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I have requested to telework from Lexington, KY (to be near family) and it looks like it will be ultimately approved. I was hoping to solicit your opinions on a couple of things.
1) I am not certain if we will be purchasing a pre-existing home, or going for new construction. Should we build, are there any home-builders/general contractors known for high quality in the $150k-$200k range?
Family members have had homes built by Ball Homes in the past, and during construction it was apparent they cut a lot of corners, including 2-inch gaps between trusses and "load bearing" beams. Sure enough, a couple years down the road, drywall was cracking in several locations. I was investigating Briggs Homes and received a less than enthusiastic endorsement from someone in the know. M&M Properties was recommended by that same person but they weren't aware of my price range, so I'm not certain they even build homes in that range. Any recommendations?
Also, for new construction, any recommendation for areas? I think I'd prefer to exclude the Masterson Station area due to schools. My son is only 7 months old, but resale (hopefully many years down the road) would be a factor, and I'm afraid BSHS would have a dampening effect on value. To complicate any recommendation, I have a family member who would like to move to the neighborhood we ultimately pick, and their price range is $200k-$300k. This family member also works from home, so commute wouldn't be an issue for either of us.
2) I will be connecting to an internal network to do QA/testing for a software company so a stable internet connection is critical. I've read that people in Hopkinsville/Louisville that have already gone through the Insight -> Time Warner Cable transition have experienced a noticeable decrease in reliability. Could anyone who is frequently home during the day offer any experience on the reliability of Windstream or other ISPs during business hours? I'm hesitant to pay for business class internet since the price is so much higher; two residential accounts from different companies would be less expensive.
3) Finally, any recommendation on furniture stores in the area, or that deliver to Lexington, that provide good value (durability/price)? Gently used would be great, but not required, if they deliver. We have a preference for furniture sourced and made in the USA.
Thanks for any and all information you can provide!
There is really no significant difference among any buiilders. They all view code as the most they will do and code is really to be considered the minimum. In all reality, it has been like this for the past 30 years so more than likely, and exisiting home you buy will be the same. Ball has been building for decades all over Lexington. If you do not want a Ball Home, you have probably knocked out 25% of all homes 30 years old or newer.
Go for existing homes in a good school district. As a realtor, I am seeing too many people forget the basics in this super hot market we have right now. It reminds me of 2003-2005 when people just felt lucky to have gotten a house. A house with a nice floor plan, on a fairly level lot, on a nice street in a good neighborhood with a decent school district is going to appreciate the most in good times and will lose the least value in bad times......that's where a good realtor can be of benefit :-)
Lexington has an Amish Gallery, which sells solid wood furniture made in the US. You can also find locally and regionally made (often handmade) wooden furniture (chairs, case goods) down the road in Berea, but these are handcrafted pieces that can be pricey - they hold their value, however, and are far better than the churned-out stuff in big box stores. There are also numerous antique and good used furniture stores in Lexington and the surrounding communities - see Room Service (on Liberty Road), Olde Towne Antique Mall (in Versailles), Clark's Antiques (Winchester Road) and many more. Estate sales and auctions are also good sources of solid furniture, and they are held weekly.
I agree - go for a good house in an existing neighborhood close to popular amenities and necessities. Look for good schools within walking distance, proximity to neighborhood shops (groceries, drugstores, banks, dry cleaners) and churches, and preferably on a bus line. Well-maintained houses in our well-kept older neighborhoods hold their value and have a lot more character than many of the newer subdivisions, which have small lots and much repetition of floorplan and style.
I had a bit of trouble with Windstream one day last week - turned out they were upgrading, and the glitches were temporary. That was about the first time I was aware of problems in over five years of use - otherwise, they've been fine.
I live in the boonies of Northern Garrard County and use Windstream. Like CraigCreek, I had a problem last week and had no internet access for the whole day. That is not the norm. I can only remember one other time that I had a problem in almost 5 years.
Well, I have only used Insight internet, haven't noticed any difference yet...it is lightening fast (but pricier than most others.) If you are looking for furniture at a much lower cost rate, Lexington Overstock off of Nicholasville Road, is really good, I have gotten furniture from them, and they have some great deals.
Oak Factory Outlet is located in the Brannon Crossing Shopping Center, just over the Fayette County line in Jessamine County. It is family-owned and has solidly built furniture (including upholstered pieces) which is likely to wear well.
Thanks for the tips, definitely places I'll check out when we make it back to the bluegrass (I lived in Lexington in middle school).
We're still waiting for the final OK from my work, so we're driving ourselves crazy in the meantime looking at hundreds of houses online and trying to plan everything before we get there.
We haven't had much luck finding houses in our price range in the school district (ACE) we would want to be in long term, so we're currently thinking about finding something less expensive than we were planning in the Liberty area, with the intention of renting it out and moving once our 1 year old is ready to start Kindergarten.
We have an official moving date now (August 3rd), and our circumstances have changed somewhat. My wife will be staying home with our son for the foreseeable future, so our price range has dropped to $100k-$150k. Also, my family member has decided to stay where they are (Hamburg Farms area), and we would like to be as close to them as possible, without being in the Bryan Station HS school district.
My current thought is something that borders Andover. I see a few houses for sale on Tyler Ct, and that area seems like it could have potential. Anyone have any concerns for that area, things I should be watching out for? I'm not used to seeing 1-car garages where I currently live, but that seems to be prevalent in my price range there. We only need a 1-car garage, but do you think that will hurt rent-ability or resale down the road?
Thanks in advance!
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