TeamCox Realtors was involved in some tough negotiating for our relocating buyers this past week. We were a bit surprised at how little the sellers were willing to budge in the midst of the Denver buyer’s market. You are probably wondering about the home that was in such demand? It was Highlands Ranch home, priced under $300K.

Highlands Ranch, a popular Douglas County community located only 12 miles south of Denver, continues to thrive in the midst of an overall sluggish Denver real estate market. Homes in Highlands Ranch have held their values well during the Denver real estate market’s slump. The Rocky Mountain News reported in March that 80126, the primary Highlands Ranch zip code, saw a 13.9 percent year-over-year home price increase last year, which was the third largest increase in the entire Denver metro area. Highlands Ranch is also showing signs of improvement more quickly than other areas in Douglas and Arapahoe Counties. Highlands Ranch homes - especially those that are priced under 300K – have recently been selling quickly for at or near full asking price.

It is hard to believe that Highlands Ranch will be celebrating its thirtieth birthday in a few years. The 22,000-acre master-planned community’s popularity stems from its superior quality of life, panoramic views, convenient location, and endless recreational opportunities. Highlands Ranch was also recently ranked 12th among Money Magazine’s, “Top 100 Best Places to Live,” The magazine completed its rankings based on numerous factors, including: financial, housing, quality of life, education, health, meeting the neighbors, etc. Parker, another popular Douglas County community, was ranked high in last year’s report.

For more information on Highlands Ranch real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.

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Colorado Ranked High in CNBC’s, "America’s Top States for Business"

Colorado has been recognized once again as a great place to do business. CNBC revealed its annual list of, “America’s Top Place for Business 2008,” yesterday - Colorado was 5th on the list, following Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Idaho. All 50 states were scored based on a variety of factors, including the cost of doing business, workforce quality, economy, education, quality of life, technology and innovation, transportation, business friendliness, and access to capital.  

This is certainly good news, since a strong Colorado economy is vital to a quick recovery in the Denver real estate market. For more information on the state of Denver’s economy, please contact Team Cox Realtors at 303-400-6060.

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Aurora, Recently Named an “All-American City,” Recognized for its Affordability and High-Paying Jobs

TeamCox Realtors would like to follow up on our March blog post, regarding Aurora, Colorado’s nomination for the National Civic League’s prestigious “2008 All-America City Award.” We are happy to report that Aurora has won the award! According to the City of Aurora’s website, its delegation delivered a compelling presentation, encompassing the redevelopment of the Fitzsimons Life Science District, its Immigrant Integration Project and the COMPASS-Coalition of Many Providing After School Success (an after school program). According to the National Civic League, the All-America City Award distinguishes communities for collaboration, inclusiveness, and successful innovation. All-America Cities demonstrate community-wide civic accomplishments, cross-sector cooperation, grassroots participation, and creative approaches to issues.”

And, Aurora’s good fortunes just keep coming. According to a recent column in by Al Lewis of The Denver Post, Aurora was ranked second in a new Salary.com survey that compared salaries and living costs in 69 cities. Colorado Springs and Denver were ranked 11 and 22, respectively. Aurora landed at the top of the list because of its affordability and plethora of high-paying jobs in the medical and engineering fields, including those at the thriving Anschutz Medical Center. Aurora added 2,400 jobs last year in a variety of sectors.

Congratulations to Aurora, Colorado! For information on Aurora real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060 or click here to e-mail us..

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Cherry Creek School District Boasts the Most “Top” High Schools

Since TeamCox understands the high importance of a child’s education, we constantly monitor reports that indicate which Denver metro area schools are the best. The recent release of Newsweek’s “Top High Schools,” includes several Denver metro area high schools that were recognized for their superior performance, including a high number of advanced programs and strong graduation rates. Not surprisingly, the Cherry Creek School District did particularly well with a whopping five high schools included in the list.

