If you've ever wondered if a neighborhood was right for you and your family before committing to it by buying a home, you've probably done a fair amount of research. You've looked into the school district, the taxes, the water and energy bill averages. You've surveyed the streets by driving by, taking note of the landscaping, the care with which your prospective neighbors take with their properties. You've asked a REALTOR or two about the market values and conditions, and you've even met and spoken with some residents. Maybe you've event spent some time hanging out at the park, or walking down a few streets, especially during hours when people are likely to be home. Bonus point if you've looked into local neighborhood groups and/or the HOA.

Neighborhood groups can be as formally or casually structured as you would imagine, and often provide a social experience for residents. They can enhance residential life in a section of a community by providing location-based or virtual opportunities for getting to know your neighbors and neighborhood. Social gatherings in a neighborhood group are often flavored with activities that maintain or improve the overall neighborhood atmosphere, such as a designated cleanup day. Virtual neighborhood groups (online) usually serve residents by providing a platform for referring each other to service providers, spreading news (such as mountain lion sightings or crime reports), and arranging meetups and sub-groups. Most neighborhood groups post at least some information online; search for them or ask your REALTOR about them, and browse their Web site or call one of the officers or organizers to learn more about a neighborhood's inside scoop.

An HOA, or homeowner's association, is a formally organized entity charged with duties pertaining to a community or development. These duties vary widely from place to place, but you should be able to judge an HOA's involvement by reading the bylaws and speaking to an officer of the HOA. Your REALTOR will be able to provide you with the necessary details. Not all neighborhoods are subject to HOA governance, and while some communities are technically under an HOA's covenants, the actual organization may be too loosely structured or defunct to influence the residential experience.

Getting to know a community while shopping around is one of the easiest ways to make an informed decision on a home. While it won't be the only data point in your evaluation, the quality of life in a new home and other intangibles are just as important as the stuff you can enter into a spreadsheet.

If you've looked at real estate listings online this year, you may have noticed one more measurement characterizing homes and neighborhoods. It's a number from 0 to 100 called Walk Score. The way it works, according to the Web site, is simple: "Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures…

Speaking with home buyers across the nation, the quality of schools in their communities is always a concern raised by parents, and even home buyers without children. It's true that a solid school district is a win for families with school-aged children, but the same solid school district can also be found to relate to solid home prices and market interest.

Downtown, LoHi, Highland, LoDo: Relocating to Colorado must sound like Morse code to the newcomer. Before you drill down to specific neighborhoods, of which there are many, try getting a macro view of Denver's real estate market first...

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Denver real estate isn't just about the places; it's also about the people and the things that go with them. Now that the snows melted, thoughts are turning away from that face plant you took at Copper Mountain, and toward what will happen to the bulbs you planted in your garden. (Darned deer!) Salting the walks has given way to salting the margaritas. Can you hear the siren song...

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Near Cranmer Park, where the dog-walkers, strollers and pee-wee soccer leagues roam, and over near Graland Country Day School, founded in 1924, is one of Denver's most regaled historic neighborhoods: Hilltop.

Often mixed in with other neighborhoods for its proximity to Crestmoor, Mayfair, Cherry Creek, Bellvue, Belcaro, and Montclair, Hilltop is in the...

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From West 6th Avenue to Alameda Avenue and from Federal Boulevard to Sheridan Boulevard lies a little Denver neighborhood with a big history. In 1882, P.T. Barnum — yes, THE P.T. Barnum — purchased 760 acres of Denver dirt as a winter hiatus hot spot. While he was at it, it's been said that Barnum took the liberty of naming many...

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