Average cost of housing (Denver, Boulder: sale, real estate, how much)

[mp943]

I've been looking for different places to move to in the future, and Boulder ranked high on my list of prospective places for the following reasons:

1) Beautiful mountain scenery
2) University town (both of my parents are CU alumni)
3) I've read several references that Boulder is bike-friendly.
4) I've also read some other references about Boulder being fairly eco-friendly.
5) It's near Denver, but it isn't part of Denver.

There are also a couple of other reasons, as well.

But then I started looking at the cost of living. One figure I ran across mentioned that the AVERAGE cost of a house in Boulder is $500,000! Is this right? Unfortunately, one of the reasons I'm looking for moving elsewhere is for a more affordable cost of living, and if I could afford a half a million dollar house right now, that would eliminate one of my reasons for wanting to move.

Please tell me that this figure is incorrect. And if so, what would be the average price for a 3-bedroom house in Boulder? Are there other places really close to Boulder that are more affordable along the edges of Boulder? (A place like Longmont is too far out).

[chilaili]

It depends on what you're looking for but yes, housing in Boulder is notoriously expensive. It all depends on what part of town you're looking at, size of property, age of property, etc, etc. What exactly are you looking to buy and how much are you willing to spend?

[DressageRider]

Yes, unfortunately even a dumpy 3-bd ranch in Boulder is $300+ (with the ones around 300 being on the outskirts of town... Gunbarrel maybe.)

[qfrost]

Sorry MP, but that's the big drawback to Boulder proper. Fortunately, there are a lot of surrounding towns that are more affordable, and within a short trip to Boulder.

[Scott5280]

Central Boulder has become Cherry Creek North like as far as pricing so people should be forwarned. The actual median in Boulder has gone down slightly as of late, but most properties are still far from bargain.. This downtown Penthouse is priced at over $1000 psf...sounds like PRIME coastal California.

1155 Canyon Blvd 406 #406, Boulder, CO 80302 (MLS# 619754) - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - ColoradoHomes.com

[qfrost]

Love that outdoor view....but not at that price. wow.

[mp943]

*sigh* That's what I was worried about. Too bad. From a number of things I read about Boulder, it sounded very nice. However, I am looking for a place that is reasonable in price. Even if I made a million dollars a year, I'd still balk at paying $500,000 for a house.

[chilaili]

Well, there are cheaper houses in the area, just not IN Boulder

[qfrost]

I agree with Chilali - don't rule out the area just because of in-Boulder prices. There's a lot of choices that are more affordable very near, and you'll still get access to a good outdoor lifestyle.

[WiW]

There are a number of real-estate sites that you can search for real homes on sale now. Here's a google search for "Boulder Real Estate Listing" (http://tinyurl.com/34fl5me - broken link)