The City Council meets today, as of this writing the agenda is not published but I assume the redistricting  issue will be up for discussion and possibly a vote.  It would be a stab in the heart of Brookside, one of Kansas City’s most cherished and politically active neighborhoods, to have it split in half, represented by two different council persons.

New Listing! 708 E Gregory, Kansas City MO

Posted on by
1

All buyers are looking for ‘a good deal’ these days…and this house delivers!  Check out my new listing at 708 E Gregory, just east of Holmes.

708 E Gregory

This charming stone and stucco 2 story home offers three bedrooms and one and a half baths,a formal living room and dining room, an office nook off the living room and  a cozy breakfast room next to the kitchen.  The basement walls have been freshly painted with DryLock, there’s a newer roof and sump pump, plus half the basement is finished. The seller just installed a new electrical box and is providing a one year home warranty.

The backyard is partially fenced, and features a patio outside the back door.  There’s space for a second car next to the one car garage.

Lots of light fills this home, it’s close to Brookside, Waldo and UMKC.  Oh, and the price?  Just $149,000!

708 E Gregory, Kansas City MO 64131.  Contact me for a personal tour!  mary.hutchison@prukc.com

708 E Gregory

How Does the KCMO School District Affect Brookside Home Sales?

Posted on by
2

Like most places, Kansas City MO offers pros and cons for potential  home buyers.  So many of the city’s amenities are here:  the Country Club Plaza, Power and Light entertainment district, several museums and theaters, the stunning new Kaufman Center for the Performing Arts, Stowers Institute, the University of Missouri Kansas City..and more.  You can live in a condo downtown, or in a charming 1920s bungalow in Brookside.  Negatives include a high crime rate,  an earnings tax and the KCMO public school system, which once again is in danger of losing it’s accreditation.

Last week, the Kansas City Star featured a front page story “Housing Market Reflects School Woes”.  This story focused on a Brookside couple who has been trying to sell their house for over a year, and emphasized how the school district’s problems will even further spurn buyers away  from buying their home.

Wrong.

As a Brookside resident and agent who sells many homes in the area, I am actually  amazed at how Brookside remains a very desirable location for home buyers, despite the reputation of the public schools. The majority of buyers for this area already know the troubled history of the school district but want to live here anyway.  Buyers appreciate the older homes,and tall,mature trees, the ability to walk to Brookside shops and restaurants, the Trolley  Track Trail …they like the friendliness of the neighbors, the proximity to the Plaza, museums, the Crossroads district and downtown.  Many buyers are single, newly married with no children, or empty nesters moving in from bland suburbia. There are families with children here–who attend private schools or the excellent French immersion charter school, Academie Layfayette. Some do attend KCMO public schools.

Of course it would be better for Brookside residents if  the  school  district had an excelllent reputation.   And it’s true that some buyers specifically bypass the area due to the  public schools. But it’s a tribute to the local homeowners and business owners who keep Brookside one of the best places to live in the city.  The reason that house hasn’t sold in over a year  isn’t solely due to the poor school system. I’m guessing it’s a challenging location, priced too high, or needs much updating. Even if the school system improves–the house itself has to be desirable, not just the location.

Rockhill Gardens in Brookside–A Favorite Neighborhood

Posted on by
1

When prospective customers ask me about living in Brookside, I often give them a short verbal tour of the area:  average prices for certain areas, where you can get the most bang for your buck.  Rockhill Gardens is one of those subdivisions I love to talk about.  

Most of the RG homes are bordered between Gregory and 75th, Oak to Holmes.  There are some RG homes east of Holmes Rd, those are generally lower priced than the homes to the west. Napoleon W Dible (1872-1960) was the man who started this subdivision in 1929.  He wanted ‘affordable, well-built homes’ and sold thousands of homes in the area at a low profit.  Inspired by Tudor mansions in England, Dible added many of those characteristics to his homes in RG:  arched doorways, gabled roofts, detailed moldings, brick, stucco and stone exteriors.  He was one of the first speculator builders–that is, he built homes first before he had buyers.

Dible knew that although it was the man (and only the man!) who signed the sales contract, it was the woman who made the final decision on the house.  He added special touches that appealed to women, such as built-in ironing boards, colored tiles in the baths, and curved walkways in front.  Most of the homes had a side or back porch and were about 1500 square feet.  Most of the kitchens were small, and some still are unless there’s been a major renovation.  That’s always puzzled me, how kitchens in the 20s and 30s were so small, yet maids and wives spent so much time in the kitchen cooking from scratch! Ah, but times were different then, with the larger formal dining rooms for leisurely dinners … that seems like an indulgence now.

