Finding Their New Home: A Bullitt County family’s move to Scott County

Anthony and Cara Maraman were looking for a place where they could have enough land to have a family farm without breaking the budget and a place where they could send their children to one of the top school systems in the region. They found it in Scott County.

“We had looked for houses in Kentucky for six months,” said Anthony Maraman, a lifelong Bullitt County, Ky., resident. “We couldn’t find what we liked. We needed at least 10 acres.”

When the Maramans did find a place that met their needs, the cost of land was beyond their budget in Bullitt, Jefferson, and Oldham counties in Ky. For one acre of land, one would pay about $10,000, Anthony Maraman said.

“The land out there is so much more out there,” Anthony Maraman said.

While on a popular real estate website, the Maramans found a property in Scott County. It was a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with 31 acres of land that was for sale by owner. The posting had two sentences for a description and only had one picture to view online, Anthony Maraman said.

“We didn’t know anyone in Indiana. We were the first ones in my family to move away,” Anthony Maraman said.

The couple gave the property a chance despite being away from what they knew in Bullitt County. Their drive to Scott County was a pleasant surprise — they found a newer home built in 2008, which included a walkout basement and a beautiful view from the back, screened-in deck of the farmland. The property also included a 30-feet-by-30-feet pole barn and fenced in acreage.

““The photo didn’t do it justice. [The pole barn] was extra on top of the appraisal,” Anthony Maraman said. “You couldn’t build it for what it appraised for. I pay less in property tax because of the exemptions in Indiana. It doesn’t exist in Kentucky. My house is worth double in Indiana and the taxes are lower.”

On top of finding their dream home and property, the Maramans learned something else that does not exist in Kentucky — school choice.

“We were able to choose our own school,” Anthony Maraman said. “You can’t do that in Kentucky. You don’t get a choice in Kentucky.”

The couple chose Scott County School District 2 to send their two children, Layla, who is in fourth grade, and Logan, who is in first grade, after looking at four elementary schools near their house on Slab Road.

“I like the way Johnson Elementary School has all the different grade connected. The first grades are next to each other, so the teachers can collaborate. The car drop off is laid out nicely. It’s just five minutes from our house to the school,” Anthony Maraman said.

With the move, the Maramans were worried about moving their children to a new school.

“I was really worried about that. We’ve only been to Mount Washington Elementary School,” Anthony Maraman said. “But, everyone in Scottsburg has been really nice. After our first day of school, they came home excited… Both of them like their teachers.”

The family even visited the Scott County Fair this summer to see the livestock shows and auctions. There, they saw the opportunities they had in joining the Scott County 4-H.

“She was totally sold on that,” Anthony Maraman said about his daughter visiting the fair and raising goats to show next summer. “She’s super excited.”