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Thread summary:

Family relocating from Arizona to Colorado, home purchase within 45 minutes from airport, good school district, small town feel, lots of trees, Golden and Evergreen possibilities, no strip malls

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Old 10-29-2007, 09:32 PM
 
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Our family is moving to Co. from arizona in May. My husband will be moving out in Jan. He will be looking for an Apt near the Airport till we all come out to purchase a home in In about four months. We are looking for an area that is about 45 min. from the airport. We would like a good school district because we have four boys under the age of 11. We are looking for an area that has the small town feel, a lot of land, mountains,Lots of trees, water, ect. We are planning on spending around 850K. We have some friends that have told us about Golden and Evergreen. I was wondering if there was any other areas or what your thoughts are on those two spots. We are trying to get away from the strip mall feel. Thanks so much for any advice!!
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Old 10-30-2007, 09:31 AM
 
Location: Montrose
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If traffic is light, you could probably drive from Golden to the airport in 45 minutes. Evergreen to the airport in 45 minutes? --- well, maybe at 3 AM if the highway patrol doesn't stop you for speeding.

Are you asking about limiting the drive time to the airport because of a job there, or because you'll be flying frequently, or just for convenience?

Unfortunately, the airport is quite a distance from areas with "mountains, Lots of trees, water" -- it's out on the plains east of Metro Denver where the mountains are a view in the distance, few trees grow naturally (and not that many have been planted yet), and water is scarce.

Evergreen and Golden are reasonably likely to fit your description of where you'd like to live, but are quite a distance from DIA.
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Old 10-30-2007, 09:41 AM
 
Location: New Zealand
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Golden to DIA is probably doable in 45 minutes (if you live close enough to US-6). We lived in Lakewood near C-470 and US-285 for four years and I flew often (1-2x a month) -- in rush hour, it would take me about 45 minutes door-to-parking-garage-spot (going Kipling N > US-6E > I-25N > I-70E). On really bad days (accident, bad weather), it would take me an hour. With light traffic, it would take 35 minutes.

Can't imagine Evergreen > DIA is doable in 45 minutes.
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Old 10-30-2007, 11:27 AM
 
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We just wanted to be near the airport because my husband would be flying out a lot for work. Any feedback on Castle Rock or Parker area???
Thanks.
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Old 10-30-2007, 11:38 AM
 
Location: New Zealand
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I should mention that the worst traffic between DIA and west Denver (e.g. Golden, Lakewood) is not going east in the morning, but rather going west in the afternoon -- I-70 W during the late afternoon/early evening rush hour can be a parking lot (especially between 225 and 25). Your husband will want to schedule his return flights to Denver to avoid the 5-7pm window.

The thing you have to ask yourself is this: how often will a trip to the airport be required versus how often will you want to do other things? For instance, we live about 1.5 hours from DIA. I travel about 1x every/every other month now. People sometimes ask me, "Don't you get tired of driving so far to the airport?" My response is: I need to travel to the airport say once a month. But we want to spend time in the mountains twice a week minimum. So I'd rather have a 5-minute drive to trailheads/ski areas twice a week and the 1.5-hour drive to the airport once a month, rather than the other way around.

Sorry can't help you about Castle Rock or Parker. I know there are several posters who are more knowledgeable about those areas, so they may chime in.
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Old 10-30-2007, 11:59 AM
 
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Castle Rock in brief...

* The airport is doable in 45 minutes. Take 25 N to 470 E (tollway).

* Water is rationed during the summer for landscape irrigation. I'm not sure about the long-term viability of the supply; however, Jazzlover might know.

* Compared to Arizona, this area will probably appear fairly lush. This is the high-prairie, however, so it will not resemble a midwestern forest if that's what you had in mind.

* Views can be pretty spectacular from Diamond Ridge and Escavera, two subdivisions in your price range, but we are not in the mountains. You'll still have to drive if you like to ski.

For more information about Castle Rock in general, click here for a post with several related links. They city government page can be found here (http://www.crgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=294 - broken link).

Last edited by formercalifornian; 10-30-2007 at 01:30 PM..
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Old 10-30-2007, 12:09 PM
 
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Wink Somewhere near Boulder?

You might want to consider the foothills in the vicinity of Boulder. It is a beautiful area and the only reason more people do not live there are the high real estate prices. But you've got that covered.