The reason I like to show off Rockhill Gardens to prospective buyers is this:  you generally get more space for your money here than in other Brookside neighborhoods.  Often the garages are attached, which isn’t common for Brookside, and bedrooms are larger.  Many RG homes have finished basements.  And it has an active homes association, with organized events and get togethers for the residents. A typical, updated 3 bedroom, 2 bath Rockhill Gardens home should be priced under $250,000.  The location is great, close to the Brookside shops but also walking distance to the Trolley Track Trail, the Waldo Library, locally owned restaurants and shops, insurance agents, Academie Lafayette school, florist, bike shop–just about every convenience a homeowner would want.

If you plan to shop for  a Brookside home, be sure to check out what’s available in Rockhill Gardens.  Compare pricing with some of the other area subdivisions and see that you will get the desirable Old World charm in a well-built home for a reasonable price!

Touring Lincoln Prep High School

Posted on by
1

Living in Brookside…and living with the Kansas City MO school district.  It amazes me how Brookside homes  have retained their value, how many people want to move into this neighborhood, despite the reputation of the KCMO school district.

As a real estate agent, the subject of schools often comes up with buyers.  So  many newly married couples move to Brookside and then once the kids get close to school age, the For Sale sign goes up and they pack up  for Johnson County.  Some of this is probably due to the houses itself:  parents want more room to accommodate all the kid stuff, their playmates, they want a large yard and/or a finished basement. But over the past several years, there are alternatives to the local public school — the charter schools of University Academy and Academie Lafayette. When it comes time for high school..that’s a more difficult question.

Lincoln Prep has an excellent reputation so I recently toured the school to see for myself.  The building is older, built in the 1930s.  It’s located closer to the central city  (2111 Woodlawn) than the Brookside area, but the grounds are neat and the building itself is attractive from the outside. Walking in the front door, you do have to pass through a metal detector.

Our tour guides were two students–very friendly and knowledgeable about the school.  As we toured the building, we observed several classes, visited the cafeteria, the gym, the auditorium.  The halls were quiet, students listening attentively in the classrooms.  The student body is very diverse–many nations represented, some artsy kids with dyed hair and dreadlocks.  No uniforms–even the vice principal said he wished they had a uniform policy–but there is a dress code.  The kids don’t have a homeroom or study periods.  It’s straight classes from 7:25am-2:40pm.

When I asked Joh Richard, Vice Principal, why he thought Lincoln Prep students did so much better than other KCMO high school kids he said it’s because the kids have to test to get into the school, and they have to maintain a certain grade point average.  So these kids are more focused, more serious about their studies, and feel the competition and drive from their peers.  Another interesting remark he made was that the teachers must assign homework at least three days a week–just a few years ago, homework was optional. Curiculum includes four years of math, english and science, plus at least one hundred service hours are required for graduation.  Sports are offered, along with band, debate, ROTC and drama.  There are currently four or five Teach for America teachers at the school, all replaced retiring faculty.

Overall, I was impressed with the school.  Their reputation seems well deserved.  It’s a tragedy of sorts that Southwest High in Brookside was on such a great path to be a college prep school before it was combined with Westport High–police report they are still called to the school on a regular basis.  Not true at Lincoln. Why is it that the KCMO school district can only offer one academically excellent school? Residents want good public schools in their neighborhoods–they don’t want to have to drive 20 minutes to get to a ‘good’ public high school.

There is a good public high school option for Brookside residents…if you want diversity and a longer drive.

 

 

Crime Reports for Brookside/Waldo

Posted on by
1

A neighbor stopped me the other day, asking if I had heard about the home break-ins one block over.  She mentioned two homes  were broken into during the early afternoon hours. I had not heard about these incidents at the time…but a couple of days later, they popped up on my personalized Crime Reports incident report. I don’t remember exactly  how I found out about this site, but it’s well worth a look for current crime stats in the Brookside/Waldo area.

Since August 8, there have been six thefts and two break-ins in my Armour Hills neighborhood.  That’s higher than  normal.  I checked a few other areas nearby, and Oak Meyer Gardens/Armour Hills Gardens and Rockhill Gardens  had two crimes each. These reports come to the site from the Kansas City Police Department.  The site also shows the location and description with photos, of registered sex offenders. Unfortunately, Kansas  police departments do not report to the site as far as I can tell.

One of the neat features about this site is that you can log in and set up a search for your  neighborhood–each week the site will automatically email you a crimes report for the area you designated.  This is a great tool to use to watch crime stats and also notify neighbors of problems, especially if there seems to be a pattern developing.  In Armour Hills, having two break-ins on the same day within a couple of hours of each other should put neighbors on alert for suspicious persons in the area.

As I sit typing this blog, I’m positioned in front of a window facing  the street.  Usually I see joggers, dog walkers, moms with strollers going by…kids walking home from school and contractors working on home improvement projects.  I’ve rarely  seen a suspicious person  lurking about…still, I am even more aware now  to consciously look around as I pull in and out of the driveway or walk to a neighbor’s home.  Being extra alert can deter crime.  If you are a Kansas City MO resident, check out crimereports.com for information on what’s happening in your area.

