How Do You Downsize From a Townhome to a Downtown Kansas City Condo?

How Do You Downsize From a Townhome to a Downtown Condo in Kansas City? Here Is How It Went for Susan and Donald

You compare buildings before you compare units. Amenities, parking, front-desk staffing and, above all, the association’s finances decide what living there is like, and then the inspection gets the unit itself right. In late 2025 Susan and Donald, who had spent years in a townhome in the Northland, bought a one-bedroom loft at Wallstreet Towers in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Casey Kempter of Nelson Home Group, Keller Williams KC North represented them. He compared the financials and resale certificates of five buildings, and they closed under list price on December 22, 2025, with a leak from the unit above repaired before closing.

An association that had stopped delivering, a search headed the wrong direction, and one big fear about the next building. That was the setup.

Here is how it actually went, start to finish.

The Full Story

Susan and Donald had lived in their Northland townhome for years, in a community that once felt like the right fit. Over time the homeowners association stopped performing the way they expected: fewer amenities, less upkeep, and less of the low-maintenance life they had signed up for.

Their grandchildren live in Liberty, Missouri, so they started touring single-family homes near Liberty. They assumed a house was the only way out of an association that was not keeping up.

Then they visited their former neighbors. Casey Kempter and his wife had moved downtown into a high-rise condominium for the same reasons Susan and Donald were chasing: low maintenance without giving up a lifestyle. Once Susan and Donald saw it in person, the single-family search stopped and they started touring condos instead.

The move came with one big worry. What scared them most was an assessment: buying into a building and then getting a large bill for a project its association could not cover.

The Strategy

Downtown buildings do not deliver the same experience, even when the listings look alike. Casey Kempter, who lives downtown himself, toured five downtown buildings with Susan and Donald.

Because an assessment was their biggest fear, Casey reviewed each building’s financials and its resale certificate, the association disclosure that comes with a condo sale, and compared them side by side. At the time of their purchase, Wallstreet Towers showed stable funds and a very low likelihood of an assessment in the near future.

Casey recommended Wallstreet Towers for three more reasons. It had the most amenities of the buildings they toured, including a rooftop pool and a fitness room. The unit came with deeded parking. And the building has concierge service and a staffed front desk. Moving downtown was exciting for Susan and Donald, and that added layer of security mattered to them.

The unit they chose had been on the market since July 2025, with more than one price reduction along the way. That gave Casey room to negotiate on price and, later, on repairs.

The inspection turned up a leak coming from the unit above. The seller worked with the upstairs neighbor to get access and repaired it, the building’s service team did the cosmetic finish work on the ceiling, and the leak was re-inspected before closing. The seller also had the HVAC serviced, completed an electrical repair, and paid for a home warranty.

Susan and Donald bought on a conventional loan, with LeaderOne handling the financing, and they did not make the purchase contingent on selling their townhome. Casey listed and sold the townhome for them afterward.

The Success

Susan and Donald bought their downtown Kansas City condo under list price. They went under contract on November 21, 2025, after the unit had been listed for 125 days, and closed on December 22, 2025, 31 days later. The leak from the unit above, the HVAC service and the electrical repair were all handled before closing.

What surprised them was how much they enjoy living downtown, and the community at Wallstreet Towers. The residents are neighborly and often get together for events. They walk more, they know their neighbors, and they still have the maintenance handled the way they wanted in the first place. The move-in itself turned out to be easy, which surprised them too.

What a buyer can take from this: if your association is the problem, leaving association living is not the only answer. A better-run association can be. Read every building’s financials and resale certificate before you fall for a unit, and use the inspection to get the unit’s own repairs done before you own it. Every building’s finances change over time, so the numbers have to be read fresh for each purchase.

In Susan’s Words

Just wanted to give a shoutout to Nelson Home Group and Casey Kempter, my real estate agent and Leader One for helping me find and purchase the Condo of my dreams. They have walked me through all the paperwork that’s involved in buying a home. Couldn’t have done it without all of these people, especially Casey Kempter who has been with us every step of the way!! Thank you all so much!!!🤗

Susan · Google review

Read this review on Google →

About This Property

The condo is a one-bedroom loft with a full bath and a half bath, a little over 800 square feet, in Wallstreet Towers, a 1974 high-rise in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It has a gas fireplace, large windows with city views, new flooring and paint, two parking spaces in the building garage and a storage unit. Residents share a rooftop pool, a fitness room and a party room, and the association covers building maintenance, management, parking, snow removal and trash. For recent sales and market activity across the city, see our Kansas City, MO community page.

