Hi Terri,

There are several communities just outside of Lexington that sound like they would work for you -- Georgetown, Lawrenceburg, Nicholasville, Paris and Versailles. Each has its own flavor but all are rural with low crime rates. It's also nice that they're within 20 mins of Lexington so you can shop in the "big city" when you want but have the peace and quiet you prefer in a small town setting.

I'm from Lawrenceburg originally, so I'm partial to that community. One thing that's nice about Lawrenceburg is that it's within 45 mins of Louisville, 30 mins of Lexington and 15 mins from Frankfort, but there are tons of homes with a little land outside city limits.

If you're looking for a rural area that's a little more sophisticated than average, you may want to consider Versailles. It has a higher than average per capita income and therefore a slightly higher average standard of living, but it's definitely still a rurual community with tons of horse farms (some of them famous!) If I can provide any more information about any of these communities, just let me know!

You can search the MLS homes in any of these communities by visiting http://www.LexingtonRealEstateSource.com

Good luck!

Sharon Roark
Remax Premier
859-433-3676

Almost any place in central Kentucky is great. Recently Money magazine rated Nicholasville KY in their top 10 for affordability and quality of life. I would advise visiting a few communities before making any decisions.

BEREA KENTUCKY is a GREAT place to live, work and raise a family. We have low crime, good schools, good roads, close to interstate 75, and we are within a couple hours drive of EVERYTHING. Madison County in general where Berea is located, is a wonderful place experiencing lots of economic growth. We have wonderful homes in every price range from existing homes to beautiful new construction. We are close to recreational areas, and we have the most gorgeous mountain scenery anywhere. Berea is the home of 3 world renowned guild artisan craft fairs every year, a local Spoonbread Festival every September, lots of rural countryside properties available, and just really wonderful friendly neighbors. I'd be glad to tell you more about my hometown- give me a call or send me a quick email!

Being new to Kentucky, I have found Northern Kentucky offers the best of both worlds. It is rural with low crime and friendly people and yet close to Cincinnati. Here in Boone County there are several great cities: Verona, Walton and Independence to name a few. The tax rate varies within Boone County but housing is relatively low compared to most. Check out the web link attached and search Walton and Verona. I would be happy to forward information on other local cities as well, email me at deanna.ewing@cbws.com. You will enjoy Kentucky no matter where you choose!

I just moved to Lexington (from Northern VA), but I love Danville, KY. I always call it "Mayberry". It is lovely, cute, and has a great college to add to a more intellectual ambiance. Berea is also nice, but I just stopped there briefly.

Terri,
Small, friendly town, low crime rate, you are describing Cadiz, Kentucky. We are located in southwestern KY. where people still wave at each other as they drive by. I think we have a very nice community where we try not to forget our real purpose. We are in and around the Lake Barkley and “Land Between the Lakes” area if you like to fish, hunt or just enjoy the wildlife. I have lived here 19 years and love this area. We have US68 and I24 so that you can get to larger cities if you like. Southern hospitality still exists here in Trigg County along with community involvement in things that really matter. I would love to help you find a home here. There is a slower pace to life and living expenses are very reasonable. Email me at kathy@cadizrealty.com and I would love to share more information about our area. “Your Real Estate Friend” Kathy DeCoursey

Terri, You sound like you are describing Somerset, Kentucky. I think we have a very nice community and crime rate is low. We are in and around the Lake Cumberland area if you like to fish, ski or just enjoy the scenery. I have raised 4 children here and love this area. We are a hub community for several other small cities. Most people I have sold houses to say this area has a lot of southern hospitality where people are still very friendly. Would love to help you find a home here. Living expenses are very reasonable. Email me and I would love to share some of the MLS homes with you in our area. :) Donna V. Foster dvfoster@coldwellbanker.com

Terri, I can send information on Central Kentucky if you'd like. "Reasonable" and "Great" are hard to interpret. I can send the numbers and statistics, but you will need to decide from there. I would be happy to talk with you about Kentucky.