The schools were given a score that was calculated by dividing the number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or Cambridge tests, by the number of graduating seniors. The top 1,391 schools were included on the list, indicating that they scored in the top five percent. The top-ranked Denver area high schools were as follows: Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette (40), Lakewood High School (108), Fairview High School in Boulder (235), Boulder High School (237) and Denver’s East High School (241).

The following Denver area high schools made Newsweek’s list of the “top” high schools:

Cherry Creek School District:
Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village)
Eaglecrest High School (Aurora)
Grandview High School (Aurora)
Overland High School (Aurora)
Smoky Hill High School (Aurora)

Douglas County School District:
Chaparral High School (Parker)
ThunderRidge High School (Highlands Ranch)

Denver Public Schools:
East High School (Denver)
George Washington High School (Denver)

Jefferson County School District:
D’Evelyn High School (Lakewood)
Lakewood High School (Lakewood)

Littleton Public Schools:
Littleton High School (Littleton)
Heritage High School (Littleton)

Boulder Valley School District:
Boulder High School (Boulder)
Farirview High School (Boulder)
Monarch High School (Louisville)
Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette)

Adams 12 Five Star Schools:
Legacy High School (Broomfield)

Are you looking for a home in a specific school district? TeamCox’s cutting-edge Denver MLS search system allows you to search by school district, which is extremely helpful to many prospective homebuyers. For more information on Denver area schools, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060 – We are your Denver real estate specialists.

Parts of LoDo, Centennial and Highlands Ranch Still Experiencing Substantial Home Price Appreciation

Homebuyers are always interested to hear which Denver metro area neighborhoods are thriving and which are flopping. I came across a very interesting article written by John Rebchook of the Rocky Mountain News this week, which revealed the hottest (and coldest!) zip codes in the Denver housing market. 

If you are looking for a hotbed in an otherwise stagnant Denver real estate market, consider heading to the 80202 zip code that encompasses the trendy Denver neighborhoods of LoDo and Riverfront Park. Homeowners are in high spirits as their property values appreciated a whopping 16.2% from 2006 to 2007. This impressive figure is no surprise as scores of ultra-stylish loft and condo projects are popping up everywhere in Downtown Denver. The top three were rounded out by 80112 in Englewood and Centennial (+15.8%) and 80126 in Highlands Ranch (+12.8%).

Aurora’s 80010 zip code, close to the flourishing Anschutz Medical Campus, saw a 12.8% increase in property values that likely stemmed from the new medical facilities are breathing new life into surrounding neighborhoods. Other Denver area zip codes that saw increases include the Southeast Aurora zip code of 80016 (+12.8%), Evergreen’s 80439 (+12.2%), Boulder’s 80303 and 80305 (+10.8% and +8.6%), Littleton’s 80127 (+7.5%).

The list of "colder" zip codes included parts of Adams County, Jefferson County and Denver. Please click here to read the article in the Rocky Mountain News. For more information on booming neighborhoods in the Denver real estate market, please contact TeamCox Realtors.

It's No Surprise that New Residents are Flocking to Colorful Colorado!

People are moving to Colorful Colorado! The Denver Post recently reported that according to data collected from 2000 through mid-2007, the U.S. Census Bureau has ranked Colorado as the United States’ 8th fastest growing state. In addition, the data reveal that Colorado ranks 10th in the number of new residents. Colorado added 95,267 new residents between mid 2006 and mid 2007. 

It is so surprise that people are moving to Colorado. Our great state offers residents a superior quality of life, gorgeous scenery, and a moderate cost of living that is simply unmatched in other areas. The West continues to be the country’s fastest growing region with Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Colorado leading the region’s growth. The West and the South continue to attract new residents while the Northeast and Midwest are steadily losing residents. 

This report is good news for the Denver real estate market, as an influx of new Colorado residents does nothing but strengthen the area’s housing market and economy. For more information on relocating to Colorado or regarding the general Denver real estate market, please contact TeamCox Realtors.