Your Neighbor to Know in Real Estate
By Claire Ramsay
With Lexington being the Horse Capital of the World, it’s no wonder there’s a whole niche of bluegrass real estate dedicated to selling farms.
Our neighbor, Cathy Davis with Kirkpatrick & Co, knows all about selling farms in the central Kentucky area.
Cathy grew up in Ashland, Kentucky and spent her childhood surrounded by farmland. She would ride horses and get into mischief with her two older brothers. She would later make Lexington her home when she moved from Ashland to attend the University of Kentucky.
Cathy would try many adventures throughout her life — she raised thoroughbreds, owned a women’s clothing boutique and a Bed & Breakfast — but it wasn’t until 1996 when she decided to try real estate and get her license.
She grew up in a family filled with salespeople and that particular brand of hard work was instilled in her.
Cathy enjoys getting to know her clients and trying to find that perfect place for them to call home.
Why specialize? She says, “I think my niche is the farms. I know land, grasses, I know the areas in central Kentucky.”
She’s earned that niche. One time she and a fellow realtor were out in a field and noticed something headed their way. It was a bull. The area they ran to for their escape unfortunately had no cell service. They were pinned down in that spot for three hours. There are always memorable moments when it comes to working in real estate.
One of her favorite real estate memories is of selling a farm in Cynthiana. A 200 year-old log home sat on the property, but it was the history of this property that really sticks with Cathy all these years later. The story goes that a tribe came onto the property and took two young boys from their family. The mother gathered all her possessions and set out to try to find her two sons. She was able to find the tribe who took them, but could only bring back one son. “This just reminds me how strong women are…a fascinating story about her going to find the tribe and get her sons back.”
Some of her real estate memories hit a lighter note. She tells us about the time she was supposed to pick up a client she’d never met on the way to show a property. Somewhere along the drive, she found out she picked up the wrong person.
On a personal level, Cathy is most proud of her family, particularly her three children. Zach owns Kirkpatrick & Co, Olivia is an interior designer, and Mercedes is a school teacher at Mary Queen.
For anyone interested in getting into the real estate business, Cathy has two words for you, hard work. “A lot of people don’t realize it, but it is a lot of hard work.”
She recommends that anyone starting out in real estate should be prepared
to work 24/7 and be on-call for clients 7 days a week.
“I love when I sell a home to a first-time home buyer.”
As much as she loves the sprawling horse farms and estates, one of her most rewarding experiences is when she helps a first-time home buyer find their perfect starter home. “They are the most grateful, appreciative, they are so excited.” Also, after being in the real estate business for over 20 years, the children of her clients are coming to her to help them buy their own home. Moments like these remind her of why she began this career in the first place.
She loves to show and list properties in the Hamburg area/east side of Lexington, and never finds it a hard sell for her clients. The reason? “It has everything. You’ve got the interstate, great restaurants, great shopping, just the accessibility of having everything in one location.”
Prospective buyers and sellers can reach Cathy at Cathy@movetolex.com or by phone at 859.806.9444.
____________________________________________________________________
This article also appears on page 27 of the October 2019 print edition of Hamburg Journal.
For more Lexington, KY, Hamburg area news, subscribe to the Hamburg Journal digital newsletter.
To advertise in Hamburg Journal, call 859.268.0945
