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Old 02-12-2012, 12:30 PM
 
Location: Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
693 posts, read 1,132,345 times
Reputation: 617

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We are relocating from Europe after being overseas for many years and Denver is one of the cities my employer made open to me for my return. In comparison to the DC area or Tampa, FL ... we prefer Denver.

I have read many posts about the area of Denver, specifically its outskirts. From these posts and various other websites I have come to the conclusion that Castle Rock and Castle Pines seem most appealing to my wife and I. I have never been so am seeing if there are other communities I am missing that fall in the same pocket as the mentioned two.

Also, if anyone follows home prices in the Denver metro area, would you say that home prices are still dropping, at their lowest price, rising back up or have normalized at their current pricing.

Info:

1. Our preference over anything else are newer homes in nieghborhoods that have many families and children. Great schools since we have kids from 1 to 13. Good school and community sports programs. Of course crime is a consideration.

2. I would work in Lakewood, wife at an undetermined hospital in Denver

3. Wanting to purchase 4-5bdrm for 350k-400k (stretch would be 425k)

4. Don't mind a 30-45 minute commute

Thanks for any feedback.
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Old 02-12-2012, 12:51 PM
 
Location: Bend, OR
3,296 posts, read 9,654,977 times
Reputation: 3343
Quote:
Originally Posted by bavariantransplant View Post
We are relocating from Europe after being overseas for many years and Denver is one of the cities my employer made open to me for my return. In comparison to the DC area or Tampa, FL ... we prefer Denver.

I have read many posts about the area of Denver, specifically its outskirts. From these posts and various other websites I have come to the conclusion that Castle Rock and Castle Pines seem most appealing to my wife and I. I have never been so am seeing if there are other communities I am missing that fall in the same pocket as the mentioned two.

Also, if anyone follows home prices in the Denver metro area, would you say that home prices are still dropping, at their lowest price, rising back up or have normalized at their current pricing.

Info:

1. Our preference over anything else are newer homes in nieghborhoods that have many families and children. Great schools since we have kids from 1 to 13. Good school and community sports programs. Of course crime is a consideration.

2. I would work in Lakewood, wife at an undetermined hospital in Denver

3. Wanting to purchase 4-5bdrm for 350k-400k (stretch would be 425k)

4. Don't mind a 30-45 minute commute

Thanks for any feedback.
Personally, I think the commute from Castle Rock area to Lakewood would be horrendous! I haven't lived in the Metro Area for a long time, but even without traffic, it's 40 minutes between Castle Rock and Lakewood. Add in the daily commute on I-25 or C-470 and you are easily looking at a commute that's well over an hour each way. There are plenty of options around Lakewood that fit your criteria. I would consider Golden, Littleton, Roxbourough, Ken Caryl, Highlands Ranch and Lakewood itself. All of these areas have good schools within their districts.
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Old 02-12-2012, 01:06 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,672 posts, read 29,570,689 times
Reputation: 33215
Default Well, it depends

Quote:
Originally Posted by bavariantransplant View Post
Also, if anyone follows home prices in the Denver metro area, would you say that home prices are still dropping, at their lowest price, rising back up or have normalized at their current pricing.
1. Falling. Case-Shiller S&P | November 2011 | Americas
2. Rising. Departments of Numbers. deptofnumbers.com/ asking-prices/ colorado/ denver/ (The link is deliberately broken as city-data won't allow links to the Department of Numbers.)
3. Falling. CoreLogic Calculated Risk: CoreLogic: House Price Index declined 1.4% in December to new post-bubble low
4. Getting ready to rise. Denver home inventory plunges 42% | Inside Real Estate News

My personal guess is bouncing up and down slightly for the next few years.
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Old 02-12-2012, 01:26 PM
 
Location: Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
693 posts, read 1,132,345 times
Reputation: 617
Thank you for your fast replies.

I was hoping the thought on Castle Rock to Lakewood would be 30-45m not over an hour. I have looked at some of the other neighborhoods you mention and they seem appealing as well but am starting from scratch sort of.

Interesting local article on the real estate inventories, thanks.
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Old 02-12-2012, 02:25 PM
 
152 posts, read 322,275 times
Reputation: 54
we live in castle rock and we like it yes the commute sucks but you get more for your money here. great schools and lots of families with kids. lots of open space. However... we've only live here for 2 weeks.

my husband works in downtown and he takes the lightrail at lincoln ave
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Old 02-12-2012, 03:32 PM
 
Location: Denver
103 posts, read 290,954 times
Reputation: 80
I think Highlands Ranch and SW Littleton are good options. HR will get you maybe 15 minutes closer to Lakewood than Castle Rock and shorten your commute. SW Littleton would put you close to C-470 and depending on where in Lakewood shouldn't be too bad of a commute. Good schools and houses in your price range available in both areas.
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Old 02-12-2012, 05:20 PM
 
5,089 posts, read 15,348,672 times
Reputation: 7017
If you are working in Lakewood, the live in Lakewood. There is nothing wrong with Lakewood as a place to live as you can find many excellent safe neighborhoods to live. You can live in a well established neighborhoods, as off Garrison or Kipling, just south of Alameda, near the well regarded Green Mountain area or in new housing. The school system is the excellent Jefferson County Schools. There are extensive Parks, Open Space and Recreational amenities.

You do not have to necessarily live right in Lakewood but in Southern Unincorporated Jefferson County that is contiguous with Lakewood on the South. You can live in Wheat Ride or Arvada. Your housing budget would be able to find you a very nice home in any of these areas.

You could never afford to live in Castle Pines. Castle Rock would give you a terrible commute. There is no public transit available in that City. Driving and Parking at a Park-n-Ride in the Transportation District, farther north, will cost you an extra fee to park, as being outside the district.

Castle Rock offers nothing of exceptional value but not a bad area. It is a sprawling area that some people prefer with some dubious distinction of of being in Douglas County, but not any better. It is just noted as separate from the larger metro area so it is perceived as better as some sort of idyllic small town, but it is not. You would better served to live in Highlands Ranch or LoneTree, as other suggest, which are in Douglas county and have chosen to wisely invest in public transit. Centennial is also a good place to live in the South Towns.

Livecontent
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Old 02-12-2012, 08:34 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,672 posts, read 29,570,689 times
Reputation: 33215
Default Well, not Castle Pines, but the poor neighborhood to the north

Quote:
Originally Posted by livecontent View Post
You could never afford to live in Castle Pines.
1. LiveContent is spot on. Listen to him.
2. But, he said Castle Pines and you might be able to afford the poor people's neighborhood: Castle Pines North. Same crappy commute.
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Old 02-12-2012, 10:00 PM
 
Location: Just south of Denver since 1989
11,815 posts, read 34,282,142 times
Reputation: 8935
If you like Castle Pines, you might also like parts of Morrison, Kittridge or Golden. or Deer Creek.
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Old 02-12-2012, 10:07 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO
5,610 posts, read 23,231,055 times
Reputation: 5447
If your wife works at a hospital, I'm going to presume that whether or not she shows up to work on time is NOT optional... If that's the case then Castle Rock shouldn't even be a consideration. During snow days, or even just regular days with a bad accident clogging I-25, the commute would be horrendous. It really doesn't make any sense to live in Castle Rock if you're commuting any further away than the Tech Center.
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