Highlands Ranch CO Real Estate

Known for its wonderful quality of life, Forbes Magazine cited Highlands Ranch as one of the top ten places to move in the nation and earlier this year, Business Week concurred with a similar rating, making buyers and sellers in Highlands Ranch CO real estate very happy.

A minimum price for Highlands Ranch Colorado real estate runs about $70,000. The median price is $309,000 with the average cost about $366,000. The higher priced homes can come in at $2,300,000 or above. The 22,000-acre community, which is located 12 miles south of Denver in Douglas County, has a current population of almost 98,000 with almost 30,000 single family homes and more than 3,300 apartments.

Highlands Ranch offers a superb quality of life and manifold of opportunities to maintain an active lifestyle. Highlands Ranch boasts of more than 8,100 acres of open space to relax and grow, including 22 lush parks and state-of-the-art recreational facilities for the avid outdoor enthusiast covering every sport from hiking to golf.

The Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian tribes first settled this area where they lived undisturbed for centuries. It was discovered in 1682 by the explorer, René-Robert Cavalier Sieur de La Salle who claimed the land for France, his mother country. Highlands Ranch, Colorado, was originally considered part of Louisiana because it was included in the Mississippi River Drainage Area. Ceded to the Spanish in 1763, in 1801, Spain returned the territory to France. Two years later, Highlands Ranch was sold to the United States as part of the famous Louisiana Purchase.

Due to the lack of water, Highlands Ranch was not permanently settled until February 25, 1870, when Curtis H. Field became its first legal resident after purchasing land on the west side of Santa Fe Drive from the United States government. In 1891, John Springer, an eastern businessman who moved to Colorado for his wife’s health, began construction on the Highlands Ranch Mansion (also known as Castle Isabel), a project that took thirteen years to complete. Built on some 23,000 acres of ranch land, Springer and subsequent owners of the land raised cattle until the 1970s.

In 1978 Highlands Ranch was purchased by the Mission Viejo Company and became a suburb of Denver. Richmond Homes and other private housing developers bought large parcels of land and created a series of neighborhoods all across Highlands Ranch. Undeveloped land was also parceled for the purposes of recreation in the form of public parks and bike paths. Since the first homes were built in 1981 and the state built a new beltway (SH470), population numbers have soared, reaching 86,000 residents as of 2006. Although local businesses have thrived in the area, it is still labeled as a “bedroom community” of Denver.

The major appeal to incoming residents (particularly young parents) is its strong school district and steady home prices. The Metro District insures quality municipal services and manages community resources. The business climate also draws many young people to the area with all their hopes to fulfill the American Dream alongside the great outdoors that is Colorado and is epitomized in the picturesque beauty of Highlands Ranch.