Almost certainly headed to Louisville... suggestions would be most appreciated!! (Lexington: to rent, how much)

[soccercoach61]

Hi,

My wife and I are almost certainly headed to Louisville in the very near future. Here are my answers to the questions from the Newcomers sticky:

-Where you are working In the Medical Center

-How much you are willing to spend on housing $450-$650K (yes I know that's a really wide range, but from looking at realtor dot com we've seen houses across that range that we like)

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate We live about 15 miles from the Medical Center in Jackson... We've also lived in Memphis, Dallas, Houston, so drive times won't be much of an issue. That being said, we don't want to live in Frankfort or Lexington...

-If you have kids: Private school or public school? Kids are all grown, but this is an important question for re-sale (although we are hoping this will be a long-term relocation.) I guess the most important thing is, public or private, that they have good scores and good reputations.


-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? That depends on whether you ask me or my wife! She would probably like to deal with less than an acre, I would be good with up to about 5. My guess is we'll compromise on anything from a subdivision lot up to about 1 acre. Both of us love the sports aspect of Louisville, and its close proximity to 2 of our favorite NFL teams. We also like the variety of night life and cultural activities available. All that to say... wow, is there a happy medium between the three choices?

-Community amenities important to you We have a ski/wakeboard boat that we currently have in a marina here in Jackson. I don't know if those kind of activities are appropriate for the Ohio, or if we should be considering a marina at one of the other lakes around Louisville. Although our drive from our house to the marina is only about 20 minutes currently, that's not a critical factor.

-Pie or cake? Pie, definitely. Or can we have our cake and eat it, too?

We've spent a lot of time researching Louisville and I've already made three trips, although most of that time has been spent at the Medical Center. We are excited about the possibilities, and we're looking forward to the move.

Thanks in advance to everyone who responds, and please post up if I've left something out or if you have other questions that could help.

Thanks!!

[sweetpickle]

Unfortunately it doesn't narrow it down too much but fortunately your price point gives you plenty of options in the greater Louisville area. It really all depends on your desired lifestyle and what you area willing to compromise on. You can look up many posts with much detail about the surrounding areas but it's probably in your best interest to rent and get to know the different areas first before buying.
If anyone mentions cultural activities and variety of nightlife...most will suggest the Highlands area but St Matthews, CLifton Heights and Crescent Hill all have some walkability and more events or life to them than the northern Oldham County options such as Prospect, in my opinion. Everyone's different - some would rave about Prospect - a little higher end and certainly pretty to drive through but not much going on, in general. When doing your research just keep in mind that everyone's opinion is not nearly as important as what you and your wife are looking for and what ultimately the area has to offer you. I don't know Jackson but by the cities that you listed, be aware that Louisville has a very small town feel to it. You've been here just 3 times...if you are looking for big city lights and excitement...keep looking. But if you are looking for generally, quiet with low cost of living, a lot of square footage for your dollar (more per $ in Oldham County), small amount of eclectic, artsy areas with very traditional backgrounds...you might very much enjoy Louisville. The people here are the friendliest around! Check out this resource for researching relocation Places Rated Almanac: The Classic Guide for Finding Your Best Places to Live in America | Best Places To Retire (http://www.bestplacesretire.com/blog/best-places-to-retire/places-rated-almanac-the-classic-guide-for-finding-your-best-places-to-live-in-america - broken link). I also recommend Richard Florida. Good Luck in your research...just remember it's all relative!

[soccercoach61]

Thanks, sweetpickle. Jackson, while the largest city in Mississippi, is much smaller than the Louisville MSA - Jackson is less than 180,000 proper and about 600,000 in the MSA - very small town feel with some larger city accents, which we both like. Louisville feels the same way to me, but with WAY more to do than Jackson, and I like that very much.

Thanks again, I'll check out those areas you mentioned.

-Chuck

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by sweetpickle

Unfortunately it doesn't narrow it down too much but fortunately your price point gives you plenty of options in the greater Louisville area. It really all depends on your desired lifestyle and what you area willing to compromise on. You can look up many posts with much detail about the surrounding areas but it's probably in your best interest to rent and get to know the different areas first before buying.
If anyone mentions cultural activities and variety of nightlife...most will suggest the Highlands area but St Matthews, CLifton Heights and Crescent Hill all have some walkability and more events or life to them than the northern Oldham County options such as Prospect, in my opinion. Everyone's different - some would rave about Prospect - a little higher end and certainly pretty to drive through but not much going on, in general. When doing your research just keep in mind that everyone's opinion is not nearly as important as what you and your wife are looking for and what ultimately the area has to offer you. I don't know Jackson but by the cities that you listed, be aware that Louisville has a very small town feel to it. You've been here just 3 times...if you are looking for big city lights and excitement...keep looking. But if you are looking for generally, quiet with low cost of living, a lot of square footage for your dollar (more per $ in Oldham County), small amount of eclectic, artsy areas with very traditional backgrounds...you might very much enjoy Louisville. The people here are the friendliest around! Check out this resource for researching relocation Places Rated Almanac: The Classic Guide for Finding Your Best Places to Live in America | Best Places To Retire (http://www.bestplacesretire.com/blog/best-places-to-retire/places-rated-almanac-the-classic-guide-for-finding-your-best-places-to-live-in-america - broken link). I also recommend Richard Florida. Good Luck in your research...just remember it's all relative!

Sweetp.. you did very well except for the more per square foot cost of OC. Oldham County homes typically have much more land. The typical lot in Jefferson county is .2 acre or less with a 3-4000 sq ft house while the same house in Oldham Co will be on a 1/2 acre or larger lot.

[sweetpickle]

Thanx Tomocox...I feel like I passed some sort of test...but I wrote "more Per $"...intending more square footage per dollar...it seems in Louisville as other areas, the closer you are to the city proper ie amenities, cultural centers etc., the greater $/ft2...