Neighborhood Reviews

My Top 10 Fave Things about life in 40509

by John Rice

40509.  I use to drive the country roads that are now lined with neighborhoods when I was a teenager.  I always like the feel of this part of town.  A lot has changed since then…….Oh, this isn’t about nostalgia, it is a Top 10 list, so here I go:

#10  You can live out here with just about any budget.  There are townhouses/condos in decent neighborhoods from the $90’s all the way up to McMansions.  Most of the area seems to be $180k to $250k.  There are lots of great neighborhoods like Autumn Ridge, Andover Hills, Chilesburg, Stuart Hall, Brighton East, West Wynd, and Eastwood Club.

#9  The schools are getting better all the time.  There is a lot of excitement and expectation about the new Liberty Road Elementary.  Some of 40509 goes to Athens-Chileburg ElementarySchool (ACE).  It is a good school.  We also have a newer middle school, Edyth J. Hayes.

#8  We are close to the interstate.

#7

Neighborhood Review: Beaumont Enclave

by John Rice

You know, it is amazing to me how spending a little time in an area can change your perception of it.  I have been in Beaumont Enclave several times before.  I always thought it was a nice area in a convenient spot of town, but it never really impressed me as some place that I would want to live. 

I have been working with an out of town buyer who will only be here for 3 years.  They wanted a house in a great school district that would be easy to sell when that time came.  After doing some research on which neighborhoods in SW Lexington seemed to sell the quickest, I determined that Beaumont Enclave would be a wise choice.

This area was built by Cutter Homes, which was later acquired by Beazer Homes.  Many of you may remember a few years back that Beazer replaced the brick and most windows on much of the neighborhood.  During that time, it was a little harder to sell one of them.  That is now history.  With all the repairs done, the neighborhood is pretty hot on buyer’s lists!

Why is that?  Well, for starters, you have the premier elementary school, Rosa Parks, right in the neighborhood.  You also have Dunbar High School very close by.  There is a great, open park with a walking trail.  Many of the houses on Allegheny face the park.  Add all this to the fact that you are in an area where houses usually are priced from $350,000 to over a million dollars, and you can see why people in the $200,000 to $235,000 range want to live here.

Having been in many of the houses, I can say that they have a real livable floor plan.  Most don’t seem to have a formal dining room, but nobody really uses those these days.  All the ones we saw had either a loft upstairs or a huge 4th bedroom.  From the original marketing sheets I have seen, it looks like there was a choice to make that space open or close it off if you needed the 4th bedroom.  I was amazed  that many had walk-in closets even in the secondary bedrooms!

The one by peeps are buying inspected wonderfully.  They even had a radon test done.   I was a little concerned since I have always heard that Beaumont has a higher level of radon than usual.   Their house came in at less than half the level that needs abatement.

Predictions:  This area will stay stable.  Being on the low end of a high end area, I can see new owners doing some major upgrades to their houses.  The area will support it.  Don’t know if this is a trend, but  2 of the sellers I met are buying in the more expensive parts of Beaumont.  That is always a good sign when sellers stay in the area!

Pros:  The park, Rosa Parks Elementary being in the neighborhood, Dunbar High School district, shopping/dining within Beaumont, easy to get on New Circle Road or Man O War, 5 minutes to the airport.

Cons:  Maybe some traffic when school starts and ends.  There is a no left turn sign during specific hours on Sovereign by the school, so that makes me thing there is some traffic.  Some of the houses on Allegheny back to New Circle Road and the Beaumont Apartments.  Granted these apartments are very upscale, but some buyer’s don’t want that.  You’ll probably hear some traffic from the airport, but no more than anybody else living in Southwest Lexington.

I am more of a East Lexingtonian, but if I were ever to move to that part of town, I would put Beaumont Enclave at the top of my list!

Some of my Favorite Areas

by John Rice

I spend a lot of time analysing data and giving people advice on property values, school districts, resale potential, etc.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love doing all that, but today I wanted to write about some parts of town that I like just because I like them.  They have a certain vibe that I find attractive. 

Now, it goes without saying that places like Chevy Chase, Ashland Park, and about anything in the 40502 zip would make the cut.  They do, but  I wanted to share some places that most of us can actually afford!

