Where to move in Littleton/Highland Ranch? (Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree: sale, HOA fees)

[chicagocarol]

My oldest brother and his family have lived in Littleton for about 25 years now (came from Chicago burbs) He has a son that owns a home in Highlands Ranch, another in Englewood, and a third in Denver. I do think Highlands Ranch is where you will want to be. Good luck on your hunt.

[goldenmom]

I just moved from the very area that you are asking about. My yard was a nice size and there was a lot of privacy due to mature trees. You don't find that everywhere in Highlands Ranch. I like where I live now in another part of Highlands Ranch, but I feel like everyone can see in to my backyard! We are going to have to buy some really large trees soon!!!!! I really liked the location by Cougar Run. It is close to C470, County Line Road and if you want to travel to the tech center, it is not far! Good luck in your home search!

[adlmast]

Thanks. The biggest issue I have with my current home is privacy. We live in a brand new community and it would take years for the trees to provide us some privacy. I want to make sure I avoid the same situation. Do you mind me asking why you left Cougar Run? Were their things you didn't like about the neighborhood? I would appreciate any info you can provide. Are their any other neighborhoods you would reccomend. Online all the neighbor hoods seem the same!

[gpraceman]

Originally Posted by adlmast

Thanks. The biggest issue I have with my current home is privacy. We live in a brand new community and it would take years for the trees to provide us some privacy. I want to make sure I avoid the same situation.

There are some older homes in HR that do have trees that are more mature. I say "older" as a relative term, since HR is only 26 years old.

My in-laws, who live on the west side of HR, have some very tall cottonwoods in their backyard which screens them nicely from their neighbors. I hear they are a pretty fast growing tree, so that is an option if buying a house without enough shielding from neighbors. Though, they should be the cotton-less trees, since some people are alergic to the ones that put out cotton.

[2bindenver]

Originally Posted by gpraceman

.... they should be the cotton-less trees, since some people are alergic to the ones that put out cotton.

How can they call cotton-less cottonwoods - "cottonwoods?" Isn't the cotton the point?


I think it's funny in the spring to see all that cotton blowing in the wind.

[gpraceman]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

How can they call cotton-less cottonwoods - "cottonwoods?" Isn't the cotton the point?

I think it's funny in the spring to see all that cotton blowing in the wind.

Not so funny, if you are allergic to them. Besides, I believe that the HR HOA mandates the cotton-less trees. However, not everyone goes by that, as evident by the ones behind my in-laws (actually they reside in their backyard neighbor's yard) are the "cottony" variety.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

How can they call cotton-less cottonwoods - "cottonwoods?" Isn't the cotton the point?


I think it's funny in the spring to see all that cotton blowing in the wind.

The cottonless ones are male trees. As others have said, many HOA's (and many municipalities) prohibit planting cottonwoods that have cotton.

Cottonwoods also get huge, quickly (whether with cotton or cottonless). They break and shed branches easily. They also sucker profusely. They should really only be planted on very large pieces of property where they have plenty of room and will not grow into pipes, foundations, etc.

[goldenmom]

We moved to a new house for many reasons. We wanted to be in certain schools as the middle school that we go to doesn't accept open enrollment due to high numbers of kids already attending in the area. We were open enrolled in another school district and I was tired of driving. I wasn't a big fan of Cougar Run although a lot of my neighbors loved it.

Another area you might want to check into is off of Quebec and University. Some of the homes have larger yards with some privacy. Redstone Elementary is supposed to be awesome although I don't have any kids there.

It is so hard to figure out where to move to from the internet. This website is great for talking to others. I wish I had known about it before moving here.

[gpraceman]

Originally Posted by goldenmom

Another area you might want to check into is off of Quebec and University. Some of the homes have larger yards with some privacy. Redstone Elementary is supposed to be awesome although I don't have any kids there.

That's over by where I live. I like the area and have a son that goes to Redstone. It is a good school and just opened up last year. My kids go to 3 different schools and each can walk to school, which is rather nice. My middle schooler actually walks to Redstone to catch the shuttle bus to Rocky Heights (parents lobbied for this so middle schoolers wouldn't be crossing busy Quebec or McArthur Ranch Rd).

If you are looking for a larger yard, I'd recommend getting with an agent familiar with the area. The agent can feed you listings fitting your specific criteria. I know 2bindenver is very familiar with this area, but there are other agents around as well. There are many homes around HR that have larger yards. Mostly ones on corner or cul-de-sac lots.

There are some homes close to Rock Canyon High School (McArthur Ranch Rd and Quebec) that have some pretty large yards. Those are the ones that I mentioned earlier, which I believe are not apart of HR or Lone Tree. That means your HOA fees do not get you access to the rec centers in either community. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that is the case.

[rkb0305]

Originally Posted by adlmast

My husband has been offered a job in Denver After looking at the schools, I'm considering moving to Littleton or Highlands Ranch. I'm trying to find a home near excellent schools with new amenities. After hours of research I'm extremely confused about which development I like. I'm trying to find someting over 10k sq ft with a rpice range of approx. $600k. Does anyone have any comments on the different subdivisions.

The neighborhood off of Lucent and Highlands Ranch Pkwy (NWCorner) has several houses for sale; some but not all of the lots are large. There is one, maybe 2 on Desert Willow Rd that has a 10,000 sf lot. I think the prices range from about $400,000-$600,000 in the neighborhood. The zip is 80129 (so you can search easily)