Whats the scoop on living in Highlands Ranch? Pros and cons? (Denver: real estate, rental)

[heavenonearth048]

Hello all

We're relocating to Denver and are considering options pretty much everywhere south of the city (mostly Centennial and Aurora). However, we seem to be getting priced out of many Centennial homes, especially since we like large and airy homes with lots of light, which come at a premium.

We wouldn't mind moving slightly south to Highlands Ranch as those are homes that have a lot of what we're looking for. However, I'd like to know from residents of HR what its like to live there? Why is it often called a "bubble"? Are people friendly and social? How is the lifestyle and activities? What are the negatives?

Thanks, very much appreciate your thoughts, especially if you live in HR already rather than just "heard" about it!

[ShampooBanana]

If you like bland suburbia then it's just the ticket. It's about as boring cookie cutter suburban as you can get. Full of soccer moms and Range Rovers. Most of the commercial stuff is newer so there's that. Pretty easy to get around. Rolling hills so a number of homes have decent views either of the mountains or the city (can see downtown easily on most clear days from the right spots). Schools are top notch of course. One nice thing is the access to the multiple rec centers, which are pretty awesome. "The Ranch" as it's known is a bit cheaper than Centennial, but of course it's further away from Denver proper so no surprise there. I personally like west Centennial better but wouldn't mind terribly living in HR if I could find the right house/neighborhood in there and couldn't find what I wanted in Centennial/Littleton.

[BarryK123]

Originally Posted by ShampooBanana

If you like bland suburbia then it's just the ticket. It's about as boring cookie cutter suburban as you can get.

But if you prefer homeless camps, filth and riots, move to downtown Denver.

[heavenonearth048]

I love the idea of the Rec Centers, and like some space and views - after all, moving to Colorado primarily for the mountains/plains and natural settings rather than just quick access to downtown!

[Coloradomom22]

The problem is, if you are looking for a non-cookie cutter large house with "lots of light" and a bigger piece of land (more space) no matter where you go it will be pricey.

Highlands Ranch is very uniform with its subdivisions and many houses are on tiny lots.

Southeast Aurora is beautiful but it's also the land of tract homes. Some older ones might suit your requirements but they will be expensive.

Parker has more older homes that might check the boxes but prices are also very high. My father owns a rental that's on 2 acres, a not-so-great original home, and that has skyrocketed in value (shockingly so).

Basically if you want a large non-tract home in a good area be prepared to pay high prices. Otherwise you'll have to make some compromises.

[bluescreen73]

My problem with HR is that it's essentially a gigantic subdivision with an HOA instead of a functional city government. With a population over 100k it should've been incorporated 20-30 years ago, but that would cause taxes to go up and the Grover Norquist types who pull the strings there want none of that nonsense.

[heavenonearth048]

Yes, does the fact that its not incorporated mean it will just have issues with basic services such as water/power/snow removal/schools? Or that taxes are very high?

[lem316]

I've lived in incorporated Littleton, unicorporated Jefferson County, and Highlands Ranch. Really not a noticeable difference in the day to day between the 3.

[2bindenver]

Real estate broker and former resident of HR for twenty years here. Highlands Ranch is roughly the same size as Arvada. It has four Rec centers with classes, indoor and outdoor pools, miles of open space trails, tennis courts and a batting cage.

It is likely to remain unincorporated until either Lone Tree or Castle Pines makes a land grab. They have the money.

I lived in one resale and two brand new houses.

What would you like to know?

[COcheesehead]

We lived there for over six years and liked it. The only nit was a lack of local restaurants choices. There are some, just not a lot. The open space trails, rec centers, wide, multi lane roads, access to highways, good housing options, all made it better than some of the other places we lived in the city like Park Hill and Lowry.

In general, it was also probably the friendliest place we lived. We had lots of friends. The neighborhood had a wine club, book club and a dinner club.

Some neighborhoods have community pools which makes for a great gathering place to get to know people.

We never had an issue with how it was governed. The HOA is well run and provides a lot.

People who bash HR, likely never lived there.