If you are reading this post then most likely you are searching for homes for sale in Evergreen Colorado and trying to get as much info as possible. I know exactly what is like to be in your shoes and how little information there is online about Evergreen, so in an effort to help you I put this in depth post together to help you get a first-hand account what to look for when researching homes for sale in Evergreen Colorado.
It’s hard to believe it but back in 2012, my wife and I were looking for a low stress, back to the basics, more simplified lifestyle, that fostered a slower-paced, nature-filled, less materialistic lifestyle for our children and family. We extensively researched the Internet and from what little information we could gather, Evergreen Colorado, a suburb of Denver, seemed to check all the boxes, yet we still had many questions that the Internet just couldn’t answer.
After doing our due diligence, we decided to take the leap (questions unanswered) in 2012, and moved from one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, Frisco, Texas to Evergreen, Colorado. Let us share our journey with you and try to answer a few of the many questions you may have through our experience living here in one of the most beautiful towns in the United States.
Available Homes For Sale in Evergreen Colorado
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Contact a Evergreen Colorado Realtor
To learn more about any Evergreen Colorado homes for sale or to receive email notifications when homes are listed for sale in Evergreen Colorado, call 303-218-6926 or contact a Evergreen Colorado REALTOR®
Contact a Evergreen Colorado Real Estate Agent
Shad Philips – Certified Mountain Area Specialist 303-218-6926
To learn more about any Evergreen Colorado homes for sale or to receive email notifications when homes are listed for sale in Evergreen Colorado, call 303-218-6926 or contact an Evergreen Colorado REALTOR®.
What’s the Housing Market Like in Evergreen CO?
At this point I am sure you have been on Zillow or Realtor.com trying to get a feel for what homes look like in your price range but probably have no idea where these homes are or if they are in good neighborhoods. I know it can be a helpless feeling. I want to encourage you to read through this post on Evergreen Colorado Homes For Sale, in order to get a much better feel for what to look for when looking at homes for sale in Evergreen CO. I’m sure you will find the info below, very helpful.
Buying a home in the mountains is very different than buying a home in the city. Mountain homes are more likely to be on well & septic and propane vs natural gas as well as various zoning assignments and may be located on multiple land parcels. Have you ever dealt with Radon before? It is important to have a real estate broker that specializes in mountain properties in the Denver foothills area. Having an experienced mountain broker can also give you an advantage when presenting and winning the offer process. I also recommend having a local mortgage lender that is familiar with working with Mountain properties.
Should You Rent First or Buy?
I get this question all the time. Should you rent first or buy a home in Evergreen? First off, maybe you have never lived in the mountains before so you may be concerned if you are going to even like it or not. You may be wondering if it is going to snow all year and be freezing cold, after all it is the Rocky Mountains you are talking about moving to. Are there good schools, will I like the people and many other questions you may have before you decide to commit. Surely renting will be a safer option than buying. There is no one answer that fits everyone’s situation and you also have to take into consideration the market conditions. Having said that, I am going to speak to you from the perspective of the market conditions in 2016-2019. The demand for homes in the Denver area has increased considerably and that has increased the prices and demand of Evergreen homes in the recent years. This demand has also affected the price of rental properties in the Evergreen area as well.
Interest rates have been low and the economy has been strong. The combination of these two factors will make it less expensive to buy a home than to rent in the Evergreen market. At the time this post was written a 2,500 -3,500 sqft family home in a good area will easily rent for between $3,200 – $5,000/month + utilities. It is currently considerably more expensive to rent in Evergreen than it is to buy in Evergreen especially if you have decent equity in your existing home that you will reinvest in to your next home purchase.
I would encourage you to reach out to me and let me answer all your questions and serve as an advocate for you and your family. I will ask many questions in order to get to know you and your needs so that I can advocate for you to ensure that you are buying the right home for your needs. I will inform you every step of the way. If you work from home then I am going to help make sure you are in an area with high speed Internet access. If you commute to Denver for work I will advocate that you are in an area that has county maintained roads that are regularly snow plowed and that you know how far the commute will be.
Should I Custom Build or Buy an Existing Home?
I get many clients inquiring about just buying land and building a custom home on it. While I would not discourage you from doing this, I do think that there are some things you should consider before embarking on this journey. I am not a home builder so and I certainly encourage you to speak to one to get details directly from the horse’s mouth. Building a home in the mountains can be more expensive than building in the city. Excavation can be a big factor. If a house is on the side of a mountain than you will have considerably more excavation costs than if you were building a house on a flat piece of property. Many custom homes in the Evergreen area will require both a well and septic system. By the time you buy the land, permits, excavation, well & septic system you could easily spend $200k or more. Beyond that my builder friends say that a good starting point is $250/sqft for a home in the mountains and that is just for the structure. In my opinion it would cost more for you to build than it would be to buy an existing home and do minor renovations.
