I'm thinking about moving to Denver for work, where should I buy a home?

Some very important things to consider are how close would you like to be to work? Commute distance. Do you want access to public transportation? What do you want to do when you are not at work? Do you want easy access to the mountains, museums, shopping, skiing, lakes, etc.? Do you need easy access to DIA, the airport? Do you prefer to be downtown, in a smaller town or suburb? Hope this helps.

The answer to your question really depends upon the type of lifestyle for which you are looking. The Denver Metropolitan area offers a wide variety of neighborhoods to satisfy just about any lifestyle and personality.

If you're looking for an area that offers a high "walk score", there are a variety of neighborhoods that can offer this. A "walk score" is a walkability index that assigns a score to an address based on how easy it is to walk to amenities. The easier it is to walk to nearby amenities, the higher the "walk score". If you're looking for a nice suburban neighborhood, the Denver Metro area has many of these too.

If you prefer a more relaxed lifestyle with plenty of views, scenery and wildlife, the foothills to the west of the Denver area may be for you. Areas such as Evergreen, Morrison, Golden, Kittredge, and Conifer provide the serenity of mountain living, yet offer easy access to the Denver Metro area. These areas also are in close proximity to the "high country" where you can partake in a variety of activities including skiing, hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, etc., Living in the foothills requires a bit more driving, but there is also less traffic and rarely do you have to wait in a line for things.

The best way to approach where you should buy a home is by determining the things that are most important to you. Is it commute time, schools, access to outdoor activities and/or public transportation, being in a "walkable" community, enjoying the suburbs or living in the mountains that are most important to you? Do you want a contemporary, a traditional, or a rustic style home? Do you prefer a loft, a condo/townhome or a detached home?

Once you decide what it is you'd like to find, it's time to engage a real estate agent who can help you determine which areas more closely meet your wants and needs and which areas might fit your budget. The real estate agent should be asking you a multitude of questions and should be listening to your answers in order to best help you determine which areas might work best for you.