$475k max for house w/commute to Union Station (Westminster: neighborhoods, buying)

[Timmyy]

Highlands Ranch would be a good option too but I am biased. Douglas County schools are pretty solid with the exception of the school board. Highlands Ranch is a hop, skip and a jump to the Mineral light rail station in Littleton which is one stop away from the Downtown Littleton station. It is kind of like Stapleton with lots of families and retail.

[Augie Daugie]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

I'm not sure you're using the search function to its capacity, then, because Stapleton is often mentioned on this forum. It's one of the most family oriented developments in the Denver metro. It has tons of kids, very good schools (DPS), parks, pools, open spaces, a Town Center with lots of retail etc. It's really only existed in its present state over the past 10-15 years since, as you are probably aware, it was the site of the city's old commercial airport prior to that. The info you read about it not being "safe" are probably a reference to the tendency for there to be property crimes (usually crimes of opportunity) because of the less than stellar Aurora neighborhoods directly adjacent to the South and East of Stapleton.

Average prices for fully detached single family homes in Stapleton are around $550-$575K, I believe. You probably can get a very small starter home, or paired home, for $475K.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, however, since because it's a new development, the homes are lacking in character, there aren't many mature trees etc. It was certainly not at the top of our list when we moved to Denver in 2012, but we ended up there, and I was very happy with it.

Stapleton is pretty tough to find a detached home under $475. A budget of $500K is a little more doable. The bigger issue is a lot of the lower priced homes reside on courtyards which carry an additional sub-HOA fee---finding a street facing property can help stretch the budget.

[emm74]

10 years ago, Stapleton didn't really exist. Construction started in 2001, but I think the first homeowners moved in a a couple of years later and it took a while to really take off. Now they can't build houses fast enough.

But no, IMO, Highlands Ranch is not really like Stapleton. The location is a huge factor - I'm 15 minutes away from work, also 15-20 minutes away from the zoo, the science museum, all kinds of parks, just another few minutes from the heart of Downtown Denver and all it offers. Just a few minutes away from Aurora Cultural Arts District - and while there are certainly some negatives about the northwest part of Aurora, there are some very bright spots as well.

In addition, Highlands Ranch is a more typical suburban neighborhood - larger lots, and more car dependent. In truth, Stapleton is more car dependent than I'd really like, although a lot depends on specific location within Stapleton - it's gotten so large physically and some parts are (or soon will be near) shopping districts while others are surrounded by several blocks worth of residential/pocket park/schools, with no retail near by at all.

But I'm not still not sure if Stapleton is a good bet for OP. My understanding is the parking lot for the train fills up pretty quickly so that could be an issue unless you managed to find something in walking distance. And price point is definitely low, particularly for something that would have enough room to home school.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by emm74

10 years ago, Stapleton didn't really exist. Construction started in 2001, but I think the first homeowners moved in a a couple of years later and it took a while to really take off. Now they can't build houses fast enough.

But no, IMO, Highlands Ranch is not really like Stapleton. The location is a huge factor - I'm 15 minutes away from work, also 15-20 minutes away from the zoo, the science museum, all kinds of parks, just another few minutes from the heart of Downtown Denver and all it offers. Just a few minutes away from Aurora Cultural Arts District - and while there are certainly some negatives about the northwest part of Aurora, there are some very bright spots as well.

In addition, Highlands Ranch is a more typical suburban neighborhood - larger lots, and more car dependent. In truth, Stapleton is more car dependent than I'd really like, although a lot depends on specific location within Stapleton - it's gotten so large physically and some parts are (or soon will be near) shopping districts while others are surrounded by several blocks worth of residential/pocket park/schools, with no retail near by at all.

But I'm not still not sure if Stapleton is a good bet for OP. My understanding is the parking lot for the train fills up pretty quickly so that could be an issue unless you managed to find something in walking distance. And price point is definitely low, particularly for something that would have enough room to home school.

I agree. If you're home schooling, that really takes a lot of the allure of Stapleton away.

[emm74]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

I agree. If you're home schooling, that really takes a lot of the allure of Stapleton away.

Yes, you definitely pay a premium to live there because of the public schools, so if you aren't going to be utilizing the schools, not much point in paying that premium, certainly at the lower price point where you can likely pay less for something comparable or get more for that price, in a different area.

