Thinking of moving to Wichita, visiting here, or now you're here and don't know what to do?

Between work and 3 kids, I don't get out much. But whether you're young with kids or into more mature pursuits, there's a lot here to see and do!

Facts about Wichita:

Wichita has about 350,000 people and about 153,000 homes.

Wichita was named for the Wichita Indians and was started roughly in 1864.

Wichita has more fast rood restaurants per capita than any other city in the US.

Wichita founded Pizza Hut and White Castle.

Wichita is known as the Air Capital. We have a large aircraft industry here, with Spirit, Boeing, Hawker, Raytheon, Cessna, and McConnell AFB.

Sights to see:

The Keeper of the Plains in honor of the Indians. He was sculpted by Black Bear Bosin. He raises up above the city to keep an eye on it and there's a ring of fire at his base that spouts off every so often after dusk. The Plaza is open from 5am till Midnight, and 2 gorgeous suspension bridges allow pedestrian access.

The Plaza sits at the convergence of the Little and Big Arkansas Rivers, which criss-cross through town and provide fishing pleasures and attract plenty of ducks for feeding at the local parks.

Just south and East of the Plaza is our new Waterwalk Development, where our new WAAR Board just built a brand new building. Gander Sports is also located there, and a new Loft development. There's a wall of water in front of the Hyatt that kids like to play in. It's still in the works, but there are plans for more retail development, and more artsy additions for a nice pleasurable downtown strolling area.

One neat thing to see in Wichita are all the sculptures. Downtown has them all over the place. Douglas street particularly, you can stroll along and find a bronze sculpture of an owl sitting on the light pole, or a sculpture of two kids playing in the water fountain, or like this one, a sculpture of a girl and pet about to play hopscotch on the sidewalk!

Otherwise, Wichita boasts the usual assortment of Museums. The Exploration Place, currently featuring the Body Exhibit with all those plasticated dead people sliced open.

They have an IMAX theatre here and supposedly all sorts of neat exhibits, not to mention a very neat looking building. I've never been inside as my kids are just too little and can't participate or appreciate. But I hear great things about it and if you get a chance to go, please send me some feedback! I think next year, my oldest will be able to enjoy it!

There is an excellent playground here though. Ask me about playgrounds, I've been to them all! Wichita has a lot of parks and playgrounds, more than any city I've ever lived in! Some have been revamped to include water features, such as the Osage Park on 31st Street, between Seneca and Meridian, and the Riverside Park, downtown in, well, Riverside!

And yes, the shopping. Oh the shopping! See, I don't do a lot of that, I have no patience. But Wichita has a ton of little boutique stores everywhere! There's the usual malls, with their usual stuff, but Wichita is really a city of many little plazas full of shopping. You'll find everything from specialty children's boutiques, furniture boutiques, home decor, and more!

Want walk-around fun? Try Old Town - shopping, bars, movie theatre, and historic buildings in the heart of downtown Wichita! This area is also full of Loft developments with a warehouse/contemporary styling to them - New York ala Wichita!

Other sophisticated adventures:

Wichita Theater League and Music Theatre League - I do admit to memberships here, I LOVE me some Musicals!

Dinner Theatre type places- Crown Uptown, Mosley Melodrama, and more!

The Symphony

The Ballet

Wild Stuff:

Wichita has the Sedgwick County Zoo, which is well-funded and recently completed a new Penguin exhibit, after their brand new Ape exhibit of last year. It's actually a very large zoo and has a train and everything. They're in the process of building more fancy restaurants there instead of the outside style they have now. Every year they host a neat Zoobilee event where area restaurants and bars setup shop inside the zoo. It's generally $100 per person, but you can tour the zoo, eat all the fine foods you want, and booze it up.

Just outside the city is the new Tanganyika Wildlife Park. See Giraffes. Haven't been here yet, but I want to. More hands-on experience! You know you want to get up close and personal with a lion, right??

Oh and the events. We have Riverfest, going on it's 30-something'th year. My husband used to run it back in the day. It's a week long festival of concerts, block parties, parades, fireworks, food and so much more! It's a really huge event down here. We've had American Idol folks play it, local bands play, it's basically a week long party. Bathtub boat races, RC boat races, pancake cookouts, and more! There's also Flight Festivals that go on occasionally, concerts, block parties, baseball games, Hockey leagues, and more!