Thanks for reading my blog…if you are interested in home buying or selling in the Brookside/Waldo area, visit my website. I’m here to help!

Oh So Cute Waldo House–Under $200K!

Posted on by
1

Wonderful Waldo…the curb appeal alone will sell this house!  Out on  the Realtor tour today, this was the best house I saw under $200K. 

 

A 1920s bungalow, it features three bedrooms and two full baths–the upstairs is a spacious master suite.  One car garage, private drive,  custom plantation shutters, large eat in kitchen, formal dining room, move in ready, excellent Waldo location..this home is a real beauty that won’t last long.  Love this front porch!   It is not my listing–email me if you’d like me to send you more info.  It’s priced at $185,000.

Other nice homes I saw today include a cozy  3 bedroom,  two bath home in Astor Place (just off Oak) for $184,950.  If you are looking for something large, open, and with lots of the original woodwork, there is a 3 story, 4 bedroom, 2 full and 2 half bath home on 59th St for $375,000.   Finally, a three bedroom, one full bath bungalow on Locust near UMKC for $155,950.  Needs some updating, but good location.

The bargains out there for buyers these days…incredible!  So much inventory to look it…if you are thinking of buying a home, you are like a kid in a candy store!!

Armour Hills Homes Association–July 2011 Monthly Meeting

Posted on by
Reply

Hello neighbors and friends, today’s blog is a brief recap of some of the items discussed at the July 19 board meeting of the Armour Hills Homes Association:

*Advertising rates have been established for ads in the Clarion and should begin in the fall issue.

*The memorial bench for Pete Egan should be installed in August.  It will be placed on the east side of the tennis courts between two trees.

*Gunnar is submitting letters to the City requesting PIAC funding for our area.  If approved, funds would apply towards tennis court improvements and tree trimming.  We will know in February 2012 if our request was approved.

*The Ice Cream Social date is September 9 from 4:30-7:30 in Arbor Villa Park.

*Working with ATA, we are working on getting the speed bumps along Main St repainted.

All residents are welcome at our meetings.  We do not meet in August–our next scheduled meeting is September 20, 7pm at Country Club Congregational Church.  See you at the Ice Cream Social!

Which Brookside Home Would You Buy?

Posted on by
Reply

Today on the Tuesday realtor tour, I looked at three homes in a similar price range in the Ward Park subdivision–this is the area south of 71st, north of 75th between State Line and Ward Parkway.  It’s a  lovely neighborhood: mature trees, every house different, conveniently located to amenities, shopping, grocery.  As I walked through them I thought, which house here is the best buy?

All three homes had the traditional center hall plan, a two car garage, and curb appeal.  House #1, priced at $259,950 features a large new kitchen, front porch, fenced yard with deck, original leaded glass windows, a master bath with a walk in shower and tub.  This three bedroom, 1.5 bath home has 1726 SF according to tax records.  House #2, just across the street, is priced at $287,500.  It’s a bit larger at 1935 SF, no deck in back but a very small patio, a large bonus/breakfast room, walk in closet, updated kitchen and first floor laundry, three bedrooms and 2.1 baths. .  House #3 is $279,900 and offers a smaller kitchen, not as updated, with a main floor laundry, 3 bedrooms,  2. 1 baths, a master suite and looked rather cluttered, 1924 SF.

There is about a $30K spread in these house prices. A typical buyer considering these homes would be in the $260-$280 price range. If you were the buyer, what would be most important to you?  Would you be willing to spend less and have only one full bath but a large, updated kitchen?  Would you like two full baths and a smaller updated  kitchen, no back deck but a first floor laundry?  Or how about the one with a kitchen that hasn’t been updated for several years but offers a walk in closet and main floor laundry?

Does this sound like an episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters”?  That’s exactly what it’s like for a buyer–and particularly  for buyers in the Brookside area. You have to decide, ‘what features are most important to me?’  because the house you buy probably won’t be perfect.  That’s when your agent can give you some good advice and ask lots of questions to help you decide:  is it better for your budget to go with the least expensive home?  do you love to cook and must have the large kitchen–a second bath can be added  later? Having that first floor laundry–more important than the newer windows?  One sentence I hear over and over with buyers goes something like:  “I wish I could put that kitchen in this house!” or “I want that large master bath next to this home’s bedroom!”.  Think about your day to day lifestyle–what features are most important, what rooms will you use most often, how  much do you entertain,  what can you live with now and perhaps change later?

As you tour homes, make detailed notes about what you like and don’t like about each house–especially if you go back a second time.  Once you’ve found the location you like, it’s all about the individual features of a house.  Talk it out honestly  with your agent and discuss the pros and cons of each– you’ll pick the right one!