Affordable neighborhoods (Denver, Aurora, Englewood: for sale, 2015, foreclosures)

[ellebee]

In looking for a small house under $150k within a short commute to my Cherry Creek Job, I find mainly homes in: Athmar Park, Ruby Hill, and East Colfax. I know these neighborhoods are relatively high crime and have bad reputations, but in my eight years in Denver in various neighborhoods, I've never really felt that Denver is "dangerous."

I am a single female living alone, but I have two large dogs that are a great deterrent.

Does anyone have personal experience with these areas that I mentioned, or have suggestions for neighborhoods I might have overlooked?

Thank you!

[Dorthy]

You could also look into Old Englewood. There are small homes in that price range and it's a nice walkable area. Check out 80113 and 80110.

[ellebee]

Thank you - I actually just moved from there when I got divorced.

Unfortunately, there is very little for sale in Englewood right now. The lower income neighborhoods are of course being hit the hardest by all the foreclosures so there is a lot available in those areas...the more established neighborhoods are sitting tight.

[Augie Daugie]

I think East Colfax is a decent neighborhood. I would try to stay at least one block away from Colfax and as far west in the neighborhood as possible.

[Dorthy]

I have a friend who lives in Aurora off of E Colfax, near the new hospital. Her block is very quiet, lots of trees. I know you can find homes in your price range over there. Some blocks are really nice, others are kind of sketchy.

[steveindenver]

East Denver between 20th and 13th or West Aurora after Yosemite in the same north/south corridor has some properties in that range.

You will find a lot of diversity on a per block basis. Some blocks that have more large rental complexes can be wildly different from others that are mostly families or long time residents.

I have a friend who is in your situation and is looking in that area. I've spent time riding around the area for the past few weeks at various times of the day and night. While I have never felt unsafe there are streets as mentioned above that seem safer. I'd suggest taking the time to walk around any potential properties and get a feel for the neighborhood.

Disgregard the Colfax comments above. There is nothing wrong with the street -- in fact it offers some of the best diversity in terms of food and entertainment of any street in the country.

[tolife]

I'm a 30 something female professional that bought a house in Ruby Hill. I like it. I researched the crime in the area and actually found the crime rate agreeable. It's along Mississippi and Federal where you start to have problems.

PM me if you would like to talk about it.

Crystal

[XAFLOC]

You'll find some affordable homes off East Colfax. The street still has a bad reputation, which is a good thing for buyers looking to get a great deal. East of Quebec, Colfax is 5 blocks south of Stapleton and 4 blocks north of Lowry. The proximity to these areas is a definite plus. Personally, I would look about 4 blocks north of Colfax, closer to the Montview/Quebec intersection.

If you look west of Quebec, a lot of the areas (Park Hill, Mayfair, City Park) are probably already out of your price range.

[USAEconomy]

ellebee,

I live in the Jewell Heights/Hoffman Heights neighborhood south of the UC Denver-AMC campus. There are a lot of houses in your price range here. I was single with no dogs, walked across Colfax every day for school and never had safety issues. I recently had my alarm system deactivated because I never bothered to use it. I would recommend the brink houses.

I've posted elsewhere about how I think this neighborhood is a smart financial choice with the University and Hospital in such close proximity. There are hundreds of millions in private developments going up so the conveniences of Lowry/Stapleton should be coming soon. Lightrail is scheduled for 2015. Prices are affordable ...now.

I used to drive to the old 9th ave campus (near cherry creek) daily before my school moved and the drive was consistently 15min regardless of the time of day. Lights, not traffic determined my commute time along 11th.

Goodluck house hunting!

[vegaspilgrim]

You can find very cheap homes in two neighborhoods in south Aurora-- Pheasant Run and Summer Valley Ranch. Approximate boundaries of this area are Quincy, Telluride (in between Buckley and Tower), and Smoky Hill. These neighborhoods are not the greatest (you get what you pay for), but the surrounding area is quite decent, a lot better than the Aurora east Colfax neighborhood.