It is true this means a commute on 36, which is becoming increasingly congested, towards Denver and DIA. But via this route you skirt Denver to the north and, in comparison to using I-70 to Evergreen or I-25 to Castle Rock, you might feel this drive far preferable. Although not, sadly, the 45 minutes you would prefer. But realistic.

Golden isn't really in the mountains, and of the two you'd probably far prefer Evergreen.

You might like Castle Rock as well, but expect more severe winter weather in that area.

As for Boulder, people often have strong feelings about it. But you could do a lot worse for a home base, even if living well removed and truly in the mountains. Boulder would have a far larger population if zoning allowed and people could afford it.
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Old 10-30-2007, 12:14 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Idunn View Post
You might like Castle Rock as well, but expect more severe winter weather in that area.
I don't find that to be the case. Perhaps Monument (farther south and higher elevation), but in my experience Castle Rock winters have been similar to the rest of the Denver metro area. Sometimes the storms track north, sometimes south, but it all evens out over the course of the season.
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Old 10-30-2007, 02:59 PM
 
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This is all great info. Now for my next question..... I was told that Evergreen has severe weather in the winter, and it makes it difficult to get out of your own home. Is this true??
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Old 10-30-2007, 04:29 PM
 
Location: Castle Rock, CO
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Evergreen is around 7000' and maybe 7500' in some surrounding areas.

Castle Rock is 6100' in town and 6500-6700 up on the ridge East of Town.

I have a house up on ridge at 6500' and the weather is definately a little crazier
up there than it is down in town. For example, a couple weeks back, town had
a few inches of snow and I had about 10". On serveral occasions last winter, it
would rain or sleet in town and then snow at my house. It all melts quickly, but
a difference of 500' is often enough to change rain into snow.

That said, I have noticed that Castle Rock is basically 4-5 degrees cooler than denver on most days in the summer. In the spring and fall the temperatures are almost the same. On the hottest days of summer, Castle Rock can be 5-8 degrees cooler. This is all a big PLUS in my book. So in the last two years, I really haven't seen 100 degrees ever.

From my experience with co-workers who live in Evergreen, it does get more snow and can get the mountain snows that often result in nothing down in Denver and/or Castle Rock.

Sometimes the palmer divide weather (mainly Monument, palmer lake) can spill over into Castle Rock -- so I'd say it might get a couple inches more rain per year and perhaps a little bit more snow. To me, the snow is possible a week or two earlier in and the last freeze is potentially a week or two later.

For your budget, I'd look into Diamond Ridge (the low property tax areas) or Keene Ranch. Escavera is nice and new, but its small lots mountain ridge -- and really overpriced for what you get, in my opinion. I also like Castlewood Ranch. Also, the areas West of town (over the ridge from Wolfensburger) are very nice and more in your price range. I also like Christy Ridge for the land you get with the house. I saw a house over there that was huge, on 10 acres, big views and had an indoor poor for around 750 or 800k. Thats cheaper than Diamond Ridge and more land. Diamond Ridge lots range from 1 acre to 3 acres.

Here it is:
REcolorado.com - brought to you by Metrolist Inc. (http://www.recolorado.com/Search/propertyDetail.asp?mls_number=567956 - broken link)#

Here is a nice one in Keene Ranch:
REcolorado.com - brought to you by Metrolist Inc. (http://www.recolorado.com/Search/propertyDetail.asp?mls_number=582395 - broken link)#

I drive from Castle Rock to DIA easily in 45 minutes. If there is not traffic, we take I-25 to 225, otherwise we take C-470 (toll) to avoid the traffic. Note, that C-470 is the most expensive tollway in the US mile for mile, so I don't use it too often.

There was just a house for sale in Puma Ridge (near Diamond Ridge) which dropped the price from 1,070,000 to 750,000 ... needless to say, its gone already.

The Douglas County schools are a lot better than the mountain schools. The mountain schools are OK, but the demographics are very mixed. Castle Rock definately is growing, but still has that small town charm. The people are friendly and there is a good selection of houses to choose from. I wish I could afford the amount of house you can. For $850k, you can get some real deals right now, like the gems I showed you above. I lot of million dollar plus homes are now selling in your price range. I think in a few years, you will be sitting on handsome appreciation.

Parker has some pretty nice places in your price range as well, some on a lot of land.

On a few rare occasions, you probably will get snowed in in Evergreen. Maybe a couple times
per year at the most. It depends how close you live to a plowed route.

Last edited by b.adams; 10-30-2007 at 04:40 PM..
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