All in all, Wichita's not a bad place. The atmosphere is friendly, the crime rate is low, jobs are stable, cost of living is low. It's a wonderful place to raise a family, which is why I moved here from Alabama. And I've been here 5 years now and haven't seen any of these:

Looking to make Wichita your permanent place to call home? Good choice!

Another good choice - Let me help you with that!

Sheree Wilkerson - Visit www.kansashomebuzz.com

Call/Text 461-0575 or Email sheree@ksgreathomes.com

Surprising Reasons Buyers aren't buying YOUR house!

Oh you all know the usual jargon - it's price, location, condition that determine whether your home sells. BUT, there are other factors that come into play and some might surprise you. The list below are all true events that have happened to me or other agents in my team. For every one of these, the home basically met the client's needs and criteria. In most cases, they even liked the house and were considering an offer! But here are some deal-breakers that stopped them from making offers. You may or may not have control over any of these, but you can at least be aware if you have a situation like this!

1. Neighbors' animals - I have a couple who broke the contract on the home they wanted to purchase when they discovered 4 pit bulls living next door. The dogs weren't there the first 3 times we saw the property, but when they did show up, the buyers' bailed. They have a 4yo daughter to protect. Another lady I showed homes to decided not to buy one she liked a lot when she went out on the back deck and was greated by a very vicious bark from the next yard over. You can't do anything about your neighbors animals, and trying to hide them as in the first scenario only causes trouble down the road. The best thing would be to make sure your agent knows how the animals have been to you, so s/he can counter feedback about the animals.
2. The Parking Lot syndrome - "I love the house and I like the yard, but I'd have a huge problem with having 20 cars parked out here all the time," said one of my buyers. It's an eyesore, and can become a noise concern if those come and go frequently. New owners could also worry about whether they will be able to park! If any of these vehicles are yours, put them somewhere else - storage, at a friend's house (unless he's trying to sell too!).
3. Noisy Neighbors - No kidding - I showed a house and the neighbors across the road were all sitting out on the front yard and yelled at us as we went in and came out. The buyers felt harassed and scared - and it wasn't even a bad area! Another older buyer couple drove by a home they were interested in purchasing, later that night as they discussed a decision. When they drove by, there were a good dozen teenagers 2 houses down having a party in the driveway, music blaring and basketballs bouncing. It wasn't past ordinance time, but the buyers wanted a peaceful place to relax and liked to nap during the day and go to bed early. No hope of that at this home!
4. Team Rivalry - Can I count how many times a husband has absolutely refused to see a home because of the Chiefs or KU flag out front? Or been thrilled with a home till they reach the guest room done in team theme? Team fanatics will refuse to live somewhere a rival used to live (some of them anyway). Best not to display your team pride while the house is on the market. And if you find out your buyer is a rival team fan? Just be happy you're taking his money and don't worry about it.
5. Politics - Honest Injun, I have indeed pulled up to a home to show it and had the buyer refuse to go in when they find a presidential sign they don't like. Shallow, yes. But buying a home is an emotional process, and often times a presidential election is too! Show your support another way or just be prepared that some buyers may just get riled up before they hit the front door (if they get that far).

I've had many sellers wonder why nothing comes out of a showing. Maybe it really was the house, the price, the location, etc. But sometimes, it's these other sneaky reasons that you don't even think about! Remember, these are honest reasons why I have had buyers decide against a home when it otherwise met their needs. Hopefully your showings give you feedback letting you know what really is the problem! Sometimes they may be too embarassed to say it was that OU pathway out front that killed it!



~Sheree

VOTE ME! I want to be elected your agent of choice! I'd be happy to evaluate your home for dealbreakers and marketability, discuss my marketing plan for your home, and help you repaint that Razorbacks room in the home YOU want to buy! :)

sheree@ksgreathomes.com Visit my website!

The 2009 Wichita, KS Housing Market Forecast is out and well, it's good news as always!

