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Castle Pines Introduction

[0:00] Are you wondering where the number one place to retire in Colorado is? Cuz you're going to want to listen up. Then I think Castle Pines might be Colorado's bestkept secret for upscale retirement. The neighborhood is incredible. The rolling hills, the private feeling of every property here with the golf courses that are just second to none. City access, it has it all. And I've been helping people since 2010 retire here to the front range. And Castle Pines always comes up in the conversation and is a high contender.

[0:29] So, in this video, I'm going to show you the full picture, the lifestyle, the homes, the amenities, travel, healthcare, everything you need to know to weigh in on your decision-m and where you're going to be in retirement. And if you're new here, my name is Alex Salana, and I know there's a lot to navigate through. So, if you ever have any questions, feel free to give me a call, shoot me a text message, or download my luxury retirement guide that's going to go over not over just Castle Pines, but all the areas that you're likely looking at moving if you're thinking of retiring here. Okay, let's get right into it. Why Castle Pines in the first place? Well, Castle Pines is one of those places where people visit once and immediately think, "Yeah, this is it." Right? You're driving south on I25, south of Denver.

[1:12] You look west, the rolling hills unfold. You start to pass through the Palmer Divide. It's dotted with pine trees, winding roads, beautiful homes that just feel tucked away. And it just feels right. You know, it attracts people who want a refined community, but with a little bit more elbow room than, let's say, Cherry Creek or Wash Park. So, for retirees, the appeal is twofold. You're far enough away to feel you've escape the city's chaos, right? But you're close enough to Denver that you're not cut off from everything. It's kind of a sweet spot between seclusion and convenience. So when we talk about Castle Pines, you know, you can look at it on a map and you might be a little misguided as to what we think of when we think of Castle Pines. So if we were to look at a map here, right, we've got downtown Denver, got DIA all the way up in Kansas over here. And then as we go south, we see Castle Pines and Castle Pines Village. Now, when you pull up Castle Pines, it's only going to pull up this northern part. It's not going to pull up the village. Anything in this chunk is really considered Castle Pines.

Location & Geography

[2:17] uh everything further south of let's say this little cut off where you know we stop seeing homes built and we go into shopping that's pretty much all castle rock uh and so it's kind of its own little bubble and you have this dead zone from kind of right outside the 470 loop lone tree and uh hospital over at Skyidge then you have this empty space and then you start getting into Castle Pine so it's what makes you feel like you've gotten out of the city but don't get me wrong like from Castle Pines to let's say the intersection of 470 and I25 uh Costco is 15 minutes. It is not far whatsoever. So don't let that deter you. Now when we look at the map, what makes it feel like it's separate is this ridge here. You start getting into the Palmer Divide. You can kind of see the landscaping features. And then you get into Castle Pines uh and Castle Pines's Village more importantly, and you start to have all these larger lots, more secluded. I'm going to show you what I mean here in a moment. It's a large community. Uh but you're going to you're going to find what you want here because there's there's about 1,500 homes in Castle Pines uh that are going to span everything from town homes uh a couple of condos to smaller single families to very large and luxury single families.

Home Types & Options

[3:38] Now on the eastern side of I25 newer is the Canyons. This is another master plan community uh which is brand new so it's not going to be as mature and I'll show you some of those as well. Uh, so it's really depending on what you're looking for as to, you know, what parts of Castle Pines you might want to look for. All right, real estate wise, what are you going to find? Well, on the more lock and leave it sort of properties, right, where maybe you're not going to be here full-time, maybe you're going to be here 50% of the time or less. There's not a ton of options. Okay, so we've got the southern part of Castle Pines here, uh, the village, and then we got the northern part. So something like this, 750,000. This is a townhouse. 2400 ft², three bedrooms, four baths. Uh, and it's going to be a nice looking home. This is kind of a half of a duplex here. Um, and finishwise, it's going to be kind of builder grade. It's not going to be, you know, top-end finishes. You're not getting Viking, Wolf Ranges, anything like that. you're just getting a nice home that is fairly low maintenance in comparison to having a large 1 to 2 acre sort of property, which is a lot of what you're going to find in Castle Pines, which I'll show you here in a moment.

