Colorado Pets are “Not Included”

Relocation home buyers can be surprised by unexpected "inclusions' like this small rattlesnake found in Highlands Ranch.

Colorado home buyers relocating from another state need to understand that sometimes Colorado Pets are not included in the Contract to Buy and Real Estate.

I recently sold a family from New York (yes they are N.Y. Giants fans) a home in Highlands Ranch. In the contract we did not include a critter discovered after closing.  While moving boxes from the garage to the house, these nice Relocation Buyers found a rattle snake. Yes, a live rattle snake. We did not include the rattle snake in the inclusions when we wrote the contract.  They called the Douglas County Sheriff Department which services Highlands Ranch, Colorado and they came out and removed the snake. No one was hurt but they were shaken up.

Relocating to the Denver suburbs includes sometimes seeing wildlife in your own back yard.

Then Dawn my daughter sold her brother and his wife a home in Castle Pines North. Yes, once again she did not include a deer in the inclusions.  Again, when they were moving in, there was a deer resting and observing the surroundings in the yard.

Ok, these aren’t “fixtures” in the sense defined in the Contract. After all critters can usually come and go as they please. Think of them as just part of charm on living in the “wild west”. They included for free but there is no guarantee they will stick around even long enough to get a picture taken.

Over the years, our clients have occasionally discovered deer, fox, coyotes and, occasionally, snakes. In Evergreen, even Elk can walk around freely between homes. Very rarely, a lost mountain lion is found in a residential area like this one in Highlands Ranch.

Sometimes you have extra inclusions when you move into your home. Colorado is known for its wildlife but prefer to see them in the open areas. No one was harmed in this incident and people rarely are. Everyone is happy and enjoying their new homes.