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Old 10-03-2014, 08:51 PM
 
11,550 posts, read 52,969,385 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julesunder View Post
Great, thanks for the advice! Looks like we are going to take a serious look at that option.

One question tho, we've looked on a several real estate websites and it seems like there are a lot of homes for sale in Evergreen, they have been on the market for longs periods of time and deeply reduced from the original asking price.

Now this is great for us if we decide to go that route, but could be a rough resale market. Any incite on the area or why the houses have been marketed down so drastically?

thanks
Other than condition issues, what I've seen in this marketplace is a number of sellers "fishing" the marketplace; ie, the house is not seriously for sale.

Even with the price reductions, it becomes a stale listing and doesn't get much activity from agents with buyers.

If you'll look at the comparison properties that have sold in the last few months, you'll generally find the sold price points to be lower.
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Old 10-03-2014, 10:24 PM
 
3,111 posts, read 5,008,610 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julesunder View Post
Great, thanks for the advice! Looks like we are going to take a serious look at that option.

One question tho, we've looked on a several real estate websites and it seems like there are a lot of homes for sale in Evergreen, they have been on the market for longs periods of time and deeply reduced from the original asking price.

Now this is great for us if we decide to go that route, but could be a rough resale market. Any incite on the area or why the houses have been marketed down so drastically?

thanks
We once were looking in the foothills. After we had to cancel viewings three times for fire evacuations we decided to buy in the flatlands.

Afterwards our realtor told us that foothills/mountain buyers are usually good for three or four transactions. If they are moving from metro Denver this includes the sale of their house in metro Denver, the purchase of the house in the foothills, the sale a few years later of the foothills house and then the purchase of a house in metro Denver. Out of towners are only good for three transactions because they don't have a house in metro Denver to sell initially. Obviously this is a generalization but folks we know who have moved out of the foothills have had a hard time selling because the demand is not that great.

Reasons for moving out include long commute, too far from grocery and stores, isolation during a bad winter (we haven't had one recently), forest fire danger (cost of home owners insurance), lack of amenities close by, too far from health care, poor access to internet, well ran dry, cost of propane to heat the house etc. The foothills/mountain lifestyle fits some people but not others.
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Old 10-03-2014, 10:47 PM
 
Location: Evergreen
403 posts, read 756,096 times
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There are many homes in Evergreen with extremely large square footage, but not necessarily nice or updated finishes. Buyers are very educated and aren't willing to pay for 5,000+ sq. ft. with saxony carpeting, multiple baths, kitchens, and fireplaces that need to be updated.

Another reason for why some homes are sitting on the market are definitely location. Many people want to move to the foothills for some space and privacy. If the home sits on a corner with the middle school in the backyard and the elementary school across the street, it's going to have a tougher time selling. If the home backs to a commercial strip, it's not going to be selling as quickly. Road noise is another factor. Hwy 74, Hwy 73, I-70, Hwy 285 are busy, noisy roads.

As you get more educated on the area, you will see that many homes, if priced correctly out of the gate, and are in good condition, in a great location are going Under Contract within days and then Closing between 92%-100% of list price (with an average around 95-98%).
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Old 10-04-2014, 10:37 AM
 
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Hmmm I never thought about the forest fire thing. Houston doesn't have any tress, so that's not really an issue down here. How often is there forest fires aroubd evergreen, once ever 5 years or a couple times a summer?

Basically, we are completely open to a fixer, we just want the view, no neighborhood, and up the hill, not in the valley/town area. A reasonable fixer tho, we aren't looking to buy a 700k house and put 300k into it, more like a 450-500k and put 150-200k in it. Doable?

We've seen a lot of lots for sale, is building a good option or is that completely out of the question.

Thanks again
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Old 10-04-2014, 12:11 PM
 
Location: 0.83 Atmospheres
11,477 posts, read 11,464,766 times
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There hasn't been a major forest fire close to Evergreen, but the possibility of one coming through and destroying everything you own is something that you need to be aware of. It's part of living in the mountains.

You need to maintain defensible space around your home and get irreplaceable valuables accessible enough that if there is a fire, you can grab them, your pets and your family and go quickly.
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Old 10-04-2014, 01:03 PM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
13,824 posts, read 29,809,949 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julesunder View Post
Basically, we are completely open to a fixer, we just want the view, no neighborhood, and up the hill, not in the valley/town area.
Keep in mind, that a drive to many homes in Evergreen is quite exhausting (especially in the dark), even when there isn't snow.

