Kansas City has some of the most extreme weather you can find. It’s blazing hot for at least part of summer. It’s icy cold for at least part of the winter. And this winter Kansas City has seen a 50-degree change in temps within a day or two. So Kansas City home buyers should be aware of the national trend to “go green” when looking at homes.
During the building boom, Kansas City saw it’s share of “McMansions”–homes with open floor plans that are highly energy inefficient. Homes with high ceilings and lots of windows aren’t designed for energy efficiency. And most builders were more concerned to get the house built and sold quickly rather than making sure everything was sealed up for maximum energy conservation.
Home buyers today are looking for a little less “show” and a lot more function. They want a house that fits the way they live and also is “green” for energy savings.
So what options do home buyers have for “green homes” in Kansas City. There are some Kansas City homes that were built to be “green”. But home buyers probably will have to look at making upgrades to get the kind of energy efficiency they truly want. There is an initiative in the FHA loan programs that can help. The Energy Efficient FHA loans allow a home buyer to borrow extra money to add energy upgrades to a home they buy. To learn more about this type of loan CLICK HERE.
For buyers looking to find homes that are good candidates for “green” updates, getting an experienced buyer’s agent involved and talking to contractors up front is a good idea. You will want to be sure the cost of your upgrades make sense for the real estate market and keep you in line with the real estate values in the neighborhood.
A link to the Yahoo article about green home trends is located below.
Yahoo! Study: American Dream Homes Turn Green – Yahoo! Real Estate.
Odd Things You See in Kansas City HUD Foreclosure Houses
I make it a practice to tour homes in the Kansas City, KS area. I especially like to see the HUD foreclosures in Kansas City. Some of the foreclosures are torn up and will need some rehab. But I’m seeing more and more of the foreclosed homes for sale in Kansas City that appear to be move-in ready. Of course, looks can be deceiving and you would need to have a good inspection done before you commit to buy one of these foreclosures.
On a recent tour, I found a house in western Kansas City, KS that has some acreage with it. Even though it’s in the city, it has the feel of being in the country. The view from the back door is nothing but trees as the land slopes away toward the river valley. Across the street I heard a rooster crow. There is a nice yard between the houses on either side and nothing behind but trees, as mentioned previously. And the great thing is that this feel of being in the country comes from a house located on 63rd street in Kansas City, KS. It’s only minutes away from shopping and entertainment found in the Legends in west Kansas City. It has reasonably easy access to the major streets and interstate highways that lead into Kansas City.
The house looks to have been newly remodeled. The exterior is in decent shape–no peeling paint or missing pieces of siding or trim. The kitchen has been updated. The hardwoods have been sanded, stained and finished. There is new ceramic tile and what looks like new carpet. The walls look freshly painted. The master bath is tiled and looks to have new fixtures–and the work looks to be well-done. But I was puzzled by the toilet location in the master bath.
Now, there is still plenty of space between the toilet and vanity, but the space behind the toilet will make you feel like you’re sitting on the throne in the middle of the room. How weird is that? As the Love of my life would say, “Some man designed this.”
I’ve also learned from the Love of my life that even design fails can be overcome with a little creative thinking. For example, rather than going to the trouble and expense of tearing up the floor to move the toilet, you could build out the wall behind the toilet and have storage there. In fact, it could extend over and beyond the toilet as bookshelves and a place to store linens.
This is the kind of vision and help I give to my clients when looking at homes for sale. There are lots of foreclosures for sale in Kansas City right now. I can help you find one that has the potential to be your dream home.