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Old 10-29-2007, 09:15 PM
 
Location: Orange County, CA
21 posts, read 187,861 times
Reputation: 19

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Thanks! Work doesn't make a difference my fiance runs his own company so as long as we have the internet we're set. So are there any areas in these cities to stay away from?
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Old 10-29-2007, 11:57 PM
 
Location: Castle Rock, CO
260 posts, read 1,438,305 times
Reputation: 105
If your wanting a more mountain-like feeling, consider somewhere like Larkspur or Monument. I like Larkspur, but my wife doesn't ever want to see a bear ... which would occasionally happen there. Castle Rock is also semi-mountainous as well, but with less trees and more stores around. We see some deer, now and then. In the 2 years we've been in CR, we have seen Deer, Wild Turkeys, Coyotes, Foxes, lots of Blue Birds, a Mountain Lion (on TV only) and a porcupine. In HR, we mostly saw Coyotes and Rabbits. South of HR is a huge open space with nature trails, but its somewhat under-utilized by most residents.

Would your priority be to have a 'large lot', rural setting, amenities/lifestyle nearby, natural setting/mtn views ?

I highly reccomend Highlands Ranch, but you have to be ok with smaller lots and a fairly high density. On the flip side, the demographics are great, there is no 'bad' part of HR ... and you get 4 rec centers, one for each area: north, south, east and west. All for $32/mo hoa. THe trails are also awesome and very extensive. Everything is close by and convienient.

Castle Rock gave us about 2-3 times the lot size we could get in HR. And the price of the homes was similar to maybe slightly less. Castle Rock was a tiny town 10 years ago but is growing fast. Family Circle rated it #1 town for families this year. There is a lot of custom home development going on in CR. That said, its a mix of old and new ... and we felt the school would be a little more diverse in CR, just because every kid isn't rich. There are several private school options and several Charter school options in CR. One in HR. Actually both the public and charter schools are all highly rated.

Try a real estate site like REcolorado.com - brought to you by Metrolist Inc. to scan for houses in CO.
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Old 10-30-2007, 04:33 AM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,329 posts, read 93,729,143 times
Reputation: 17831
Quote:
Originally Posted by jassonkelly View Post
Thanks! Work doesn't make a difference my fiance runs his own company so as long as we have the internet we're set. So are there any areas in these cities to stay away from?
Why don't you work Realtor.com and come up with five or ten homes you would like. You can pick the details like price, size, and bells and whistles. Then the forum can tell you about the neighborhood, schools, commuting patterns, perceived future, culture, etc. I think this would be the best approach. Otherwise the forum is doing a wild goose chase for you.
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Old 10-30-2007, 11:09 AM
 
5,747 posts, read 12,048,379 times
Reputation: 4511
Quote:
Originally Posted by jassonkelly View Post
yes we will be visiting. but id like to narrow down the cities to visit opposed to racing around the whole state in a week or 2. yeah i know 4,000 sq. ft is large but we do plan on having kids and we'd rather be prepared than having to move while pregnant.
Just curious, but exactly how many children are you planning to have?

Also, don't rule out the public schools here in Colorado. As you can see by my screen name, I'm familiar with the California education system, and I empathize, but it's very different here. You might be interested in one of our many charter schools, if a traditional public school doesn't suit you. They are funded through the public system and are tuition-free.

Last edited by formercalifornian; 10-30-2007 at 11:21 AM..
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Old 10-30-2007, 05:35 PM
 
Location: Orange County, CA
21 posts, read 187,861 times
Reputation: 19
Default Kids?

Well...we're thinking 2. I know 4,000sft. sounds like too much, but each kid would get their own room, I'd like to have a spare for family to visit and my fiance works from home, so he would definitely need his own office. Also I'd like 4,000 sq ft cause out there you have basements and they are counted in the sq ftg of the houses. Although not sure how many sq ft the average basement is?
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Old 10-30-2007, 05:44 PM
 
Location: Orange County, CA
21 posts, read 187,861 times
Reputation: 19
Default Homes

Ok found some homes as suggested on Realtor.com. One in Castle Rock, Colorado Springs and Highlands Ranch. These houses are the type I like. If anyone has any info on the areas of these I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for a place thats near other neighbors but not too track home-ish.