And aside from the secondary HOA fee for courtyard homes, Stapleton property taxes are higher than the rest of Denver - about half again as much so also something to consider when crunching numbers.

not sure how the property tax rates compare to non-Denver suburbs though.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by emm74

Stapleton property taxes are higher than the rest of Denver - about half again as much so also something to consider when crunching numbers.

Yep, good point, property taxes are around 30-40% more, and don't even get me started on that fee sellers have to pay whenever a property changes hands, even though on our sale, it was the "bargain" price of only about $1,500, iirc.

But, yes, very valid points by you and SkyDog77 about how Stapleton is considerably less attractive if you are not using the schools there. I also agree with you about Stapleton vs Highlands Ranch in terms of proximity to parks, museums, zoo, DIA, and (especially) downtown. To me, that was one of Stapleton's absolute best features.....suburban type living in an urban location.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by emm74

Yes, you definitely pay a premium to live there because of the public schools, so if you aren't going to be utilizing the schools, not much point in paying that premium, certainly at the lower price point where you can likely pay less for something comparable or get more for that price, in a different area.

And aside from the secondary HOA fee for courtyard homes, Stapleton property taxes are higher than the rest of Denver - about half again as much so also something to consider when crunching numbers.

not sure how the property tax rates compare to non-Denver suburbs though.

I met a family at Colorado Academy who live in Stapleton. Makes no sense to me.

[scuba_mama]

If upped our housing budget we need to cut down on the discretionary spending on things like eating out, (or save less for retirement savings or vacations) It seems like it would defeat purpose to live in Stapleton among bars, restaurants and cafes but we really should avoid buying lattes and eating out more than once a month.

While we're excited about better weather that will allow us to spend more time outside, since the kids and I don't have work or school to go to we're home a lot and I'm cooking 3 meals a day most days. So I hope for 1800+ sq ft and an updated kitchen. I'm seeing older, smaller homes in my price range (and with 7+ school rankings from greatschools.com) in the towns that have been mentioned except Broomfield, north Westminster, and possibly NW Thornton.

Those seem like a good location for my husband to commute to the Union Square area and for me to visit various places. For example, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is a place I know we'd visit a lot and that's 20 minutes away with free parking.

The thing is all of that is pretty much based on quantitative info. I don't know what kind of reputation these neighborhoods have, whether they're the type of neighborhoods where kids tend to play outside afterschool or if the open spaces have questionable characters? I like my car but where I live there's nice scenery but it takes 50 minute roundtrip walk just to get to a little neighborhood store and there's nothing else around. It would be nice to walk to a little market or library sometimes. It seems like those neighborhoods are so large it depends on the exact location of house. Are there any other so great for families that I should suck it up and ignore the style of houses? You've all given me such amazing advice and points to consider. I'm so grateful!!

[emm74]

The thing is, being in a "great school district" (or being zoned for the good schools in a district like DPS) comes with a premium. Being in a walkable area to coffee shops, library, small market, etc. comes with a premium. Having easy accessibility to public transportation and/or a reasonably short commute to downtown Denver and things like the zoo, museums, sporting venues, etc. comes with a premium. Larger, more updated houses come with a premium.

Personally, I think if you plan to homeschool, while it would be important to be in a family friendly neighborhood, it would be counterproductive to spend the extra money it takes to get into a great school district, esp. if the other aspects are things you prioritize more.

So not upping your budget, but deciding how to prioritize your wants in order to stay within the budget that is comfortable. Or if you really think it's all a priority, then acknowledging that costs in the Denver metro may mean having to put more money towards housing.

In all honesty, I could not afford to buy my own house today, I'd be priced out. It's a tough time to move to Denver and be able to get everything you want for a price that used to seem very high but doesn't go nearly as far as it used to.

[scuba_mama]

Originally Posted by emm74

Personally, I think if you plan to homeschool, while it would be important to be in a family friendly neighborhood, it would be counterproductive to spend the extra money it takes to get into a great school district, esp. if the other aspects are things you prioritize more.

Hmm. Honestly, it's really unlikely my kids would go to public school. We've already started homeschooling and we like it and Colorado will only have even more options and opportunities. My husband does fear not being able to sell a house if need be, because it doesn't rank well on something that is easy for buyers to see, like Zillow's school rankings. You figure that in a 2000 sq ft 3/3 or 4/3 house, the buyer would likely have a family. If the schools are ignored, do different towns come to mind?