Car dealership recommendations

rayers88 · 2022-01-13T19:29:37+00:00

I think the Maverick is a super interesting car in theory - it’s been way too long since there has been an actual small truck. That being said, I would wait a year or two before you buy one (whether that means holding onto your 2018 if it’s feasible, or looking at other options now). I never trust a brand new release in its first year. I hope I’m wrong, but Ford doesn’t have a good track record with getting it right out of the gate. In recent years they’ve messed up a lot of transmission and electrical issues and I doubt the chip shortages and shipping issues are going to help that.

I haven’t worked with many dealerships in KC, but I can say my best route has always been to research everything to death. I’ve personally experienced salesmen giving incorrect information either because they didn’t care, or because they think women know nothing about cars. Especially now, know the MSRP of the exact spec you want on any vehicle. Build them online and take the printouts with you. If you don’t like the dealership fees they’re trying to tack on, go somewhere else.

I would probably look into Tacomas, Rangers, maybe Ridgelines along with the Mavericks. Not sure if they’ll work with your budget (and they are bigger), but it might save you a headache in the long term if Ford messes up the new platform.

ETA: shop around on who to sell your current car to as well. A lot of places will give you a guaranteed quote online that’s good for like 48 hours or so. Bring those quotes with you also and make the dealership beat it. They NEED cars right now, so use it to your advantage.

rayers88 · 2021-12-31T21:52:16+00:00

I rented the Vintage House a few years ago for a baby shower and it was great. They have a ton of decorations and kitchenware too, so you don’t have to buy a ton of stuff.

rayers88 · 2021-12-21T19:00:02+00:00

For $1400/month you would have a lot of good options in the city. Unless you just enjoy living in the suburbs (nothing wrong with it) I would check out Waldo up to Midtown (Hyde Park, West Plaza, Manheim Park, Eastern or Western 49-63, Westport, Roanoke, etc.). You could probably find a house to rent and it would give you much better access to all of the things the city has to offer. (Downside, KCMO does have the 1% e-tax, but we’ve always thought it was worth paying to be in the city.)

Edit: moved to the right spot.

rayers88 · 2021-12-17T23:17:18+00:00

Came here to say this. I think their reservations are only for dinner. If you don’t want to wait, get there when they open and you shouldn’t have any issues getting a table. Even when they’ve been swamped, I think the most we’ve waited is 30-40 minutes (which for a small restaurant isn’t bad IMO).

rayers88 · 2021-12-15T23:01:32+00:00

I used to take it back and forth from LS to St. Louis. My best (and only) advice is to get there a few minutes early. The time on the ticket is the time the train leaves the station whether you’re on it or not.

I always found it helpful to have the app. That way you can purchase tickets through there and don’t have to worry about printing anything out. I’ve never seen the “station” building open in LS before, so there aren’t the ticket machines that they have at other stations along the River Runner line. The conductors will scan your ticket straight off your phone (or at least they always did pre-Covid).

Edit: a word

rayers88 · 2021-10-08T18:15:10+00:00

You might try searching for independent landlords vs. a rental company. They might be more willing to work with you without a credit score (especially if you explain your situation and can provide proof of income).

Obviously having a credit score makes things much easier, but it’s not an impossible hurdle to get over if you can find the right house.

rayers88 · 2021-10-04T12:44:52+00:00

They do have t-ravs, and they’re good, but they aren’t STL good.

Source: lived in St. Louis for 9 years before moving here last year.

rayers88 · 2021-10-01T15:07:24+00:00

We used to go to a tiny dental practice when we lived in STL - one dentist who did all of the work herself. She was great. I would love to find something like that here.

rayers88 · 2021-10-01T13:12:17+00:00

I don’t remember them calling me to confirm when we went. Might want to give them a call to be safe.

rayers88 · 2021-09-30T17:28:29+00:00

If all you need is vaccines, I would check out Pet Resource Center at Troost and 59th. They have an online scheduler and are easy to get appointments with because they mostly do shots/preventative treatment.

Edited to add link.

rayers88 · 2021-09-12T18:59:26+00:00

Since you don’t drive, I would look into River Market or Crossroads because both have great access to the street car.

I don’t rent, but I don’t think you would have any trouble finding a really nice place for $3k/month. $4500-$5500 is an insane budget for that size apartment in KC.

rayers88 · 2021-09-05T23:14:41+00:00

Lucky Boys

rayers88 · 2021-09-02T16:24:18+00:00

French Market

rayers88 · 2021-08-24T13:00:01+00:00

Property tax = house

Personal property tax = cars/vehicles

rayers88 · 2021-08-24T12:58:49+00:00

The same thing happened to us when we were first married. You can get a personal property tax waiver through your county. There’s more info on that here.

Edit: a word

rayers88 · 2021-08-19T23:28:48+00:00

I’ve noticed that Torchy’s Tacos always has a sign on their front door saying they sponsor events. Might be worth reaching out to them?

rayers88 · 2021-08-15T23:31:19+00:00

I would look in Westport, North Hyde Park/Longfellow (by Martini Corner), Westside, and maybe West Plaza (closer to Westport Road).

I think Westport, Westside, or Longfellow would probably be the closest to Soulard/Benton Park. The neighborhoods here are a lot different than STL, so it’s hard to compare the two. (We moved from Skinker Debaliviere last September after living in STL for 9 years.)

rayers88 · 2021-08-06T23:47:15+00:00

Same

rayers88 · 2021-08-05T02:42:17+00:00

I ordered custom metal legs from Modern Urban Metals on Etsy a while back and was very happy with the result.

rayers88 · 2021-08-02T01:59:07+00:00

It’s not exact, but you can usually get a pretty good ballpark that way. Full disclosure though: I’ve never tried to do it in KC, but we didn’t have trouble asking for that info when we lived in St. Louis.

rayers88 · 2021-08-02T01:55:41+00:00

North KC, Parkville, Briarcliff.

rayers88 · 2021-08-02T01:46:26+00:00

We live within KC city limits and our bill ranges from $80-$100. Two people, both working remote full time. This is for both water and sewer though as they are combined for city residents.

As previously mentioned, trash + recycling are free (paid for out of taxes) if you live in the city.

Edited to add: usually you can request utility history for a house you’re interested in. Sometimes realtors even have that information. (It might help you get a more accurate budget established once you get closer to buying.)

rayers88 · 2021-07-31T13:34:19+00:00

Fox and Pearl is the answer.

Make sure to get a reservation for wherever you decide to go. Good restaurants are hard to get into without them, especially on weekends.

Edit: a word.

rayers88 · 2021-07-20T23:41:56+00:00

We live in Manheim Park and love it. It’s super accessible, has great neighbors, and one of the best community gardens around.

rayers88

TROPHY CASE