Living in Parkville I’ve learned you have to drive if you want to get anywhere considered “cool” by society, this being said we shouldn’t always go mainstream. Since having to “seriously” drive to get anywhere I thought I knew my surroundings pretty well, meaning the Platte & Wyandotte counties, but I did not know them as well as I thought. There is an entire living community I was unaware of. The Homes Inc. is a housing cooperative, a unique housing community in Kansas City that breaks the standard of mainstream owning and renting. These communities are fairly popular in the East coast, but are rarely seen in the Midwest.
The best way to describe this particular way of living is small and green. These homes are located on a 25 acre plot and they are common grounds for all of the families. It defies the American notion of bigger is better by simplifying a home to the bare essentials, with enough green and amenities to keep you satisfied.
A housing cooperative is a legal entity, usually a corporation, which owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings; it is one type of financial arrangement. Housing cooperatives are a distinctive form of home ownership that has many characteristics that make it different than other residential arrangements such as single family ownership, condominiums and renting, but in the case of Homes Inc. ownership.
The corporation is membership-based, with membership granted by way of a share purchase in the cooperative. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy a housing unit. A primary advantage of the housing cooperative is the pooling of the members’ resources so that their buying power is leveraged, thus lowering the cost per member in all the services and products associated with home ownership. This allows Homes Inc to be able to take care of all common grounds the kids playgrounds, the golf course & unit maintenance.
The community is governed by a 5 person volunteer board, Liz, a professional caring manager & supportive staff. The community was established in 1942 and it is made up of 343 units in 98 building. There are a variety of housing options, ranging from one bedrooms to 3 bedrooms, duplexes to six-plexes. Purchasing this home is like buying stock, meaning it is a bit more difficult to get a loan from a bank for this kind of investments since it is not a tangible asset. This is why The Homes Inc has an on-site credit union that will be able to help with financing if funds are not fully available.
South of the Fairfax district, a mile away from Argosy Casino and ten minutes from Parkville and Downtown Kansas City, This community is a perfect location for quiet living and to reach any of your favorite KC spots within a reasonable amount of time.
A unique Housing community. A nice place to live.
For more information regarding this community contact Liz at (913) 321-2471 or visit them at 660 Manorcrest Dr. Kansas City, KS.
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