Frequent Questions about Denver Relocation

I’ve been helping folks move to Denver since 1978. I have worked with all the major national relocation companies such as Cartis,  Leading Real Estate  well many local companies including Pfizer, Coca-Cola, Colorado Health Sciences Center and many others. Denver relocation isn’t easy.  There are lots of questions that need knowledgeable answers.

When folks first start to consider a Denver move, they have lots of questions about how we live here. So, I made this video to answer a few of the commonly asked questions. You may some of your own that are not answered here. If so, please use the form at the bottom of this page. I will personally answer whatever questions you have. There aren’t many that I haven’t already answered at least once. Here is the text of the video above.

Relocation Questions

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, do I need a four wheel drive vehicle in Denver? 

The answer is probably not, but maybe there are some areas up in the mountains in Evergreen and Conifer where you probably want to have at least one four wheel drive vehicle especially if your home is on a dirt road. But, here in the metropolitan area our snow is really not that bad. We get 2 or 3 major snow storms a year. The rest of them melt off usually the next day, two days at the most. So, our roads are very passable and most folks who live in town don’t need to have a four wheel drive vehicle.

Other people want to know what neighborhoods have the most luxury homes? 

The answer is generally Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village and Castle Pines. Those are three of the highest end neighborhoods. Cherry Hills Village actually ranks in the top 10 of all cities in America in terms of net income per family.  Cherry Hills Village is very close to downtown, the Denver Tech Center and the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.  But, there are other very good places as well where folks who want a custom luxury home will live. We have luxury neighborhoods really spotted all through the metropolitan area. Over in Littleton, there’s the Polo Reserve which is a fabulous area.  And, up in Evergreen there are some great luxury communities including a Hiwan and The Timbers. There are lots of different kinds of opportunities throughout the metropolitan area for luxury housing. 

Are there Denver suburbs that are close to the mountains, for skiing? Yes there are.  The ski commute can be as little as 35-45 minutes from Lakewood and Golden to some of the mountain areas. But, for most of the Downtown areas and the south suburbs most ski areas are going to be 45 minutes to a hour and a half.

What are the property taxes in Denver?  That is a common question I get quite often. There is no really standard property tax in Denver and it’s not figured as a percentage of the purchase price. But,  if you want to rough rule, it runs about 1% of the purchase price.  So, if you have a $500,000 home taxes are going to run around $5000. Now, if the house is actually located in the city limits of Denver it will often be a little bit less because the infrastructure is already established in Denver. So, taxes are a little bit lower. That same  home in Denver might run anywhere from $3500 to $4500 per year.

Another question I’m asked: Is there a good mass transportation in Denver?  Well, we do have a good bus system and it works extremely well within the city limits as well as into the most of the outlying areas. But what’s really nice about Denver right now is that we have a burgeoning light rail system, there are lines already in production going from Downtown Denver to Littleton and from Downtown Denver to Lone Tree. Those are both the southern routes. There’s also a western route that goes out to Golden. Soon, there will be RTD, light rail all the way out to the airport.

It’s going to be a great system in Denver. It is already pretty good.  I use it quite a bit. I like to hop on the light rail system when my wife and I are going down to a ball game or to the theater or out to dinner downtown. It sure beats having to pay the exorbitant price for a parking downtown and it sure is a nice easy ride from my home in Lone Tree.

The number one question I’m asked is where are the best schools in Denver? The best public schools in Denver are generally located in the suburbs. Although there are some great schools in the city,  they are in little pocket neighborhoods where you have to make sure you’re in the exact right schools for your child’s age.

In the suburbs there’s an awful lot of very good public school system. Everyone has heard of the Cherry Creek school system.  That services the south suburbs. It is renowned throughout the country.  In addition, Douglas County schools, believe it or not,  generally have just as high test scores as the Cherry Creek schools and they are also excellent.

Littleton has excellent schools and there are excellent schools throughout many of the suburban areas. So, what’s important is that you have a Realtor who knows their way around the suburbs so that they can help show you the better school systems. If you’re interested in private schools,  we have some great private schools too. Great private school options are available generally also in the south suburbs. Some are also in the city and up in the northwest suburbs.

So, what are your questions about moving to Denver? I know you must have some. Everyone does. The stupid question is the one you don’t ask. So, please use this form and ask away? I am looking forward to hearing from you.