Single Mom Starting Over, Please Help (Lexington, Louisville: rentals, high crime, house prices)

[feelnpurdy]

I am a single mother of 4 children, 19, 16, 14 and 3 years old. I live in Peoria Illinois and I am looking to move to Ky or Nc. Here is my problem. I don't know anyone in either of these states so I don't know where to begin to start to look for a place or town to stay. I currently pay 700 dollars a month for rent for a 5 bedroom, about 200 dollars a month for phone, cable and internet service and about 300 for lights water and gas. So I can afford about 1200 a month for living. I work as a cust. service rep and a server and make about 2100 a month. I stay in a high crime area but my place is nice but the schools suck here. There is NOTHING for the kids to do here but get in trouble. Can any one suggest a city that is well diverse, that is a family kind of place and will not cost me an arm and a leg to stay??? Or at least can someone direct me on how to start looking for info on good rentals and areas to move to??? any help would be nice!

[missymomof3]

Louisville. I doubt you'll find a $700/month five bedroom and your utilities you quoted seem a bit high. There is much debate on the quality of our schools, however. If you do look here, I live in the Shively/PRP area and it is a good area for families. Try looking in the 40216, 40258, or 40272.

[Kichenwich]

We really need a little more info to help you. What size town do you want to live in? Do you enjoy the "big city" or "rolling hills"? Will you have to commute to work?

Here's a few places I am familiar with:

Bigger cities: Louisville, Lexington,

Mid-size: Richmond, Frankfort

Small: Berea, Lancaster, Danville, Somerset

plus, add in all the little towns between, and you have a wide range of choices. I have to say, for $1200 a month, you should have no problem in this area renting an extremely nice house! Hope this helps!

[ayersd1]

You can rent a pretty nice house of about three or four bedrooms in Lexington for about 800-1300 dollars a month. A few buddies of mine actually purchased a nice house in a smaller subdivision in Northern Kentucky, Taylor Mill and their house payment is about 11 a month.. It depends on what you are looking for really.

[nikizo]

Hi feelnpurdy. I am in the similar situation as you, and actually quite close to your area. I grew up in IL around the Galesburg area so I am very familiar with Peoria and don't blame you for wanting to leave. I am currently living in Muscatine, IA and want to relocate to KY. Just not for sure where to go. I have been searching for jobs in the Owensboro are, but feel I would not like to live in that town as it to large for me. But I also don't want to live in a real small town with nothing to do. Does anyone know of smaller communities with good schools and wouldn't be a long commute to work in Owensboro?

[jak88]

I'm from Taylor Mill, Kentucky. About 10 minute drive to Cincinnati. Located in Kenton County. Plenty for your kids to do if they love the outdoors. Beautiful landscape, rolling hills, very nice weather. All four seasons.

Only problem with weather is summers. They are really hot. Winters run in upper 20's to low 30's. About as cold as Chicago winter sometimes, but the difference is that in Chicago you smell the industrialization and in Northern Kentucky, you smell the wildlife and the trees. Makes winter much more enjoyable. Spring and fall are beautiful, weather in the 60's, 70's, which truly makes it an 'all four seasons' area to live in.

School for me was great, I went to Woodland Middle School and a semester at Scott High School. Racially it is not very mixed, mostly white students. A few blacks, a few Hispanic, a few Asians, and no foreign populations really like you see in Illinois such as Polish, Lithuanians, Hispanics, etc. I view that positively and negatively, because I know great people from these groups. Growing up around this area was nice because everyone is friendly and I was accepted into the community (I'm from Texas). Moving to Illinois has sucked, my family hates it and so do I. No one around here is friendly and a lot of areas are very shady. I live in Romeoville currently and plan on moving back to Taylor Mill as soon as I can get a decent job after finishing my schooling.

House prices range from 60k to 350k, and there aren't really any 'bad' areas in Taylor Mill. Some neighborhoods have some backwards people, but they are nice.

It is an excellent place to raise a child, and an excellent area to move to because of the close proximity of Cincinnati. Plenty of jobs when you consider the amount of decent sized cities nearby such as Cincinnati, Covington, and others.

The only negative things I can think of when I grew up around there is the one time I broke a bone in my back from sledding down hills (there are SOOO many of them), and they have trouble shoveling all the snow off the streets in the winter. It does snow quite a bit some winters, which is both a positive and a negative thing. And because of the topography, it is hard to get to all the areas to shovel the snow out, so count on your kids having lots of snowdays off in the winter (again, don't know if you would view that as good or bad, haha).

You can't go wrong in Northern Kentucky. It is beautiful. If you do move there, don't go advertising it like I am, because we don't want a bunch of people moving in and ruining the beauty for us.

[ernieb.2]

Read a few posts for Bowling Green, Ky.
IT is a very good compromise of big and small...but size is relative:-)
Housing is well within your price range and BG is the local "mecca" for stuff to do...The mall, restaurants, etc... Plus it is only an hour drive to Nashville, TN if you want to see a big name concert, ball game etc...

Bowling Green Daily News can give you a feel for rent and job market.
Good luck and welcome...
ernie

[feelnpurdy]

Originally Posted by ayersd1

You can rent a pretty nice house of about three or four bedrooms in Lexington for about 800-1300 dollars a month. A few buddies of mine actually purchased a nice house in a smaller subdivision in Northern Kentucky, Taylor Mill and their house payment is about 11 a month.. It depends on what you are looking for really.

Oh, I am sooo sorry, I can only afford about 1300 for all services, rent, lights and gas. I am not sure how water works there. I had put this post also for NC and MILwalkee.. and BOYYYYY the people in Milwalkee are sooo rude!! I was really surprised! Most didn't want to respond to my ? but only to say not to come, and one even said "4?? why so many??" So I know where I WILL NOT be moving!

[desiree253]

Most of rural Kentucky outside of Lexington and Louisville themselves, you can find a rental and all utilities for way less than that!! In most of Eastern Kentucky, the rentals for 3 and 4 bdrm houses are between $550 to $800 a month. All utilities for a family and house that size, shouldn't run you more than $150 to $200 a month tops.. unless it has gas heat.. then you're looking at about three months of the year to have a pretty high gas bill... (like around $250-$350). Most people who have gas heat use the "budget plan" and usually only pay about $50 to $60 a month for gas usage.

Good luck and hope you find Kentucky to be your new home! It's great here!

[missymomof3]

I can't say that I have personally ever had a $350 heat bill and I have a gas furnace but that may change, who knows. I hope you find what you need hun!