[4:52] Now, this was built in 2001. Most of Castle Pines was built in the late '90s and the early 2000s. Uh, many of them have been updated since that time. We're kind of at 25 years since most of the houses have been built. So, we're talking at that time you start having things like your roof, furnace, uh sewer, you know, the major system starts to age on you. So, the properties that have been kept up, which most of them have been, uh, have those major systems replaced, so it's not as much of an issue. For here, 587,000, we have four bedroomedroom, four bath, 2400 ft townhouse. Again, much lower maintenance. It's going to be a nice property, right? So depending on what your wants and needs are, you're not going to feel as nearly secluded with a property like this. But if you like access to the golf courses, uh if you like just being out of the city, like here's a couple of good options. Then we have this pocket of newer properties on this eastern side over here uh that are going to be more of your new age kind of condo feeling homes, right? All right.

[5:55] So this is the anomaly. This is not what most people think of in Castle Pines. When you think of Castle Pines, this is what you think of. And you can see there's quite a few options here. Uh, you know, there's, I think, 75 to 100 homes for sale right now on the market just in Castle Pines. And I was here a couple weeks ago with some clients and there's beautiful homes all over the place. Um, so just taking a peek at a few of them. Now, this one is on the new end, built in 2024. There are some pockets of these still being built, but they're going to have a different feel, right? They're going to be sparse with trees. Uh you're going to feel like you're more in a new home community, similar to the canyons across I25 over here. This is a little bit more up Castle Pines feeling. Okay, you're talking golf course views. You're talking in the woods still. Uh you're talking incredible kitchens, incredible baths, uh top end finishes, great rooms, wine bars, uh you name it. Hot tubs, like it's got it. Library nooks, um beautiful property. I don't know what else to say. Like, this is as good as it can possibly get here. Now, this is on the high end. 6 million is on very much the top end of what you're going to find in Castle Pines. This is going to be a little bit more normal here. Now, a lot of these lots are going to be around 1 to one and a half acres in general, but when you're at these properties, you don't feel like you have neighbors.

Luxury Homes Showcase

[7:27] Okay? So, 3.35 million, 5bedroom, 7 bath, 6200 ft². Uh, and this is nestled in the trees. Now, you're close to the golf course here, but you are not right on top of it, so you're not going to be hearing, you know, people teeing off and things like that. Um, lots of the log cabin Texas ranch mixture. Okay, that's the best way I can describe it. You kind of feel like you're in a mountain home, but you also feel like you're on a Texas ranch. Okay. Um, you know, you don't see a whole lot of the white quartz countertops, white cabinets, gray finishes. You get a lot more of the browns, the wood features, the stone.

[8:06] Uh, everybody places a priority on their back patios, their views. large doors opening to make kind of an inside outside uh space available and prioritizing guests coming over. A lot of these houses are larger, but the average age in Castle Pines is not young. So, it's an interesting kind of mix, but a lot of people plan for, you know, friends and family to come over and spend time with them in Castle Pines, going golfing, going skiing. Uh, and so they are larger homes, little bit more to maintain, but the services here are incredible. Uh, it's easy to find landscapers, house cleaners, like this community was built for it. And I mean, you can see here I'm like $2 million, a little bit more on the affordable side than what we just looked at at 3 and 1/2. Like, it's an incredible home. It's just going to be a little bit smaller at 4,600 ft, which is still plenty of home for most most people. Uh, but your outdoor space again is going to feel incredible. It's going to feel just secluded compared to a lot of the other places that you can look at. even the other neighborhoods I I showed you in another video sitting against the foothills. Uh you're going to be a lot more secluded here in Castle Pines. So within Castle Pines, golfing is going to be huge, right? That's part of the reason why a lot of people move down here. And you've got two private golf courses, which are the Country Club at Castle Pines, and then you have Castle Pines Golf Club, and then you have the Ridge at Castle Pines North, which I believe is the public course. Um and then you've got Sanctuary Golf Course over here. or have never played, but these are all just incredible golf courses. Uh the BMW Championship, I believe, is played at the Castle Pines Golf Club, uh if I'm not mistaken, and it's just centered around some of the most incredible golf settings you can ever even imagine. I would be so grateful to be able to play at one of these courses. I've played at the public course down there, uh but I've never played at either of the private courses.

