Hi folks. I’m a couple decades into this biz and have slowly cultivated the contacts I need to eventually be able to strike out on my own in my current, mid-western city. Now my spouse is considering a move to Colorado for work reasons. I am from the west originally and wouldn’t mind heading back out under big skies, but I know NOTHING about the dynamics of the field in Colorado.
Can anyone chime in with some thoughts? We could potentially be located anywhere within commuting distance of Denver or Boulder.
Specifically, I want to know:
—how’s the high-end residential market? Plenty of work, or just scraping by?
—Do people value/seek input from architects or is it more builder-driven? (Like in CA)
—are there any decent neighborhoods with affordable (<$500k) older (1930s latest) housing stock?
—if I wanted to preserve my dream of someday running my own biz, is it realistic that within say 10 years I could have made enough client and GC contacts to get something going? Ie, are people friendly and is there a thriving market for architectural input on the small stuff like kitchens & baths?
I don't know much about high-end residential but it is a busy build climate. It is expensive to live here. A three bedroom house in my neighborhood (walking distance to downtown Denver) rents for $2200-2400. Average house price is over $500k. Denver is more affordable than Boulder. Houses are cheaper the farther east you are like towards the airport or Aurora, Brighton, or down south like Parker but I wouldn't do that commute. In the suburbs like Westminster, Broomfield, Thornton, etc you can get ok houses for less than $500k, think 70's, 80's-90's era though. Longmont is commutable to Boulder and is more affordable. Traffic is terrible for the most part. Child care is $1600 a month on up and there are waitlists for it but plenty of nannies around which is what people seem to do instead. I think you could make enough contacts to get started sooner than 10 years - why would it take you that long? Feel free to message me.
yes, come and enjoy while it last. we do only high end residential in the high mountain region and it's been busy since 2013. but living up here isn't cheap or easy. also, lots of new studios, interior designers taking the lead, gc's taking the lead; many times we are called after a blotched attempt by out of towners or over excited gc's giving unrealistic numbers.
On location, I would look at Golden, it's still a semi-rural community with lots of new developments and right on the edge of the mountains. 1 hour to eldora, 35 min to downtown denver. and it's got room to grow.
Plus, you skip a lot of traffic going up clear creek road up to idaho springs; you don't want to live on any of the residential neighborhoods along and up I-70 from friday to monday morning.
and move, there's no better feeling than starting in a new place. I moved here at 38, 15 years ago.
I grew up in Denver and returned after my masters. Eventually moved on again as I couldn't see a path to having my own office and doing interesting work. Very builder driven and where not, it's hgtv driven. Expensive, full of douches from out of state, the city is hardly that, requires a car to get most places, and the big one - people are so focused on the natural environment that building take a back seat.
I'd move back to retire or be a ski bum, but it's the last place I'd make me if I wanted to have an office.
Note that there a lot of drunk and high people walking around and bicyclists with death wishes blowing stop signs. While driving, you must assume one of these fools will dart out at any moment because they do. For awhile I was keeping track and there was a cyclist death in Boulder about every two weeks. I'm ready to go, you can have my house if you want it. :)
Sep 6, 18 11:15 am ·
·
JLC-1
that stretch of road between golden and boulder is a driving hazard, between the speeders, the cyclists, the bad lane signals and the wind. People going back and forth from the casinos are crazy too, I had a guy passing me on the curves of clear creek rd.
Sep 6, 18 11:43 am ·
·
Wilma Buttfit
Yeah north of Boulder is the same. I think there are a lot of people on suicide bike rides. I witnessed a number of near collisions during a short drive this morning at rush hour including a car that deliberately cut off a 10 year old kid on his bike. Whenever I drive, I look once for cars, once for pedestrians, and a third time for cyclists. I'm a little paranoid but like hell I'm going to be the one to kill the next cyclist. There's a reason I work from home.
Sep 6, 18 12:42 pm ·
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wurdan freo
I don't get cyclists... but whatever... odds of dying... 1 in 4,717
Sep 7, 18 12:07 pm ·
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mightyaa
I'm on that Boulder/Golden road almost daily now. It isn't bad & rarely see a bicycle. Englewood/Littleton has a lot of 20'-50's housing stock. As for affordable.... doubtful; it is an elevated market. I commute to Golden now; pita 45 minute commute, then to Boulder at another 45 minutes to my jobsite.
