Parker CO questions. (Denver, Colorado Springs, Littleton: for sale, waterpark, crime rate)

[2bindenver]

If I was your broker, I can think of 10 new home communities.

The bigger question is what do you want your new community to have?

[galaril]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

If I was your broker, I can think of 10 new home communities.

The bigger question is what do you want your new community to have?

To be honest I don't really care other than a good elementary school in or nearby and maybe a rec center and some trails nearby. Really the main thing is a little bigger lot size more than .25 acre. I have been heard alot about the Pineries area subdivision?But can't find any specific builders in that area just older homes.

[2bindenver]

There are 19 currently on the market built since 2005 on at least .20 acres.

The trouble with new is the lot premium, and the time it takes to build.

A lot depends on when are you landing here. Whether you have the luxury of building from dirt, or taking an inventory home.

[galaril]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

There are 19 currently on the market built since 2005 on at least .20 acres.

The trouble with new is the lot premium, and the time it takes to build.

A lot depends on when are you landing here. Whether you have the luxury of building from dirt, or taking an inventory home.

I have one question for you and answers to your questions.


-Sorry stupid question, but what is this lot premium?

We will be landing next year inJune Or July so time is available and we can go either way from dirt or buy from inventory. If we go from dirt we will have pick our home and builder and everything by the end of year I assume but if not we will have a little more time. That being said I will aim to wrap any home purchase by end of this year.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by galaril

-Sorry stupid question, but what is this lot premium?...

A Lot Premium is additional money charged for what are considered to be better lots. A lot is considered to be worth a premium price if it borders a park, open space, body of water or has a good view of mountains or a body of water. The ritzier the area the higher the premium. Think about the cost difference between oceanfront lots in FL or CA versus the treeless bone-dry short grass prairie east of here on the plains or empty deserts of NM, AZ, NV.

Here in COL SPGS, we paid $30k extra for a lot backing to parkland (occupied by 90 very pretty horses at this time). From the deck we can see for miles looking north at the Front Range and Palmer Divide. Out the front windows we see Pikes Peak, 15 miles away. The parkland may be developed some day when the city gets money for a sports complex, but such development is years away, and assumes they can find the money, hehe.

Back in VA, our home in Fairfax County had a great view of the jungle in the neighbor's yard. Nice for privacy but my view was limited to 75 feet, not the infinity of a mountain range headed off into the distance.

Summary: You get what you pay for.

s/Mike

[2bindenver]

Originally Posted by galaril

We will be landing next year inJune Or July so time is available and we can go either way from dirt or buy from inventory. If we go from dirt we will have pick our home and builder and everything by the end of year I assume but if not we will have a little more time.

If you are building from dirt, look to make a contract with a builder 4-9 months before target move date.

Note: If you are not flexible with the 0.25 acres thing, hire a local real estate broker to scout out possibities before you arrive. Expect to pay $35,000+ for a large lot...and the larger water bill. M ost folks spend 10 to 20% of the base price on upgrades. So in a perfect world, you are looking at a property for $315,000-$325,000 +$35,000 lot premium and $50,000 or less in upgrades.

Most brand new subsivisions have plans for an elementary school, so it depends on the area.

If you like the Pinery, then Escavera or Padera might work for you. Neither has a school.

[almost heaven]

Parker looks like a nice place to raise a family. I have looked all around the Metro area and there are many nice places but Parker seems to stick out as a really family friendly place. What do you all in Colorado think about Parker?

[2bindenver]

Parker is a fine place. When my husband's company moved to Arapahoe County from Jefferson County it's the first place I looked for new homes.

Parker has a lot to offer. I think, as a real estate broker, that everybody is drawn to a place for a reason. What is a great place for you isn't a match for someone else. That's okay.

I recently worked with a relocating couple from WV, he grew up on a farm and she in DC. He felt great in the Pinery and Escavera, she felt better in Stonegate and Stroh Ranch. I asked them what they did for fun...Hiking, watching grass grow
....to make a long story shorter - They bought a house in Stonegate and an isolated mountain cabin in Bailey.

Find what makes your heart sing and the rest will follow

[tfox]

I have some friends who live out there. Every time I go out there it seems like it's grown even more. The final character of the place is definitely yet to be determined. It does seem like a nice enough community; it's nice that there are some trees out there.

From my perspective, living in Denver, it just seems impossibly far out. Whenever we visit our friends, I'm always torn between taking the E-470 toll road and paying $7.50, or taking Lincoln which every year seems more and more congested. Usually By the time we actually get to our friend's house, it feels like we could have gone all the way to Castle Rock or beyond by that point had we stayed on I-25. Plus, I'm annoyed at having to hand over wads of cash to E-470 just to get there in a reasonable period of time. Personally, I would never even consider living somewhere where I had to take any of the 470 roads as a part of my commute, but I want to stress that's a personal decision, not a bad reflection on Parker in any way.

Of course, you're moving here fresh and probably have no friends elsewhere in the metro area. Most of the people you meet will likely also live in Parker, so possibly this wouldn't be an issue for you. It's all a matter of perspective.

[Wyomiles]

Parker is OK, it is growing, everyone wants to live here. Schools are great, Chaparral is more academic and Ponderosa is more sportsey. Another high school on the way. The drive in and out of town is getting to be a killer. After 7 am and 3 pm. They are working on building more roads. Lots of money and rules here. I will be moving to a more rural place as soon as my kids are both graduated, just not my cup of tea, but my best freind and his family will be here forever so it depends on what you like.