Orlando FL to COS (Colorado Springs, Cimarron Hills: for sale, rentals, new home)

[lockmart]

I'm moving out to COS in 3 weeks. I've lived in FL essentially all my life. Been reading lots of threads on here. Would like to get some updated comparisons on Orl to COS.

I love outdoor activities so I'm thinking I will enjoy it very much. I drive a Corvette and a Ducati Motorcycle, so I guess my usage will be more limited but better quality roads, scenary. How many months out of the year can I use them? I'll probably get a Suburau for Winter.

What are the best places to live? I will be working in zip code 80915. I'm thinking I will rent a house for the first year, until I really get to know the areas.

Thanks for any input

[MtnLion512]

I'd say usage for the Corvette is probably 3-4 months, varying each year. The only guy I know in COS who had a Corvette ended up selling it b/c he barely used it, but I drive a 4runner like half of the people in the Springs, so I don't know much about that stuff You'll see wayyyyy fewer cars like that in COS.

COS is of course great if you enjoy outdoor activities...how close do you want to live to said outdoor activities? Your work is way out east, how far of a commute are you willing to drive? The closer west you go, the closer you get to most outdoor activities.

What do you want in a house? In a neighborhood? Price range? Ideal commute? Best places to live can vary depending on your wants and needs....please provide some more information

[Mike from back east]

- 80915 is one the east side; Rustic Hills, Cimarron Hills, Falcon, etc. Lots of affordable housing out that way, so you can live near where you work.

- You can drive your existing vehicles most of the year, save for a few snow days, which usually melts off in a day or two.

- Subaru Outback with AWD is the hands-on favorite for snow driving in the state and we have one of the nation's largest subie dealers here. They are especially good for driving up in the mountains during ski season.

You can use ppar.com to look at both VALID rentals (not the craigslist scams) and homes for sale. There is a zip code search, but be sure to click the "go" button directly below the zip code box. That's a fine area of town to live in and there are more expensive places further north up Powers Blvd depending on your specific wants and needs. IMO you'd want one of the newer places with a 3-car garage for the vehicles and other stuff. Some people prefer to rent a year to sort out exactly what they want and like; tell us your price range and housing preferences and we can suggest a lot of places.

[lockmart]

I'd like a place with a 3 car garage, around 1800 sq ft at least on the main level. If I buy a place I'll probably stay under $250K. My wife and I prefer to travel and enjoy ourselves and just have a smaller place we can keep up and be comfortable in. I'd like something just decent size, but nice features and nice community.

Would like to keep the work commute to 30 minutes or less.

I'm in my early 30's but prefer quiet communities. At home we like it peaceful and some space from neighbors. Mostly no direct rear neighbors.

[Mike from back east]

Using ppar.com and its map-based search tool, I found 25 homes that fit your requirements.

I set it for these parameters:
- Garage: 3+ spaces
- Price: $200k to $250k (remember, you can bid $250k on a higher priced home and maybe get it for $250k)
- Type: Single family / patio home
- Area: I enlarged the map to highlight the northeast area of the region (i.e., keep I-25/85/87) as your left hand border), and I used the push-pin to draw a box. Find Pine Creek Golf Course in the upper left then click to set the pin, then drag it to the right to Black Forest Rd and drag it down to about N. Carefree. If you go further south, you'll get more hits.

[Arrby]

It is a lot dryer in Colorado Springs. Less than 1/3 the total annual rainfall as in Orlando.

While you don't want to be absolutely dependent on your Corvette and your bike, you can ride/drive them throughout the year; in fact the many sunshiny days in winter can be great for this. Snow happens, even ice sometimes, but it seldom stays on the ground more than a day or two.

BUT!!! - To ride in the winter months you will need serious cold weather motorcycle gear. Then there is the issue of snow melt: the intense sunlight melts the snow (often even if the ambient temperature is below freezing), which spreads across the road and then freezes again. This usually occurs on the far side of an off camber turn just out of your sight as you enter the curve just a little too aggressively.

Oh, and did anyone mention hailstorms? Sudden, unexpected hailstorms? Particularly in July and August? I wouldn't worry about them though - they hardly ever occur more than once a day.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Arrby

.... and did anyone mention hailstorms? Sudden, unexpected hailstorms? Particularly in July and August? I wouldn't worry about them though - they hardly ever occur more than once a day.

Hailstorms are the reason people should have a garage for their rolling stock. Bad hail storms happen all too often in the I-25 corridor from summer storms coming off the mountains. MORE than a few cars get TOTALED OUT in such storms, i.e., most/all glass destroyed and the body looks like an angry metal worker went bumper to bumper with a heavy ball peen hammer. A person can be injured in such events too.

[Carrera32]

Lockmart: I think you have a pretty good plan. A Subaru is a great vehicle for this area/weather. Great daily driver and commuter car and will keep you out of trouble regardless of the weather. CS isn't comparable to Orlando, but it isn't Buffalo, either. There are snow storms and ice, but it melts quickly and you should have nice dry days to exercise your Vette year-round. I see a lot of Vettes around town, and my car club has had joint events with the local Corvette Club. You shouldn't have any trouble finding kindred souls with whom to compare notes. I have a couple of sports cars. One is a track car. The other I drive in the winter, but it's not my daily driver. I use Bridgestone Potenza RE 960AS All Season radials. I keep it in a garage and drive it on nice days. Agree with Mike on the hail. Best to keep your toys under cover. Can't speak to motorcycles, as I prefer four wheels and some sheet metal around me, but Arrby's advice seems pretty sound to me. His advice applies to your Vette, as well as your bike. If you're running wide (on a Vette is there any other kind?) summer (i.e., dry compound and minimal tread) tires on your Vette, if you hit "black ice" as Arrby described, you could lose adhesion. Also, if the temp is below about 45 degrees, those tires don't have the best grip (the specific tire I'm referring to is the Kumho Ecsta XS, which I use on my track car; they're street legal, but barely). If you're running those, or Michelin Pilot Sports, or a comparable tire, you might want to check the mfgr's recommendations. If you're going to run it during the winter, suggest some all season tires, or, if you're really going to be running regularly in the snow, some Blizzak snow tires. Again, with a Subaru, you're covered. Save the Vette for the nice dry, and warm (relatively speaking) days. Welcome to CS.

[orlandoyankee]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Hailstorms are the reason people should have a garage for their rolling stock. Bad hail storms happen all too often in the I-25 corridor from summer storms coming off the mountains. MORE than a few cars get TOTALED OUT in such storms, i.e., most/all glass destroyed and the body looks like an angry metal worker went bumper to bumper with a heavy ball peen hammer. A person can be injured in such events too.

What kind of roof is on the typical house in COS? Here in Orlando, most of the houses use asphalt shingles. If the hail is large enough, it can ruin an asphalt roof. I have personal experience from 1993. However, we don't get that many hailstorms here. Just curious what is on houses out there.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by orlandoyankee

What kind of roof is on the typical house in COS? Here in Orlando, most of the houses use asphalt shingles. If the hail is large enough, it can ruin an asphalt roof. I have personal experience from 1993. However, we don't get that many hailstorms here. Just curious what is on houses out there.

Same here, asphalt. Many of us have the heavier grade of asphalt shingle that carry a 50-year warranty and are more hail resistant. If I were buying a new home, I'd do my best to get this better grade.

A number of pricier homes have tile roofs, which "should" be relatively hail proof.