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Old 11-02-2017, 03:03 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,280 times
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It looks like we will be moving from Frisco, TX to the Lexington area next spring, possibly sooner, for my husbands job. We were in KY for the first time while I was on a business trip last month, and we absolutely loved Lex, so we are looking forward to relocating our fam!

We know nothing about Lexington, or the surrounding cities, so we are hoping for some insight. Below is our wish list-land and good schools are an absolute must. We would love to hear any feed back on areas you recommend either in or near Lex.

Wish List:
-45 mins or closer to Lex, where my hubby will be working.
-500k budget.
-Excellent public schools, or at least a great elementary school. We have two kiddos, currently in kinder and 3rd grade.
-At least 10 acres, as we have horses. A property with a barn and an arena would be ideal! We would like to buy as much land as possible, and wouldn't mind buying a fixer upper if it meant that we could get a bigger property.
-We don't want to be too far away from shopping/restaurants/ etc.
-No HOA preferred.

Hoping we can find something that meets our criteria, within our budget! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Side note-how is the weather? I'm originally from northern Cali, so Texas has been brutal for me. Texas has no seasons(currently 93 degrees and it is November), it is SO HOT in the summer, humid year round, and cold in the winter. It has snowed every single year that I have lived here, granted it is usually only just ice or a couple of inches. I can deal with a little bit of snow, but tons and tons of snow is a little worrisome for me
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Old 11-06-2017, 02:25 AM
 
Location: My beloved Bluegrass
20,109 posts, read 16,081,383 times
Reputation: 28291
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauren232m View Post
It looks like we will be moving from Frisco, TX to the Lexington area next spring, possibly sooner, for my husbands job. We were in KY for the first time while I was on a business trip last month, and we absolutely loved Lex, so we are looking forward to relocating our fam!

We know nothing about Lexington, or the surrounding cities, so we are hoping for some insight. Below is our wish list-land and good schools are an absolute must. We would love to hear any feed back on areas you recommend either in or near Lex.

Wish List:
-45 mins or closer to Lex, where my hubby will be working.
-500k budget.
-Excellent public schools, or at least a great elementary school. We have two kiddos, currently in kinder and 3rd grade.
-At least 10 acres, as we have horses. A property with a barn and an arena would be ideal! We would like to buy as much land as possible, and wouldn't mind buying a fixer upper if it meant that we could get a bigger property.
-We don't want to be too far away from shopping/restaurants/ etc.
-No HOA preferred.

Hoping we can find something that meets our criteria, within our budget! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Side note-how is the weather? I'm originally from northern Cali, so Texas has been brutal for me. Texas has no seasons(currently 93 degrees and it is November), it is SO HOT in the summer, humid year round, and cold in the winter. It has snowed every single year that I have lived here, granted it is usually only just ice or a couple of inches. I can deal with a little bit of snow, but tons and tons of snow is a little worrisome for me
Fayette County (Lexington) has, with rare exception, extremely good schools. While there are some elementary schools, primarily in the north west side and a few near downtown, that have issues, the ratio of truly good elementary schools to blah ones is pretty high. Keep in mind, Lexington has one of the higher percentages of the adult population processing higher education degrees nationally, they do genuinely care about education. Matter of fact, the state university still dominates the town atmosphere, and the city also has a well rated private university. There are private K-12 schools but the ratio of private school to public school attendance is low for the city's size. Additionally, most of the public schools in the surrounding counties are also good.

Finding 10 acres under $500K within 45 minutes of your husband's job is definitely possible, many of the counties surrounding Fayette County will offer plenty of much cheaper options, but finding such an animal within Fayette County itself might be a different story. Within Fayette County that generally means horses and not the kind owned by ordinary families. By the way, if you are getting that much land you are not likely also getting an HOA. I'm not even sure you can at all, although someone else may correct me on that one.

