Whats the scoop on Parker?

[Moonwalkr]

Roads in neighborhoods won't be plowed unless your HOA pays for it. Ideally you want to live fairly close to a main road if you don't want to deal with slick roads.

[maciesmom]

Another thing to remember is snow cover here is not like in Illinois. It typically is not cold, icy and snowcovered for days/weeks on end. Usually, the sun comes out and the snow melts - it will sometimes then refreeze at night causing slick roads. Of course, there are times when it is snowy/icy for days in a row but that is not the norm.

[IL to Denver]

Yeah in Illinois you have to worry about ice more than snow which is alot worse to drive in. Also, Illinois and Indiana are horrible at clearing the roads. Its a good thing it only snows a few times a year. Are there any other areas that are closer to my work area that I can get a home with an 1 acre that will not break the bank?

[Count David]

Originally Posted by IL to Denver

Are there any other areas that are closer to my work area that I can get a home with an 1 acre that will not break the bank?

There's an area of Aurora near I-70/Chambers called "Peterson" (very close to your work) that has homes like you describe, but they don't come available very often. They aren't anything too spectacular, but they meet your land/close to work requirement.

Example:COhomefinder | 16060 E 35th Pl Aurora, CO 80011 - MLS #833952 - Home for sale at Colorado HomeFinder

You might also keep an eye on anything over 1 acre that comes up in zips 80011, 80018, 80233, 80022, or 80640.

[IL to Denver]

How's this area as far as schools and crime?

[Count David]

Originally Posted by IL to Denver

How's this area as far as schools and crime?

Crime, probably very little.

Schools, I'll let you draw your own conclusions: Altura Elementary, North Middle, Hinkley High.

[shukertj]

Hi IL to Denver,

There's a great website that lets you type in the address or zip of a home you're interested in and it gives you a report of all the reported crimes in a given time frame. It's www.crimereports.com. And if you're interested in demographic data, another good site is Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[shukertj]

You can look up the schools David mentioned on www.greatschools.net and see how they compare with others in the metro area.

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by shukertj

Hi IL to Denver,

There's a great website that lets you type in the address or zip of a home you're interested in and it gives you a report of all the reported crimes in a given time frame. It's www.crimereports.com. And if you're interested in demographic data, another good site is Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed.

Crimereports is a great site but it is unfortunately limited at the time and Aurora isn't one of the participants. Many cities have their own crime mapping off the city website - Arapahoe SO, Arvada, etc.

[JenUlasewich]

Have you taken a look at Chapparal or Chenango? Yes, they're not too much north of Parker, but they're significantly north of where I'm thinking you're looking at Parker (most of the acreage lots are pretty far south/east).

The neighborhoods are right next to each other and just inside the E-470 beltway. Lots are at least 1 acre, and Chenango is zoned for horses. They are in Arapahoe County and Cherry Creek School District. Prices have come down dramatically, you can get places in decent condition starting in the $500s. For that matter, there are plenty of acreage neighborhoods right around there, including Foxfield, Piney Creek Ranches, Piney Creek Estates, Travois, et al. [Edit: when you look at all the places just mentioned, properties range from $300s (sometimes) to over $1M. So lots of options.]

For your needs, working up north, the biggest benefit of the neighborhoods I just mentioned is that they are closer in, the roads are generally better maintained than some of the more rural areas, and some are even on public water and sewer.

If sports are really important to your son, these neighborhoods might be a great fit, as they roll up to Grandview High School, which has been mentioned in Sports Illustrated as a great athletic school.