What makes a hot neighborhood? 

Let's examine the consistent elements for an up and coming neighborhood.  If you follow these guidelines and play by the rules, there's a great chance your next purchase could soar! 

1) Accessibility - How long does it take to get to the highway, public transportation or major work centers? It's no secret that people want to reduce their commute times. The best areas already attract those who work or live nearby. What are closest the major employers? 

2) Walkability - When thinking of your favorite urban neighborhood, you might be reminded of a great restaurant or coffee shop, a unique record store or park. Is there a main business street? Is it more conducive to walking or driving?  The strongest communicates have a mix of both. Few people in Denver want to walk home their groceries but they would still like to walk a short block for a cup of coffee.

3) Culture – This can range from the architecture and year of the buildings, to way people get around, to the schools.  The most upside occurs when a future looking vision is realized. What do you expect the area to transfer into in 5-10 years? Does the current style meet majority expectations? Is there a park, central theme or museum that defines the area?

4) Affordability – One of the top driving forces for a great neighborhood is the demographic cohort that moves in prior to the upswing. Areas that have already experienced resurgence have less upside. There are few affordable neighborhoods left in Denver and those that remain will surely see a large appreciation bump because everything moves toward the average.

Some real contenders for the hot Denver neighborhoods over the next 5-10 years:

Lincoln Park – CLICK HERE FOR SEARCH although this area has already seen some upside through the expansion of student housing at Auraria Campus, there is much more to go. It has light rail, great highway and downtown access, cute Victorian homes, parks and the Santa Fe Arts District / main street nearby. It seems to have not really caught on yet, so it’s still very affordable. Keep your eye out for this one!

Old Englewood – CLICK HERE FOR SEARCH Has the great mix of the small shops on Broadway with the plethora of big box stores.  It’s easy to shop, park your car and get around. The combination of early 1900’s architecture, proximity to light rail and Santa Fe Drive and major employers like Swedish Hospital makes this real estate play a great long term hold.

Ruby Hill – CLICK HERE FOR SEARCH Beautiful Ruby Hill Park (and new amphitheater coming in 2016) is the cornerstone of this great area. Homes are plentiful and cheap, access to I-25 or the foothills is a breeze.  The city recently completed $4 million worth of improvements in Ruby Hill that included a playground, basketball courts and picnic tables. You’ll find no shortage of culture and restaurants when you hop on Federal a few blocks to the west.

Contact us anytime for an assessment of your neighborhood of interest.  We’ll schedule showings and give you a full review of where values have been and where we think they are going – 303-564-1889.