New home construction and square footage (Denver: job transfer, property taxes, live)

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

People stay because they like it, because they are from there, because they have a job there, because they have family there, because they don't have enough money to move, because, because, because...... Why haven't you moved yet?

You seem to arrive at a lot of conclusions without doing any research at all.

I can do all the research in the world, but I don't have to prove to you anything because you'll tear it apart. Secondly, I don't have time for that because you can't be persuaded. It's a wasted effort on my part. Lastly, it's not your concern when I move, I have my reasons.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

I can do all the research in the world, but I don't have to prove to you anything because you'll tear it apart. Secondly, I don't have time for that because you can't be persuaded. It's a wasted effort on my part. Lastly, it's not your concern when I move, I have my reasons.

I didn't mean for you to tell me why you haven't moved. I was trying (albeit unsuccessfully) to prove to you that there are numerous reasons why people stay in places that they have deemed too expensive. Just like you have your reasons for being where you are, even though you believe that life could be better elsewhere, so do many other people. It will always be this way. Colorado will always be more expensive than a lot of places and cheaper than others.

1.6 million people live in Manhattan. They aren't all rich, but they stay because they have their reasons.

You shouldn't be interested in doing research because you can prove something to someone. You should be interested in reading because you might actually learn something.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by fiberpills

I'm sorry to sound judgmental but do you guys who live there actually have no problem that homes are selling for almost $300/sqft? I guess it really is sticker shock because this seems like a major turnoff for people coming from more affordable COL states who want to contribute to the state of CO.

Are the down payments on mortgages still 20% or are a lot of these homes being bought with everything financed?

These are prices that I would expect from California because the weather there is near perfect year around. Colorado is great for having the Rockies and all, but anything east of Denver is more or less Kansas in the sense that it's flat and there's lots of room for agriculture.

I guess I'm on the wrong side of the coin. If I were moving to CO from a more expensive state then I guess it would be a steal.

Yeah, our house is at about $300/sq. foot. Then we finished our basement a few years ago, but that square footage isn't calculated at the same rate as everything above ground.

We moved here from SoCal 10 years ago and sold a 2 bdr. condo for almost the same amount we bought the new house for in Denver (just before the market seriously crashed in California)

It would be difficult to come here from a low COL market. I personally wouldn't mind the market flattening this year since my property taxes keep going up.

[himain]

It's not about the money aspect of it. It's just the size of the houses for us. It's just two of us, a cat and a dog. I had the 3600 sq ft house in CLT for 2 of us and it was a total waste. Bedrooms sat unused. We'd be happy in a 1400 sq ft brand new build but it doesn't seem to exist here. So we'll stay renting in our apt for now

[fiberpills]

Originally Posted by denverian

Yeah, our house is at about $300/sq. foot. Then we finished our basement a few years ago, but that square footage isn't calculated at the same rate as everything above ground.

We moved here from SoCal 10 years ago and sold a 2 bdr. condo for almost the same amount we bought the new house for in Denver (just before the market seriously crashed in California)

It would be difficult to come here from a low COL market. I personally wouldn't mind the market flattening this year since my property taxes keep going up.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It's good to know that property taxes are also a consideration for more expensive homes.

What life circumstances brought you to Denver? Work? Family?

[tcbelvis]

Originally Posted by himain

It's not about the money aspect of it. It's just the size of the houses for us. It's just two of us, a cat and a dog. I had the 3600 sq ft house in CLT for 2 of us and it was a total waste. Bedrooms sat unused. We'd be happy in a 1400 sq ft brand new build but it doesn't seem to exist here. So we'll stay renting in our apt for now

This! I appreciate this thread as I don't feel alone. Trying really hard to find 1500-2000 SF here. They don't seem to exist. Like you said, not about the price...just don't want/need more.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by tcbelvis

This! I appreciate this thread as I don't feel alone. Trying really hard to find 1500-2000 SF here. They don't seem to exist. Like you said, not about the price...just don't want/need more.

If it's not about the price, build a custom home and get what you want.

[Hschlick84]

There are smaller homes roughly 1000 sq ft - 2000 sq ft. You have to look at older homes build in the 1970s to late 1980s. The inner ring suburbs (Englewood, east Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, old Westminster, old Thornton)

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by denverian

Yeah, our house is at about $300/sq. foot. Then we finished our basement a few years ago, but that square footage isn't calculated at the same rate as everything above ground.

We moved here from SoCal 10 years ago and sold a 2 bdr. condo for almost the same amount we bought the new house for in Denver (just before the market seriously crashed in California)

It would be difficult to come here from a low COL market. I personally wouldn't mind the market flattening this year since my property taxes keep going up.

Does that $300 figure include land? Asking because since you are in Stapleton, I'm assuming you were not full custom and I built full custom for less than that, but land was not in the figure.

[Katarina Witt]

There are some new homes in Louisville and Lafayette that are patio home style SF homes. I don't know the names of all the subdivisions, other than Steel Ranch, but there are several of them in north Louisville moving up into Lafayette.

Steel Ranch | Boulder Creek Neighborhoods