Neighborhood Reviews

LEXpert Neighborhood Tour: Gleneagles

by John Rice

I did a review of this neighborhood several years ago when I first started blogging.  I wasn’t as high on it as I am now.  Reason was that prices were falling faster than other neighborhoods and I thought there were better choices for the buyers back then.  Things have stabilized and now I give the neighborhood a thumb’s up.  See, back then, prices for Gleneagles were about the same as Andover Hills.  Andover Hills has a better performing school district and golf course running though it to help keep values up.  Back then my logic was why pay the same when you can get more?  Now that there is enough of a price difference, I think this area is a bargain.  In all reality, the two areas are so similar that I bet you couldn’t tell the difference between being on Huntersgreen in Andover and Caversham Park in Gleneagles.

Before you check out the video, let me clarify that I am mainly talking about the nicest part of Gleneagles in this video, which is between Barrington, Sunningdale and Polo Club.  This area has some nice houses and many of the lots back to greenspace…..some of the best greenspace in town in my opinion.

Schools are Yates, Crawford and Bryan Station.  All are far from the top scoring schools in town.  Fayette County Public Schools has bought land close by on Deer Haven and saaaaaaays they will be building a new elementary school……which should give this area a big boost if it lands in the new district.

 

LEXpert Neighborhood Review: Dogwood Trace

by John Rice

If Dogwood Trace were a car, it would be a loaded Toyota Camry rather than a Lexus ES350.  People who know cars know that both cars are really the same, only the Lexus has a couple more features and a different logo.  I’ve shown most of the houses in this neighborhood that have been on the market in the past several years and have sold two on the same street this year.  I was trying to describe the neighborhood to one of the buyers and said “It is an upscale neighborhood without seeming pretentious.”  Her face lit up and she quickly agreed with my assessment….hence the Toyota/Lexus comparo.  The fact that Dogwood Trace does come across as upscale without being stuffy about it is one of the most appealing things to me.  It doesn’t have anything to prove and can stand alone on the unique features it offers it’s residents.  It comes across as very inviting and warm.

Don’t know if you’ve been there or not.  If not, check it out on a map.  It is in SW Fayette Co about as far as you can go before hitting Jessamine County.  One of my favorite things about neighborhoods on the outskirts of town is that you don’t have half of Lexington cutting through YOUR neighborhood to get to places.

So, what DOES Dogwood Trace have to offer?  Most of the houses are from the late 80’s/early 90’s.  Most are 2000-3500 square feet depending on if there is a basement and if it is finished.  Due to its age, there are a lot of big trees and it is just super pretty out there, almost park like.  The lots are pretty good size by Lexington standards too.  At the end of the neighborhood, just as you get to the newer Dogwood Glen neighborhood, you have access to Dogwood Park, which is an 18 acre city park with half a mile of paved trails, a playground and a shelter.  Kind of nice since not only does that mean you have recreation, it also means there won’t be any registered sex offenders living within 1000 feet of the park!

While I personally tend to like neighborhoods on the outskirts of town, sometimes you don’t have much in the way of businesses you need that will be close.  Not the case here.  Just a few stops signs away from any street in Dogwood Trace is Bellerive Plaza, which has a Kroger grocery store, fast food, a gas station and a variety of the type of stores you see in any strip mall.

The schools are Garden Springs Elementary, Beaumont Middle and Dunbar High.  That’s a pretty respectable mix!

 

Prices?  You can get a 2200 square foot house without a basement for in the loooooow $200’s.  Most of the ones with a finished basement are going to run you about $300k.  I have been in some that are either super updated or larger than most that have gone for $350,000ish.

Some interesting info:  At the back of Dogwood Trace is a newer neighborhood called Dogwood Glen.  It has a slightly different vibe since it is newer, but house sizes and prices are about the same.  Give it another 10 years for the trees to grow and you won’t be able to tell the difference.  If you want this area, but want more modern features like an open floor plan and vaulted ceilings, you’ll end up back here.   Sometimes realtors like to tag houses that are in neighboring Harrods Point as being in Dogwood Trace.  They are doing this because they know people love Dogwood Trace.  In all reality, Harrods Point does offer everything Dogwood Trace does, just in a smaller more affordable package.  If you want to drop $140-225k in a house, Harrods Point would be a good place to do so….but it isn’t Dogwood Trace.

