Looking in Denver, trying to find the right neighborhood (Fort Collins: for sale, HOA)

[Starwind0]

Hi there

So I'm looking for some new ideas on places to look for a house. I work down town, and currently have a monster commute. So I'm looking to buy. I'll spare you the bitching about the crazy housing market. I'm looking in the low 300ks so it should be easier than competing with the average joe trying to avoid the California level rent.

I'm 26 and single. I see a lot of nice places in west lake wood, and arvada. Though it has a super family feel to it. I don't see myself chatting up someone at a coffee shop. especially as there are so few in these areas.

I'm from Fort Collins, and I really like the feel there. A lot of house for the cheap, late night coffee shops, and summer excluded a lot to do on the weekends. But Foco isn't an option ;-) so I'll curb my expectations.. I work down town so I can take less excitement, but I need Some hangout spots!

This lead me to Stapleton. It's .. so close, yet I fear their HOA is going to be a deal breaker. Some really silly reports of harrasement of a 5 year old for drawing with chalk, calling it vandilism. Had the HOA harrase me when selling my foco house because we painted the door, not looking for a repeat. Other than the giant deal breaker I love the area. Don't get me wrong, telling Broncos fan next door that no he can't paint his house neon orange, is okay. Telling me I can't smoke or build something in my back yard is another.

Just looking for a more urban area. Pretty much Rino, if it didn't have 50 homeless shelters, or Arvada if it had some excitement. I like Belmar area but low inventory on 300k houses, and insane prices for POS houses.

I liked baker. I think. I couldn't get parking after driving 20 minutes and gave up.

Drove by an area south of the Zoo that looked awesome, but not seeing any houses for sale (that aren't 1800s)

Any ideas guys? Maybe that stapleton HOA isn't that nuts?

[SkyDog77]

Stapleton does not jive with what you are describing that you like. It's is entirely family centered.

If you like Baker, I would keep your eyes open in Baker.

[MissTerri]

Check out Old Englewood. It's further south on Broadway then Baker, close to DU. There are homes to be found in your price range and it has a downtown with a few things to do. It's also on light rail and a good bus line if you want to use public transport to get downtown or to areas like Baker but not have to worry about parking.

[emm74]

Originally Posted by Starwind0

This lead me to Stapleton. It's .. so close, yet I fear their HOA is going to be a deal breaker. Some really silly reports of harrasement of a 5 year old for drawing with chalk, calling it vandilism. Had the HOA harrase me when selling my foco house because we painted the door, not looking for a repeat. Other than the giant deal breaker I love the area. Don't get me wrong, telling Broncos fan next door that no he can't paint his house neon orange, is okay. Telling me I can't smoke or build something in my back yard is another.

I'm not trying to talk you into Stapleton but I wanted to clarify things. Stapleton has a Master Community Association, and then smaller individual areas may or may not have individual HOAs. People who live in condos or townhouses obviously have a 2nd HOA, and the single families and duplexes that are on courtyards generally do as well. But many of the other homes in Stapleton are not part of an HOA other than the MCA. And the MCA rules do not appear to be particularly strict from what I can tell - I've only lived there 4 months. But things like painting your house whatever color, and yes, even putting up a big banner for your favorite sports team, are all things that are seemingly fine because I drive by them every day. The incident you referenced occurred in a courtyard community, with one of the sub associations making it into an issue. Even in the 4 months I've been here, there's been chalk on the sidewalks and no problems that I know of in my non-sub association area.

But with a budget in the low 300K, you are in fact right in the thick of competition for Denver house hunting. Sub-400K houses have the biggest demand and the shortest supply. That's particularly true in Stapleton, where anything in the mid-300s seems to be under contract within just a few days. Right now there are brand new listings at 399,900 and 350,000, and then it drops down to a $269,000 condo, also a new listing. I would be surprised to see any of them still listed by next Monday.

But in any case, as I said, I'm not trying to convince you on Stapleton and I know I wouldn't have chosen to buy there are a single person in my 20s, unless I was specifically inclined to pair up and settle down and had an eye towards having a kid or two.

