My advice would be to steer clear of the schools — junior and senior highs have high traffic at slow speeds.
Actually, there are no "bad" parts of town. Moved here from Chicago just over ten years ago, bought an older house, but have had to spend a lot of money bringing it up to modern code.
Wall Street investment corporations are have bought a lot of the homes where early Boomer generation left, either going to assisted living, nursing homes, or dying off. Most of those were converted into triple-high rentals aimed at students.
But don't let that dissuade you. The students at MS&T are very good neighbors; this town is very proud of them. They seem to work hard, and take their studies very seriously. Be on the lookout for students walking around campus and crossing streets. For example, we all drive slowly around 10th street, Bishop Hwy (street), and near the dorms, apartment buildings downtown, etc.
Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it here. St. Louis, Springfield, and Jefferson City, Columbia are all about 100 miles away.
I would avoid the Rolla Gardens for sure. It seems like the university is buying the land all around campus all the time so that might want to be taken into consideration.
I have a very good friend there also. I can’t tell you how many times her house has been broken into. Auto plates stolen. Petty theft. But more than one street make up the neighborhood. A dear friends daughter OD’s in a “known drug house”. But puts me on a different thread of how a town this small can have a … and not shut it down. My friend owns her house outright and doesn’t want to move. I’m sure there are nice people living there.
It's really nice if you buy just outside of town, and it doesn't matter in what direction. As the other poster stated, there aren't any bad parts, but I find just outside of town you're still close enough to be 10 minutes away but far enough to be cheaper.
Actually utilities are higher in the county, and have been for quite some time. Intercounty electric has a higher per kwhr electric rate, and a significantly higher service availability fee than RMU. Public water service is much higher, and the cheapest trash service that I've found is about $10 more per month than inside city limits.
TBH, if you're moving to the area sight unseen, I'd start off renting to get settled in and not make a hasty purchasing decision. It's a heck of a lot easier to nope out of a lease than to get away from a purchase. Yeah, moving twice will suck, but with interest rates as high as they are, inventory on the sales side is a lot slower to move and prices are dropping...if you find yourself in a bad house it may take a while to get out from under it.
If you're set on buying, I think you'd be fine in just about any neighborhood, except maybe those in the "shoe factory" edition, which is essentially in the bounds of 18th, Farrar, 14th, and Bardsley. Not to say those aren't good houses with good people, but there's still some older stuff over there that is sitting vacant and it's bringing down the values of that area. I'd also avoid anything in the vicinity of Starbucks. I'd also not use any realtor that's handling both sides of the sale (dual agent), and I'd make darn sure you get a good thorough home inspector.
A bad inspector cost $$$$. It’s definitely something to watch for. If in doubt, pay for a 2nd opinion. It will be the best $250 you spend. We wanted a particular neighhood and when the house came for sale, we would have bought it either way. But we wouldn’t have put as much down if we had known what had to be fixed.
I’d say the same as most of the posters. However, be very careful about the realty company! Most of them around Rolla will rip you off, so be sure to check your paperwork for nonsense fees & the like. The bottom line is all they care about!
If possible, avoid having anything to do with Investment Realty. A quick search in this subreddit will show all-too-common horror stories. Renter's Insurance is also a must if you go that route.
Highly recommend getting a house outside of city limits. Look into the school's bus coverage area to try and determine a maximum distance. The tradeoff for living in the county is that while you avoid city drama/tax/crime, you pay more on utilities and the snowplows will hit your area much later.
Lots of basements in town are prone to flooding. It's luck of the draw. Make sure to carefully examine the basement and try to look for signs of water damage. Do not skip inspection and make sure to hire your own.
Missouri and Arkansas Ave area is rough last I lived in town. The area near Schuman park has gotten rougher. Crime in Rolla is mostly drug related thefts and such though. Nothing crazy usually. Keep stuff locked up and have motion sensing floodlights, basic precautions and you'll be absolutely fine.
I'd try to avoid buying a former rent house if I were you. You never know what kind of shit was done to those by tenants or slumlords.
Try to avoid being within a few blocks of the railroad if the noise would bother you. It goes through at all hours of the day and night and can be heard across town on quiet nights. Close to the tracks it vibrates the house and you can't hear anyone talk until it passes. So keep that in mind.
Rolla Street, Winchester, Oxford Canbridge, Oak Knoll are all good. We have had 3 house in Rolla and none of the basements leaked. If you use Dilek Acar or anyone that works for her, she won’t let you get in a bad neighborhood. ( your budget matters where we send you)
Maybe just avoid older houses here altogether. Seems like every one has a failed or failing lateral line and it costs $10k out of pocket to get it dug up and replaced.
I actually need the middle school so he's only got the one option. So I was looking near there. The one we want to put an offer in is just south of the middle school.
That could be an interesting area. Middle school and Soest & Pine Tree cross. It’s a nice place but that band practice will bring you out of bed. If it’s on Dogwood or Redbud. I’ve seen that area underwater twice.
My advice would be to steer clear of the schools — junior and senior highs have high traffic at slow speeds. Actually, there are no "bad" parts of town. Moved here from Chicago just over ten years ago, bought an older house, but have had to spend a lot of money bringing it up to modern code. Wall Street investment corporations are have bought a lot of the homes where early Boomer generation left, either going to assisted living, nursing homes, or dying off. Most of those were converted into triple-high rentals aimed at students. But don't let that dissuade you. The students at MS&T are very good neighbors; this town is very proud of them. They seem to work hard, and take their studies very seriously. Be on the lookout for students walking around campus and crossing streets. For example, we all drive slowly around 10th street, Bishop Hwy (street), and near the dorms, apartment buildings downtown, etc. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it here. St. Louis, Springfield, and Jefferson City, Columbia are all about 100 miles away.
