Month: January 2016

LEXpert’s top picks for around $250k

by John Rice

Okay.  You want a 4 bedroom house in Lexington.  Nothing too old.  Maybe you have kids.  Maybe you don’t.  Either way you realize a house in this price range and size should be in a good performing school district to keep the resale potential up.

Here are a few neighborhoods I always suggest and why:

Andover Hills-I know, I know.  I am always talking about Andover Hills.  I lived there for several years and it has been my absolute favorite place I’ve ever lived.  You are close to Hamburg, but since you are on the southeast side of it, you do not have to pass through Hamburg EVERY time you go any place else in town.  Since I now live on the northeast side of Hamburg and must get past Hamburg to get anywhere, I am always aware of this.  Andover Hills has a nice vibe.  Upscale without being pretentious.  $250k is the low end for this neighborhood.  An added plus is having Andover Golf and Country Club so close for golfing and the pool if you wanted to join.  There are a lot of businesses that you use regularly that are very close too.

Chilesburg-This neighborhood would not have been on my list many years ago.  It has always been nice, but the school district change finally put all of Chilesburg in the elementary school that sits in the middle of it.  It is just a few minutes past Andover Hills, so it shares many of the same perks.  One cool thing Chilesburg has is a bunch of walking trails through the neighborhood.

Willow Oak-This is one neighborhood few people know exists.  It is tucked away behind Millpond Shopping Center on Boston Road.  If you’ve been out there and seen a park with a pool and a big pond, that belongs to this neighborhood.  There is only one way in and out, and it is across a picturesque bridge.  Anything you want in South Lexington is close, and you could walk to Starbucks.  The streets are lined with huge pin oaks.  This neighborhood has one of my highest “Good vibes per dollar” ratings ever.  You could spend twice as much elsewhere and not get as much neighborhood character.

Copperfield-This is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in this price range.  It is upscale in a classic sense like Andover Hills and has all the character that you find in Willow Oak.  It is also on the edge of the Dunbar High School district, which is one reason it is so popular.  The neighborhood has it’s own pool and clubhouse too.

 

 

 

LEXpert’s top picks for around $150k

by John Rice

Let’s say you are a first time buyer, retiring, downsizing, or maybe you just don’t need a big house.  Your budget is around $150k.  You don’t want to compromise location.  You don’t want a characterless neighborhood.  What to do?  Where to look?

Here are my top 5 picks for neighborhoods to consider.  All are from the 80s and 90s and all are in southwest Lexington:

  1.  On the low end of the budget, you should consider Overview Drive in Hidden Springs.  One side of this street backs to a creek, so you have a little breathing room since the houses on the other side of the creek are a little further away.  Not that you will, but you could walk to the Boston Road Kroger, or Starbucks, or all the stores on either side of Boston Road.  You’ve got a gas station and pharmacy too.
  2. If you like being in an affluent part of town at a bargain price, look into either Ashbrooke or Harrods Point.  Both are right on the Fayette-Jessamine County line out Harrodsburg Road.  Both are nice, quiet and convenient locations.  You have Bellerive Shopping Center sooo close.  Just down Harrodsburg Road is Palomar Shopping Center, the library and the YMCA.
  3. Copper Trace is in the middle of it all.  It is on the outside corner of Man O War and Clays Mill Road. Anything you want to do in south Lexington is a very short drive.  Unless you are on Spring Run Road, there is only one way in and out of either side of this neighborhood.  The huge pin oak trees that line the streets give it that established vibe everybody likes (except in the fall when the leaves drop!)
  4. While all of Clemens Heights is a nice neighborhood, one street in particular is amazing.  If you know the area, you know I am talking about Steamboat Road.  Almost the whole street backs to either greenspace or the city owned Waverly Park.  I’ve been in many houses on either side.  The wooded greenspace is a great view.  Waverly is a real gem of a park.  Just the right size and all the features you’d want.
  5. The fifth one was Harrods Point, but I combined it in #2 with Ashbrooke since they are so close.