Even though I don’t plan on living in another old house, I still find them attractive.  I spent years in Kenwick, and my first house was almost 100 years old.  I get excited when I see a neighborhood that survived the 70’s and still has it’s original charm.  One such neighborhood is Meadowthorpe.  It used to seem waaay out, but now the new development out that way has it on more people’s radar.  It has a good vibe and a lot of mature trees.   An great neighborhood for taking walks.

2)  Next on my list is what people call “Southland.”  It is that area around Southland Drive/Clays Mill/ Pasedena.  50’s ranches and a few Cape Cods plus mature trees give it charm.  Plus it feels really close in town.  You also get all those shops on Southland, which was the 50’s and 60’s version of Hamburg.

3)  Gainesway is a pretty neat neighborhood too.  I like the larger lots, rolling terrain, plus you are just outside New Circle Road from the Lansdowne Shoppes.  There are a few cool contemporary houses that are interesting  too!

4)  I like Andover Hills a lot.  So much so that I live there!  I liked it when it was new and still like it.  I am not a golfer, but I enjoy seeing the golf course’s lush landscape. It also backs to Jacobson Park and Lakeside Golf Course.  Plus it is 5 minutes to Hamburg.

5)  Eastwood is a great neighborhood.  It is off of Liberty Rd.  It was one of the first neighborhoods out there.  It is just old enough to have been developed with wider lots.  The older parts of the area have the best vibe.  I think for the money it is a great deal.

6)  Hartland is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in town I think.  I really love the landscaped median that run through the whole main drag.  They also have the centers of their cul-de-sacs landscaped.  Plus you get a city park right there too!

7)  Lake Crossing is kind of a hidden treasure.  It is off of Richmond Road just past Man-O-War.  What is cool about this area is that several of the houses back to the reservoir.  There is also really just one way in and out once you get there, so it feels private and secluded.

8)  While it has more than its fair share of negatives to contend with, Eastland is still an area that I like.  The part with the bigger houses sure offers a lot.  Huge lots, big ranches, a handful of contemporaries to admire as well as a handful of 60’s/70’s design disasters.  The vibe I like is one of spread out space. 

9)  Squire Oak is a cool little area.  It is tucked away beyond the Seaton Center.  It has a cool little park with big trees and bridges over the creek.  For sure, one of the most picturesque parks in town.  Also, some of the houses back to one of the big horse farms.  One that you know will always be a horse farm.

10)  Now, this one isn’t for everybody, but if you want to feel like you are in Gatlinburg, then Walden Grove is for you.  It is off of Wilson-Downing near Belleau Woods.  All the house are contemporary.  There probably isn’t another neighborhood in Lex with this amount of trees. It really feels like you are in a cabin in Gatlinburg, just substitute gently rolling hills for mountains.

Well, those are some of my fave areas.  What are your’s?

Palomar Hills-A good pick!

by John Rice

I just sold a house in Palomar last month.  It had been a while since I had really taken a good look at that neighborhood.  Probably been about a year since I sold a house out there.  I really like Palomar.  That is easy to say, since there isn’t really anything to not like about it.

That neighborhood was new about the time I started college, so lets just call it the late 80’s.  Back then, it was kind far out.  Now it doesn’t seem that way at all.

To me, you can divide Palomar into about 6 sections.  All of them are good.  When most people think Palomar, I think they are mainly talking about the big expensive house part, which is around Palomar Blvd, Palmetto and Peppertree.  This part is a little more stately that the rest of the neighborhood.  Prices run from $300-500k.  Occasionally you can find one under $300k.

Another big house section is a little further down Palmetto towards Mangrove.  The houses are a few years newer.  The lots seem to be a little smaller and basements aren’t as common.  It is still a very nice area.  My favorite thing about this part is that there is only one way in and out.  Great for kids!  Prices are in the mid $200k range without a basement and up to about $325k with a finished one.

The next area is on part of Lyon Drive and Palmetto Springs.  A few houses on Lyon and all of Palmetto Springs were built by Peter Soteropoulos in the mid 90’s.  Most of these houses are in the $190-250k range.  I guess this is where I should mention a cul-de-sac at the end of Lyon.  There are a handful of almost new houses on this street.  They were geared more towards empty nesters, I think.  The yards are tiny.  Some of them back to the patio of the restaurant in that old house on Harrodsburg Rd.