Golf & Amenities

[10:13] Uh there is the country club if you want to get into if that's part of your lifestyle. Um which does have about a one to twoyear weight depending and I think the fee is about 100,000 if I'm not mistaken uh for full access to the club, all the amenities, everything like that. But this is a community feeling here at Castle Pines where there's going to be events going on constantly. Uh yes, you do pay for it, but at the same time, you're getting an entire lifestyle to go along with your Castle Pines house. Let's take a look at another one here kind of on the northwest part of town. Not many pools in Castle Pines.

[10:48] You are in a little bit different of a weather pattern from Denver because you're a little bit higher in elevation. Uh so pools like this are not going to be uncommon. But again, like incredible great rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, uh basements, five, six, seven bedrooms is not uncommon. Plenty enough for extended family to come over and stay for a while and not feel too cramped. outdoor spaces are just remarkable. Like, like I said, the reason why you're down here is to place a priority on your lifestyle, and Castle Pines has all those boxes checked. Outside of that, you're probably moving here cuz you live an active lifestyle where outdoor access and recreation is a priority, and this is where Castle Pines just shines. Uh, the community was built around nature and around recreation. Daniel's Park offers about a thousand acres of open space with trails, picnic areas, and some of the best panoramic views of the Front Range. You know, on a clear day, you can see from Pikes Peak all the way to Longs Peak and everything in between.

Dining & Shopping

[11:48] Now, inside the neighborhoods, there's miles of interconnected walking biking paths that wind through the hills. You don't have to get in the car to get your steps in, right? It's all literally right outside your door and part of the neighborhood. And then of course again there's golf. There's the Castle Pines Golf Club which hosted the PGA Tour events and is known nationwide as one of the premier private courses. Uh the Ridge of Castle Pines North is a public course. Uh again, but that just feels high-end because of where it's located.

[12:19] And retirees who love golf move here specifically for that lifestyle, right? Your tea time is literally down the street. And if you want the mountains, hop on I7 west and you're going to be skiing in less than two hours, more like an hour and a half or so on a weekday. Or you can head to Castlewood Canyon State Park, which is 15 minutes east for hiking through the canyons and rock formations. You're going to be spoiled for options around here. Everything is really, really close. Now, amenities and daily conveniences.

[12:48] Castle Pines feels really, really tucked away, but you're not cut off completely. you know, within the community, you've got small shopping centers with grocery stores just to the south, restaurants, coffee shops, daily services. Uh, for most errands, you won't need to go more than about 10 minutes. Okay? But most of that is just south of Castle Pines there on the northern end of Castle Rock. But when you want more, Castle Rock is right there. It's just down the street, 10 minutes away with the outlets at Castle Rock. You've got Costco. You've got a full slate of restaurants, breweries.

[13:19] Um, and then if you want to go north, you got Highlands Ranch, which is 15 minutes to the north with more of your big box retail, gyms, dining, right? Dining in Castle Pines leans towards casual upscale, right? Steakous, uh, wine bars, family-friendly spots. It's not a Cherry Creek level food scene. Uh, but for most retirees, the mix of local restaurants and easy access to Castle Rock in Denver kind of hits the mark.

