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Homeownership is a marvelous thing. Many folks go to extraordinary lengths to make it happen for their household. One thing that makes ownership difficult is affordability in the same locale as your employment. When that's the case, many potential buyers begin searching outside their comfortable commuting radius to find an affordable house.
Before you commit to a commute, consider a few of the challenges commuting adds to your life. Then, weigh those against the joy of owning a home in a community you love.
Traffic
Before you take the plunge and buy the house that you have your eye on, make an effort to drive to the neighborhood early one morning and then make the commute to your job. While one day of commuting doesn't give you the full picture, you'll quickly know if traffic is a deal-breaker for you.
Of course, other options exist. If coworkers also live in that community, you could ride-share so that you're not the one behind the wheel every day. Some so-called "bedroom communities" offer group ride-share programs for commuters. In that case, you might thoroughly enjoy relaxing in a luxury van reading the paper or reviewing reports on your way to work.
Shopping
Often forgotten in the lure of homeownership is the potential "commute" to shopping locations. If your favorite store doesn't have a local outlet or the nearest grocery store is a significant distance, the shopping commute could nix your plans. While it may not seem like a problem now, when you've commuted to work all week, the last thing you want to do with your weekend is drive 45-minutes to the grocery store or make an additional trip into town to buy shoes.
Entertainment
Finally, what you do for pleasure should inform your choice as well. When you find yourself staying late in town to go to the theater or see friends, heading back out to the ’burbs to sleep might get old.
Even if you love the countryside and the chance to own a house, commuting isn’t for everyone. Before you give up on your dreams, though, talk to a knowledgeable real estate agent inside your commute radius. There might be options for ownership that you’re unaware of such as pocket listings or distressed homes.
About the Author
Carolyn Andrews
Carolyn Andrews has over 30 years licensed Brokerage experience in both California and Colorado. Born in England, Carolyn moved to California in 1980, then relocated to Denver, Colorado in 1991. Carolyn has also received recognition for Top Sales at RE/MAX Alliance Aurora in 2007-2008 and is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame & Chairman’s Club, as well as a recipient of the ReMax Lifetime Achievement Award. Carolyn has sold over 2000 homes personally in her career. Carolyn has been actively involved in many aspects of the Real Estate business including investment property, luxury homes, mountain resort property, skiin/ski out, REO/default management, loss mitigation, valuations, and disposition. She has been a speaker and panelist at several conferences and has been consulted on many occasions by various organizations in the REO/financial industries for her expertise and served on many boards. She has attended numerous ongoing classes to stay abreast of changes in the ever-evolving Real Estate industry. She is the prior State Director for Colorado for VAREP(Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals). She is a member of 3 boards of Realtors including Metro Denver, Colorado Springs and Summit County mountain areas. She heads up The Andrews Group and is or has been an active member of NAR, CAR,REOMAC, CIPS, CRS, AREAA, NAPW, NAHREP, and is an original member of the ELITEReal Estate network. She was ranked #1 for most homes sold in Denver 2007 by Denver Board of Realtors, #2 for 2008, and #2 for 2009, #5 in 2010 and #4 in 2011 and has been consistently in the top 10 ever since. Carolyn Andrews has been a top rated Endorsed Local Provider for the Dave Ramsey Organization and also a Top Producing agent for 2018 for the Homelight Company.
