Another one coming in! (Lexington, Louisville: apartments, rentals, credit)

[palejuneday]

Hi! THis forum has been a great resource for me and I have read over many posts. I just wanted to see about getting some opinions on my situation. We are getting a lot from friends and family, but they have a vested interest in what we do, it would be nice to hear from some people who are somewhat objective!

-Where you are working - Wife - GE Appliance Park, Husband - Lexington So we really want to stay on the East End preferably near 64. That should be pretty easy.

-How much you are willing to spend on housing - We can probably go up to $1200. We need 3 bedrooms and are looking to rent while we try to sell our house. Apartments are what we have been looking at and if we go that route at this point we have narrowed down to Mallard Crossing or Canter Chase.

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate - 20-30 minutes for the wife at GE me I'll have 1 hour and 15 from just about anywhere.

-If you have kids: Private school or public school? Public school...and this is kind of the rub. It seems like most elementary schools on the East End are pretty good. But I am really not understanding the clusters and all and how that works. Mallard Crossing goes to St. Matthews Elem. and Canter goes to Bowen.

Are there other areas/communities that we should be looking at? Are we doing ourselves a big disservice by not looking at renting homes? Is there ever any possibilities of renting in the Anchorage school district?

I come from a pretty small town (Irvine, Ky.) and while I used to live in Lexington, I didn't have kids or anything then, and really Lexington is a pretty small town in many ways. From the scouting trips I have taken to Louisville, I can see that the two don't compare. Living in Louisville will be quite a bit more complex than I am used too!

I really do wonder about Anchorage, I have been hearing about how great it is since I was a little kid! Thank you so much for any help!

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by palejuneday

-Where you are working - Wife - GE Appliance Park, Husband - Lexington So we really want to stay on the East End preferably near 64. That should be pretty easy.

-How much you are willing to spend on housing - We can probably go up to $1200. We need 3 bedrooms and are looking to rent while we try to sell our house. Apartments are what we have been looking at and if we go that route at this point we have narrowed down to Mallard Crossing or Canter Chase.

Are there other areas/communities that we should be looking at? Are we doing ourselves a big disservice by not looking at renting homes? Is there ever any possibilities of renting in the Anchorage school district?

I really do wonder about Anchorage, I have been hearing about how great it is since I was a little kid! Thank you so much for any help!

You seem to have already done your "home" work. Yes, in this market all things are possible, but taxes alone in Anchorage will prevent a three-bed room rental.

As for best deal in east end under your terms, I would look to 40299 zip code. It's a stretch, but if you don't go that way, you could try 40056 (Pewee Valley) The area of PV with your value rentals has a back way in to speed you on your way to either Lexington or GE, plus your kids get Oldham County Schools.

[stx12499]

Oh, Tom, always pushing Oldham County

....I think you have two main options here. The first would be to live near the 265 and I-64 interchange. This area is known as Middletown. The nice part about it is that you are close to upscale Anchorage but in a different area if you will. Great school district and shopping amenities nearby. The other option is to locate in fast growing Shelby County, in either Simpsonville or Shelbyville. The latter is a nice self contained exurban area with its own big box shopping and movie theatre. It is 40 minutes to downtown Louisville (worse traffic) and about the same to Lexington. Shelby County has a more rural feel that you may like in parts, but there are also wonderful subdivisions with homes for rent, and it is a good school district.

Try searching Craigslist....there may be a few Middletown home rentals. I reallyu think you need to be near an I-64 interchange for your husband's commute. To be honest, there is not that much of a difference time wise between locating near I-64 Grinstead interchange in Crescent Hilll and the I-64 Blankenbaker interchange in Middletown, so don't rule out urban living if that interests you.

Finally, you are right...Louisville is a very big city compared to Lexington, but it is small enough to be manageable.

[louroclou]

Palejune... welcome! My father and all his kin came from Irvine. Dad is buried in the cemetery there, alongside my Peepaw and Granny. When we went down for the funeral, I visited the road that was the Wilson homestead: Granny and Peepaw's, Aunt Ollie's, Uncle Don's , Uncle Harnie's, Aunt Nettie's. Back when I was a kid and we visited (I stayed almost all summer many years), we called the road Trottin' Ridge. 40 years later, homes were gone, for the most part, replaced by suburban- looking houses instead of the inviting simple country homes from before. And the road had an official sign: Trotting Ridge Road. That 'g' tells a story.

Irvine's claims to fame (besides my family!) include the great actor Harry Dean Stanton Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson. And that sulphur springs that stinks up the place in an interesting way.

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by stx12499

Oh, Tom, always pushing Oldham County

....I think you have two main options here. The first would be to live near the 265 and I-64 interchange. This area is known as Middletown. The nice part about it is that you are close to upscale Anchorage but in a different area if you will. Great school district and shopping amenities nearby. The other option is to locate in fast growing Shelby County, in either Simpsonville or Shelbyville. The latter is a nice self contained exurban area with its own big box shopping and movie theatre. It is 40 minutes to downtown Louisville (worse traffic) and about the same to Lexington. Shelby County has a more rural feel that you may like in parts, but there are also wonderful subdivisions with homes for rent, and it is a good school district.

Try searching Craigslist....there may be a few Middletown home rentals. I reallyu think you need to be near an I-64 interchange for your husband's commute. To be honest, there is not that much of a difference time wise between locating near I-64 Grinstead interchange in Crescent Hilll and the I-64 Blankenbaker interchange in Middletown, so don't rule out urban living if that interests you.

