Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul has been at the center of a mystery in the media recently, after it was revealed he sustained broken ribs from an altercation with his neighbor Rene Boucher in their hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The dispute was allegedly property-related (fights over grass clippings, dead leaves, and trees have all been blamed), but the exact nature of who did what, when, remains up in the air. Boucher was arrested but has pleaded not guilty to assault charges.
One thing is clear to members of the local real estate community, however: the two men may not be able to live next to each other for long after this. In fact, there might be a listing worth pitching for in the coming months.
“I hope they call me if they decide to sell,” said Keller Williams First Choice Realty’s Matthew Tabor, who said he had made the biggest sale this year in Paul’s and Boucher’s gated community of Rivergreen for $850,000 (a much larger home than the Paul’s, he said).
A house in the gated community of Rivergreen, Bowling Green, Kentucky that sold for $850,000. Credit: Matthew Tabor
Tabor didn’t think that the incident would put people off moving to the gated community–a haven for successful business people and physicians since it was built 21 years ago (both Paul and Boucher were in medicine). Each home, typically of around 5,000 to 6,000 square feet, sits on at least an acre or more of land. A lake in the subdivision is a popular place for locals to congregate.
“It’s an isolated incident – the neighbors are probably getting a kick out of it,” said Tabor, who grew up in the area and told Inman he used to mow his father’s lot in the subdivision as a kid. He said Paul, who he had met on occasion, was “super nice”.
A few local agents who wished to remain nameless were also able to add some more information which was that the politician’s neighbor and alleged assailant, Boucher, has listed his home twice in the last few years–in 2014 and in 2016. Last year it was on the market for 155 days before Boucher took it off the market, according to one agent. This is well below the average time it takes to sell a home in Rivergreen, which is more like 220 days.
Tabor’s last sale in Rivergreen, a 9000 square-foot home, took around 300 days before selling, he said.
Bowling Green, KY, real estate agent Matthew Tabor. Credit: Matthew Tabor
Senator Paul’s home is said to be a very attractive property, a smaller house at only 3,500 square feet but sitting on two acres and offering very nice views. The average house in the sub-division would sell for around $750,000, the most expensive up to $2.5 million, said Tabor. This compares with Bowling Green’s median house price of $150,000.
Tabor won’t be the only one putting up his hand for business to come out of the nasty incident. Hank Wilson, with Crye-Leike Real Estate, said he might send a postcard to the two Rivergreen residents. He said that there were currently around seven properties for sale in the subdivision.
Wilson said he had sold houses for people before because they didn’t like their neighbors.
He said that some wealthy people who could afford a $500,000 to $1 million home in Bowling Green were opting for newer homes and found Rivergreen a bit dated.
Wilson said that people bought in gated communities to give themselves a sense of security, which he said, “ironically didn’t work in this scenario.”
“I can’t see Rand Paul going anywhere. If either left it would be an admission of guilt,” he said.
Inman also reached out to, but has yet to hear from, Rivergreen developer Jim Skaggs, who spoke out in USA Today this week about the relationship between Paul and Boucher. Skaggs told the paper the dispute had festered in recent years possibly around ground upkeep. Others disagreed and said Paul was very diligent in maintaining the property.
