When 5280 wanted to talk about the things potential home buyers and sellers should think about, they knew they needed a real estate expert well-versed in the Denver market—so they contacted Liz Richards. For the magazine’s Denver Real Estate 2012 section in the latest issue, the editors tapped into Liz’s insight and experience to help readers navigate the local real estate market.
Location and Size
“There’s continued migration into the city, where people want pedestrian-friendly areas, don’t want to deal with commutes, and would rather have 1,600 square feet in a sensible, great location rather than 3,000 square feet farther out,” says Liz.
Lifestyle and Quick Returns
“People have adjusted their paradigm and now realize that their house is more of a home than an investment. People want to be smart, but they’re buying it more for the emotional connection than because they think it’ll be worth more in a few years,” says Liz.
Liz was also consulted on the popularity of the Highlands neighborhood, saying that “Whether they’re buying or renting, people want to go where it’s hot.”
5280 mentioned some other key reasons for the increased demand to live in the Highlands:
1. Location—the rehabilitation of LoDo in many ways led to the Highlands renaissance. The nationwide new urbanism trend has renewed the appeal of city living, and once Denver erected the Millennium, Platte River, and Highland bridges, the seamless pedestrian and bicycle link between northwest Denver and downtown made it that much easier to walk or bike to work or to LoDo restaurants and recreation.
2. Mixing commercial and residential—the once-booming, later-dormant Highlands commercial areas have been revitalized over the past decade. It’s more than just the retail and restaurant hub at Highlands Square; the area is also bubbling over with mini-commercial districts such as 32nd Avenue and Zuni Street, along Tejon Street, and on Tennyson Street between 38th and 45th avenues.
3. Walkability—even if you aren’t heading downtown or out to eat, Highlands itself has plenty of attractions for the everyday pedestrian, such as Sloan’s Lake to the west and the Platte River trails to the east. There are plenty of parks—a boon to the growing number of young families in the area—and they’re spread out enough that the nonparents aren’t constantly fighting stroller traffic like in more congested parts of the city. And between historic Victorians, well-kept bungalows, Denver Squares, and vibrant new construction, a walk in Highlands is like a self-guided architectural tour.
Do you have other questions about the Denver real estate market and/or living in the Highlands? Contact us today for the answers.
