Terms like "move-out notice," "closing date" and "down payment" don't have to give you ulcers just thinking about them. Not if you're relocating to Frankfort and looking to buy a home.

According to Jack McDonald of FrankfortKYRealEstate.com, Frankfort has the same robust housing market it's enjoyed for the last several years, due in part to low interest rates, which continue today. With the average home price at $135,000 and the average new home price at $202,000, McDonald said that buying a home in Frankfort can be a sound investment. He explained, "The appreciation rate over the past several years has been good for all real estate. This holds true in all areas of the city with houses appreciating 5% a year."

Former NBA player John Shasky, his wife Kelly and their 14-year-old son Skyler planned to move to Kentucky from Minnesota for John's new position with Fifth Third Bank's Frankfort office. Initially, they assumed John would commute from Lexington where they had lived once before. But after meeting with a realtor there and starting the search they decided to purchase Kelly's parents' home, which was on the market in Frankfort.

Located on South Benson Road near Bittersweet, the house sits on the highest point of six acres bordered by South Benson Creek. Dubbed "Oilman Farm" by a previous owner, the land and house were the perfect choice for the Shaskys. "The home was built in the 1970s, and during the six years my in-laws owned it, they did extensive remodeling. So it was like buying a new home," John said. "And we got quite a deal." A saltbox style with 3,000 square feet, the home offers ample room for Kelly's home office, where she works as a government relations consultant.

John expressed his satisfaction with Western Hills High School, where Skyler is a freshman and plays basketball. John helps out as assistant coach on varsity. "We're really pleased with the school's smaller size and that the kids participate in activities such as cotillion and the YMCA United Nations Assembly program. We encouraged Skyler to attend cotillion and he had a blast."

Another new high school freshman is Mike and Marilyn Waford's son Drew, who attends Frankfort High School. The Wafords moved from Versailles, and according to Mike, his son wasn't thrilled. "But once we found the perfect house in historic South Frankfort, where Marlyn and I had longed to live for some time, Drew came around." Of course, it helped that the house was a two-story duplex they planned to convert into a single-family dwelling. And with the couple's two daughters away at college, Drew would get his own quarters. "There's nothing like bribery to get a teenager to cooperate," Mike quipped. But his son has made friends, and the small-school atmosphere at Frankfort High is comfortable for him.

Mike's new position as director of the Kentucky Center for Instructional Discipline brought the family to Frankfort where Marlyn teaches visually impaired students at Frankfort Independent Schools. "We've always been drawn to Frankfort for the cultural life," Mike said. "We love living two blocks from both the river and downtown." A favorite pastime of the family is riding bicycles in the neighborhood and stopping on the Singing Bridge to watch the river flow by.

Mike's love for Frankfort was apparent when he talked about enjoying neighbors and friends from work at the summer concert series on the lawn of the Old Capitol. "Those Friday evenings were the highlight of our summer," he said.

Recently, Mike and Marlyn had an unexpected special evening out that began with a simple appetizer and drink at Serafini restaurant. After running into friends, they migrated across the street to Nema's Grille where they dined sumptuously from a menu of Mediterranean and Persian fare. Then on their way out someone invited them to the Brick Alley where a local artist was playing. Mike said, "We ended up with a group of 15 to 20 people listening to live music and got in around 1 A.M. The amazing thing was we were never more than five minutes from home!"