Denver’s Light Rail Offers Commuters More Choices
Searching for a home in the Denver Metro area can be frustrating. It’s not that there aren’t many homes to choose from, but often the home buyer’s requirements are at odds with reality. Personal tastes, budget constraints and commute time come into play every time. Today’s buyers are torn with choices finding they cannot have it all.
The optimum scenario for many home buyers is an affordable home in a good school district within 20 minutes to work. It is not surprising to learn, most people don’t care to spend extra time behind the steering wheel. No one wants to waste extra time or have to listen to talk radio any longer than absolutely necessary!
RTD Light Rail at Lincoln Station
When I tell my customers about the RTD Light Rail and how convenient it is to take they are delighted! One recent client is planning his home purchase around the Lincoln Light Rail Station. He determined his “commuting threshold” is 45 minutes plus 20 minutes by car to work. He’s fine with this because he plans to get extra work done on the Light Rail. In the past he hated commuting because every minute behind the wheel was a non-productive minute. Now armed with his notebook computer he can turn wasted commuting time into a slotted, regular work day.
Now before you pass judgment with this decision, let’s reveal the rest of the facts. This home buyer just purchased a brand new 2800 s.f. (plus basement) home, 4 bedrooms, den, enormous gourmet kitchen, 3 car garage, backing to open space in a pool community for $325,000! Oh yes and the brainiac daughter gets to go to the Douglas County High School so she can be in the IB Program.
The end result has pleased everyone in the family.
There is never only one answer to a problem. We find solutions to problems by considering all the alternatives then testing them out. I love working with my clients to solve problems and find new and interesting paths to their happiness.
Denver TOD
Urban sprawl, causing long commutes, the rising cost of energy to heat and cool our homes and the ever escalating cost of gasoline for our cars will be some of the future factors in choosing housing.
Construction of the RTD Lightrail in metro Denver is bringing a housing boom along with it. Beyond getting clearance to procure the right of ways, lay tracks and build parking garages, the land along the rail lines is hot. Hot as in very popular for future Transit Orientated Developments. TOD’s as they are called will be the “cool places” to live of the very near future.
TOD’s are not a new concept. Years ago, I marveled at the efficiency of the TOD’s in Washington, D.C. along the Metro. Riding the Metro was fast, cheap, safe and efficient. It didn’t matter from what station you emerged, there was always a neighborhood complete with every necessity of life surrounding you.
The citizens of the city didn’t HAVE to own a car unless they just plain wanted too. The thought of having an alternative was just down right delightful! I would image what life would be like without a car payment, a monthly gas bill, insurance, tires, maintenance, tax, title and registration! Whew! Actually after housing, the cost of keeping a car is my second biggest expense.
Of course not everyone uses a car like a Realtor does, but most folks find automobile expenses high. Given the opportunity to ditch the auto, I wonder how many would do so?
Transit Oriented Developments Make Ditching the Car a Possibility!
Denver’s TOD’s are just beginning. The first one was built at the site of one of America’s very first Malls. When Cinderella City had outlived it’s usefulness, it was torn down in favor of a multi-use, high density urban community with a fresh new feel. Residents could walk outside their doors and have a variety of choices in restaurants, grocery store and transportation to downtown Denver.
Now that RTD’s FasTracks are in full swing, we will be seeing more and more TOD’s popping up along the Light Rail Lines. Homes built specifically for a wide variety of buyers are currently either under construction, pending to close or on the drawing board.
At the very end of the S.E. Line in Lone Tree, aka Lincoln Station a transit village has been coming up from the ground. They are building a vibrant Town Center with office, retail and residential units right at the very Light Rail stop! Imagine being delivered within a few footsteps of your door!
I love the convenience of it all. Instead of spending spare time trimming a suburban lawn, one could actually enjoy other activities. There is something to be said about the “simple life.”
Is simplifying your life something you are interested in? If so, maybe we should be talking about TOD’s!
This site brought to you by Kristal Kraft, a licensed Colorado Real Estate Broker
The