What is your definition of too far from shopping and restaurants? My in-laws define that as 30-40 minutes, I define it as 5-10 minutes, and my sister defines it as practically walking distance. You are not likely to get 10 acres and meet my definition, let alone my sister's, in Fayette County. In most of the surrounding counties you might be able to get near my definition, depending on what you consider adequate enough shopping and restaurant options.
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When I post in bold red that is moderator action and, per the TOS, can only be discussed through Direct Message.Moderator - Diabetes and Kentucky (including Lexington & Louisville)
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Old 11-06-2017, 07:52 AM
 
12,003 posts, read 11,847,632 times
Reputation: 22683
There are many previous inquiries on this forum from people who share much of your dream: ten or so acres in the pristine Bluegrass country surrounding Lexington.

This is highly unlikely to be found in Fayette County, due to zoning regulations which protect that same precious Heart of the Bluegrass from being chopped up into mini-farms, a problem also evident in many of the surrounding counties. You might be able to find an older property which is grandfathered in, but $500,000 would not begin to buy you ten acres with a decent house in the rolling horse farm country.

However! There is hope. If you check out the rural areas which do not include elite thoroughbred horse farms in the surrounding counties, you might find what you seek. The western part of Woodford County (near the Kentucky River) is less costly, less pristine, but lovely, and Woodford County has good schools and is close to Lexington, plus it includes the charming small towns of Versailles (pronounced "Ver-SALES") and Midway.

Or you might check out the Berea area, in southern Madison County. Berea is home to eponymous Berea College and is also the arts and crafts capital of Kentucky. It is a center for traditional music and dance, and is beautifully situated at the edge of the westernmost ridge of the Cumberland Mountains. It's about 45 minutes south of Lexington, along I-75.

Berea's schools are excellent, and the college provides numerous cultural activities which are available to the public, as well as the extensive Berea College Forest east and south of town, with trails on Indian Fort Mountain, about a ten minute drive from central Berea. Berea house prices are rising but it's still less costly that Lexington.

Order some visitor info. from each of these places plus tourism handouts from the state for a feel of what it's like here, if you can't manage an advance visit. There are lots of good videos on YouTube as well.

Do your due diligence, and you might find a way to make your dream come true.

Just not on ten acres in the Inner Bluegrass of Fayette County!

Last edited by CraigCreek; 11-06-2017 at 08:12 AM..
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Old 11-06-2017, 07:55 AM
 
Location: Morrison, CO
34,172 posts, read 18,471,987 times
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I'd look around Winchester, and Richmond for this type of property, maybe Mount Sterling also.
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Old 11-06-2017, 08:09 AM
 
12,003 posts, read 11,847,632 times
Reputation: 22683
Weather: we definitely have four seasons here. Typically, we'll get at least one trackable snowfall prior to Christmas, but the coldest and snowiest months are January and the first part of February, in most years. It varies considerably, however - some years see a lot of snow, with one storm after another with a few days of sunshine in between, while more recently, winters have been milder and shorter.

We have had a couple of severe ice storms in the last fifteen years, but they are rare, thankfully. I was without power for over a week during the first one and was very thankful to have a wood burning fireplace, oil and battery lamps, a battery radio, and cast iron for fireplace cooking (need to get firewood delivered for the upcoming winter, just in case...).

Winter days can seem to be chilly, damp and gray for incessant weeks in late winter, but signs of spring are evident by mid-February, if you know what to watch for. The last snow usually falls by mid-March, but sometimes after a mild winter, March snows can be blizzards. A few flurries are not unusual in early April, but they don't last.

We can expect a few tornado watches in spring and to a lesser degree, in the fall, but only very rare tornado warnings. Lexington has been blessed to be skipped by major tornados, though there have been significant touch-downs and associated damage in the counties around Fayette. Only a few have touched down here in recent year, and the damage was not major. Still, it's a good idea to have a weather radio, bottled water and staple foods, a flashlight, and definitely a safe place - just in case.

Generally spring starts to arrive in March and is beautiful. Summer is here by mid-June and is generally pleasant - it rarely gets to 100 or above, most years. Dog Days in August can be oppressive, but only last two or three weeks. Summer lingers through the first week or two of September, but then it starts to cool down and the humidity drops, most years.

Fall is pretty, though central Kentucky doesn't have the degree of fall color which can be seen in the mountains (but the mountains are only 45 minutes away, great for day-tripping. Indian Fort Mountain outside Berea was stunning this past weekend when I was there).

So it looks as if central Kentucky weather would suit you.
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