From Rambler to Homeowner: How SaraDay Discovered Home in Frankfort, Kentucky

On a quiet July morning last year, SaraDay Evans signed the papers that made her a homeowner in Frankfort, Kentucky. For SaraDay, who had spent more than a decade in Asheville, North Carolina, the act carried more weight than a real estate transaction. It was the end of years of renting, the beginning of permanence and the culmination of a decision to come back to her native state through MakeMyMove’s relocation program.

“I can’t tell you what it means to me after so many years of renting to actually own a home,” she said. “I feel calm and secure in a way I hadn’t before.”

Between the Bluegrass and BlueRidge

SaraDay's professional path first led her to Frankfort in 2002. Trained in hydrogeology and environmental protection, she led the development of several Kentucky water and solid waste management programs. However, when she was offered a new job opportunity in rural economic development, she moved to Asheville, North Carolina in 2007. After a few years, she was inspired to start her own business and founded Accelerating Appalachia, an agriculture-based business accelerator serving entrepreneurs and farmers across eight southeastern states.

“I still love Asheville,” she said. “I have wonderful friends and deep connections there and will always stay connected to the mountains and my friends, but Kentucky was calling me home.

A Local News Story Sparks a Decision

Her move to Frankfort crystallized in a fortuitous way. She was considering a move to Frankfort when her mother and son were watching television, when they spotted a segment about Frankfort’s new partnership with MakeMyMove, a platform that connects remote workers with communities offering relocation incentives.

What she discovered was more than a check. Frankfort’s relocation package offers $5,000 in cash to help offset housing costs but it also layers in a series of experiences that connect newcomers to the heart of the community - including dinner with downtown residents, a meet-and-greet with the mayor and a welcome basket stocked with local favorites. “I’ve always gotten involved in the community, so it really appealed to me,” she says.

Frankfort offered more than lower housing costs. At about 28,000 residents, Kentucky’s capital city has the scale of a small town; its downtown is a place where neighbors bump into each other without planning. “You don’t have to schedule weeks in advance,” SaraDay said. “You just go downtown and you’re going to see people you know. Things happen spontaneously.”

Finding Stability

She applied on MakeMyMove’s platform in April 2024. By late June, she was approved, just in time to close on her new house in early July 2024. The $5,000 cash incentive gave her a crucial boost for the down payment and later helped with upgrades like a new roof. “I thought, it just felt right.”

“It’s really impacted my productivity,” she said. “I work remotely, and my whole team does too. Having my own home, having consistency, being able to concentrate - it’s been wonderful.”

The shift was not just practical. “It’s quiet here and I just feel more grounded,” she said.

Harmony in Acton

SaraDay's return coincided with a period of flooding in eastern Kentucky and Frankfort. She immediately joined volunteer efforts, drawing on her past experience coordinating disaster response. She leveraged her network to bring in supplies and later hosted a benefit concert at the Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe for the Kentucky Waterways Association.

“I’ve always done that kind of thing,” she said. “Music and community involvement are how I get immersed. I’ve been called a connector, a pollinator, a living bridge and it’s just what gives me joy.”

Her music background is not incidental. SaraDay is a singer, guitarist and songwriter. “I love music the most.”

Frankfort Fun

Evans loves the blend of culture, nature, and small-town charm that Frankfort offers. Downtown is alive with concerts and live music of every variety - indoors, outdoors, and even barn shows produced by her friends Liz and Libby set against the rolling Bluegrass hills. Known as the “birthplace of bourbon,” Frankfort also boasts the House of Commons bourbon library, where locals enjoy curated flights and expert storytelling after a day touring legendary distilleries like Woodford Reserve and Castle & Key.

For SaraDay, weekend mornings start with a ritual: a buttery croissant from Andy’s Artisan Bakery, followed by a cortado from Engine House Coffee. Then she makes time for downtown’s unofficial therapist, “Lucy,” who greets passersby with a sign that reads: “Sit down, you know you need it!” SaraDay laughs, “I appreciate her directness.”

Looking Forward

SaraDay envisions bringing sustainable investment into Frankfort, leveraging a network of “impact investors” she has cultivated through her work.

“All my work has always been centered around adding value to my community and region,” she said. “Green housing and natural buildings are areas where I see potential here. Western North Carolina has the highest concentration of natural builders in the country, and I’d like to see more of that work take root in Kentucky.”

For now, she is focused on building relationships with local leaders and learning what projects might benefit from outside support. “I’m excited to engage with the people and projects in our cool capital city, Frankfort, KY!

A Move That Felt Fortuitous

The decision to return back to Frankfort was not taken lightly. But in hindsight, SaraDay describes it as serendipitous.

“I’d been contemplating a relocation for a couple of years, trying to decide,” she said. “Then, when I heard about Frankfort’s relocation program through MakeMyMove, it felt like it was meant to be.”

She now spends evenings downtown, running into familiar faces and enjoying the calm of her new home. The relocation incentive helped with repairs, getting settled in and creating pathways into the community. But she says the program’s true impact is harder to quantify, “It wasn’t just about the funding, it was about the connections, the experiences and the opportunity to be immersed in community, to give back and really to re-join a community of friends who I had missed, all of us older and some of us wiser. Haha! Frankfort feels like “Northern Exposure” meets “Cheers” - lots of interesting characters hanging out downtown and everybody knows your name!”