[13:45] The balance here is absolutely key. you've got enough in your backyard for convenience and worldclass options within 20 to 30 minutes. All right, so what about healthcare access? Well, it's a big factor for retirees and Castle Pines is one of the strongest footholds in the south metro area. You're just 15 minutes to Skyidge Medical Center and Lone Tree to the north, which is constantly rated as one of Colorado's best hospitals for orthopedics, cardiac care, surgical specialties. Uh then you've got Castle Rock at Venice Hospital is just a few minutes to the south there. bit more modern, bit newer, and a bit more well equipped. Uh, then you've got Parker Adventist is another option nearby to the east by about 15 to 20 minutes. And because Loan Tree and the Denver Tech Center are loaded with specialty clinics, you've got access to everything from spinal care, cancer treatment within 15 minutes, right?

Healthcare & Accessibility

[14:35] Routine care, urgent care, physical therapy, dental, it's it's all going to be right here. Uh, the peace of mind knowing you don't need to drive into downtown Denver for top tier healthcare is one of Castle Pines's biggest selling points for retirees. So, what about traveling and getting around? As you're retired, you're going to have more freedom. And, you know, Castle Pines is not that bad. It looks far on a map, but DIA is about 40 to 45 minutes by car via I20 and the 470 loop. You just kind of avoid all the nonsense going on in Denver, which is not compared to most of the metro area. Now, for private flights, you've got Centennial Airport, which is about 25 minutes away, uh, which is a big perk for a lot of potential buyers here. And for everyday city access, you're 30 minutes north to downtown Denver or about 45 minutes south to Colorado Springs. This makes Castle Pines kind of unique. You know, you're central enough to access two major cities, which is perfect for most retirees with families spread across the state. Now, on the overall pro side here of Castle Pines, here's what Castle Pines does best. Luxury and privacy in a gated master plan neighborhood that doesn't feel like a master plan community. Golf course living with nationally recognized courses, strong healthcare access within 10 to 20 minutes, and quick connections to Denver, Colorado Springs, and DIA. And then the scenery, right? scenic rolling hills and trail systems that are just built directly into the community.

[16:05] You're not going to feel like you have to go far ever. It's going to be a mix of lock and leave options for larger estates and so you can choose a lifestyle that fits for you because access to service in this neighborhood is top-notch. All right, cons for Castle Pines. You know, it's just not quite for everyone. There is limited shopping and dining in Castle Pines itself. You know, most trips for variety mean a short drive. Now, we're talking 10 minutes. Uh but for some people, that could be a deal killer. You know, you're going to have HOA dues in a gated community, and they can be, you know, a little bit more on the expensive side. We're looking for most single families around $400 a month here in Castle Pines, but you get amenities with that. And then you have bigger homes, and for a lot of people, that's not something they want to deal with. It can mean a lot more maintenance. Uh you could have snow removal, you know, yard upkeep. They're all real factors here. And winters can feel a little bit more isolated, especially if you're used to walkable neighborhoods like Cherry Creek. And then inventory, it can be tight. You know, homes don't turn over really quickly. So, if you want in, you need to be ready to move fast. Now, over the last year and a half, inventory has been building here a little bit more, like it has throughout the country. So, that has helped. But if that narrative changes, it'll change fast and within a couple of months, you'll be back to having 15 to 20 options available in Castle Pines instead of a 100, right? So, is Castle Pines Colorado's bestkept secret for retirement? And for a lot of people, it absolutely is. And it's really high on my list uh for when I'm talking to people retiring here that we have to visit. Some people write it off because it looks too far away or something, you know, just preconceived notions. Then we go there and they go, "Oh, I totally get it." So, it should be on your list of places that you should check out. And if you're confused about what's going on and what the market's doing, just give me a call, shoot me a text message. I'd be happy to talk you through it. I kind of give you my take on things. And you can also remember, download the luxury retirement guide here, which is going to go into things in a lot more detail. But if you are looking to be closer to downtown Denver, you're going to want to maybe check out the Golden Area, which is why I put together this video, because for retirees, it definitely hits on the top of the list of where people are

Pros, Cons & Closing