Then you have a street called Valencia.  These houses remind me of something out in California.  Their lots slope down to Man O War Blvd, so they are built into the side of a hill.  This area hasn’t done as well lately as you would think.  There has been a lot of turnover.  I think you have to really want almost no yard to enjoy this area.  While it ain’t for me, I can see the attraction that a small slice of the market will have with these houses. 

The last single Family part is called “The Glades.”  These two streets, Maura and Glade, have houses built in the 90’s by Schneider Designs.  There is also a couple of buildings with townhouses.  I like this area.  It has a nice cozy feel to it.  Most of the houses have a first floor bedroom.  Since they are from probably 1200-1700 square feet, they are popular with empty nesters.  I know of several people who downsized from their big Palomar house to this area.  That is always a good sign.  The only thing I don’t like are the ones that face Man O War.  I have been over there really early in the morning and have heard the drive-thru at McDonalds!  Prices in this part are from about $140-165k.

The last part of Palomar is the condo/townhouse section.  There is a nice little cluster of them about in the middle of the neighborhood.  This seems to attract empty nesters and retirees.  The streets are Stone Garden, Terrace Woods, and Rockledge.  It is very well kept.  Some have a nice view of a small pond.  It is a short walk to the park/clubhouse/pool.

One of the things that makes Palomar unique is the park, clubhouse and pool.  A few neighborhoods like this have a clubhouse with a pool, but Palomar also has a really sweet park.  I think it would be a great spot to take walks, or take my kids to play.  It is really pictureque.  You pay $600 a year to join.  It is mandatory for most of the nieghborhood.

 The schools districts is one of the best.  Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School and Rosa Parks Elementary are 2 of the most sought after schools.   The airport is close.  You have a nice shopping center right across Man o War with a Wal-Mart grocery store, fast food, hardware store, gas station, bank, fitness club and Panera Bread.

I rate Palomar as a good value.  It has well defined boundaries, so the threat of a neighboring area negatively effecting values is a longshot.  Behind Peppertree, there is an agricultural piece of land.  Who knows what that will one day become, but there is no where for a road to connect the two areas.  

Like I said, there really isn’t anything to not like about Palomar.

The Gleneagles? Why buy there?

by John Rice

So, I am hanging out with a friend of mine who also is a Realtor.  We are drinking some coffee and talking about neighborhoods at Calistoga. My friend is into bargains.  He never pays full price for anything.  He is telling me about a house he is considering for himself in the low $200,000 range.  I tell him he ought to look in The Gleneagles.  This dude looks at me like I am nuts because I usually advise people to NOT buy in this area.

What has changed?  Well, for starters, the price.  The part of Gleneagles that has existing houses in the $200-300,000 range have seen some depreciation.  There are several factors of why this happened.  When this was a new area, all the people who wanted this part of town built their brand new house out there because it was really the only option.  Now, here we are 5-8 years later, the newness has worn off, the market has slowed and there are a ton of houses for sale all over Lexington.  It doesn’t help that the school district isn’t that desirable and that there are some rough characters that live in the apartments up by Man O War.  The area I am talking about is about 1/2 mile from the apartments.  All the people that live in this area have to do is drive by them, so I don’t think there is any danger!

Once you are in this area you will find the same houses as you would in much of Andover Hills.  In fact, Barrington, Caversham Park, Blackmoor Park, Dunhill, Shaker Run, Sunningdale and Oakhurst Lane really feel just like Andover Hills.

All this talk about Andover Hills brings me to my point.  When the prices for both neighborhoods were the same, why would you buy in Gleneagles when you can get a better school district and be in a little more established neighborhood?  Well, I guess a lot of buyers had the same thought.  Now there is about a 5-10% price difference between the neighborhoods for a similar house.

So, now I can recommend it to my buyer’s.  I tell them that this area will probably always sell for less than Andover Hills, but if you buy it for less it will be okay.  This area is a real bargain for people that don’t need use of the school district.  My friend and his wife plan to home school, so why not get a nice house in a nice area and pay less.