Single Family Home - 212 HAMPSTEAD AVE, CASTLE ROCK, CO, 80104 - Realtor.com

Single Family Home - Colorado Springs, CO, 80922 - Realtor.com

Single Family Home - 10726 MIDDLEBURY WAY, HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO, 80126 - Realtor.com
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Old 10-30-2007, 06:45 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,329 posts, read 93,729,143 times
Reputation: 17831
Quote:
Originally Posted by jassonkelly View Post
Ok found some homes as suggested on Realtor.com. One in Castle Rock, Colorado Springs and Highlands Ranch. These houses are the type I like. If anyone has any info on the areas of these I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for a place thats near other neighbors but not too track home-ish.

Single Family Home - 212 HAMPSTEAD AVE, CASTLE ROCK, CO, 80104 - Realtor.com

Single Family Home - Colorado Springs, CO, 80922 - Realtor.com

Single Family Home - 10726 MIDDLEBURY WAY, HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO, 80126 - Realtor.com
Click on the Birds Eye after you follow this links below, They are the Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch homes.



Live Local Search


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Old 10-30-2007, 06:53 PM
 
9 posts, read 35,043 times
Reputation: 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by jassonkelly View Post
Ok found some homes as suggested on Realtor.com. One in Castle Rock, Colorado Springs and Highlands Ranch. These houses are the type I like. If anyone has any info on the areas of these I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for a place thats near other neighbors but not too track home-ish.
You're not going to find much character in places like Highlands Ranch or most of Castle Rock. You'll have better luck in parts of Colorado Springs.
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Old 10-30-2007, 06:55 PM
 
26,206 posts, read 49,012,208 times
Reputation: 31756
Quote:
Originally Posted by jassonkelly View Post
Ok found some homes as suggested on Realtor.com. One each in Castle Rock (CR), COL SPGS and Highlands Ranch (HR). These houses are the type I like. ....snip....
I can't tell you how MUCH we appreciate you doing your own homework and research, then asking GOOD questions. I could spend hours on realtor looking at homes, did it for a long time before we finally chose to settle in COL SPGS.

All 3 areas are good. The home you picked in COL SPGS is in the Falcon (D49) school district, and IMO, not the best districts. Best districts in COL SPGS are D20, D38 and D12. Here are some links:

- http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...ml#post1784724 (Has zip codes of school districts so you can search home in realtor.com)

- http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...ml#post1706848 (Info you need to know on D49)

- http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...ml#post1623796 (Info on D20 and zip 80920. With D20, you should never need Private Schools.)

- 80920, Real Estate Listings and 80920 Single Family Home for Sale - Realtor.com (listing of 32 SFH's in 80920 priced $350k-400k)

If you guys like some night life, pro sports, big cities, using rec centers and gyms, I'd suggest HR first, then CR.

If you like being near mountains, quieter smaller cities, are home-bodies, I'd suggest COL SPGS first, then CR, then HR.

Nothing works like coming out here and seeing CO, it's awesome in many ways. You'll want to live in ALL these places! Though many rent a year before buying, if you REALLY do your homework, lay out a good itinerary for a visit (we can help fine tune what to see & where to stay) and work with a realtor (I'm not one), then you can MAX the value of a trip and quite possibly buy a house right off the bat and move in, as builders now are giving great incentives.

Let us know how we can help.

s/Mike from back east

Last edited by Mike from back east; 10-30-2007 at 07:10 PM..
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Old 10-30-2007, 07:28 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,297 posts, read 120,694,120 times
Reputation: 35920
Do note that both the Castle Rock house and the Highlands Ranch house have VERY small lots. I think you will find them very tract home-ish. You really need to come out and get a feel for this area (and see for yourself, of course. Your perspective may be entirely different than mine).
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