Betting on Norton Commons (Louisville: for sale, hotel, house prices)

[AngC]

We left PA and went house hunting last week expecting to find our dream house in Oldham Co. Louisville has changed so much in the 15 yrs since we lived there, but it still seems the hottest areas were the Highlands, St Matthews, and the far East End. Oldham Co was beautiful. We looked in Moser Farms, Woodmont, Briar Hill Estates, and a couple of other neighborhoods, but none of the houses really appealed to us and DH didn't want to deal with mowing an acre. I also felt sometimes we were just too far away from the amenities of the east end. We saw several homes in Polo Fields, Owl creek, and Lake Forest in JC. Nice, but nothing amazing. We love the Highlands, but the houses were all small, needed work, and were expensive.
We decided to visit Norton Commons more out of curiosity than anything else. We're a family of 4 with young kids who currently live in almost 4000sf on .5 an acre, so NC is very different than what we're used to. We drove down Main St and were charmed. We went into 2 model homes and were smitten. Mainly we thought it'd be a nice plan to downsize to after the kids go off to school. We had a gelato. Then we walked into a 3rd model home and were awe struck. Gorgeous mill work, hand scraped wide-plank hardwoods, obvious attention to detail throughout and a kitchen even nicer than the one we were leaving behind. Best of all, a finished basement brought the total living space to about 3000sf.
We went back to the hotel and the next day, after visiting the schools, put in an offer. We're closing in June! It's definitely going to be a lifestyle change, but the kids can walk everywhere and there'll be a YMCA and at least one school opening in the next couple of years. The Summit and Kroger are less than a mile away, so gas can shoot up to $5 a gallon and not bother me too much!
Counting down the the days....

[Stewabby]

I think it looks great. We live in live/work area in North Carolina so I was really excited when I found Norton Commons on a website. Unfortunately it is too far east for us. I'm glad you found somewhere you like!

[Off Topic]

Norton Commons is a very exciting experiment. I'd love to hear from you after you've lived there a year.

[Laghdam]

Dear Ang,

We too are relocating and were smitten with norton commons. We currently live in northern va near dc and this move is going to be a major change for us. However, i really felt comfortable in this community so we are seriously considering this community. We will move in june.

I am writing in the hopes that you can tell me how you like it now that youve been there for awhile.

Thanks!

Laura a.

[thunderkat59]

Originally Posted by AngC

We left PA and went house hunting last week expecting to find our dream house in Oldham Co. Louisville has changed so much in the 15 yrs since we lived there, but it still seems the hottest areas were the Highlands, St Matthews, and the far East End. Oldham Co was beautiful.

Just out of curiosity, where in PA are you coming from?
I lived in many places in PA. I will always have a soft spot for it, but it sort of out-grew me. One of the reasons I like KY, is that it sort of reminds me of the pre-'80's development slaughter PA but much nicer weather and people

[AngC]

Originally Posted by Laghdam

Dear Ang,

We too are relocating and were smitten with norton commons. We currently live in northern va near dc and this move is going to be a major change for us. However, i really felt comfortable in this community so we are seriously considering this community. We will move in june.

I am writing in the hopes that you can tell me how you like it now that youve been there for awhile.

Thanks!

Laura a.

Laura,
After being here for almost 5 years we feel we certainly made a good bet! It was hard from about 2008-2010 Growth had slowed down a bit but the dust and chaos of constant construction was taking its toll. Our kids were also attending a private school 20 min away right in the middle of Crescent Hill. We almost moved, even made an offer on a home in CH, but the deal fell apart. Then the economy ramped up, NC had a couple of very successful Tour of Homes, and things have been buzzing right along. We finally have a pharmacy and little grocery, construction has moved over a section, the new Y opened, more families with school age kids are moving in, and home/lot prices are through the roof, It also helps that kids are in public high schools so no more long drives. Honestly, I wouldn't want to live in any newer subdivision in Louisville other than NC.
The cons- It is a bit Pleasantville. Houses keep getting larger, probably to justify the insanely high lot prices, so yards are getting smaller. The aforementioned prices are preventing the sort of economic diversity I feel is a positive. The new Y is gorgeous, but too is small and lacks amentities. It doesn't even had a gymnasium or baseball fields.
The Pros- Gorgeous homes in a one of a king neighborhood. Really friendly neighbors. A real community with lots of planned clubs and activities. House prices appreciating faster than average. Easy access to shopping, hospitals, and some restaurants.
We lived in the DC area 10 years ago. It is definitely going to be a big change moving the Louisville. We were locals returning after almost 20 years so we knew what to expect. Louisville is a great place to raise kids and enjoy that middle/upper management position that brought you here. It is a hard place to be young and single or trying to start a career. It is slow paced and insular and too many people care about where you went to HS, but you can get a great home for a nice price, eat at some amazing restaurants, meet some wonderful people, enjoy the Olmstead designed park system, and get to a big city (Chicago) for a quick weekend as needed.
BTW- If you decide to move/build in NC I would love to recommend our builder. PM me for details. They have a couple of houses for sale now and do amazing custom work. Love them!