Richmond, KY

Amber & Adam's Kentucky Home : First Time Homebuying Experience

The process to own your first home should be fun. I know the feeling of being a renter and wanting something of my own. Just to be able to paint the wall any color and the freedom to be creative with everything because you own it is liberating.

When Amber & Adam called me they were in front of one of listings. I could tell from Amber's voice that she was excited about this one and wanted to check it out inside the next day. We made a plan to meet and I even showed them a few other ones just so they could be sure this one was right for them.

Over the next few days and a few more houses, it was narrowed down to two, then Amber & Adam decided they wanted to put an offer on the first one they had called me about.

When all the stars line up and everything goes right all the way to closing you just know it was meant to be. I'm so thrilled for both of them. I truly enjoyed helping them through the process. Your first time homebuying experience should be a pleasant one. It can be fun too!

Their story...

As is rumored, first-time house buying was a very intimidating and nerve-racking process for us. After looking at hundreds of houses on the internet we began the process of viewing those that were of interest. Through this viewing process we, during the height of our frustration, met Lizette. She was so nice and friendly that we immediately decided that we wanted her to help us through this process.

From the time that we met Lizette on, the process became much easier and was even fun at some points. Lizette was there to answer all of our questions and guide us through every bit. She was extremely patient and listened as we talked through the pros and cons of each house we looked at.

She also went above and beyond our expectations by accomodating the owners' and our schedules more than what most would. Without Lizette the home-buying process would have taken much longer and would have been much more stressful. Lizette was there to calm our nerves, ease our stress, and help in every possible way. She truly is the best!

Adam and Amber Nash

Richmond, KY

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Lizette Fitzpatrick - Baby Boomer Real Estate Relocation Specialist with Prudential Don Foster in Richmond, Kentucky.

Rated number #1 featured Kentucky Realtor® on Activerain.com and Localism.com. Publisher/Author for the only Central Kentucky email newsletter on local real estate listings and sold properties, Kentucky relocation, local events, homeowner information and fun! For more information on Lizette, Kentucky Horse Farms, Prudential Don Foster, Madison County, Fayette County, Richmond or Lexington, Kentucky click on Lizette.us.

See for yourself what Lizette's extraordinary clients have to say about their Kentucky real estate experience.

Cazz's Story...

Twas the day after Christmas

And we looked for a house

Around lovely Richmond town

With the sun shining down

Alright, enough with the poem, on with the story of how two Cheeseheads from Wisconsin came to live in beautiful Madison County.

On December 26, 2007, we arrived in Richmond, walked down Main Street in the late afternoon, and fell in love with the town. We found friendly people, especially at Chestnut Tree Gallery. We were given the name of a local Realtor, Lizette Fitzpatrick, and the rest is history.

She was personable and got right to work searching for the right home for us. We had great conversations about how much we have loved Kentucky ever since visits here going back 20 years. We had some things in common with Lizette, including a love of animals, music, art and cheese!

Looking to escape the long, cold, snowy Wisconsin winters and high taxes, we are so excited to have discovered Richmond and this area.

After several trips here and numerous emails, Lizette helped us to find our dream semi-retirement home in a north side subdivision. We closed on the house April 28...also our 18th wedding anniversary. Lizette has been great through the whole home buying experience, helping us at every step in the process. She recommended good restaurants too!

Not only do we have a new home, we have a new friend...thank you Lizette!

David(Cazz) and Cindy Kamps

At Cazz & Cindy's closing...

Lizette Fitzpatrick - Baby Boomer Real Estate Relocation Specialist with Prudential Don Foster in Richmond, Kentucky.

Rated number #1 featured Kentucky Realtor® on Activerain.com and Localism.com. Publisher/Author for the only Central Kentucky email newsletter on local real estate listings and sold properties, Kentucky relocation, local events, homeowner information and fun! For more information on Lizette, Kentucky Horse Farms, Prudential Don Foster, Madison County, Fayette County, Richmond or Lexington, Kentucky click on Lizette.us.

See for yourself what Lizette's extraordinary clients have to say about their Kentucky real estate experience.

UPDATE NOV. 3, 2008:

Rita won 1st place in the election.

She will be joining the other 3 top voted candidates as our new city commisioner. Go RITA!!

Rita Smart of Bennett House Bed & Breakfast, Richmond, Kentucky is asking for your vote in the May 20^th primary election in Madison Co.

She is running for the position of City Commissioner. The last day to register to vote if you are not registered is April 21.

Absentee voters may vote up to 10 days ahead of the election at the Madison County Court House in downtown Richmond.

As professional home economist for over 30 years, local Bennett House Bed & Breakfast owner with husband Richard Smart and author of Bennett House Cookbook, Rita has been involved Madison County and Richmond City at many different levels over the years.

Her unwavering involvement in downtown historic revitalization issues make her an outstanding candidate to make a difference in our community. As a lifelong resident of Central Kentucky she has watched with pride as Richmond has become one of the fastest growing cites in the state. Her southern hospitality and long established bed & breakfast business on Main Street for the past eight years has given her the insight to welcome change while preserving the past.

Rita says, "The success of a community is everyone promoting each other. I want to engage the citizens of Richmond to become involved. People want a safe place to raise their family and to work. Richmond needs to be consumer friendly."

Rita has done her research and has visited other communities to gather fresh and energizing ideas to share.

Anyone interested in assisting with Rita Smart's campaign for Richmond City Commissioner

please call 859-582-3472.

Campaign volunteers at all levels are welcomed and appreciated!

