Evergreen? (Denver: real estate, how much, houses)

[MCNPA]

My wife and I have been searching areas of Denver we might be interested in moving to. A beautiful place seems to be Evergreen. Great schools too. Can anybody tell me more about Evergreen? Is it a good place to raise children? Lifestyle there? Houses I've seen online seem gorgeous in my price range, provided we could get jobs near Evergreen or in Denver. Don't mind commuting under 1 hour preferrably.

[denverian]

It's a beautiful area, but they often get snow when we only get rain in Denver proper. If you don't like a lot of snow, you won't like Evergreen. I think most residents have long commutes too since there aren't any offices up there. Someone who lives there can give you better specifics. On the plus side, it's mountain living not too far from the luxuries of the city.

[MCNPA]

I'm looking for mountain living which is not far from the city. Seems exactly my type of place. I don't mind snow, as long as it is not snowing in the summertime...lol.

My wife is a Nurse and I'm a Physician Assistant. We can get work anywhere from local doctors offices, clinics, hospitals big and small. Not sure of the availability of those jobs, but don't mind commuting into Denver for work.

Right now I work nights as a PA, and work only 3 days a week (12-16 hr shifts). I commute 40 minutes which isn't a problem for me because I only work 3 days per week. I'd be looking for a similar schedule there(if possible), so I don't hit traffic any way.

Our biggest issue would be finding jobs that suit us and pay enough to enjoy the lifestyle that we want to build. Evergreen looks the part in terms of the type of place I'd be interested in. Just want to make sure it is a good place to raise kids etc.

[MCNPA]

Here in NY, salaries and job opportunities are very good in our respective fields. I have no idea how the prospects are there, although I've heard that nursing jobs are somewhat tougher to get than here from one person.

[Neditate]

There was a similar post a few weeks ago. You might check it out: http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...evergreen.html

[MCNPA]

Originally Posted by Neditate

There was a similar post a few weeks ago. You might check it out: http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...evergreen.html

Thank you. Very helpful. Another question I have is about real estate taxes? How much they going for in Evergreen or in general in the suburbs of Denver?

[MCNPA]

Originally Posted by MCNPA

Thank you. Very helpful. Another question I have is about real estate taxes? How much they going for in Evergreen or in general in the suburbs of Denver?

I saw a house for over 1 million dollars in Evergreen listed online with property taxes of $2500...is that correct? On Long Island here, I pay about $9,000 per year in property taxes(about average here), so if that is the case, it changes the affordability of houses in Colorado for certain.

[bhcompy]

the mls listings should list the property tax. you can also look them up on the county website by address since they are public records.

property tax depends on the area, since newer areas have property taxes to pay for bonds and whatnot that funded recent infrastructure. there is a mill rate that is the basis, but they assess these other amounts on top of it

the amount you're looking at is entirely possible as well. many of the houses i looked at were 1000 to 2500 in property tax.

i would contact a real estate agent in CO that is familiar with evergreen for a full explaination to what you are paying for and which neighborhoods have higher property taxes than others

[zionvier]

I'm originally from Jersey. You'll be pleasantly surprised with how low property taxes are here in Colorado. Even in the areas with the highest RE taxes, they are still a fraction of what you'd pay in the tri-state area for the same house. The only thing I can think of that even remotely comes close would be an "active adult community" (ie. retirement village) in Jersey. My parents live in one in Jersey, but my taxes are still much lower here for my 'normal' house.

Another great web site to check is www.zillow.com if you haven't discovered it yet. It'll give you some good info on values, taxes, surrounding area values, county, city, schools, etc. It was a great resource to use while I was working with my realtor to decide on where to move to.

Hope that helps... Oh and I don't live in Evergreen, but I do love the town If you enjoy the mountain lifestyle and need a city nearby then Evergreen is a great place. Tons of great mountain biking there

[MCNPA]

Originally Posted by zionvier

I'm originally from Jersey. You'll be pleasantly surprised with how low property taxes are here in Colorado. Even in the areas with the highest RE taxes, they are still a fraction of what you'd pay in the tri-state area for the same house. The only thing I can think of that even remotely comes close would be an "active adult community" (ie. retirement village) in Jersey. My parents live in one in Jersey, but my taxes are still much lower here for my 'normal' house.

Another great web site to check is www.zillow.com if you haven't discovered it yet. It'll give you some good info on values, taxes, surrounding area values, county, city, schools, etc. It was a great resource to use while I was working with my realtor to decide on where to move to.

Hope that helps... Oh and I don't live in Evergreen, but I do love the town If you enjoy the mountain lifestyle and need a city nearby then Evergreen is a great place. Tons of great mountain biking there

Thanks for the advice. The taxes really make a difference in affordability. Here in NY, 10K in taxes stretches your finances a bit, when there aren't any decent houses for less than 450K in a decent area.

I do want to change from the typical suburbs to a bit more nature oriented area. The proximity to Denver just means more options for hospitals/jobs.