“What are the good areas of Colorado Springs what are the bad areas of Colorado Springs?”
This is a common question we hear in real estate and here’s the thing: we can’t actually answer that question for you! Realtors are restricted from telling clients which areas of town are “good” or “bad” for ethical and liability reasons, but also because it is a very subjective question.
A “good” area of town to one person may mean good schools; to another it may mean easy access to shopping; to another – mountain views; to another – low crime; to another – affordable houses; to another – diversity and character; to another – gentrification; to another – new construction, and so on. As you can see, there is no easy answer to where the “good neighborhoods” are.
What we CAN do to help you determine the best neighborhood for you is provide some online resources where you can research the particulars for yourself.
City Data Forums
An excellent resource for finding out the inside scoop on neighborhoods and communities is the City Data website forums. There are forums for almost every city and town in the United States and Canada in which you can ask local residents any questions you like (i.e. the questions Realtors can’t answer!)
http://www.city-data.com/forum/
Local crime map
Neighborhoods with lower crime are often something people are seeking. You can use these Colorado Springs crime maps to view where and what crimes are being committed. You can also look at long-term data to see where the more frequent crime clusters appear.
https://www.spotcrime.com/co/colorado+springs
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/co/colorado-springs/crime/
https://cspd.coloradosprings.gov/content/your-neighboorhood
Colorado school district rankings
A good school district is often high on the list for people with school-aged children. But it is also important for resale value of a property as well. Here are two sites that rank school districts in Colorado.
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/districtrank.aspx
https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-school-districts/best-overall/s/colorado/
Natural environment risk
It is important to know the risks that the natural environment may hold. (i.e. flood zones, wildfire risk areas, landslide prone areas)
Flood maps:
https://msc.fema.gov/portal
Landslide/geological risks:
https://coloradosprings.gov/office-emergency-management/page/landslide-information
http://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/
Wildland urban interface fire risk:
http://csfs.colostate.edu/wildfire-mitigation/colorados-wildland-urban-interface/
Sex Offender Registries / Megan’s law
To see if there are sex offenders in your neighborhood (or your prospective neighborhoods), check these on-line databases:
In Colorado Springs: https://cspd.springsgov.com/so/
In El Paso County: http://shr.elpasoco.com/services/sex-offenders-search
State of Colorado: https://www.colorado.gov/apps/cdps/sor/?SOR=home.caveat
Meth labs in residential homes:
*These lists may be incomplete
State: http://forensic-applications.com/meth/DEA_Druglab_list.pdf
City of Colorado Springs: https://cspd.coloradosprings.gov/content/meth-lab-information
*In the State of Colorado, once a meth lab in a house has been mitigated (cleaned to legal standards and certified by a licensed hygienist), they are no longer required by law to be listed on the meth lab database, or disclosed to prospective buyers. This means that you may not be able to find out if there was ever a meth lab in a home from the above listed databases. There are other options available that may help you avoid buying a meth house:http://www.wondermakers.com/Portals/0/docs/class/How%20To%20Avoid%20Buying%20A%20Meth%20House.pdf
These are just a few suggestions that we have compiled. We do not guarantee any of the information in the above websites. As a prospective buyer, it is up to you to do your due diligence. A licensed Realtor can assist and point you in the right direction.
