Moving to Wichita, need help w/ good neighborhoods.

[WuDrWu]

I would stray away from Sundance, just my opinion. There's an unsavory element there. I realize I'm old and don't want to hear the low drone of today's popular music from 9pm to 4am every day, but still, there exists an unsavory element there, not necessarily typical for the location. I know money is always an issue, and the rates are cheap there, but you can get a 1 bedroom at the Villas at Waterford for around 725 ish.

[SHOCKvalue]

Sounds like your budget allows for a nice apartment, but maybe not a nice duplex or single-family home. Is that guess correct?

If there is nothing for you in either Derby or Mulvane in that realm, I'd otherwise personally stay away from most any investment/rental properties in the Wichita portion of the McConnell zone (far SE Wichita). While there are some nice pockets of single-family homes in that area, the rental stuff (apartments, condos, duplexes, quadplexes, etc.) generally leave a lot to be desired within multiple contexts, even if it looks well-maintained to the eye.

Further, for whatever reason, the area has an unexpected level of property crime, despite the fact that appearances alone might not convey such. I had a number of friends and acquaintances live in rentals in that area during college, and they had to nail down anything they didn't want walking off that might not be kept inside of a home or garage.

If you have the means from a monthly cash flow perspective, which it sounds like you do, I'd just pick out whatever nice apartment complex floats your boat in NE Wichita and deal with the drive to Derby whenever you want to see your grandparents. That's just my take.

[ShockerEngineer]

I'd otherwise personally stay away from most any investment/rental properties in the Wichita portion of the McConnell zone (far SE Wichita). While there are some nice pockets of single-family homes in that area, the rental stuff (apartments, condos, duplexes, quadplexes, etc.) generally leave a lot to be desired within multiple contexts, even if it looks well-maintained to the eye.

Further, for whatever reason, the area has an unexpected level of property crime, despite the fact that appearances alone might not convey such. I had a number of friends and acquaintances live in rentals in that area during college, and they had to nail down anything they didn't want walking off that might not be kept inside of a home or garage.

I was waiting for someone else to bring all of this up... I actually grew up in far SE Wichita, and the neighborhood was good when we moved in in 1992. Back then, there was a field of sunflowers across the street from us, and a huge part of the neighborhood to the south of us was yet even to be developed.

Anyway, in 2012, my folks left after noticing the neighborhood seemed to be on the decline for years, the last straw probably being the attempted drive by shooting across the street.

Like you said, there are good pockets of homes around there, but there's definitely some negatives there.. I never rented an apartment in that area (I went to NE Wichita when I moved out, and eventually Bel Aire), but from everyone I know who has, I haven't heard many positives. Not saying it's impossible, since of course such grievances are bound to be aired more so.

[jocoshock]

I would stray away from Sundance, just my opinion. There's an unsavory element there. I realize I'm old and don't want to hear the low drone of today's popular music from 9pm to 4am every day, but still, there exists an unsavory element there, not necessarily typical for the location. I know money is always an issue, and the rates are cheap there, but you can get a 1 bedroom at the Villas at Waterford for around 725 ish.

Thanks for the info. Saw some reviews of the place after I posted that caught my attention, but they were mainly about the management. If she does go there it will be for 6 months only. Waterford is in the price range of Shocker Hall (before the meal plan).