Considering retiring to Lexington--housing costs/negatives?

[LEXpert]

The houses in Southland are selling very fast right now for nice ones....and even some that aren't all that great. Prices have gone up about 2-3% since late last year. The best part of that whole area is between Eastway and Clays Mill from Southland Drive to Pasedena.

If you do move here, see any house you are interested in ASAP. I have often shown houses to clients in this area and had other realtors show it as I was coming or going. Last year there was not this much urgency.

[Debingber]

My husband and I are retired public educators. For 2 years we did demographic searches of different states and areas, and then started visiting the top choices. We fell in love with the Lexington area and after several additional visits sold our house in the Hudson Valley and moved to Richmond KY. We decided to aim for the Richmond area because we felt we could get alot more home for our money while still being close (20 min drive) to all of Lexington. Madison county (Richmond) also has lower taxes then Fayette (Lexington). We LOVE it here! For what we sold a 31 year old house on a 1/4 acre we bought a 10 year old house on over an acre. Our taxes dropped from $8,800 to $2,100. Most houses here are not gas heat, because electric is actually much cheaper than gas. Most houses have heat pumps for both heat and central air. I too was reticent to give up my gas stove, but have found that by investing in a really top of the line stove I have gotten used to using electric without much difficulty. Electric is so cheap here because they use most of their coal production within the state for electricity. Despite adding a great deal of square footage and central air, our average monthly electic bill has dropped from close to $300 to just over $100. Regarding the religious issue, we are Jewish (very lay back about it) and have not encountered any difficulty. Regarding activities, we have never been busier in our lives! We go to plays, concerts, radio shows (Wood Songs broadcasts from Lexington) constantly. Ticket prices for shows range from $8 at EKU for a broadway quality musical to $20 for a first rate repertory theater. We also visit many parks, historical sites, take lessons in guitar building, pottery, to name just a few. Medical care is great, my NY insurance is accepted and you can choose from multiple practices for every speciality you can think of. We have made friends both with native Kentuckians and northeast expats. We also bought our house for cash, and found that if you are willing to bargain you can get a really great deal. Hope you find this info helpful, I will gladly answer any other questions you may have from the view of two life long NYers.

[Atlanta1954]

I'd drive up and down the streets that branch off Euclid Avenue east of the University. It's got a wide variety of older houses and is within walking distance of Kroger grocery and UK... I love Transylvania Park.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by Atlanta1954

I'd drive up and down the streets that branch off Euclid Avenue east of the University. It's got a wide variety of older houses and is within walking distance of Kroger grocery and UK... I love Transylvania Park.

Interesting old turn-of-the-century cottages in this area, once better known as Chatauqua Woods, but be aware that there are many, many rentals which cater to UK students in this area, and that some landlords are not the best at maintaining their properties. Still, the location can't be beat, and if you venture up to the nearby and slightly younger (c.1920) Hollywood area, you'll find fewer student rentals and more owner-occupied houses.

[LouisvilleResident502]

Originally Posted by twinkletoes99

Hi all,

We are considering retiring to Lexington basement repair after we sell our house in NJ. Our biggest concern is being able to get a decent house in a good neighborhood for under $150K (that's sale price, not asking price, and we would be paying all cash). The house does not have to be fancy/upgraded (e.g., granite countertops) or bigger than 1000 sq ft., but it must be in a nice neighborhood within a couple miles of stores, restaurants, etc., as I like to walk everywhere and really log the miles daily. We prefer an older home and don't mind doing cosmetic improvements. Ideally, we would like to be within a couple of miles walking distance from the university. An older bungalow type or Craftsman would be a real find for us.

How common are natural gas homes? One thing that really matters to me is having natural gas fuel, especially for heat/hot water, and a gas kitchen. I despise electric stoves, as cooks often do.

Which areas of town should we avoid because of crime, etc.?

We are politically and religiously mixed--I will want a liberal Protestant Church (Methodist or Presbyterian), while hubby is agnostic/born Jewish. Both of us are live and let live when it comes to personal non-coercive behaviors and would have a hard time living in a place that's judgmental about personal lifestyles, but we've been led to understand that Lexington is more liberal. I've also heard that there are farmers markets, ethnic restaurants, all the good things in life.

Are there lots of cultural things to do at U of K, not just sporting events? While hubby will enjoy the sports, I'm looking more for the arts--student concerts, plays, art exhibits, and so on.

And finally, as the sticky thread asked for it, hubby prefers cake, I like pie and cake equally. Never met a dessert I didn't like!

Thanks for your help.

Just make sure your home is inspected very thoroughly. One of my buddies is a real estate agent over there and says people off-load bad homes all of the time. I know a lot of the older homes have VERY BAD foundation problems.

Other than that, the Lexington area is great.