You could look at Lowry - there are some decent condos in the low 300s, and while it is still very family oriented, if you are near the Town Center, it's a little bit walkable and a bit of a mix of household types. And a reasonable location for a downtown commute. But you'd still have HOAs to deal with, of course.

But I think at your price point, you are going to be looking at condos, esp. if you want to be in a more interesting area.

[Texas Ag 93]

[quote=Starwind0;38955850]

This lead me to Stapleton. It's .. so close, yet I fear their HOA is going to be a deal breaker. Some really silly reports of harrasement of a 5 year old for drawing with chalk, calling it vandilism. Had the HOA harrase me when selling my foco house because we painted the door, not looking for a repeat. Other than the giant deal breaker I love the area. Don't get me wrong, telling Broncos fan next door that no he can't paint his house neon orange, is okay. Telling me I can't smoke or build something in my back yard is another.

/QUOTE]

As a resident of Stapleton, I'm not sure what do you mean by the HOA being a deal breaker. The HOA is only around $500 per year. The community follows only City and County of Denver rules with respect to home improvements, construction etc. And those rules are not particularly onerous. I never heard about the case with the 5 year old you mentioned, either. Perhaps I missed that.

Now, I will say with regards to Stapleton:

1. It is very family oriented, like PP mentions. There is a lot of "sameness" with regards to how things are constructed and look, but that is not forced by an HOA.

2. The property taxes here are about 40% higher than the rest of the city/county. There is a costly transfer fee whenever a home is sold in Stapleton (but it's almost always paid by the seller).

3. Your budget will not get you a single family home in Stapleton, so are you talking about a condo/townhouse?

EDIT: Just saw my neighbor emm74's comments above, which clarify things a bit about "secondary HOA's".

[davebarnes]

1. Englewood is a valuable suggestion. The commute down (up?) Broadway will take some time, but the distance is short.
2. I personally like Edgewater and Wheat Ridge just north of Edgewater. The commutes will be OK. They are both very close to restaurants, etc.

That said. There is almost zero inventory for sale. For example, in Wheat Ridge between 32nd-38th / Sheridan-Wadsworth there are ZERO houses for sale on the Zillow.

1. You need to ready to pounce within minutes to hours.
2. All cash offer would be best.
3. You need a buyer's agent who is intimately familiar with the area. Personally, I would hire a different one for the two areas.
4. Be willing to buy a less than perfect house.

[boilingblacksea]

It's an easy walk to downtown from the Capitol Hill neighborhood. And it's the urban/non-family scene you're seeking.
Yes, property values have gone through the roof, but condos available in your price range - which would be a good investment.

[2bindenver]

There are lots of houses that come to market under $300,000 all over Denver. Are you searching ReColorado.com or have a portal set up? You just have to be quick to win a bidding war.

[Starwind0]

Hey everyone :-), I don't have time to read everything now, but wanted to chime in on a common theme. I wanted to add, I'm not really into condos, it's too cruel to the pup. I randomly work late, today till 7 pm, looking to get her a dog run or doggy door, etc. I was looking at single family units exclusively so far. Townhouse means being too close to neighbors, but I could stretch for the right place....

I mean 300k for a box the size of my parents kitchen? I'll drive thank you very much! 1500 is the minimum I'm looking at for total square feet. That causes issues in areas like Englewood.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Starwind0

Hey everyone :-), I don't have time to read everything now, but wanted to chime in on a common theme. I wanted to add, I'm not really into condos, it's too cruel to the pup. I randomly work late, today till 7 pm, looking to get her a dog run or doggy door, etc. I was looking at single family units exclusively so far. Townhouse means being too close to neighbors, but I could stretch for the right place....

I mean 300k for a box the size of my parents kitchen? I'll drive thank you very much! 1500 is the minimum I'm looking at for total square feet. That causes issues in areas like Englewood.

There are no homes in Stapleton at that price point.