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Hello all! I am currently residing in the High Desert of California with my wife and 3 little girls. For various reasons, we are unhappy with our life here and want to move. I am looking for a lower priced area that doesn't experience much in the way of Tornados, at least some snow and no crazy hot and sticky deep south summers. My initial desire was for Eastern Tennessee, as I lived there a couple years as a child and have always wanted to move back, but there are few properties in our price range, most of which are short on land and are a mobilehome, which we would rather not have. This is going to be our forever home, so we would like a house.
So far Eastern Kentucky, with the scenic mountains mixed with tillable land and inexpensive properties, as well as Maine, with its amazing scenery and cheap land are at the top of our list. As far as price range, we will have, at most, $80k to work with. My preference is to be below that to have money for repairs, etc.
My criteria are as follows-
-3 bedroom or more house.
-Preferably older home I can restore over time.
-2 acres minimum, at least 5-10 preferred.
-Some tillable land to be self sufficient, as well as far enough from town to not have to worry about people getting bothered by a large garden or some chickens.
-Acess to hunting- on my own land all the better.
-At least a 2 car garage, preferably a larger garage or barn to convert into my shop.
-Hopefully a good church nearby to plug in to.
That gets pretty specific, and narrows the options down considerably. I am finding houses that meet my criteria in east Kentucky as well as through out Maine. I would prefer hills and mountains over flat land, such as western KY, but am amiable to it as a possibility. Now, my concerns-
Kentucky-
-My BIGGEST CONCERN about Eastern KY- water quality. I have yet to find a map of areas of concern, what counties have problem water supplies from mining runoff, etc. I do NOT want to move my family to an area where my well catches fire or runs a different color but clear. Any ideas? If north eastern KY better than south eastern?
-um... pretty much everything else about the area seems great.
Maine-
-much liberalism and over taxation.
-over taxation. Houses I am looking at, in the middle of nowhere with a couple acres of land, can have $2k+ property tax bills. Insane.
-COLD. Will we freeze? Dunno.
-Cost of living. The cost to heat through half the year, as well as higher food prices when the weather is inclement and we cannot provide our own.
-taxes and costs. Registration for my 2000 Excursion is over $160, PLUS yearly inspections.
-Much more difficult to homeschool, which we do with all our children.
-plus and minus here- post Christian culture. The mission field in Maine is massive, but I fear also being without a support Community if there are no good churches around.
BUT- Maine is remote. Cheap to buy in to. Less likely to have to deal with people in an SHTF situation. There are many positives to Maine, if it wasn't for the cost of living.
As I said, we homeschool- 2, 5, and 8 yr old girls. Quality of public schools is not an issue. I am self employed. I currently own a woodshop, producing everything from custom pistol grips and guitars to furniture and full kitchens. I am working on setting up the business to be primarily online, but shops within driving distance I can consign work to would be nice. Also, reliable Internet is a must, even if it is DSL or cellular. I would like to be within driving distance of a city with a hospital and whatnot should the need arise. Say, an hour away?
So, what say you, great Kentucky CD forum? Is East KY a good fit for us? Where is the water safe? Any other input?
Word of advice;do not move to Eastern Kentucky. Its terrible. Extreme amounts of poverty and drug abuse. Most people who grow up their want nothing more then to leave.
Last edited by Oldhag1; 09-11-2017 at 11:31 AM..
Reason: Language
The Lexington, KY area is the only part of KY that I like. Maine has brutal winters, EKY is Meth heaven. I would stay west of the rockies and avoid the Humidity of the Eastern half of the country.
Hello all! I am currently residing in the High Desert of California with my wife and 3 little girls. For various reasons, we are unhappy with our life here and want to move. I am looking for a lower priced area that doesn't experience much in the way of Tornados, at least some snow and no crazy hot and sticky deep south summers. My initial desire was for Eastern Tennessee, as I lived there a couple years as a child and have always wanted to move back, but there are few properties in our price range, most of which are short on land and are a mobilehome, which we would rather not have. This is going to be our forever home, so we would like a house.