It's like:
1. Exit I-70.
2. Take Evergreen Pkwy a few miles to beautiful country road.
3. Take beautiful country road for 3 miles to even more beautiful country road.
4. Take even more beautiful country road for 3 miles to flat and kind of straight dirt road.
5. Take kind of straight dirt road for 2 miles to hilly and winding road.
6. Take hilly and winding road for 1 mile to hilly and winding road that has only enough room for one vehicle.
7. Take one vehicle road uphill for 3/4 mile to your road which can only be accessed by 4x4.
8. Take your road 1/2 mile.

Initially, it was always one of my dreams to live in Evergreen, but after doing that a few times for work, I decided that yes, even parts of Evergreen are too bush for me. If I were ever to live there, it would have to be somewhere with excellent access to main roads.

Sure, you can see the moon and the stars from there, and in some parts you will feel like you have the forest to yourself, but for me (and I'm sure many others), even the beauty isn't worth the trouble. I mean driving 40 miles east into the plains would be easier than the drive from I-70 to many homes in Evergreen.
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Old 10-04-2014, 09:27 PM
 
Location: Evergreen
403 posts, read 756,096 times
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I have lived in Evergreen for 6 years and there was one fire (Bluebell) a year? or year and a half ago. it was about 4 miles from my house and neighborhoods close to mine were evacuated, but not mine. There have been smaller brush fires in fields since I've lived here, but they have all been contained quickly. The threat is always present, but the residents don't dwell on it on a daily basis. There's a great reverse 911 system in place and text message alerts as well. We keep a box of important photos ready to go and we back up our computers often. We have copies of important documents and good property insurance. I love my house and where I live, but at the end of the day, it's just a house. As long and my family is safe, we can rebuild. It might not be on the same piece of land, but we can figure that out if/when we have to.

As far as your budget is concerned, it is very doable.
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Old 10-05-2014, 08:51 AM
 
556 posts, read 1,196,059 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyDog77 View Post
There hasn't been a major forest fire close to Evergreen, but the possibility of one coming through and destroying everything you own is something that you need to be aware of. It's part of living in the mountains.
There were several evacuations last year in Evergreen. No houses burned, but was still stressful for those involved-



Bluebell fire, 6/13.
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Old 01-04-2015, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Colorado Foothills
3 posts, read 2,908 times
Reputation: 20
There just isn't anywhere here on Planet Earth that's completely safe. It all comes down to weighing the pros and cons in a personal way that maps to your individual tolerance for the specific risks presented by the specific place/region/town/city/area etc you're choosing to live. We've lived in Manhattan Beach in SoCal and experienced earthquakes, pollution, abominable traffic and crime. Lived in NorCal during Loma Prieta earthquake, Berkeley Hills Fire and others we weren't evacuated for, mudslides and flooding that we also weren't evacuated for and more diabolical traffic. My cousin in Houston has been through a couple of hurricanes, so have our friends in Florida, another in North Carolina. Our neighbors moved into their second home here in CO while their house was being rebuilt after Katrina. There's just no place that's risk free.

We've lived in Evergreen, Breckenridge and the Boulder county foothills for many years. We were evacuated during the 4mile Fire and while watching the news the very next day for info on "our fire", which killed no one, a gas main erupted into an inferno in San Bruno and killed a bunch of people. The deadly fire happened in a suburban city and was caused by an error made by PG&E. Fire can and does happen anywhere and we've got a lot of aging infrastructure in our cities. Excellent insurance and proper preparation is really all you can do whether you opt for city living on the plains or life in the mountains.

If you choose to live in the mountains/foothills, mitigate your trees and property, keep your gutters clear, back stuff up, scan in and have a digital copy of old photos, have a plan and just be prepared as an earlier poster advised. We've got copies of everything and keep the originals and back up drives in a safe deposit box. Hope the bank doesn't get robbed or burn down--HA! Even though our home and property came through fine, we chose to replace decks/soffits with nonflammable material and landscaped with lots of stone patio areas, rock planters and paths surrounding the house anyway. Hope this helps!

Last edited by TeganA; 01-04-2015 at 01:44 PM.. Reason: spelling
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Old 01-04-2015, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Evergreen, Colorado
1,259 posts, read 1,093,747 times
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Fire is a real threat and you'll need to get your head around it before buying a home.

Keep in mind, not all areas of Evergreen are at equal risk.
The northern areas right off I-70 like Bergen Park, are fairly suburbanized. Any fire in those areas would be far easier to control than say down in Brook Forest.

Regarding the commute: I live a mile due west of the High School and can make the Convention Center (14th & California) in 45 minutes
on a good weather day. That's taking I-70 to 6th ave.
On Bad weathers days... Call your boss and beg to stay home.
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