A great weekend to visit all of Colorado’s communities where Grandma and Grandpa can move close to the kids
Denver has become a market with lots of alternative living styles for people wanting to move close to their Colorado grandkids; and the lingering pandemic has had a way of focusing buyers’ attention on doing just that, according to builders and real estate agents.
“The pandemic has put into perspective the importance of family and friends,” says Lindsey Linkow with Hilltop at Inspiration—one of the age-55-plus communities you can visit this weekend.
Linkow notes that over 40% of buyers at Hilltop at Inspiration have been from out of state this year, moving to be closer to kids and grandkids.
Builders all over town report similar numbers—higher still at some—adding a little pressure to a market without enough inventory. Nevertheless, you can find those destinations; some of them with product that could have you moved in by Christmas.
Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to start a conversation about that kind of move, according to Conrad Steller, managing broker of The Steller Group, real estate agents who specialize in helping seniors make those moves.
Move before Christmas
Patty and Steve Sieck, married 31 years, had that conversation five years ago, when they downsized into a new retirement ranch.
But now the pair has made a second move into The Reserve at Green Valley Ranch near DIA, after deciding they could actually use a little MORE space now, rather than less.
Their new ranch, 3-bedrooms/3baths, 3,889 sq. feet, includes a ‘smart space’ second level with an art studio for her, a guitar studio for him; and a finished basement with a guest suite for visiting family.
Conrad Steller notes that Denver has become a sophisticated market for seniors, as builders react to that widening number of buyers wanting to relocate near kids that had moved here decades ago.
“Agents trained in senior moves have a wide range of options to show you now,” Steller says. Those include single-family ranches in new age-55plus neighborhoods; but also rental communities, and ‘senior living cooperatives’—a new concept that’s popular in the upper Midwest, and is ow catching on in Colorado.
That latter option appealed to Judi Carrion, who moved from Nevada to Highlands Ranch in 2016 to be nearer to kids, but now is ready to sell her townhouse for a move into a much-lowermaintenance senior co-op arriving to Chatfield.
Those co-op purchases involve very low up-front costs. Meanwhile, new age-55-plus single-family ranches generally run from the $500s to over $1 million.
All of these options, purchase and rental, are designed around creating opportunities to form new relationships—something buyers all want—fostered by lots of amenities, many of them outdoor oriented.
Turn to Page 3 to explore those many Age-50-plus new home possibilities.
– Mark Samuelson writes on real estate and business; email him at mark@ marksamuelson.com. See all of his columns online at Denverpost.com
Denver has become a broad market for seniors, as builders react to buyers wanting to relocate near their Colorado grandkids.