Help with Relocation from Kansas City (Denver, Highlands Ranch: sales, car registration, loan)

[DrewJ20]

Hello all. My wife and I are considering a job offer I received to move to Denver. We currently live in Kansas City, MO. We are concerned primarily about the cost of living differences between Denver and Kansas City. I am assuming the major part of that cost of living difference is due to housing costs. Are there other major differences in costs we should be considering as well? I have heard gas is more expensive there as well??

Just to give you some background, my wife works at home and would keep her current salary (i.e. no cost of living increase). My salary would be about the same as it is here as well. So I guess my question is if we can get reasonable housing, would it make financial sense to make the move?

My job would be in the Tech Center....would love to live in west Littleton, in the southwest "corner" of the 470 loop there near the foothills. That's where we would want to be. We have 2 kids so looking for 4 BR house, decent sized yard, over 2000 SF. Would like to keep cost at or under 300k. Our house here cost under 150k, so significant difference there obviously.

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated! We are just trying to judge how much our lifestyle would have to change if we make the move......thanks!

[2bindenver]

Don't live there and work here. The commute is terrible. Live within 10 miles of work. Spend more time with your family and less time in a car going to/from work.

[DrewJ20]

How long is the commute if I lived just east of say....Bowles and C-470? Could I take the streets to Belleview instead of C-470 to I-25 to save time or do the streets get bad traffic too?

Where would be a good place for us to look within 10 miles of the tech center? School districts are very important to us as well. I forgot to mention that. Also I looked at houses in "old" Littleton, just north of C-470 and was not impressed. No space...no yards....the houses farther west were much nicer.

Anyway, that's why I mentioned that area to live in. Highlands Ranch would be an option too I suppose.

[2bindenver]

45 minutes in traffic/sun glare. Belleview is not a better option. Look north, south or east of work.

[davebarnes]

1. It appears to me based upon some poking around on Zillow that the RE taxes on your house in Denver would be a smidge more or less than your RE taxes in Kansas City.

2. According to Gas Buddy, gasoline costs about 25 cents per gallon more in Denver.

3. Electricity costs about 1.5 cents per KWh more in Denver.

4. I could not find water cost comparison, but I am guessing that Denver is higher.

[DrewJ20]

45 minutes is a bit much indeed. That sucks. Really love the foothills area. Thanks for the info!

[gmm_24]

So you would both be keeping your current salary but are going to have a home which costs almost double with higher taxes and higher car registration and cost of living? That to me sounds like a bad move.

Newer cars cost upward of $500 to register for the year. Home taxes are higher here then your area, sales tax run over 8%. Not sure what gas is in your area but 85 octance was 3.69'ish the other day.
Not sure what your current salaries are, if they are great and above the standard for your area that is one thing but if not then I do not see the point of paying more for everything while not earning more.

[DrewJ20]

Thanks for the info Dave. So basically if we can find a house we can live with at the right cost, the differences are pretty negligible. That's pretty much what I thought. It all comes down to housing.

[mic111]

Gotta agree. Live and work in tech center. Bike or walk to work. Save money on gas. Drive to foothills and mountains on weekends. Road not as clogged on weekends so drive not as time consuming.

Something like this would fit the bill.

7064 E Maplewood Pl, Centennial, CO 80111 - Zillow

[DrewJ20]

gmm_24........the point would be that we would get to live in Denver as opposed to KC, MO. I understand that housing is going to cost more. I get that. However we currently have about 6 years left on a 15 year loan which after reasonable sale of our home, we'd have a big chunk of change for downpayment in Denver. So go to a 20 year loan, larger loan amount keeps payments within reason etc..

Current salaries are both above 60k I'll say....not a crazy amount above that. I am just trying to calm fears that our living situation would be that much different there than here.....money wise.