Please help Kentucky homesteading (Lexington, Bowling Green: low crime, mobile home, living)

[kydc]

Hi all, this is my second post in this forum, and I am reaching out as my criteria has somewhat evolved. My family is considering relocating from SC and KY is a possibility. Here are our criteria:

low crime
no significant drug problem (I know this is somewhat everywhere but KY seems to come out on bottom in most research so what is the actual deal with it?)
mountain views with a mixture of land to build on/farm
access to natural beauty such as creeks, waterfalls, hiking
affordable land (20 acres or so)
low to no building restrictions (allowance of homesteading and the building of one's own home)


Does anywhere in Kentucky fit this bill? I know traveling will best help to figure this out but I need to narrow it down somewhat before then. Before I was looking east of Lexington, but am now wondering if south central would make more sense (land more suitable for growing etc). Outside of Bowling Green, London, Somerset? There are so many counties, if any of them fit our criteria please help us narrow it down a bit. Thank you

[censusdata]

I recently bought a small tract of rural land myself and looking through lots of listings the cheapest land seems to be South Central KY, along and south of Cumberland Pky from near Glasgow to Somerset. In coal mining areas of EKY a lot of land is bulk owned by coal and timber companies, so land prices are higher than expected. Codes are usually more lax the more rural the county, though everything within a couple counties of Lexington is very strict with minimum acreage to build a home, no mobile homes, etc.

[kydc]

Thanks! We’re looking for a homesteading friendly county where you can live in an rv, build your own home etc without someone over your shoulder. Any counties to avoid for one reason or another?

[NW Crow]

They aren't going to have mountain scenery but around Hopkinsville and Russellville fit decently on most other criteria. Hill country and lakes nearby, mountains reachable on long weekends.

Crossville TN is another option. Nice natural areas. Moderate hills, some waterfalls I believe. Some land prices are jacked up as recreational / retirement property but go 20-40 miles out and it is probably more reasonable.

Yet another option would be the area of SW Virginia between Abingdon and Wytheville.

[kydc]

Does anyone know counties that are friendly to this kind of thing? That allow rv living, building ones own home, etc. I can never find Ky mentioned in homesteading resources but always TN. So just trying to figure out if this is possible there, as I’m turned off by TNs crime rate.

[Lord of the Dance]

I have a lot of experience in Adair, Cumberland and Metcalfe counties and less experience in the surrounding counties. I would avoid Burkesville and Glasgow and the immediate vicinity of Edmonton (city limits and maybe a mile or two out). Otherwise, the stretch you are looking at (Russell County to Bowling Green) is pretty nice in my experience. I would really avoid Burkesville, though.

[hogsrus]

I have a little experience also...why would you avoid Glasgow?