PCSing from Germany to Ft. Carson looking to rent a nice house (Colorado Springs: rentals)

[johnmichael125]

I'm getting ready to PCS from Germany to Ft. Carson and am looking for a nice 3-4 bedroom house.


I don't want to live right near Ft. Carson due to most of the people there knowing the BAH rates and making military overpay for houses.


Anyone able to name a few towns about 30-45 minutes away from Ft. Carson where it won't be as bad rent wise.

[Mike from back east]

Check padmapper.com for rentals in any town, and if you checked on areas like Fountain it may or may not reflect the price gouging you allege near Ft. Carson.

South of Carson look at Penrose, Canon City, Pueblo where prices are lower and commutes easier.

If you want up in the mountains, look at Cascade, Green Mountain Falls, Chipeta Park, Crystola and Woodland Park. Might be more than 45 minutes in some cases and face a winter driving commute going up/down Ute Pass on Hwy 24.

Out east on the plains, look at Calhan, Peyton, Falcon, Ellicott, Yoder and Truckton, all flat as a pancake and getting more wind.

[Marcy1210]

Mike's ideas are good. It depends on what type of environment you're interested in. Out east in Calhan, Peyton, Falcon, Ellicott, Yoder and Truckton, it's rural farmland with mini ranchettes and not much in the way of towns. It's dry, dusty and windy out east. You can either Google the towns, or Google Earth them to see the "lay of the land" per se.

Up Hwy 24 west of Colorado Springs it gets more mountainous and mountain town-ish. And, naturally the elevation is higher, the vegetation thicker (Gambrel Oak, lots of pine, conifer and other evergreen, and aspen in spring, summer and fall. It's also wetter, snowier and colder than the Springs, a bit far from the nightlife in the Springs, but nice, small, close knit towns. The only issue would be commuting up and down Hwy 24 (The Pass) in winter if it's snowy. Snow doesn't last long even when it's heavy as the sun is hot and at higher elevation, snow melts quickly. Woodland Park has its own town with everything you'd need except for a mall and nice restaurants. Again, Google each of the towns, and Google Earth them for the terrain and housing density.

South of the Springs is nice, too. Pueblo is about 50 minutes from the Springs on I-25, Pueblo West, Penrose and Canon City are a little farther. Canon City is home to the majority of our penal system and the major prisons are there. Penrose is a pretty agricultural town in the hills, and Pueblo is a somewhat industrial town which has a beautiful river walk and nice downtown. Again, Google is your friend.

Good luck finding an area that fits your needs, and feel free to ask more questions here if needed...

[Bideshi]

Personaly, I'd pay a bit more rent to avoid a long commute, but that's just me. I tend to value my time more than the money.

[johnmichael125]

hey thanks for the info guys, I'll google those towns/cities for sure.

[Bamagem]

We are renting in Fountain and I like the area; short commute to Carson as well. We found our place thru the help of a local realtor and the Automated Housing Referral Network, which is a GREAT website. I also used to live in Germany - you'll like the sunshine here

Good luck to you!

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by johnmichael125

I'm getting ready to PCS from Germany to Ft. Carson

Where were you in Germany? We have lived in the Mannheim area for over 20 years and are also headed for Colorado for my long overdue retirement.

[johnmichael125]

I'm down in Vilseck, right by Graf. It's nice here, but yes I can't wait to see the sun, it seems the last time I saw the old B.O.B. was in Afghanistan haha.

[kiddd74]

Originally Posted by johnmichael125

I'm getting ready to PCS from Germany to Ft. Carson and am looking for a nice 3-4 bedroom house.


I don't want to live right near Ft. Carson due to most of the people there knowing the BAH rates and making military overpay for houses.


Anyone able to name a few towns about 30-45 minutes away from Ft. Carson where it won't be as bad rent wise.

I make the commute daily to Fort Carson, from Pueblo..Pueblo, is a nice town, with a very friendly population. Its not overcrowded at all. Most military people who choose to live down here usually picks Pueblo West, just because its a little shorter commute, than living in actual Pueblo. There are alot of nice housing options in Pueblo, and you would definatly get more for your BAH, than you would get in Colorado Springs. In pueblo you wont see alot of soldiers walking around every where down here, which personaly works for me, being that, when I get off work, I really don't want to be around it at home. Like with any place, Pueblo has its good, and bad sides of the city. This is where you may want to concentrate most of your research, trust me. I almost accidently picked an area for me & my family to live in, that I later had to change it at the last minute, due to my lack of research. When I got to Pueblo it shocked me at first how inexpensive housing is, but be warned with that! Especially when it comes to Pueblo. Location is everything here. I still wouldn't trade it for nothing Colorado Springs has to offer.