The entire report can be found here:

http://realestate.wichita.edu/draft/research/img/2009%20Forecast/Forecast.pdf

Some important highlights to take from this:

• The slowdown in the market locally is caused by tightening of credit to buyers and a slowdown in the employment sector.
• Our typical home selling time hasn't increased dramatically, currently sitting at roughly 40 days.
• There is less than 5 months of housing supply on the market, versus the national nearly 12 months supply.
• New construction has been a bit harder hit, with nearly 6 months supply, though it shouldn't have a large impact.
• Home prices are RISING. 4% in 2008, 3% predicted in 2009!
• Sellers are typically getting 97.82-98.62% of list price.

What you should think about all this:

• Our market DOESN'T suck - CNN does not apply here.
• If you are looking to buy - you have a 5 month supply of homes to choose from and your investment is predicted to maintain and grow in value!
• If you are looking to sell - there's a lot on the market, but most are selling in average 40 days for roughly 98% of asking price.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Have a home you need to get sold? Looking to upgrade? Buying for the first time?
Let me show you how the forecast applies to you! We'd be happy to help you understand today's market and what your options are!

Sheree Wilkerson, Allegiant GMAC Realty
316.461.0575
sheree@ksgreathomes.com

Previous Articles:

Bi-levels

Tri-levels

Previously, we discussed the style of house known as a Bi-Level and Tri-Level. Next up in our Split-level series is the Quad home.

This means that there are four (quatro) distinct living areas. The easiest way to explain a Quad - It's a Tri-level with an extra basement under the main level. Generally speaking, you walk in the front door onto a main ground level floor. The main area generally holds the kitchen, living, and dining just like a Tri. At the back or sides of this level, you have stairs up to the upper story - generally the main bedrooms. You also have stairs down to the 3rd level, which is half below ground. There is typically a family room, bedroom, bath/laundry, just like a tri. The Quad comes into play when you have stairs from the 3rd level, down into a 4th level (underneath the main floor). This level is basement quality - totally underground. Many times this level is unfinished, but when finished it generally holds a rec room/game room, office, or some other similar hideaway. The garage can generally be accessed from the main level, but can also be found occasionally on the 3rd level.

• Pros: Privacy - In addition to the separation of beds/entertainment areas like a tri, you get the additional hideaway of the basement. Lots of hidey holes in a Quad. It's a good style to lose the family in for a while.
• Like a tri, you get a bright View-Out on the lower level.
• You get the benefits of a totally underground basement level for storm shelter and storage.
• The stair-running keeps you in shape, right?! It is at least, less stairs at one time than a Bi.
• Compared to a bi-level, you can at least come home with groceries and go in the door without having to go upstairs.

• Cons: The areas are more broken up - you have to go up to sleep, down to eat, and further down to do laundry, then back up to eat, etc.
• The level that is fully under ground is just as susceptible as normal basements to pressure, shifting, cracking, leaking, etc. Just like a regular ranch basement.
• Generally more stress cracking than a ranch as the different levels and different weights on each side will settle differently, causing cracks around the stairwells, like the other types of splits.
• In the event of a physical handicap or injury, the stairs could limit movement (although unlike a bi, you can at least sleep in the living room!). For this reason, any split level limits the pool of buyers to physically capable folks.
• Quads are typically older homes as they are rarely built anymore. Many were done in the late 50's-early 80's.

How to tell a Quad home from the outside:
This can be tricky. Any that look like a Tri-level, could in fact be a quad because of a basement under the main part. What you'll need to look for - basement windows (those itty bitty dirty ones at the top of many basement walls) underneath the portion of the home where the front door is. Some may not have windows in their 4th level, so look to see if the main level is raised a step or so. Since there's a basement underneath, the main floor level should not look like you could just roll right into it, as in it shouldn't be on a slab at ground level. There should be a step raising it up.

See, many look like tri-level homes. Note the step to the door. could mean just a crawl space, but could mean a basement - 4th level - hence a quad!

Okay Sherlock, here's another Quad, front and back:

Here's a rough idea of the different levels, seen from front view on one style, and side view on another style.

For a list of Quad Homes currently for sale, look below, or Email me with the specific area you'd like to find a Quad!

That's Mod, let's Buy a Quad!

Here's the full series!

Bis, Tris, and Quads!

More split level info is at www.splitlevel.net

Sheree Wilkerson

Allegiant GMAC Realty

316.461.0575

sheree@ksgreathomes.com