Moving to KY and need help deciding where (Lexington, Louisville: for sale, real estate)

[stanfordballard]

Where you are working
We are both physicians and one of us will need a big city near by with a large hospital.

-How much you are willing to spend on housing
500,000+

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate
20mins

-If you have kids: Private school or public school?

we want an area with a great school system and very low crime. it doesnt matter whether it is public or private

-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight?
I would like to build a 6-8000sq ft timber home on a 20+ acre farm with the house over looking a lake or river. I do not want to be to far away from people because I want my kids growing up with other children around. We have to be close to a big city for my wife to work and if I had my city of choice it would be Nashville

I can better describe it to you with pictures

I want to be close to something like newport on the levee
http://go2newport.com/newsletter/2007/images/levee_holiday.jpg (broken link)
with a house like this



file:///Users/callcenter2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg (broken link)and a farm like
file:///Users/callcenter2/Desktop/Screen%20shot%202009-11-04%20at%202.55.36%20PM.png (broken link)

next to a lake like thiswith access to a gym like this
http://www.brettcon.com/images/Urban%20Active%20Wellington%202.jpg (broken link)

does such a place exist in Kentucky?

[dixiegirl7]

Scottsville, Ky has Barren River lake and quite a bit of lakefront property for sale. It is 20 minutes from Bowling Green, Ky which has two hospitals and several clinics and about 50 minutes from Nashville which has a lot of hospitals. Have you checked out Hendersonville, TN? It has a beautiful lake with lakefront property and is only about 30 minutes from downtown Nashville.

[EclecticEars]

Consider based on your criteria...

In/near Metropolitan Louisville:

• Oldham County
• Hardin County, sans Radcliff and West Point.

In Metropolitan Northern Kentucky:

• Boone County, predominantly south of I-275 and west of US 42
• Kenton County, pred. south of I-275 and east of I-75
• Campbell County, pred. south of I-275.

I mention these b/c these are the only two real metropolitan/urban areas in Kentucky.

Of course, if you like the Lexington area, I suggest Madison County b/c of the mountain foothills and access to Model Lab, one of Kentucky's best public school systems. If you like the Owensboro area, I suggest outer Daviess, Hancock, or McLean Counties. If you like the Bowling Green area, then outer Warren County.

[tomocox]

Oldham County will meet 100% of your criteria. Scott County (Georgetown) is a close second. Oldham County is a bedroom community for Louisville. Louisville is fast becoming a medical mecca. From the first successful hand transplant, to early research using artificial hearts, Louisville with its basis of the University of Louisville Trauma/Research/Training Hospital, Jewish (hand and heart), Baptist Healthcare, Norton, and Kosair Children's, there is a demand for superior physicians.

Oldham County communities of Pewee Valley, Crestwood, LaGrange, Goshen, Westport, Ballardsville, Buckner, Centerfield, Prospect (part in Jefferson part in Oldham) and Brownsboro offer one of the most excellent environments for raising children, retreating from the workplace grind, worshiping in most any faith, and growing old around great friends.

We have a wonderful regional hospital, an arts community with many genre's and excellent public health and emergency services. Our schools with about 10,000 students had three National Merit Finalists in 2009, and there have been as many as six in one high school. Our school sports teams are regulars in regional and state tournaments, and our fields and woods are full of deer, wild turkey, raccoons, Canadian Geese, and the river and lakes are full of fighting fish!

[mdawg]

Something like this?? Not really a "log" home, but its in Jefferson County and comes with its own lake and 16+ acres. Close to Middletown and Downtown Louisville. There is a YMCA branch in Middletown, as well as another gym that I can't remember right now. The Summit (an outdoor lifestyle center) is probably 15-20 away from this house as well. A lot of new development is going on in this end of the county so 16 acres is getting pretty rare. Anyways, its a nice house, don't know if its what your looking for but the area its in sounds like it.
17400 Turtle Creek Tr, Louisville, KY, 40245 - MLS #1223327 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®

[CraigCreek]

Coulda sworn I posted in this thread yesterday...but can't find it, so perhaps the computer elves had it for dinner.

Anyway, I suggested looking near the Kentucky River in western Woodford or Jessamine Counties, or over on the other side in Garrard or Anderson Counties. Land near the river is rolling to hilly, wooded, beautiful, and very different in appearance and much lower in price than the pricey rural Inner Bluegrass. Lexington, with four large general hospitals and two specialized hospitals (Cardinal Hill Rehabilition Hospital and Shriners' Hospital for Children) is less than an hour away (much less in some cases).

Perfect topography for a log house (that's a log palace you're pictured, btw), with plenty of room for horses and a garden. No issues with zoning in this area that I am aware of, and the Kentucky River, while not (shamefully) swimmable due to coal and other pollution, is fine for boating and fishing. Just don't eat its fish more than once or twice a year (again, to our shame). The river is lined with spectacular Palisades in this area, 350 foot limestone cliffs, and a wide variety of wildlife and plantlife can be found here. If you prefer lakes to rivers, Herrington Lake isn't that far away and much larger lakes are within an hour or two of Lexington. Woodford County schools are said to be quite good, and you could enroll your kids in Lexington's private schools, if you don't mind the commute.

There are a number of very attractive rural properties, some with, some without houses, near the Kentucky River in Woodford County which presently are for sale at reasonable prices. Several have been for sale for a couple of years, so it's likely their owners would negotiate.

Your pictures above are lovely, but don't resemble Central Kentucky too much, other than the fall folliage one. We're a bit past that time at present, but both the Inner and Outer Bluegrass have considerable charms of their own, so I hope you'll come take a look.

[tomocox]

As an experienced Realtor, you will find that "log" homes, no matter how elaborate, will not hold the value a traditionally constructed home will. It's ok to purchase a log home, or build one, but do not expect to get the same value when you decided to sell, so buy cheaply.

[SFLWR]

Tom , really ? I had no idea about that (I've considered doing this in the future) Why does it lose value ?

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by SFLWR

Tom , really ? I had no idea about that (I've considered doing this in the future) Why does it lose value ?

I don't know the reason that a well built attractive log home isn't as valuable as its equivilent square foot sized home, but you can count on a 5-10% cut.

[mdawg]

Originally Posted by tomocox

I don't know the reason that a well built attractive log home isn't as valuable as its equivilent square foot sized home, but you can count on a 5-10% cut.

I would guess because the demand isn't as high? Not as many people are looking for log homes. Traditional brick homes are probably in higher demand, especially in this area, so they can be priced higher. I'm just speculating and thats the best reason I could come up with.