Finally, you are right...Louisville is a very big city compared to Lexington, but it is small enough to be manageable.

STX, you need to get over it. Oldham County is the only choice for people with children moving into a politically ravaged school district such as JCPS.

You made me the scapegoat for your antics of putting the people of Oldham County down, now, stop acting like you lost. People are tired of your anti-Oldham County antics. I have fairly and justly praised all areas of this market when the situation allows. I could care less where a person lives so long as its the right place for them. People with children must be made aware of the economically beneficial reasons Oldham County living is good for them. If they need or choose to live somewhere else, that is perfectly fine with me, but they must know the good deal that awaits them in Oldham County when quality education is involved.

If you have proof that my assessment of the OP's needs are misguided, please by all means inform them, but be sure that mine are wrong before you discredit them.

[palejuneday]

Thanks everyone so far!

Before this devolves into the Oldham/Jefferson debate I would just say that Oldham is too far a commute to Lexington. In a couple of years after we have settled down a bit, and I maybe get a job in Louisville, it's just untenable. As for Shelby county, at first we looked there, but the problem with it was that as you mentioned it is 40 minutes away from everything including our kids. If there was a problem at school or something one of us couldn't run over there real quick. I don't want my wife on the road commuting that much so we decided on Louisville.

OK so Anchorage is out. Maybe after I sell my house we could look at purchasing, then a whole other discussion comes up!

All of East Louisville is pretty safe correct?

[palejuneday]

Originally Posted by louroclou

Palejune... welcome! My father and all his kin came from Irvine. Dad is buried in the cemetery there, alongside my Peepaw and Granny. When we went down for the funeral, I visited the road that was the Wilson homestead: Granny and Peepaw's, Aunt Ollie's, Uncle Don's , Uncle Harnie's, Aunt Nettie's. Back when I was a kid and we visited (I stayed almost all summer many years), we called the road Trottin' Ridge. 40 years later, homes were gone, for the most part, replaced by suburban- looking houses instead of the inviting simple country homes from before. And the road had an official sign: Trotting Ridge Road. That 'g' tells a story.

Irvine's claims to fame (besides my family!) include the great actor Harry Dean Stanton Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson. And that sulphur springs that stinks up the place in an interesting way.

I like Irvine OK, the people are nice for the most part. I have spent most of my life here. I am just feeling a little constrained by the small-minded nature of the place. We want someplace a little more diverse for our kids and someplace with more to do (including jobs) for us!

[rpb502]

Originally Posted by palejuneday

Thanks everyone so far!

Before this devolves into the Oldham/Jefferson debate I would just say that Oldham is too far a commute to Lexington. In a couple of years after we have settled down a bit, and I maybe get a job in Louisville, it's just untenable. As for Shelby county, at first we looked there, but the problem with it was that as you mentioned it is 40 minutes away from everything including our kids. If there was a problem at school or something one of us couldn't run over there real quick. I don't want my wife on the road commuting that much so we decided on Louisville.

OK so Anchorage is out. Maybe after I sell my house we could look at purchasing, then a whole other discussion comes up!

All of East Louisville is pretty safe correct?

Yes, absolutely.

In fact, as a whole, Louisville is the 8th safest large city in the U.S.

[InLondon]

Originally Posted by stx12499

Oh, Tom, always pushing Oldham County

I know I'm not Tom, but he's right though, Oldham County is a great choice for anybody to live almost. Unless you're wanting city life that is.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by tomocox

STX, you need to get over it. Oldham County is the only choice for people with children moving into a politically ravaged school district such as JCPS.

You made me the scapegoat for your antics of putting the people of Oldham County down, now, stop acting like you lost. People are tired of your anti-Oldham County antics. I have fairly and justly praised all areas of this market when the situation allows. I could care less where a person lives so long as its the right place for them. People with children must be made aware of the economically beneficial reasons Oldham County living is good for them. If they need or choose to live somewhere else, that is perfectly fine with me, but they must know the good deal that awaits them in Oldham County when quality education is involved.

If you have proof that my assessment of the OP's needs are misguided, please by all means inform them, but be sure that mine are wrong before you discredit them.

Please, calm down. We have been through this before. The OP agrees it is too far, and it is simply not an option for such a long commute. There are 100,000 children in JCPS, so tell me, how is Oldham the "only place for kids." Are those parents dumb? Quite frankly, I am tired of the realtor push toward Oldham. Given the conditions put forth, I recommended eastern Jefferson and Shelby Counties.

I have nothing personal against Oldham, but rather try to accomodate the relocaters needs, as they agree! I think JCPS has some wonderful and diverse schools, especially at the top. Having kids and relocating to Louisville Metro does NOT mean you have to move to Oldham. Should you look at Oldham? Well I think so! But relocaters need to know there are options. I think people need a non Oldham County based realtor's perspective as well.

Palejune, I would focus my search in the Middletown area if Shelby is not an option. Believe me, the well educated professionals of Middletown are not sending their kids to junky schools. Additionally the entire east end is 1000% safe all around. Even though its in the "city" it is realy the suburbs. Many relocaters do not comprehend that. I sure didn't, as most cities aren't merged with their county. Normally when you think "city" you think danger, but that is just not the case in Louisville. Or maybe I am used to much larger (and more dangerous) cities? It could be a mix of both.