Is there New Construction Homes For Sale In Evergreen?
If you have been looking for homes for sale in Evergreen Co and are wondering if there is any new construction available then I can help to answer that question for you. New construction in Evergreen while it does exist from time to time, it is not very common. Evergreen is built out for the most part so most people buy existing homes and if you are looking to put your own custom touches on it then home renovation may the easiest and least expensive route.
Availability of Homes
Evergreen is unique in that is a seasonal market with most of the home inventory decreasing between November and February each year. Home inventory decreases every Winter and you can see that represented in the active listings graph below. Having said that while the inventory decreases in the Winter, this can be one of the best times to buy a home in Evergreen. Reflect on the Median Sold Price graph above and you will see that cyclically, Winter is where prices dip. Home owners in Evergreen know that they are less likely to sell their home in the Winter for top price than in the Spring or Summer months. Most likely if you are selling in the Winter months then as a buyer you most likely have to rather than want to sell at this time in the market.
What To Look For In an Evergreen Mountain Property
Evergreen attracts a variety of home owners ranging from a mountain vacation home to a full-time residence. All home-owners, however, share the same desire: a bit of escape. Evergreen offers remote mountain-top living as well as neighborhoods full of families and neighborhood bar-b-ques. Whichever you are looking for, below are important factors to take into consideration when purchasing a home in Evergreen, Colorado.
Conveniences…
North & Central Evergreen are closer to many of the shops and grocery stores and gas stations than if you live in South Evergreen. When looking for a house take into consideration how far you are from the grocery store and schools as well as other modern conveniences.
The Commute…
If you commute down the hill to Denver then living in North or Central Evergreen will allow you to get to highway I-70 faster. If you purchase a home closer to Conifer you may be able to get to Denver via 285.
Your Driveway…
When looking at houses it is important that you pay close attention to the driveway and which direction it faces. Driveways that face South will have more sun exposure and the snow will melt faster. Driveways that face North are more likely to accumulate snow and ice because there is less sun exposure. If the driveway has a steep incline or decline that can also create challenges in the Winter. Be sure you are in good physical condition to plow it regularly or have the budget to get it plowed by a service so that snow does not accumulate. Longer driveways will require more time to maintain than smaller ones.
The Garage…
I highly recommend buying a home with a garage. This will keep you from having to remove snow off of your car in the Winter which can be an inconvenience.
Heat Sources…
Most homes here have boilers with hot water exchanges. We did not have these in Texas so I was not familiar with them in the beginning. I have lived in a house with forced air heat and one with hot water exchanges. I think the hot water exchange is more efficient and does a great job of keeping the house warm. Your main expense here will be the cost of gas. You will want to have the boiler system inspected before you purchase a home to make sure it is in good working condition.
Septic Tanks & Water Sources & Gas…
Septic tanks, water wells and propane gas tanks are very common in Evergreen. In Texas I lived on city water and sewage so this was a whole new experience for me. Water wells need to be inspected to make sure that it is producing enough water for your size of family. Wells are permitted for X number of people so if you have a 5 person family on a 2 person permitted well you could have problems. You also need to check it to make sure the water is safe to drink. One more important factor is you need to see if you are sharing this well with any of your neighbors. If you are buying a horse property the you will need to make sure your well is permitted for animals and human use.
Septic tanks have a limited life and you will definitely want to have it inspected and make sure it is in good working condition. It is important to know the age of the septic tank and approximately how much longer it will last. There are limitations on what can be disposed of in your septic tank so you will want to make sure you follow those rules otherwise you risk shortening the life of your septic tank and they are expensive to replace.
Propane Gas
If the home you are purchasing uses propane gas then you will want to see if the tank is included in the purchase or if it is a leased tank. You will pay to fill this tank which can be expensive all at one time. There are some services that will break this payment up and bill you each month. Consult with your Realtor regarding how to manage your propane gas resources.
City Water, Gas and Septic…
There are some locations in Evergreen where you can get city water, gas and septic. I purchased a home that uses city resources because I felt it was a better fit for my financial situation. Natural gas is much less expensive as a heating source than butane gas.