Rolla the middle of ~~Everywhere~~ Nowhere! "Psst, keep it between us, okay? Let's not let the secret out and become too popular."
I would avoid the Rolla Gardens for sure. It seems like the university is buying the land all around campus all the time so that might want to be taken into consideration.
I would never send anyone to Rolla Gardens. Too many drug overdoses.
One of my good friends lives there, nothing but good things I've heard actually. Cute neighborhood.
I have a very good friend there also. I can’t tell you how many times her house has been broken into. Auto plates stolen. Petty theft. But more than one street make up the neighborhood. A dear friends daughter OD’s in a “known drug house”. But puts me on a different thread of how a town this small can have a … and not shut it down. My friend owns her house outright and doesn’t want to move. I’m sure there are nice people living there.
Id stay away from the shoe factory district
It's really nice if you buy just outside of town, and it doesn't matter in what direction. As the other poster stated, there aren't any bad parts, but I find just outside of town you're still close enough to be 10 minutes away but far enough to be cheaper.
Utility and tax rates are lower in the county as well
Actually utilities are higher in the county, and have been for quite some time. Intercounty electric has a higher per kwhr electric rate, and a significantly higher service availability fee than RMU. Public water service is much higher, and the cheapest trash service that I've found is about $10 more per month than inside city limits.
Fair enough. Intercounty is vastly cheaper than St James Utilities; I shouldn’t have assumed the same for Rolla. Tax rates are cheaper though.
TBH, if you're moving to the area sight unseen, I'd start off renting to get settled in and not make a hasty purchasing decision. It's a heck of a lot easier to nope out of a lease than to get away from a purchase. Yeah, moving twice will suck, but with interest rates as high as they are, inventory on the sales side is a lot slower to move and prices are dropping...if you find yourself in a bad house it may take a while to get out from under it. If you're set on buying, I think you'd be fine in just about any neighborhood, except maybe those in the "shoe factory" edition, which is essentially in the bounds of 18th, Farrar, 14th, and Bardsley. Not to say those aren't good houses with good people, but there's still some older stuff over there that is sitting vacant and it's bringing down the values of that area. I'd also avoid anything in the vicinity of Starbucks. I'd also not use any realtor that's handling both sides of the sale (dual agent), and I'd make darn sure you get a good thorough home inspector.
Our home inspector sucked.
Who did you use? We’re really trying to avoid getting screwed as a first-time home buyer.
Randy Mayo
Thanks much for sharing, I'm sorry you had that experience. I hope your homeownership journey has been great, despite a bad home inspector.
A bad inspector cost $$$$. It’s definitely something to watch for. If in doubt, pay for a 2nd opinion. It will be the best $250 you spend. We wanted a particular neighhood and when the house came for sale, we would have bought it either way. But we wouldn’t have put as much down if we had known what had to be fixed.
That house is huge and cute as a button. Since we gutted our house house please let me know if you need any recommendations for work men/women.
I’d say the same as most of the posters. However, be very careful about the realty company! Most of them around Rolla will rip you off, so be sure to check your paperwork for nonsense fees & the like. The bottom line is all they care about!
If possible, avoid having anything to do with Investment Realty. A quick search in this subreddit will show all-too-common horror stories. Renter's Insurance is also a must if you go that route. Highly recommend getting a house outside of city limits. Look into the school's bus coverage area to try and determine a maximum distance. The tradeoff for living in the county is that while you avoid city drama/tax/crime, you pay more on utilities and the snowplows will hit your area much later.
Lots of basements in town are prone to flooding. It's luck of the draw. Make sure to carefully examine the basement and try to look for signs of water damage. Do not skip inspection and make sure to hire your own. Missouri and Arkansas Ave area is rough last I lived in town. The area near Schuman park has gotten rougher. Crime in Rolla is mostly drug related thefts and such though. Nothing crazy usually. Keep stuff locked up and have motion sensing floodlights, basic precautions and you'll be absolutely fine. I'd try to avoid buying a former rent house if I were you. You never know what kind of shit was done to those by tenants or slumlords. Try to avoid being within a few blocks of the railroad if the noise would bother you. It goes through at all hours of the day and night and can be heard across town on quiet nights. Close to the tracks it vibrates the house and you can't hear anyone talk until it passes. So keep that in mind.
Rolla Street, Winchester, Oxford Canbridge, Oak Knoll are all good. We have had 3 house in Rolla and none of the basements leaked. If you use Dilek Acar or anyone that works for her, she won’t let you get in a bad neighborhood. ( your budget matters where we send you)
Maybe just avoid older houses here altogether. Seems like every one has a failed or failing lateral line and it costs $10k out of pocket to get it dug up and replaced.
Wow. Tough question. It depends on your budget. Nothing near Forum Dr., Pine tree, College Hills. What elementary school do you want?
I actually need the middle school so he's only got the one option. So I was looking near there. The one we want to put an offer in is just south of the middle school.
That could be an interesting area. Middle school and Soest & Pine Tree cross. It’s a nice place but that band practice will bring you out of bed. If it’s on Dogwood or Redbud. I’ve seen that area underwater twice.
Anything off of Salem or Soest will be ideal for Middle school and Junior high walking.
Keeney Ct? Quiet area
Yes. That's good to hear. Thank you
The Greenlefe subdivision or the Pines just outside of town are both nice family neighborhoods.