Like I said, I have sold two houses in this neighborhood this year.  Both the families really love it out there.  When we did the final walk-thru on one of them, all the neighbors were helping the sellers move and throwing a little good-bye party in the cul-de-sac.  I met several of the neighbors since they thought I was the buyer and not the realtor (happens a lot since I always wear shorts.)  Everybody was super nice.

On a scale of 1-10, I give it a 10 in everything.  It is a nice neighborhood, in a good part of town, has a nice school district and is just a nice, relaxing place to be.

Which Neigborhoods Does THIS Realtor Like?

by John Rice

You know, I work with people in all price ranges from well under $100k to over $500k.  I go in a lot of houses all over town.  I’m always telling my folks where I would live in their price range.  Thought it might make a good post.  Since buyers seem to want either an older or a newer house, I’ll give my picks on both.

Under $100k for newer homes:  This one is easy…….there aren’t any!

Under $100k for older homes:  I really like the Buckhorn Road area.  There are tons of different neighborhood names along Buckhorn, but it is easier to just lump them together and call it “Buckhorn.”  Why Do I like this area?  Good schools and convenient location.  Also, most are simple homes built in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, so they are pretty easy to maintain on a budget.  Another neighborhood I am a fan of is Gardenside.  Great cape cods and ranches from the 50’s and 60’s  just south of downtown ought to put this on anybody’s short list.

$100-200k for newer homes:  I really like Chilesburg cause it is pretty close to Hamburg and it has a lot of greenspace.  Also, the middle school is right in the area.  Masterson gets a bad rap from most old-time Lexingtonians, but you really can’t beat the value since you get more house for less money.  It isn’t a convenient location for getting around Lexington, but I would still live there.

$100-200k for older homes:  Meadowthorpe has a lot of the 1940’s charm and has the elementary school within the neighborhood.  Squire Oak and Hunting Hills are probably my favorite spots if you want a medium-sized house in SE Lexington from the 1980’s.  SE Lex is pretty handy since you can get to the two main shopping/dining/entertainment areas, Hamburg and Fayette Mall, pretty easily.  These neighborhoods are right beside each other.  The school district is good, and the elementary is right there in the middle of the area. 

$200-300k for newer houses:  In the NE side of town, Andover Hills is my pick.  This is mainly a late 1990’s area.  The school district keeps this neighborhood high on the list of those wanting this part of LEX.  Chilesburg is also nice for the previously stated reasons. 

$200-300k for older houses:  Kenwick is cool since it is so close to downtown and has a lot of early 1900’s charm.  An area few even know exists is Deepwood.  It is on the north end of town.  It is a small area of houses from the 1930’s to the 1950’s.  It is surrounded by neighborhoods that aren’t as nice, but I’d still live there just for the coolness factor.  Lansdowne-Merrick, AKA Lans-Merrick is a convenient spot close to everything and is surrounded by much more expensive neighborhoods.  To me, it is a bargain and I look for this area to become more popular once we start seeing more houses that have shed their 1970’s finishes.

$300-400k for newer houses:  Stuart Hall is right next to Chilesburg, so it has all the same perks.  Prices have fallen, so it is high on my value radar.  The lots seem to be larger than I typically see for newer areas.  That area is pretty flat, so you don’t have to worry about a crazy sloped lot!

$300-400k for older houses:  I LOVE Hartland.  This area was built in the 1980’s.  Still a lot of outdated houses left, but there is no other neighborhood in town from my POV that has such a good vibe.  I think it is going to be as loved by Lexingtonians as Chevy Chase and Ashland Park.  Why?  All the mature landscaping and fantastic layout.  All the cul-de-sacs are landscaped in the center as well as the median that runs through the whole main street.  In fact, the layout of the road and lots reminds me a lot of Ashland Park.  It is just as picturesque.  ALso, you can get a decent place in  Chevy Chase and Ashland Park within this price range.

$400-500k for newer houses:  Still Meadows gets my vote for character and a good school district in NE LEX.  Beaumont is a great pick…..most desirable schools in town, convenient southside location, walking trails, etc.

$400-500k for older houses:  You can also get a great house in Andover Forest for this kind of dough.  It’s close to Hamburg and the interstate, plus it has many golf course lots.  Hartland gets even better at this price point.  Chevy Chase and Ashland Park are great.  Greenbriar is a classic 1970’s interpretation of the executive, country club neighborhood full of custom builds on large lots situated out in the country…..only now, it is just a few minutes outside of town.

Over $500k?  I’d be in a really nice home in Hartland, Warrenton Woods, the Lakewood area, the Estate section of Andover Hills, or find a lot and build my dream home.

