Going to check out Arvada and Wheat Ridge this week: help finding a realtor? (Denver: mortgage)

[BTNS_TX]

We are flying in Monday, husband's job interview Tuesday in Golden, and flying out Wed. We won't have lots of time to get a feel for the area and I'm wondering if I should email a realtor who could help us get a better sense of the lay of the land in terms of schools, neighborhoods, and housing in the limited time we have.

It's over the holiday and we won't know anything for certain until after our trip. Do we bother? Or just check things out as we can?

If it would it be worth trying to find someone at the last minute, the question then becomes, how to find a good buyer's agent without just randomly selecting one from the many in the area?

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

[2bindenver]

We do a few "cook's tours" for folks thinking of relocating to our area. It is no big deal, if, when you get the job, you call us to work for you.

If working in Golden, why have you focused on Wheat Ridge & Arvada?

What do you live in now? What do you like & what would you change?

New or existing? Turn key (move in condition or a fixer-upper?)

(There are several Realtors here on the Colorado forum, like me

[BenWolfe]

If I were you I would absolutely hook up with a Realtor. Most Realtors will be happy to help you while you are in town even if it is uncertain that you will get the job. I work primarily in Douglas County, so I would not be your best Realtor for Arvada & Wheat Ridge, but I have a couple of colleges that specialize in that area. I would be happy to put you in touch with them, just let me know.

[BTNS_TX]

We're coming from Texas where our 2300 square foot (5 bedroom) home will probably sell for $125,000. So we're in sticker shock.

We have looked at REColorado until our eyes are ready to fall out. We don't like anything in the $225,000 - $245,000 price range we are seeing in Golden. Honestly, we are just guessing at this point about our ability to get qualified, because we've only ever bought one house (this one) before we'd gotten well established in our jobs. We refinanced to a 15 year mortagage 4 years ago at around $1300 a month. Texas property taxes are, I understand, considerably higher, but I can't calculate what a 30 year mortgage payment with Jefferson County taxes would work out to be. And the depressed market around here would mean we would be getting out with very little to use as downpayment.

As far as why these areas in particular:

I will be looking for a job and like the idea of being in between Denver and Golden house wise.

We like that the church we would be attending has a great youth program in Arvada. We've also found several houses that appeal to us in the Arvada area.

We'd like to stay in the 4A high school size. We are coming from 3A and our son, the starting quarterback and honor student here in Texas, would be going into high school. It's going to be a tough move at his age anyway, and the Wheat Ridge, Arvada West, and Ralston Valley high schools have good reputations for both scholarship and football programs without being 5A huge.

Our son has combed through the school websites and really seems to like Wheat Ridge, but lots of those houses in our price range are showing up as the 5A Jefferson High, so we might be out of luck around that area for a house.

We don't know the area at all. We're flying to Colorado Springs, where my parents relocated a few years ago, and will be driving up on Tuesday morning to get the lay of the land.

Any guidance is appreciated!

[2bindenver]

If you belong to AAA you can go grab some Colorado & Denver maps.

Otherwise use MS Streets & Trips or mapquest or google maps and map a driveable route to:

Hotel
His interview
Church
several high schools

Chances are you can get to I-25 and go north until Denver then go west at 6th Ave...if you get to the Colfax exit you have gone too far.

You can take I-70 west to Golden.

Would you like a pdf file with tips & tricks on how to sell you house in Texas? Click on my username and send me a private message. No cost or obligation.