All I really wanted was a hot tub when we started looking for our second home.
When my husband and I were first time home buyers, we bought our first home in southeast Aurora. We we thrilled to get the first home which we could call our own. We were so excited to have a yard, a garage, and getting a mortgage. Because, we were opposed to paying rent to someone else who was paying off their own mortgage.
First Time Buyers First Home
We loved our first home and we could make it into whatever we wanted. One of our major goals there was to have a hot tub. But, year after year went by and we still never got one. “We’ll need to replace the patio to put one in. A hot tub so it can be supported by a good foundation” my husband explained.
Our mission then was to get some quotes to redo our cement patio so it could support the hot tub. Those bids were huge. Was it really worth it? We were both sad. So, I started looking at different houses to buy after less than 3 years there. It seemed as though it would be cheaper and easier to move than to tear up the back patio and have it re-poured.
Best Suburbs for Us
My husband is the Facilities Manager at Heritage Eagle Bend golf course. Therefore, we knew we had to stay somewhat south. He needs to be somewhat nearby work in case he has to run over there in the middle of the night to fix something. I knew I wanted to be close to my family.
They lived in Lone Tree, Tamarac and Southern Hills. Those neighborhoods were more centrally located in southeast Denver. So, we knew we had to move west from Aurora but still wanted to be in one of the best Denver suburbs.
Then, Highlands Ranch
As first-time home-buyers we couldn’t afford a remodeled kitchen. But, we got one in our second home.
Of course, we wanted a place with great schools, access to the highways and light rails and plenty of opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. My husband is a cowboy, a former bull rider to be exact. As a result, moving toward “the big city” was not really an option for him. So, we started looking for a new home in the south suburbs of Denver. When we found out about the recreation centers at Highlands Ranch (yes, there are 4 of them!), we became more curious about The Ranch. The amazing schools there and the beautiful neighborhoods near tons of open space and trails had made Highlands Ranch popular with relocation buyers for years.But I was still focused on one motivation. I still wanted a hot tub.
A whopping 61% of Highlands Ranch is dedicated to open space, parks, and trails , 70 miles of trails to be exact!) Some people didn’t understand why a fun-loving, vibrant couple would move to such a “family town.”
First of all, if we don’t have kids eventually, school districts help keep the value of your home! Even if you’re not planning on having kids and sending them to public school, the ratings of the schools are quite important and influence home values.
Highlands Ranch Neighborhood
The crime rates in Highlands Ranch are low and the quality of living is high. If we want to go downtown, we are just a few minutes drive to the light-rail system which also goes right to Denver International airport. We have close access to two major highways which makes getting around pretty darn easy. There’s no shortage of good restaurants, people, and lots of activities.We absolutely love living in Highlands Ranch. It’s a fabulous community and we love our new home. It’s a little bigger, has a better yard and a extremely convenient location.
Now, all I wanted was a hot tub and I ended up getting a new house instead. But don’t worry, after all of that, I got my hot tub too!
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