Colorado to Bend? (for sale, real estate, rent)

[whirnot]

We live in Greeley CO and are considering Bend to retire to. The climate is similar, Bend seems a little warmer in Winter and cooler in Summer.
Is there much available, affordable land near Bend for building on? Jobs are not an issue as it will be retirement, and housing is a little more even because we want to build rather than buy. But our area is very cheap.

We ideally would like to find 1/2 to one acre, within Bicycle distance of a lot of services. We like trees and a mountain feel but close by. But we are not coming from California, so don't have 1/2 mil to drop, so have to build something for $250 to $300. Building green is also very important to us.

I know many locals have been run out due to growth, and growing up in Aspen I certainly appreciate that, but does it seem like the high end influx is definitely dead for a while!

I guess to be honest, I want to live in a beautiful mountain community, but have the convenience of a 90,000 pop city at hand. Is Bend close?
We have a small second home in the colorado foothills and would love to feel we got the best of both worlds.

We are coming in Oct to visit, purposely picking what we guess will not be the prettiest time of the year, to see the area, when not at its finest.

any further info is appreciated.

[minorbrew]

whirnot, I'm not a resident of Bend but have visited there several times and have some good friends who live there. Also, by coincidence, my wife and I have some very good friends in Loveland, CO. and have visited Greeley.
I think you'll find Bend a very scenic area, with the beautiful Casade Mts. extending westerly from the City of Bend and a high desert environment extending eastward as you leave the city in that direction.
At the present time, land and housing prices have plunged considerably since the market highs of 2005-06. Based on current market prices in and around the Bend area, I would think you could buy or build (including the land) a very comfortable home for $250-300,000.
I'm not sure how far "bicycle" distance is for you, but there seem to be many choices in real estate in and around the City of Bend.
By all means, visit the Bend area and have a good look around. It sounds like Bend might have just what you're looking for.
I know an outstanding realtor in Bend who could be very helpful if you decide Bend is the place for you. If you are interested, please mail me direct on this forum and I'll be happy to put you in touch with him.
Best Wishes on your retirement.
minorbrew

[davefr]

Bend will likely offer everything you want but you should buy an existing home vs. building for best value. It's a buyer's market for existing homes.

[Dry Side]

Bend ..


YouTube - Shire in Bend, Oregon

[paulpan]

Originally Posted by whirnot

We live in Greeley CO and are considering Bend to retire to. The climate is similar, Bend seems a little warmer in Winter and cooler in Summer.

Not according to city-data.com, which shows about the same winter temperatures for both places, but way more sunshine/fewer cloudy days for Greely.
This is why I had to give up my plans on Bend, and now consider moving to Colorado. Arthritis would bother me in winter months in Bend.

[whirnot]

Originally Posted by paulpan

Not according to city-data.com, which shows about the same winter temperatures for both places, but way more sunshine/fewer cloudy days for Greely.
This is why I had to give up my plans on Bend, and now consider moving to Colorado. Arthritis would bother me in winter months in Bend.

Looking at several comparison sites, It appears the average winter low in Bend is about 5 degrees higher, and the average summer highs are about 5 degrees cooler. In Colorado, It is not totally unusual to get a week to 10 days in the winter with a high temperature of 0. 100 degrees plus is common most summers. I have seen 25 to 30 below many, many times.

Greeley specifically is colder than the surrounding areas as we are in a depression.

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by Dry Side

Bend ..


YouTube - Shire in Bend, Oregon

The Shire never was really developed - I think they built one home, though they put in the landscaping and a little performance area. Recently the property sold for a song compared to what the developer paid for it. I suspect the new owner will wait a bit to develop it and the Shire concept was a little bit too weird - Bend doesn't have many Hobbits

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by whirnot

We live in Greeley CO and are considering Bend to retire to. The climate is similar, Bend seems a little warmer in Winter and cooler in Summer.
Is there much available, affordable land near Bend for building on? Jobs are not an issue as it will be retirement, and housing is a little more even because we want to build rather than buy. But our area is very cheap.

We ideally would like to find 1/2 to one acre, within Bicycle distance of a lot of services. We like trees and a mountain feel but close by. But we are not coming from California, so don't have 1/2 mil to drop, so have to build something for $250 to $300. Building green is also very important to us.

We are coming in Oct to visit, purposely picking what we guess will not be the prettiest time of the year, to see the area, when not at its finest.

any further info is appreciated.

I think the weather is much better than Greeley's because we don't tend to get the real extremes you do - plus no tornadoes (at least since we've been here). October can be gorgeous here - the weather is often cool and dry, the grasses golden, then along some the parkways the trees are yellow and red. The Bend area is a perfect place to build green. Prices certainly have fallen, but I don't think you'll easlily be able to build a home on half to a full acre for $300k close enough to Bend to be in bike riding distance of much of anything, plus the land might not be improved. There is an area that runs along the south side of a street called Reed Market Road (not to be confused with a street called Reed that is close by). It's an older area of Bend that is close to the Deschutes River and the Old Mill District (upscale shopping, REI, and movie theaters) that currently is populated mostly by old mobile homes. It's called Woodriver Village. A number of lots in that area have for sale signs. The area has lots of trees and a great future when Bend recovers. For now, you might get a great deal if you don't mind living in an old mobile home area for a while until it developes into single family homes. Below is a link to an example of what is for sale (half-acre lot). Perhaps building a little later on but getting moved first would work for you.

19963 Alderwood Cir, Bend, OR 97702 - Zillow

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by davefr

Bend will likely offer everything you want but you should buy an existing home vs. building for best value. It's a buyer's market for existing homes.

Ditto that. Undeveloped land in and around Bend is not cheap. The market dynamics of raw land are different from those of developed property. Generally property taxes are low on undeveloped land and owners can afford to hold on to such property and keep it as a "land bank asset" until the demand rises and the supply dwindles in their favor. You can't really do that with a vacant house, so the pressure to sell is higher, even if it means selling low. The best way to build equity would be to buy an existing home with fast resell characteristics or or one with a trasher on a larger lot that you can bulldoze in a couple of years. Those homes will be less common because most of them were bought up subdividers and house flippers in the 1990's.

[delta07]

I have to agree with most of the other posters here. While real estate prices have dropped drastically, the price of land has not. My sister and her husband are wanting to buy land and build near Bend as well, but have not found what they are looking for. Their price range is similar to yours, and they have given up building for now. They are looking at homes on a small piece of land, but are still looking at paying close to $400K because they don't want to put any work into the home. If you are dead set on building, it may be wise to find the land and then rent a home for a few years while you save more money to build.