Excuse me. We need to discuss Kansas.

[tarheels]

LOOK AT THIS MANSION.  Rent is $2,100 per month or you can buy it for $311k.  Built in 1856.  5,400 sq ft.  Former B&B, now returned to private residence.  Four bedrooms, all with en suite baths.  Sits on quadruple lot.  About 30 minutes outside Kansas City.

I just... 

Apparently I have indeed found someplace cheaper than where we live.

[mrsemilys]

Wow. Um, yes please!!!

[pinkeggs]

You know how much that would go for here? Eleventy billion.

Gorgeous.

[emoflamingo]

WE ARE THE BOMB HERE!

No for real, what city is this? 30 minutes outside of KC would be... Lawrence? I think I actually know where this is if so lol.

[bunnymendelbaum]

Wow!!

[tarheels]

Mar 20, 2013 18:44:01 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

WE ARE THE BOMB HERE!

No for real, what city is this? 30 minutes outside of KC would be... Lawrence? I think I actually know where this is if so lol.

Leavenworth.  DH can get a 1 bedroom apartment for $400. (This came up while I was searching.)  I just can't get over how cheap it is there.

[emoflamingo]

That's in my hometown neck-of-the-woods! Leavenworth has an army base, federal prison and Lansing (just down the road) has the state pen. So there are downsides to living up there lol.

You can get this for $2.5mil:

 
 
 
 

It has 5 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, over 9,000 square feet on almost 2 acres. I just want to know who needs 8 bathrooms?

[sierramist03]

My best friend lives in a house like that on acres of land outside Leavenworth and they both commute to KC. Her house is amazing!! I think they paid like $330k if I remember correctly.

[Kore]

It must be haunted. Only explanation!

[simpsongal]

OMG. And WTF? My CW just got a quote on a modest sun room addition - $78K.

[jhawks482]

You should see the 2 story, 4500sq ft, 5 bedroom Tudor home (1925) my BFF has a contract on. 200K. It's ridiculous!
(Edit: here in Wichita, about 2.5 hrs south of KC)

[ssmjlm]

Everyone I know who has gone TDY to Leavenworth always seems happy to come home.

That said I would love a COL low like that.

[emoflamingo]

Yeah, Leavenworth just isn't worth the housing markets. Shopping is limited to a Wal-Mart and a run-down mall or you drive 30 minutes down to KCK to an outlet mall that's outdoors (where it's either water freezing in the car cold or frying eggs on the sidewalk hot most of the year).

HOWEVER, the rest of the state isn't that bad. The only places that are semi-expensive would be parts of Kansas City that are in Johnson County (Leawood, etc.) and parts of Manhattan (college town). I don't know about Wichita though, don't get down there enough.

[Cheerio]

Mar 21, 2013 10:38:16 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Yeah, Leavenworth just isn't worth the housing markets. Shopping is limited to a Wal-Mart and a run-down mall or you drive 30 minutes down to KCK to an outlet mall that's outdoors (where it's either water freezing in the car cold or frying eggs on the sidewalk hot most of the year).

HOWEVER, the rest of the state isn't that bad. The only places that are semi-expensive would be parts of Kansas City that are in Johnson County (Leawood, etc.) and parts of Manhattan (college town). I don't know about Wichita though, don't get down there enough.

Where in Manhattan is expensive now? I graduated from K-State in 2003 and my parents owned a rental property there, but sold it a couple years later. I don't know where the expensive parts would be.

And I had to laugh at you listing Leawood specifically, because that's where I live. My neighborhood is mixed (but the low end is higher than average), but my house is nothing to write home about -- it's a single story ranch built in 1958. We bought here because we love the area. I was super suprised when a house somewhat close to mine went on the market recently for $650k, but it was torn down and rebuilt in 2007.

[emoflamingo]

Mar 21, 2013 11:29:20 GMT -5 Cheerio said:

Mar 21, 2013 10:38:16 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Yeah, Leavenworth just isn't worth the housing markets. Shopping is limited to a Wal-Mart and a run-down mall or you drive 30 minutes down to KCK to an outlet mall that's outdoors (where it's either water freezing in the car cold or frying eggs on the sidewalk hot most of the year).

HOWEVER, the rest of the state isn't that bad. The only places that are semi-expensive would be parts of Kansas City that are in Johnson County (Leawood, etc.) and parts of Manhattan (college town). I don't know about Wichita though, don't get down there enough.

Where in Manhattan is expensive now? I graduated from K-State in 2003 and my parents owned a rental property there, but sold it a couple years later. I don't know where the expensive parts would be.

And I had to laugh at you listing Leawood specifically, because that's where I live. My neighborhood is mixed (but the low end is higher than average), but my house is nothing to write home about -- it's a single story ranch built in 1958. We bought here because we love the area. I was super suprised when a house somewhat close to mine went on the market recently for $650k, but it was torn down and rebuilt in 2007.