Kentucky really did have some crazy twister hit the other night. A rare tornado and squall of storms that marched right across the whole state in the wee hours of the morning. In Richmond KY, I was aware of the storms but I didn't start to get alarmed till about 1:30 AM. I was still up and watching the radar. The last twister I was involved with was in 1974.

I made a few calls to alarm some other sleeping folks to go run for their lives! Believe me when you get a call after midnight you know it's trouble or someone has died. I could tell in their voices that I had scared the devil out of them and now they had to decide what to do, where to go and what to save.

What is really funny to me is that when I know it's going to hit I have to figure out just what to take with me to the basement. National news article

What would I think was valuable?

Here's what I took with me:

Chanel(my dog), both sets of car keys, checkbooks and credit cards, my client file & notes, laptop with the Sprint

air-card(so I could stay up on the weather radar, a few extra clothes, coat and shoes(I once went through a

tornado and all I had were the clothes on my back, believe me I want some clothes this time), bottle of water

(later went back up to get a banana in case I got hungry), flashlight and the last thing I picked up was a video

of my Dad(the only one I have). Funny, out of everything I have this video and Chanel was what I thought I could not replace.

The house popped, cracked and groaned. I could hear the wind slamming rain against the French doors. I knew it would be scary to listen to all this upstairs. The basement is usually fairly soundproof. Chanel had already vanished to a spot somewhere under the bed.

Well...we waited the storm out and finally after about 3 AM, I went up to see if the upstairs was still there. About all the wind had done was knock over a chair on the deck and move my grill sideways 10 feet. Nothing happened this time.

I found out today that others were not so lucky. Over 50 people died as a result of these storms.

Please be sure to always take these tornado warnings seriously and have plenty of home insurance!!

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Lizette Fitzpatrick - Baby Boomer Real Estate Relocation Specialist with Prudential Don Foster in Richmond, Kentucky.

Rated number #1 featured Kentucky Realtor® on Activerain.com and Localism.com. Publisher/Author for the only Central Kentucky email newsletter on local real estate listings and sold properties, Kentucky relocation, local events, homeowner information and fun! For more information on Lizette, Kentucky Horse Farms, Prudential Don Foster, Madison County, Fayette County, Richmond or Lexington, Kentucky click on Lizette.us.

See for yourself what Lizette's extraordinary clients have to say about their Kentucky real estate experience.

The Bennett House Bed & Breakfast

Richmond KY's Little Biltmore

I grew up on the streets in Richmond Kentucky. We lived on the west end and I used to ride my bicycle to town. My Dad owned a Greyhound Station on Water Street that was totally interesting to hang out in. As I would leisurely ride my bike in the 1960's along Main Street, I would pass by some truly beautiful old historic homes. I would wonder what their lives were like and just who had lived there in the past.

One house that I truly loved to gaze upon was right across the First Christian Church on 419 West Main Street. Back then it was named Westover Terrace Antiques and owned by Mrs. Coy.

When it was built in 1891, it was known as the "Bennett Place" by Mrs. Elizabeth Chenault Bennett. The Cincinnati architect Samuel E. des Jardins built this one and several other historic homes in Richmond. The Queen Anne style one and a half story brick has Romanesque detailing, a high hipped slate roof complete with a domed turret, a balcony coved grand double door stained glass entrance. Open those doors to a sweeping cherry wrap around staircase that leads to the second story. Gleaming hardwood floors and eight fireplaces enhance the house that has original hand carved mantles and tiles.

Later, it was home many other members of the Bennett family until 1957 then sold to Nay and Farry Coy. Mrs. Coy owned the house till her death and Pam Jones Price inherited the house and sold it to Pat Vencill and Sharron Oxendine that established the Bennett House Bed & Breakfast.

Since 2000 the fabulous Bennett House Bed & Breakfast has been owned and operated by Richard and Rita Smart.

Fast forward to 2008 and out of town guests, locals friends and neighbors all enjoy a plethora of wonderful experiences in this historic Bed & Breakfast. Drawing upon skills as a professional home economist, Rita Smart has offered up a heaping helping of southern charm and hospitality. Her exquisite tastes in Southern décor and attention to detail complement the aroma of baking coming from the kitchen. Hungry guests wait patiently amid the fine antiques to sample the tasty food whether they are there for Saturday tea, private dinner or attending a little girl's tea party. Many are overnight guests that have enjoyed a good night's sleep in one of the bedrooms or suites and are now ready for breakfast.

The best compliment a good cook gets is when someone wants their recipe. I'm sure Rita has been asked many times for her culinary secrets gathered over the years. So much in fact, she finally put them all together in one place. Rita can now add "famous author" to her resume as she spends time at book signings promoting the Bennett House Cookbook: Kentucky Delights.

Come step back in time and take a moment to enjoy this historic "experience" we have in Richmond, Kentucky. Bennett House Bed & Breakfast, Share it with a good friend or two!

"Life is an experience, where you want to stay, it should be an experience. When you fix food for people...it's the experience." Rita Smart says with a smile.

Lizette Fitzpatrick - Broker of Lizette Realty in Richmond, Kentucky.

Rated number #1 featured Kentucky Realtor on Activerain.com and Localism.com. Publisher/Author for the only Central Kentucky email newsletter on local real estate listings and sold properties, Kentucky relocation, local events, homeowner information and fun! For more information on Lizette, Kentucky Horse Farms, Madison County, Fayette County, Richmond or Lexington, Kentucky click on Lizette.us.

See for yourself what Lizette's extraordinary clients have to say about their Kentucky real estate experience.