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My fiance and I are living in Englewood, Colorado and are looking to move to the Lexington/Nicholasville area in a year (Jan 2016). We are fed up with the high living costs and population implosion that has happened in the Denver metro area over the last 5 years. Lexington seems economically stable and a beautiful place to live, plus it gets us both closer to our families in Missouri and New York. We know absolutely no one in the Lexington area and would love some feedback on areas to avoid, recommended real estate agents, RV storage, and any other tidbits that you might think are helpful. We will be there in May 2015 to look around and finalize our decision. How exciting for us, a fresh start in beautiful country . I appreciate all of your feedback, thank you.
Good luck on the move! I was born and raised in Lexington (but living in AZ now). It's a beautiful part of the country.
You mention the Lexington / Nicholasville area -- Nicholasville is a bit cheaper, as the Jessamine county property taxes are cheaper, and property values are lower. There's plenty of people who commute from Nicholasville to Lexington, though from what I hear from my brother (who still lives there), and a lot of friends, traffic has been getting worse and worse since I left. Nicholasville Road has always been pretty bad at rush hour -- It's one of the big, wide roads into town, and goes straight to UK campus (one of the biggest employers in town). Any idea where you'll be working? It'll give a better idea of where in town you should look into.
My brother lives in this area (Google Maps). I actually spent most of my childhood in the neighborhood labeled "Willow Oak". Just east of there is a lot of new development. 3-4 bedroom houses, all around $150-250k. US-27 is Nicholasville Road, for reference. That area is in Fayette County / Lexington (less of a commute), but still pretty affordable. Downtown is a lot of fun, plenty of bars, restaurants, events, etc. There seems to be something going on every weekend, if you know where to look. The Kentucky Horse Park is also pretty cool to visit if you want to learn more about the history of the area, and the importance of the horse economy.
Don't really know much about real estate agents or RV parking, though.
I have a cousin who is a Real Estate Agent also, who lives Jessamine County (but not in Nicholasville, in Wilmore - but I think she may work in Lexington also.) If you need her contact information, I can send it to you.
I really can't tell you much about Nicholasville, I don't get out that way all that much. Lexington is great. I live in the South Western Part, but all of South Lexington is nice (or at least most of it)..but there are maybe a few places to avoid, I don't know. Hamburg is nice. There are some bad areas in North Lexington, but there are also some nice neighborhoods there as well.
What are looking for in a neighborhood or house? What price range do you prefer? Are there any must haves?
We are looking to stay in the $150,000 or less price range, and a garage is a must. We would love a bigger size lot, and are even considering starting with a Duplex in order to help off set housing costs while we are job hunting. We would need 2+ bedrooms and at least 1 1/2 baths. We would like a quiet neighborhood that is kept up, we pride ourselves on our green lawn and garden and hate looking at other peoples trash. We are both very motivated and have excellent work history so hopefully the job hunt will be a quick success. My fiance has his own handyman business here in Colorado and has been extremely successful for over 30 years, and works part-time at Fedex. I am an Office Manager at a metal foundry, and wait tables part time. As I said we are both very motivated
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cab591
I actually spent most of my childhood in the neighborhood labeled "Willwo Oak"
I lived just west of there in the oldest part of the area, it's generally called Hidden Springs or High Plains. Lived there from 1996 to 2002 when I was a teenager. Still have family there.
To the OP.. do you prefer rural, small town, larger town, or in the city? There are lots of good options available.
Hey, it's The LEXpert.....The price difference between Nicholasville and Lexington is not enough to pick one verses the other. Many people think there is a difference. It is because our local MLS posts "Average Sale Prices" for all the towns in this area. The average price is less in Nicholasville because most of the market is for more affordable houses. When you compare a similar size/age house in your price range in Nicholasville to one in Lexington, there might be a $5k difference.
I've sold a lot in both towns. Most of my people who buy in Nicholasville either already live there or want a smaller town. Some buy in rural areas of Jessamine County because rural property in Fayette County is so expensive.
Let us know if you want an older or newer house. Newer on a bigger lot might be tough, especially in Lexington. A quarter acre lot in Lexington would be considered HUGE!! Also, let us know what type of amenities are important to you.
Willow Oak is one of my favorite neighborhoods. It is near Hidden Springs and the whole Boston Road area where a bunch of neighborhoods all blend together (Willow Bend/Wyndham Hills/Copper Trace/High Plain/Pinecrest/Wyndham Meadows.)
Willow Oak will be well above your price range, but there are plenty of options for 1980's/1990's houses in this area on decent sized lots. It is a good, safe part of town very close to some of the best parks/retail/dining/entertainment available in Lexington. It is also about 15 minutes to Nicholasville too.
Since you take so much pride in the appearance of your home, I think I would skip the duplex route. I've worked with several investors who have looked at duplexes. It is hard to find a nice one. It is even harder to find one with a nice neighborhood feel. Nothing against the tenants. Most landlords just want to cash flow them to death so they get run down fast. Few tenants do much with keeping up yards in multi-housing units. There is more turnover in apartment and duplex rentals, so people just don't do that much outside.
We are perfectly OK with an older home, and since we are pretty handy we don't mind a home with some improvements needed. We would love the small town or rural area, but would be willing to be in the city if it was the right house. If we do not go the duplex route, which it sounds like LEXpert is recommending, we would love to have a home with some acreage, even half an acre would make me happy after being crammed in the suburbs of Denver.
With such loose criteria you will have a lot of options to choose from!! I'm sure Lexpert will do right by you! Best of luck and welcome to the Bluegrass!!
I've often suggested the Southland area of Lexington, and will do so again for you. Prices are in your range, and housing consists of modest but well-kept brick or stone three or four bedroom houses (with hardwood floors, fireplaces, and usually one and a half or two bathrooms) that were built in the 1950s. Most have separate garages. Lots tend to be generous, and there are mature trees. Good schools, parks, and shopping are very y, and there are many churches in Southland. It's not far to UK, but not too close for comfort, either.
There are smaller, more modest houses as well, mostly on the streets along Clays Mill Road between Rosemont Garden/Lane Allen Road (same street; its name changes) and the three-school area of Lexington Catholic High School, Clays Mill Elementary School, and Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School. These houses are less expensive and the lots are a bit smaller. They may lack garages, but are also well-kept and well-treed.
Good luck with your move. There is a lot of info.about various neighborhoods in Lexington on this forum, along with videos to give you an idea what things look like, so dig a little and you should find some very helpful posts.
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. I appreciate all of your feedback, thank you.
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