Sep 7, 18 3:45 pm ·
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Wilma Buttfit
It's not during off hours but can be pretty bad during commute hours. Does Golden smell? I've noticed it sometimes but not sure how pervasive it is.
I used to work for a big regional builder in wisconsin and right around 2008/09 one of the execs took a sabbatical and attended a harvard real estate development program... or some other ivy league... He came back after his first year and identified three cities that were identified by the program to explode in growth. The company was looking to expand from it's midwest roots and wanted to know where. The cities it identified were Seattle, Austin and Denver. Wish I would have moved then.
Instead I moved in 2014 and started my business in 2016. Business is good, but everyone is so busy. You really just need to push your way into circles. There's plenty of opportunity here if you find the right clients. And the reason denver is great is because of the natural environment... you know... the Rocky Mountains... yes traffic sucks... but you figure it out. I would definitely look at your commute and plan accordingly if you can. Plus one for golden. I would stay away from boulder... but that's just me.
Sep 7, 18 12:03 pm ·
·
JLC-1
I would love to live in boulder, but boulder doesn't love my meager means. I was looking at a forbes list of median house prices from 2014, boulder was 13th right after all the california slums.
Sep 7, 18 12:50 pm ·
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Wilma Buttfit
My husband works in boulder. There is a rampant homeless problem there. Sometimes there is poop on the stoop of his office and empty bottles in the bushes. I've had to clean it up. Yay.
Denver was a great place to grow up for me, and is still one of the better cities around compared with the competition.
Pluses include beautiful natural setting, nice climate, central geographic location, white collar employment base, no hard core urban decay of the Chicago or Detroit variety. A strong magnet for young family types.
Negatives include a historically volatile economy, excessive growth rate, difficult housing affordability for first time buyers, traffic, and homeless people everywhere. Marijuana legalization has been a net negative IMHO.
If you are looking for nice old historic/vintage housing under 500k, good luck. Stuff in that price range is getting scraped if it's in a good location. I don't know where these people are getting the money!
Another problem that will rear its ugly head in the future is water. This is a high desert, and there is only so much water. Eventually, we won't be able to run sprinklers three times a week in summer, and those lush green lawns are going to dry up. The city will look like shit, then.
Sep 7, 18 7:46 pm ·
·
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Colorado (Denver / Boulder / etc)
Can anyone chime in with some thoughts? We could potentially be located anywhere within commuting distance of Denver or Boulder.
Specifically, I want to know:
—how’s the high-end residential market? Plenty of work, or just scraping by?
—Do people value/seek input from architects or is it more builder-driven? (Like in CA)
—are there any decent neighborhoods with affordable (<$500k) older (1930s latest) housing stock?
—if I wanted to preserve my dream of someday running my own biz, is it realistic that within say 10 years I could have made enough client and GC contacts to get something going? Ie, are people friendly and is there a thriving market for architectural input on the small stuff like kitchens & baths?
Thanks in advance!
I don't know much about high-end residential but it is a busy build climate. It is expensive to live here. A three bedroom house in my neighborhood (walking distance to downtown Denver) rents for $2200-2400. Average house price is over $500k. Denver is more affordable than Boulder. Houses are cheaper the farther east you are like towards the airport or Aurora, Brighton, or down south like Parker but I wouldn't do that commute. In the suburbs like Westminster, Broomfield, Thornton, etc you can get ok houses for less than $500k, think 70's, 80's-90's era though. Longmont is commutable to Boulder and is more affordable. Traffic is terrible for the most part. Child care is $1600 a month on up and there are waitlists for it but plenty of nannies around which is what people seem to do instead. I think you could make enough contacts to get started sooner than 10 years - why would it take you that long? Feel free to message me.
yes, come and enjoy while it last. we do only high end residential in the high mountain region and it's been busy since 2013. but living up here isn't cheap or easy. also, lots of new studios, interior designers taking the lead, gc's taking the lead; many times we are called after a blotched attempt by out of towners or over excited gc's giving unrealistic numbers.