Cell Phone Service…
When visiting a home be sure to check your cellular phone service. You don’t want to live in a home where you get no service. I know you can purchase Internet boosters to improve your cellular signal. Most residents here use Verizon as it gets the best cell reception. I personally use Verizon and overall have a good experience.
Altitude…
Check the altitude of a home before you buy one so that you will have an idea of how much snow to expect during the Winter. The higher in altitude the more snow you get and the less time you will have warm weather. Downtown Evergreen is around 7,200 ft. 9,000 ft.+ will get more snow.
Proximity to Creeks…
Homes close to creeks are charming and it is very nice to be able to sit on your deck and listen to the water. Something to seriously consider is, how easy is it for your house to be flooded. Does your house sit up far enough from the creek or is it right next to it. High creek levels can also take out driveways so check to see the condition of the bridge. It may even be a good idea to talk to neighbors and ask them about their experience with the creeks.
Icy Roads…
Take into consideration the amount of sun exposure a road gets. If you live in Hiwan, then your streets have good sun exposure and the Evergreen Parkway (74) also gets great sun exposure and the ice/snow will melt quickly. If you live up Brook Forest Road then most of the road is blocked by the sun on the South side and as a result ice will not melt as fast and this will be a more dangerous road to travel on.
Mountain Area Experience is Key When Hiring a Realtor
If you are looking in both Denver and Evergreen then I encourage you to work with a real estate agent that specializes in the mountain area. Buying a mountain home can be very different than buying a home in the city. Mountain properties may have well and septic systems and cell phone reception and Internet service may vary by area. Microclimates and altitude can influence the amount of snow an area gets. These, and many other factors can greatly influence the property you are buying and will effect your overall homeowner experience. If you are not from Evergreen and have never lived in the mountains, having a trusted advocate can make all the difference. I am a CMAS, Certified Mountain Area Specialist, I live in Evergreen and have a proven track record with helping both buyers and sellers successfully complete transactions. I will advocate for you and ensure your home buying / selling experience is extremely helpful and successful.
Winning the Offer & Getting to The Closing Table Stress Free
Having an experienced mountain area real estate / mortgage / title team can make all the difference between a smooth closing process and one that craters. This can be incredibly frustrating and stressful especially if you consider the domino effect it can have on your buyers (if you are selling a house) and the sellers of the house you are trying to purchase. Believe me, I have seen clients have bad experiences by going with online lenders who were enticed with a fraction of a point better rate than a more reputable lender.
If you are not sure about your housing budget or credit, I would encourage you to talk to a Mortgage broker to get pre-qualified for a loan. Having this conversation will help you to identify early if there are any credit issues so you will have time to address them prior to applying for a loan.
Evergreen Alternative – Get More Home For Your Money
If the homes for sale in Evergreen Colorado are too expensive, I would encourage you to explore Evergreen’s sister community, Conifer. Conifer is a mountain community located just South of Evergreen and you can typically buy a comparable home for $50k – $70k less.
Conifer Co Homes For Sale
I get this question all the time. Should you rent first or buy a home in Evergreen? First off, maybe you have never lived in the mountains before so you may be concerned if you are going to even like it or not. You may be wondering if it is going to snow all year and be freezing cold, after all it is the Rocky Mountains you are talking about moving to. Are there good schools, will I like the people and many other questions you may have before you decide to commit. Surely renting will be a safer option than buying. There is no one answer that fits everyone’s situation and you also have to take into consideration the market conditions. Having said that, I am going to speak to you from the perspective of the market conditions in 2016-2019. The demand for homes in the Denver area has increased considerably and that has increased the prices and demand of Evergreen homes in the recent years. This demand has also affected the price of rental properties in the Evergreen area as well.
Interest rates have been low and the economy has been strong. The combination of these two factors will make it less expensive to buy a home than to rent in the Evergreen market. At the time this post was written a 2,500 -3,500 sqft family home in a good area will easily rent for between $3,200 – $5,000/month + utilities. It is currently considerably more expensive to rent in Evergreen than it is to buy in Evergreen especially if you have decent equity in your existing home that you will reinvest in to your next home purchase.
I would encourage you to reach out to me and let me answer all your questions and serve as an advocate for you and your family. I will ask many questions in order to get to know you and your needs so that I can advocate for you to ensure that you are buying the right home for your needs. I will inform you every step of the way. If you work from home then I am going to help make sure you are in an area with high speed Internet access. If you commute to Denver for work I will advocate that you are in an area that has county maintained roads that are regularly snow plowed and that you know how far the commute will be.