So far Eastern Kentucky, with the scenic mountains mixed with tillable land and inexpensive properties, as well as Maine, with its amazing scenery and cheap land are at the top of our list. As far as price range, we will have, at most, $80k to work with. My preference is to be below that to have money for repairs, etc.
My criteria are as follows-
-3 bedroom or more house.
-Preferably older home I can restore over time.
-2 acres minimum, at least 5-10 preferred.
-Some tillable land to be self sufficient, as well as far enough from town to not have to worry about people getting bothered by a large garden or some chickens.
-Acess to hunting- on my own land all the better.
-At least a 2 car garage, preferably a larger garage or barn to convert into my shop.
-Hopefully a good church nearby to plug in to.
That gets pretty specific, and narrows the options down considerably. I am finding houses that meet my criteria in east Kentucky as well as through out Maine. I would prefer hills and mountains over flat land, such as western KY, but am amiable to it as a possibility. Now, my concerns-
Kentucky-
-My BIGGEST CONCERN about Eastern KY- water quality. I have yet to find a map of areas of concern, what counties have problem water supplies from mining runoff, etc. I do NOT want to move my family to an area where my well catches fire or runs a different color but clear. Any ideas? If north eastern KY better than south eastern?
-um... pretty much everything else about the area seems great.
Maine-
-much liberalism and over taxation.
-over taxation. Houses I am looking at, in the middle of nowhere with a couple acres of land, can have $2k+ property tax bills. Insane.
-COLD. Will we freeze? Dunno.
-Cost of living. The cost to heat through half the year, as well as higher food prices when the weather is inclement and we cannot provide our own.
-taxes and costs. Registration for my 2000 Excursion is over $160, PLUS yearly inspections.
-Much more difficult to homeschool, which we do with all our children.
-plus and minus here- post Christian culture. The mission field in Maine is massive, but I fear also being without a support Community if there are no good churches around.
BUT- Maine is remote. Cheap to buy in to. Less likely to have to deal with people in an SHTF situation. There are many positives to Maine, if it wasn't for the cost of living.
As I said, we homeschool- 2, 5, and 8 yr old girls. Quality of public schools is not an issue. I am self employed. I currently own a woodshop, producing everything from custom pistol grips and guitars to furniture and full kitchens. I am working on setting up the business to be primarily online, but shops within driving distance I can consign work to would be nice. Also, reliable Internet is a must, even if it is DSL or cellular. I would like to be within driving distance of a city with a hospital and whatnot should the need arise. Say, an hour away?
So, what say you, great Kentucky CD forum? Is East KY a good fit for us? Where is the water safe? Any other input?
Thanks!
My mother is from southeastern KY originally, and a couple of her siblings still live there. It's pretty impoverished, economically depressed, and isolated--but is a nice hilly area with countryside that is--and can feel--extremely remote. It is probably one of the top 3 areas in the United States for poverty.
Jobs are quite scarce, and drug abuse is rampant. I would suggest if you are deadset on Kentucky, to steer west of interstate 75 in the state. The Lexington metro is really pretty, and also south central Kentucky is pretty as well.
My advice is visit first, research, secure a job, then move.
I lived north of Bangor, Maine for a while. If you can handle the cold and snow it's a good place to live. Clean air, clean water and the people generally don't get into your personal business if you know what I mean. Maine is more Conservative and Libertarian once you get north of August and Waterville and west to the Canadian border. Property tax rates vary from town to town. You can probably find something with taxes under 2 grand a year if you look hard enough. Bangor and Waterville have most basic services that you would need including some employment opportunities. Finding employment up in the Presque Isle and Caribou areas will be more of a challenge.
I am new to KY and can't comment on the eastern part of the state. Currently living in NKY near Cincinnati. Overall not a bad place to live compared to some places I've lived in the past.
There a a number on Trulia below 80 with anywhere from 2 to 15 or so acres. All are liveable but need updating or repairs. I am a woodworker who has also done handyman work, electrical installation, low voltage electrical and home remodeling. Something with a good foundation and roof, good septic and well and serviceable utilities is all I am looking for. I can replumb, rewire, repair, etc, over time. I agree there are no cherry houses with acreage that are in perfect shape, but that isn't what I am looking for.