The listing was held by another brokerage; Nelson Home Group represented the buyers.

Living in Downtown Kansas City

For Susan and Donald, downtown replaced a yard with a building that comes to them: a rooftop pool, a fitness room down the hall, neighbors who plan get-togethers, and restaurants and entertainment within walking distance. Our Living In: Kansas City, MO guide covers the rest of the city.

Choosing the building is most of the decision downtown, which is why it helps to work with someone who lives there. If you are comparing agents for a Kansas City purchase, here is how we would choose a real estate agent in Kansas City, MO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I move from a townhome to a condo if my HOA isn’t keeping up?

It can make sense if what you really want is maintenance handled well, not a yard of your own. The answer to a struggling association is not always leaving association living; it can be choosing one that is well funded and well run. Susan and Donald started out touring single-family homes and switched to downtown condos once they saw one in person. Our comparison of condos, townhouses and villas in Kansas City explains what each association typically covers.

How do you compare downtown Kansas City condo buildings?

Compare what you share with everyone else in the building: amenities, parking, front-desk staffing, how the association is funded, and how the residents get along. Casey Kempter toured five downtown buildings with Susan and Donald and recommended Wallstreet Towers for its amenities, deeded parking, concierge service and stable finances. Here is how we recommend comparing downtown condo buildings before you tour.

How do I know if a condo building has a special assessment coming?

You cannot know for certain, but you can read the signals before you commit: the association’s reserves, its budget, its recent financial statements, and any capital projects it already expects. An assessment was Susan and Donald’s biggest fear, so Casey reviewed those documents for every building they toured. Our guide to HOA fees, reserves and special assessments in downtown KC condos walks through what to ask.

What is a resale certificate when buying a condo in Missouri?

For condominiums governed by Missouri’s Uniform Condominium Act, the seller provides a resale certificate from the association. Under RSMo 448.4-109 it discloses items such as the monthly assessment, capital expenditures the association expects in the current and next two fiscal years, reserves, the most recent balance sheet and income statement, and unsatisfied judgments or pending lawsuits. Nelson Home Group is not a law firm; your agent and the association can confirm what applies to your building.

Who fixes a leak from the unit above when you are buying a condo?

It depends on where the leak starts and what the association’s declaration and insurance say, so there is no single answer. As a buyer, your leverage is the inspection: ask for the repair to be completed and confirmed before closing. On Susan and Donald’s purchase, the seller worked with the upstairs neighbor to get access and repaired the leak, the building’s service team finished the ceiling, and the leak was re-inspected before closing.

What repairs can you ask for on a condo inspection?

Systems inside the unit, like the HVAC, electrical and plumbing fixtures, are usually the owner’s responsibility, while shared parts of the building usually belong to the association. Your declaration spells out the line. On this purchase, the seller had the HVAC serviced, completed an electrical repair, repaired the leak from above and paid for a home warranty. A unit that has been on the market a while can leave more room to ask.

Is deeded parking important in a downtown Kansas City condo?

It is worth checking. Deeded parking transfers with the unit, while an assigned or leased space can depend on association rules or availability. Confirm how a space is held in the deed and the association documents before you buy. Deeded parking with the unit was one of the reasons Casey Kempter recommended Wallstreet Towers to Susan and Donald.

Do I have to sell my townhome before I buy a condo?

Not always. If your lender can qualify you while you still own the townhome, you can buy first without a sale contingency, which makes your offer cleaner for the seller. Susan and Donald bought their downtown condo without making it contingent on their townhome, and Casey listed and sold the townhome afterward. Start with your lender, because qualifying is the deciding factor.

If your association has stopped doing its job and you are wondering whether a downtown building could do it better, we will compare the buildings with you, financials included. Call or text 816-680-6624, or reach the team here.

Joe Nelson · Nelson Home Group · 1508 NW Vivion Rd #205, Kansas City, MO 64118 · 816-680-6624
Brokerage: Keller Williams KC North · 816-452-4200