Looking for help with specific housing needs! (Denver, Arvada: cul-de-sac, rentals)

[OffToDenver]

So we are definitely making the move and I have been researching houses for quite a while, but I am getting very concerned about how difficult this might turn out to be for us. We are going to rent first so that we can really get a feel for all the different neighborhoods before making the commitment to buy. While there are tons of rentals on craigslist the problem I am having is finding a single story home! I have a disability that makes stairs very difficult and while I understand that most homes are going to have a basement (we have accepted that fact and will make it work) I am having very little success finding anything with one set of stairs or less. It seems like almost everything is 3 or 4 levels! Like I said we can work with a basement and are actually warming up to the idea of all that extra space, but having to manage 3 or more levels in my home is just not going to work. I know there must be plenty of other people in the area who have difficulty with stairs, what do they do?

I have found some of the newer developments with single story/basement plans, but these have all been on the farther outskirts of town and we are trying to stay closer in because of the schools we are considering. Specifically we are looking near I-25 (just east and west of it) from 470 to just south of I-225. Some of the neighborhoods I have been targeting in my searches are Walnut Hills, Foxridge, Willow Creek, and the area around Arapahoe Lake (near DTC). We need at least 3 bdrms, but 4 would be much better and we don't want to be on a busy street (would really like a cul-de-sac). Of course there are many other things we would like, but since this is just a rental for about a year we are trying not to be too picky beyond the needs I just mentioned. As far as the rental amount goes, those neighborhoods where I have been looking have been in our budget range so I don't think the money is the issue.

If anyone has dealt with this or has any ideas or suggestions please let me know. We will be flying out there in about 10 days to find something, so any information you can share with me would be very helpful and so much appreciated!

[vegaspilgrim]

What is your housing budget?

[Katarina Witt]

I think once you get out here and actually look around, you'll find that there are a lot of rentals that meet your criteria, e.g. two story townhouses, etc.

[OffToDenver]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

What is your housing budget?

We were hoping to keep it at $2000 or less, but if it's really as difficult as it looks to find what we need then we could certainly stretch quite a bit higher (if necessary) to get the right place!

[livecontent]

I know your problem well as I am disabled with many problems. Among my maladies is a mobility disorder. I have lived here for 30 years. My house is a ranch and I have a full basement. My disorder has been getting much worse and I just installed safety grab bars along the basement steps, to help me, up and down. In the future, I may install an elevator or a motorized mobility aid for the steps. My parents, who are in their eighties, have a full ranch which they bought new, with the idea of not having the steps and they installed the washer and dryer, upstairs. I am also, considering making that change.

Many more older homes are ranches and among the newer homes ranches were not built as much as years past. That is because the lots got smaller and people want larger homes on these lots, so two story homes were required. In addition, many people feel that a two story home has more of an appeal. So you will find more of these ranches in the older suburbs.

I do think that there are many homes in the area that do not have basements. Many homes, both ranches and two stories have crawl spaces.

There is an important issue that you need to know as a disabled person with a mobility disorder. The issue is that the Regional Transportation District (RTD)
The Regional Transportation District Home Page provides a paratransit bus for those who cannot walk to/from a bus stop access-a-Ride (http://www.rtd-denver.com/SpecialRides/access-a-ride/index.html - broken link)

The important issue is that " Your trip must have a starting and ending point within 3/4 mile of an RTD non-commuter fixed route bus service ". This is now strictly enforced because the federal government provides some funding. A few years ago RTD was cited for violated the rules. If you are looking for a home and you need this service, you must be living within the boundaries.

Now the boundaries are clearly delimited on the RTD interactive map by a purple line with a wheelchair logo. Many areas of Denver Metro are outside this boundaries, especially in the newer far out suburbs. All of Denver is within the boundary. This map is terrible and poorly maintained http://gis.rtd-denver.com/MapServer/default.aspx but if you have some patience it will load, sometimes.

Well, you would say I do not care to use public transit, especially a disabled bus. However, if you qualify, you will be able to ride all buses and trains without cost. That is because RTD knows that a disability changes from day to day and they want to encourage you to try to use normal public transit. You are also provided with discount taxi service where RTD pays part of the fare.

The paratransit has a cost but it is minimal considering the distance travelled. Today with the cost of gas it may be a good option to have. In addition, the weather is variable and on bad days where you have a doctor's appointment, it is ideal. Just to note you can use it for any type of transit, shopping, recreation etc. When my condition is really bad, I have used it and it works well but a day before reservation is required.

Many neighborhoods, of the area, you are looking is the newer areas, so the points I am making are part of the considerations. I would encourage you to look further into other areas. Denver is not like many other cities. Many areas of the city are newer and are similiar to suburban neighborhooods, especially among the areas of Denver in the southern neighborhoods. Many of these areas were not annexed by the city until the 1960s. There are also areas where homes where built much latter.

I would suggest that you look into older established areas of Denver and the older part of the suburbs where you will find many ranches. Denver has many beautiful neighborhoods, with all economic characteristics, and Denver is a very safe city. Many of these will be all brick because that was more predominate in past years. In addition Denver is an attractive city to the new rich and is gaining population in new revitalized neighborhoods.

I have seen that there are ranches in the older areas of Littleton and certainly in Arvada, where I live. Recently I took a drive down Arapahoe in Centennial and I noticed many ranches within the areas near University. Ranches are everwhere is the established neighborhoods.

I believe that ranches with a full basement are the best type of homes in this area. They do not have the second levels, which are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. They are more economical to heat and cool, especially with a basement. Most importantly, as your post and my post shows, it is the choice if you are disabled. However, we all get old and younger people do not think about this issue when all their bones and joints work.

I have also noticed that there are many new retirement communties with much more homes that are built as ranches. Many of these are single family homes; some are patio homes. Some have age restrictions but some of restrictions are waived for the disabled. You will also find many older retirement condominium communties in Denver that have the ranch floorplans and have elevator access.

I find appealing condominium/town home developments where there a ranch in the end unit with a full attached garage, some with basements.

If of course, you have no restriction on cost, you can easily find any home, in any area that meets your requirements. A qualified realtor can be your best bet.

Livecontent

[2bindenver]

It's hard to find a 4 bed ranch, with all the bedrooms on the main floor. Let alone one for rent.

Looking in Littleon, CC, & Dougco schools a 4 bed ranch, with all beds on the main floor, there are 4, $400,000 or less.