All Forum Posts by: Christopher Carson

@Christopher Carson - I would agree a lot with what Norberto has to say about Colorado Springs. D20 and D12 are the most sought after school districts, then D11, and then D49. Having helped many teachers in town buy and sell homes, it seems to me D2 and D3 and are not always well talked about.

Colorado Springs definitely has many pockets, good and bad. You can drive into one neighborhood, cross a street, and feel like you crossed a major highway. I would recommend connecting with a professional Realtor in town who can work with you and your fiancé to help you find the home that meets your needs. I think there is also a lot more to think about than just school districts, for example hobbies. If you and your fiancé are mountain people and like all the hiking trails, or enjoy farmers market, and local events, I would encourage you to consider living more west. Adding a 30 minute drive to go do anything fun isn't worth $50 less per month in a mortgage for most people. If you like the idea of living in a newer more modern home, like to be close to shopping and major restaurants, something more east may be best. If you're somewhere in the middle, as is your budget, that is where working closely with an agent who knows this town can really make or break the experience for you as they can help find just the right pocket neighborhood for you.

@Christopher Carson - thanks for posting. As a real estate practitioner in the Colorado Springs market for a better part of the last 15 years, I can recite the obvious...School District 20 has an excellent reputation overall, the north and southeast quadrants are some of the fastest growing and the southwest is largely quite desirable. But then, there are many fine schools in School District 11 and others to consider. There's also that the downtown and airport (Powers) corridors are picking up steam, along with its real estate. Of course, we have the nation's first Olympic Museum going in and are projected to be its Cyber Security capital, with a central location going into a now blighted area of North Nevada really soon, all of which will affect real estate values in the near future. Oh, and I love the Palmer Park area, where $500k fabulous homes are surrounded by $250k bread and butter properties.

With too many pockets throughout the market to realistically say, my two cents are to determine what your investment criteria are, line up your proof of financing and/or funding capacity and/or to work with a local, investor focused real estate broker that can bring the resources and contacts (boots on the ground) you need to help you source, acquire and even manage your REI efforts.

I hope this helps and wish you all the best!