There a a number on Trulia below 80 with anywhere from 2 to 15 or so acres. All are liveable but need updating or repairs. I am a woodworker who has also done handyman work, electrical installation, low voltage electrical and home remodeling. Something with a good foundation and roof, good septic and well and serviceable utilities is all I am looking for. I can replumb, rewire, repair, etc, over time. I agree there are no cherry houses with acreage that are in perfect shape, but that isn't what I am looking for.
The area around Lexington is the best bet for future job growth, investment, and future real estate appreciation. Eastern KY has a few pockets of opportunity, but far less overall with large scale population declines, job declines, and environmental contamination due to mountaintop removal sites. Satellite imagery on google maps is easy to pinpoint the counties that have most of the sites.
Hello all! I am currently residing in the High Desert of California with my wife and 3 little girls. For various reasons, we are unhappy with our life here and want to move. I am looking for a lower priced area that doesn't experience much in the way of Tornados, at least some snow and no crazy hot and sticky deep south summers. My initial desire was for Eastern Tennessee, as I lived there a couple years as a child and have always wanted to move back, but there are few properties in our price range, most of which are short on land and are a mobilehome, which we would rather not have. This is going to be our forever home, so we would like a house.
So far Eastern Kentucky, with the scenic mountains mixed with tillable land and inexpensive properties, as well as Maine, with its amazing scenery and cheap land are at the top of our list. As far as price range, we will have, at most, $80k to work with. My preference is to be below that to have money for repairs, etc.
My criteria are as follows-
-3 bedroom or more house.
-Preferably older home I can restore over time.
-2 acres minimum, at least 5-10 preferred.
-Some tillable land to be self sufficient, as well as far enough from town to not have to worry about people getting bothered by a large garden or some chickens.
-Acess to hunting- on my own land all the better.
-At least a 2 car garage, preferably a larger garage or barn to convert into my shop.
-Hopefully a good church nearby to plug in to.
That gets pretty specific, and narrows the options down considerably. I am finding houses that meet my criteria in east Kentucky as well as through out Maine. I would prefer hills and mountains over flat land, such as western KY, but am amiable to it as a possibility. Now, my concerns-
Kentucky-
-My BIGGEST CONCERN about Eastern KY- water quality. I have yet to find a map of areas of concern, what counties have problem water supplies from mining runoff, etc. I do NOT want to move my family to an area where my well catches fire or runs a different color but clear. Any ideas? If north eastern KY better than south eastern?
-um... pretty much everything else about the area seems great.
Maine-
-much liberalism and over taxation.
-over taxation. Houses I am looking at, in the middle of nowhere with a couple acres of land, can have $2k+ property tax bills. Insane.
-COLD. Will we freeze? Dunno.
-Cost of living. The cost to heat through half the year, as well as higher food prices when the weather is inclement and we cannot provide our own.
-taxes and costs. Registration for my 2000 Excursion is over $160, PLUS yearly inspections.
-Much more difficult to homeschool, which we do with all our children.
-plus and minus here- post Christian culture. The mission field in Maine is massive, but I fear also being without a support Community if there are no good churches around.
BUT- Maine is remote. Cheap to buy in to. Less likely to have to deal with people in an SHTF situation. There are many positives to Maine, if it wasn't for the cost of living.
As I said, we homeschool- 2, 5, and 8 yr old girls. Quality of public schools is not an issue. I am self employed. I currently own a woodshop, producing everything from custom pistol grips and guitars to furniture and full kitchens. I am working on setting up the business to be primarily online, but shops within driving distance I can consign work to would be nice. Also, reliable Internet is a must, even if it is DSL or cellular. I would like to be within driving distance of a city with a hospital and whatnot should the need arise. Say, an hour away?
So, what say you, great Kentucky CD forum? Is East KY a good fit for us? Where is the water safe? Any other input?
Thanks!
Flaming water? ....I always get a good chuckle when I hear that. Don't forget ye fire extinguisher when ye go to the bathroom, ye might get a flare-up.
Eastern Kentucky at it's worst is still better than any where else that I can think of.
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....I always get a good chuckle when I hear that. Don't forget ye fire extinguisher when ye go to the bathroom, ye might get a flare-up.