What are your favorite neighborhoods?  Leave me a comment 🙂

Lexington Ky Neighborhood Video Tour by The LEXpert: Waterford

by John Rice

What a dreary day to do a video tour.  I hate to do them this time of year since the sky is gray and the leaves are off the trees…..plus it is awful cold for a guy who is still wearing sandals.

I went to a great neighborhood called Waterford.  It is in south Lexington.  I remember when this place was new.  It was pretty then and has aged well.  I think one of the best things about this neighborhood is the gently rolling terrain and the views of wooded areas with the two ponds at the main entrance.  You just don’t get that kind of inspiring stuff in most of Lex.

Okay, there are 354 houses in Waterford according to the PVA.  Most are between 10 and 17 years old.  The schools are Southern Elementary, Southern Middle, and Tates Creek High.  Nobody ever searches for a house that goes to these schools, but nobody ever avoids them either.

What is unique?  Many good sized lots.  Close to a 250+ acre city park called Veteran’s Park.  Close to all the retail/commercial on Nicholasville Road.  The HOA now owns the clubhouse that has a pool with a very active swim team named the Waverunners.

Prices range from around $200k to about $300k and are from 2000 square feet with no basements to close to 4000 square feet with finished basements.  I’ve been in a lot of these….many seem to be ready to update, but I have seen several that have been tastefully updated.

The video focused mainly on the older, original section of Waterford.  It use to be clear where the boundaries were, but since they added a new section of both Waterford and neighboring Southpoint, plus built a neighborhood called Pinnacle in the middle, it all kind of blends together back there!  Some of the newer section of Waterford goes to Veteran’s Park Elementary.  That is a really desirable school.  All of Waterford use to be in Veteran’s Park.  In the days of the booming real estate market, many people would move to Waterford just to get into that school, then move somewhere that had an awesome middle school.

The roads I was on were:  Watertrace, Shorewater, Streamwater, Creekwater, Bridgemont, Clearwater, Ridgewater, Woodstream,  Clearwater, Waterstone, Rainwater, Springwater, Brookwater and Whitewater.

Check out the video 🙂

What’s Masterson Station Gonna Look Like in 20 Years?

by John Rice

I’m thinking about a neighborhood in Lexington that was built on the edge of town when it was new….Mainly starter homes, but there are a fair amount of move up houses too….it is really made up of several different neighborhoods, but now the identity of each one has kind of been lost and everybody thinks of it as one giant area.  Sound like Masterson Station, I mean “Masterson” as many people call it now?  Sure does, but I am talking about Century Hills/Hunting Hills/Squire Oak/Cove Lake/East Hills/East Lake/ Summerhill and any other ones that I may have left out between Richmond Road and Armstrong Mill outside Man O War that were developed in the 1980’s.

When I moved to Lexington in 1985, that was the new place to be for first time buyers and people moving up.   We had some family friends that rented a house on Squires that was the last house on the street and still had the old Squires Road behind it before it was turned into a walking trail.  They ended up building a brand new cedar sided contemporary house a few blocks away in Eastlake.  I remember thinking how nice it was out there.   Also back then there was a distinct difference between all these neighborhoods, but now most people seem to refer to the whole area as the Buckhorn or Squires or Kenesaw area.

So, what do I think Masterson Station and all the derivative neighborhoods will be like in 20 years?  You got it….just like the Buckhorn/Squires/Kenesaw area is now.  You’ll have some really nice areas and some that are a little run down.  Some that are mainly owner occupied and some that are heavy on rental houses.  You’ll go 3 blocks in one direction and be very pleased with the houses, and 3 blocks another direction and be disappointed. 

It is already getting a little like that in the Masterson area.  There are some sections that I don’t recommend to my clients and some that I think are wonderful, and the wild thing is that they all co-exist in what is viewed as the same neighborhood.  I’ve sold 5 houses out there in the past year or so, and fortunately all my clients picked promising sections of the neighborhood!  Some of my favorite parts of Masterson are in the older sections that were done by PSC, Cutter and Ball Homes.  It is pretty much the part that is between Masterson Station Drive and the Park….roads like Trailside, Masters View, Meadow Valley,  Woodlawn, Valley Brook and Lemon Drop…I just love to say Lemon Drop.  One of the things that makes this part so nice is that some of those streets back to Masterson Station Park.  Having that asset helps make it desirable just as having some lake view lots has kept up the value on some streets in the Buckhorn/Squires/Kenesaw area.

So there you go…….Now you know what Masterson Station will look like in 20 years.