I've done a lot of daydream driving out there pretty recently, the further you get from campus they get more expensive. Of course, the top is like $500k so it's only Kansas expensive, I guess. I'd love to live in Manhattan if we could find work out there. It's booming now, especially with the success of the sports teams and the new facilities they're putting in for the biosecurity lab.

My cousin lived in Leawood (well, still does but further out) near College and I could fit my house in her garage. She sold it for a good chunk of change and then the people who bought it did a huge remodel job. Like taking down walls and completely redoing the exterior.

[sierramist03]

Mar 21, 2013 11:29:20 GMT -5 Cheerio said:

Mar 21, 2013 10:38:16 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Yeah, Leavenworth just isn't worth the housing markets. Shopping is limited to a Wal-Mart and a run-down mall or you drive 30 minutes down to KCK to an outlet mall that's outdoors (where it's either water freezing in the car cold or frying eggs on the sidewalk hot most of the year).

HOWEVER, the rest of the state isn't that bad. The only places that are semi-expensive would be parts of Kansas City that are in Johnson County (Leawood, etc.) and parts of Manhattan (college town). I don't know about Wichita though, don't get down there enough.

Where in Manhattan is expensive now? I graduated from K-State in 2003 and my parents owned a rental property there, but sold it a couple years later. I don't know where the expensive parts would be.

And I had to laugh at you listing Leawood specifically, because that's where I live. My neighborhood is mixed (but the low end is higher than average), but my house is nothing to write home about -- it's a single story ranch built in 1958. We bought here because we love the area. I was super suprised when a house somewhat close to mine went on the market recently for $650k, but it was torn down and rebuilt in 2007.

I went to college in manhattan from 2005-2009 and it was crazy expensive. Rent is ridiculous and housing is ridiculous to buy(for Kansas). You can't really find anything under 100k unless you go to wamego or Riley. That's including 2bed/1bath houses. My MIL just moved to Topeka because it a lower cost of living overall. It would cost over $100 just to get shots for your pet. I now pay $40!

Dh and I would Love to live in manhattan but even with both us working we wouldn't be able to afford the house we want and could afford in our current area. Plus to rent our current size duplex would be 4x as much.

[Cheerio]

Mar 21, 2013 12:32:42 GMT -5 sierramist03 said:

Mar 21, 2013 11:29:20 GMT -5 Cheerio said:

Where in Manhattan is expensive now? I graduated from K-State in 2003 and my parents owned a rental property there, but sold it a couple years later. I don't know where the expensive parts would be.

And I had to laugh at you listing Leawood specifically, because that's where I live. My neighborhood is mixed (but the low end is higher than average), but my house is nothing to write home about -- it's a single story ranch built in 1958. We bought here because we love the area. I was super suprised when a house somewhat close to mine went on the market recently for $650k, but it was torn down and rebuilt in 2007.

I went to college in manhattan from 2005-2009 and it was crazy expensive. Rent is ridiculous and housing is ridiculous to buy(for Kansas). You can't really find anything under 100k unless you go to wamego or Riley. That's including 2bed/1bath houses. My MIL just moved to Topeka because it a lower cost of living overall. It would cost over $100 just to get shots for your pet. I now pay $40!

Dh and I would Love to live in manhattan but even with both us working we wouldn't be able to afford the house we want and could afford in our current area. Plus to rent our current size duplex would be 4x as much.

That is crazy. My parents bought a house east of campus in Manhattan in 2000 for my sister and I to live in while we went to school. It was a single story 3 bedroom, 1 bath with a separate 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment in the basement. I think they paid around $75k for it. They rented out the apartment and paid the mortage, and so my sister and I lived there pretty much for free. I know when they moved more soldiers into Ft. Riley, prices went up. They sold probably around 2006 or 2007 for around $150k, I think. I was surprised that the value had gone up so much, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there are some expensive homes there.

[Cheerio]

Mar 21, 2013 12:06:12 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Mar 21, 2013 11:29:20 GMT -5 Cheerio said:

Where in Manhattan is expensive now? I graduated from K-State in 2003 and my parents owned a rental property there, but sold it a couple years later. I don't know where the expensive parts would be.

And I had to laugh at you listing Leawood specifically, because that's where I live. My neighborhood is mixed (but the low end is higher than average), but my house is nothing to write home about -- it's a single story ranch built in 1958. We bought here because we love the area. I was super suprised when a house somewhat close to mine went on the market recently for $650k, but it was torn down and rebuilt in 2007.

I've done a lot of daydream driving out there pretty recently, the further you get from campus they get more expensive. Of course, the top is like $500k so it's only Kansas expensive, I guess. I'd love to live in Manhattan if we could find work out there. It's booming now, especially with the success of the sports teams and the new facilities they're putting in for the biosecurity lab.

My cousin lived in Leawood (well, still does but further out) near College and I could fit my house in her garage. She sold it for a good chunk of change and then the people who bought it did a huge remodel job. Like taking down walls and completely redoing the exterior.

I live in old Leawood, so the houses are more modest than the new builds further south. But we do have big trees! (For now -- I'm scared of the Emerald Ash Borer killing the huge ash in our front yard.)