Finding a perfect family home in the perfect family neighborhood isn’t such an easy task as it may seem to be. Still, when you are moving to Denver, that’s making things a little easier, since this city has plenty of suitable neighborhoods to choose from. It is generally the family-friendly area, with a lot of interesting happenings, gorgeous nature that surrounds it and plenty of business opportunities. This guide will show you what criteriums you should pay attention to when choosing the best family neighborhoods in Denver to purchase a property.
The real estate market of Denver
When buying a house in one of the best family suburbs in Denver, you should research the real estate market of this town.
According to the Denver real estate market forecast for the year 2019, it’s a great place to invest in real estate.
The home values in Denver have gone up 6.9% over the past year, while the median home value in Denver is $414,500. It’s a hot buyer’s market, that is growing each year. When you buy a home in some of the family neighborhoods in this city, it is nice to know that its value won’t be drastically increased in the case that you want to sell it.
Denver was named as the top city for the best USA real estate investment opportunities for 2017, and it’s still holding its first place strongly.
How to choose one of the best family neighborhoods in Denver?
When you are moving with your children to a new city, you need to make sure that the new environment is suitable for them. Every city has its parts that are perfect for raising a family, but Denver’s advantage is its abundance. There are many family neighborhoods to choose from, so it will make your search a little easier.
Still, you need to pay attention to the criteriums that are making one neighborhood suitable for families.
They are:
Safety
The wellbeing of your family comes first. That’s why you need to pay attention to the crime rates of the neighboorhood, but also of the entire area. While Denver can’t brag to be the safest city in America, compared to other U.S. metro areas of its size, its crime rates are relatively low. That said, there are the neighbors of Denver that have a high crime rate, while there are the ones where the crimes almost never happened. When you find the neighborhood to your liking, do your research. The best information you will get if you call the local police station and ask about the safety of that area.
School district
It goes without saying that you want the best education for your children. So the quality of the schools in the area is one of the top priorities when moving with your family. Buying a house in the excellent school district has also one more great advantage – it increases the home value. No matter in what condition is the real estate market, the homes in the good school district never lose their value.
Activities and entertainment options
When choosing one of Denver’s family neighborhoods, you have to consider the needs of your entire family. Their interests and activities that they enjoy it have to be fulfilled. Lots of playgrounds, parks and open space is always a plus, but not enough. If your child or a spouse has to travel a lot for its dance lesson or sports practice, that may cause them to drop it. A long commute can easily make them quit the activity they enjoy it, which will make them unhappy. Moving with is a big transition for your children and enabling them to continue with their hobbies or sport will make the transition much easier. Not to mention that it will make the moving process much less stressful.
Commuting time
Commuting time to yours and your partner workplace is also a very important thing. You maybe think that isn’t such a big deal. Look at it this way – the longer the commute is, the less time you will spend with your family.
Public transportation
When choosing one of the family neighborhoods in Denver, take the public transportation availability into consideration. While this isn’t a decisive factor it’s nice to know that you will have the alternative in the case of the car malfunction.
Future development
Buying a house in a new town is a huge decision, so you need to do thorough research. Your new dream home may become your nightmare due to the future development of the neighborhood that you knew nothing about. Developments don’t only transform the neighborhood, but it can also increase taxes, traffic and diminish the value of your property. When you find the neighborhood of your liking, it’s a good idea to investigate its future potential. Establish will that outlook will be suitable for you and your family.
Property Taxes
Besides following the estate inspection guidelines for buying a house, also pay attention to the property taxes of the area. Your real estate agent can give you the information about the current tax rate. Ask how much it has increased in the last five years. Based on that, you can make the rough estimation how much might you pay in five years. Calculate that amount in your moving budget and see if the desired property is still affordable to you.
The best family neighborhoods in Denver
Wellshire
Wellshire is one of the safest of Denver’s neighborhoods last year. It has great nearby schools and several vast, beautiful parks. It is very diverse and has a great offering of various entertainment options. This neighborhood is graded by the website Niche with an A+, which makes it one of the top family neighborhoods in Denver.
- Safety: Hight
- Population: 3,417
- School score: B-
- Median home value: $524,956
Hilltop
Hilltop is also at the top when it comes to family neighborhoods in Denver. It is one of the areas with the lowest crime in Denver, great schools, fun amenities, and several gorgeous parks. All of that makes it a solid choice to raise a family in.
- Safety: Hight
- Population: 9,628
- School score: B-
- Median home value: $792,469
Washington Park
As the name of this neighborhood reveals it is immediately adjacent to the magnificent Washington Park. That alone is it’s huge, but not the only, advantage of this part of Denver. Washington Park neighborhood is also close to the Denver Country Club and Cherry Creek Shopping Center that have plenty of activities for kids and parents alike, as well as many other entertainment options. It’s safe, within the great school district, with an abundance of fun activities. All combine makes it one of the best family neighborhoods in Denver.
- Safety: Hight
- Population: 7,363
- School score: B-
- Median home value: $621,525