On location, I would look at Golden, it's still a semi-rural community with lots of new developments and right on the edge of the mountains. 1 hour to eldora, 35 min to downtown denver. and it's got room to grow.
Plus, you skip a lot of traffic going up clear creek road up to idaho springs; you don't want to live on any of the residential neighborhoods along and up I-70 from friday to monday morning.
and move, there's no better feeling than starting in a new place. I moved here at 38, 15 years ago.
I grew up in Denver and returned after my masters. Eventually moved on again as I couldn't see a path to having my own office and doing interesting work. Very builder driven and where not, it's hgtv driven. Expensive, full of douches from out of state, the city is hardly that, requires a car to get most places, and the big one - people are so focused on the natural environment that building take a back seat.
I'd move back to retire or be a ski bum, but it's the last place I'd make me if I wanted to have an office.
Note that there a lot of drunk and high people walking around and bicyclists with death wishes blowing stop signs. While driving, you must assume one of these fools will dart out at any moment because they do. For awhile I was keeping track and there was a cyclist death in Boulder about every two weeks. I'm ready to go, you can have my house if you want it. :)
that stretch of road between golden and boulder is a driving hazard, between the speeders, the cyclists, the bad lane signals and the wind. People going back and forth from the casinos are crazy too, I had a guy passing me on the curves of clear creek rd.
Yeah north of Boulder is the same. I think there are a lot of people on suicide bike rides. I witnessed a number of near collisions during a short drive this morning at rush hour including a car that deliberately cut off a 10 year old kid on his bike. Whenever I drive, I look once for cars, once for pedestrians, and a third time for cyclists. I'm a little paranoid but like hell I'm going to be the one to kill the next cyclist. There's a reason I work from home.
I don't get cyclists... but whatever... odds of dying... 1 in 4,717
I'm on that Boulder/Golden road almost daily now. It isn't bad & rarely see a bicycle. Englewood/Littleton has a lot of 20'-50's housing stock. As for affordable.... doubtful; it is an elevated market. I commute to Golden now; pita 45 minute commute, then to Boulder at another 45 minutes to my jobsite.
It's not during off hours but can be pretty bad during commute hours. Does Golden smell? I've noticed it sometimes but not sure how pervasive it is.
I used to work for a big regional builder in wisconsin and right around 2008/09 one of the execs took a sabbatical and attended a harvard real estate development program... or some other ivy league... He came back after his first year and identified three cities that were identified by the program to explode in growth. The company was looking to expand from it's midwest roots and wanted to know where. The cities it identified were Seattle, Austin and Denver. Wish I would have moved then.
Instead I moved in 2014 and started my business in 2016. Business is good, but everyone is so busy. You really just need to push your way into circles. There's plenty of opportunity here if you find the right clients. And the reason denver is great is because of the natural environment... you know... the Rocky Mountains... yes traffic sucks... but you figure it out. I would definitely look at your commute and plan accordingly if you can. Plus one for golden. I would stay away from boulder... but that's just me.
I would love to live in boulder, but boulder doesn't love my meager means. I was looking at a forbes list of median house prices from 2014, boulder was 13th right after all the california slums.
My husband works in boulder. There is a rampant homeless problem there. Sometimes there is poop on the stoop of his office and empty bottles in the bushes. I've had to clean it up. Yay.
Denver was a great place to grow up for me, and is still one of the better cities around compared with the competition.
Pluses include beautiful natural setting, nice climate, central geographic location, white collar employment base, no hard core urban decay of the Chicago or Detroit variety. A strong magnet for young family types.
Negatives include a historically volatile economy, excessive growth rate, difficult housing affordability for first time buyers, traffic, and homeless people everywhere. Marijuana legalization has been a net negative IMHO.
If you are looking for nice old historic/vintage housing under 500k, good luck. Stuff in that price range is getting scraped if it's in a good location. I don't know where these people are getting the money!
Another problem that will rear its ugly head in the future is water. This is a high desert, and there is only so much water. Eventually, we won't be able to run sprinklers three times a week in summer, and those lush green lawns are going to dry up. The city will look like shit, then.
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