A small town that fits our budget and needs (Denver: real estate, houses)

[rphwrites]

After putting in a lot of energy and time into relocating to the southern part of the US we are ending up in Colorado. In Colorado Springs while we get our bearings and get to know the area but thought I would crowd source to hopefully point us in the right direction. Can you guys give me some ideas of towns to check out that might fit some (or hopefully most) of the following?

* Good school system (or at least access to a good private school if need be)
* Small town (less than 100,000 people but the fewer the better)
* Acreage (doesn't have to be a lot, but we have horses so we need room for them)
* Access to community activities (we're not looking for museums or cultural hot spots, but we like to be active in the community and enjoy going to concerts, watching plays, and getting out of the house with the rest of the town)
* Character (not really looking for a suburban type of place-we enjoy scenic towns with character-don't want to get drunk one night and not be able to tell which house is ours)

Budget is $400,000.
We're self-employed so the job scene doesn't register in our decision.

Ideally we'd like to find a small, pretty town with a historic center, old houses and lots of character, an active community calendar, nice scenery, and real estate that would get us a house with an acre or two without breaking our budget.

So far we've looked at Loveland, Peyton, Monument, and Black Forest. I can Google all day long, and we can just get out and drive around and look, but at the end of the day I feel like I am going to "miss" a great place without asking. I realize that our specifications are kind of vague, and I am sorry about that, but the fact is that we're not really that picky. We are just looking for a place that's pretty, affordable, and will allow us to be part of the community. I am a writer and I'll hole up in the house for months at a time without leaving if I don't have a reason to leave.I have to find ways to get involved.:-)

[sunsprit]

May I suggest that you'd be best served by contacting a couple of real estate agents in the areas that you've looked at so far? Perhaps some agents that specialize in equine properties?

They'll know or have the resources (multi-list) to find properties that match your price range, and can sort out the priorities you've mentioned.

As well, there's a number of real estate publications for the areas ... such as "homes and land" which can give you some ideas as to properties/asked prices. Usually published for an area or a county, you'll find these at the magazine racks in gas stations, "welcome centers", and so forth ... a good guide to what's on the market and the agencies that are active in those areas.

[rphwrites]

Thank you. We're already working with a realtor so we have that covered. I just like to do my own research too. :-) We have found quite a few properties, but haven't yet gotten a feel for the different towns that the properties are located in.

[jbeletti]

We recently relocated to the COS area from TN and ended up in the Falcon area. We're in what I'd call a "rural subdivision" and we love it. Not far from some shopping and 15 mins to the edge of COS where we have access to everything.

[TCHP]

Some of your requirements are at odds with each other with what can be easily found in Colorado and you may have to compromise on some points. I'm not sure where you are moving here from, but population density west of the Mississippi River is considerably different than what is found east of there and that can have a profound impact on certain aspects of daily life.

For instance, the best schools typically are not found in the small, historic communities you want, nor are they typically found in areas with sufficient acreage to maintain horses. The west was not built up around small agricultural centers that have grown to bedroom communities that are within 30-40 minutes of major metro areas. Historic population centers tend to be the hub of most activities and have turned into cities as growth has radiated out from those hubs, the historic neighborhoods and the land that you seek, has been developed.

Small towns, those being between 30k to 100k, are most typically independent government entities that are surrounding major metro areas, predominately around the Denver, Boulder, and up towards Ft Collins. Most of them also do not offer much in the way of land options.

Peyton, Monument, and Black Forest aren't exactly what I would consider historical old towns with character, although Monument does have an older central business district. Loveland maybe, but $400k won't go far there. Palmer Lake may be a bit more historical but I haven't been there in ages so I don't know how development has changed it. Manitou, Green Mtn Falls, even Old Colo City certainly meet your historic, character, community, and school requirements, but will fail on acerage. Other historic areas like Trinidad, Walsenberg, and La Veta can meet most your requirements except for schools and active communities. Any place up in the mountains may be able to meet most your needs except for price.

Small town, acreage, and character can be found together easily. Good schools, community activities, and reasonable prices can be found together easily. Combining the two categories is tougher to accomplish.

[rphwrites]

We are already living in Colorado Springs so we're fairly familiar with the area. We'd like to be within 30 minutes of it. The only things we can't compromise on are good schools and a horse property (with is something we're working on with the realtor). Would good schools, community activities, and character be easier to find together if we increased our budget to $500,000? We've actually been pre-approved for $550,000 and could afford it, but prefer not being at the top of our budget.

By "character" I mean I want to avoid a development where each house has the same brick facade, same yard, same number of windows, etc. I actually see this less here than where I am from, so that's nice.

We actually drove down and checked out Branson one afternoon, after reading about it here on City Data. Although it's super tiny, and you still have to drive to Trinidad for a restaurant or shopping, we really liked it. The school is nice, the community (though tiny) is active and trying to progress, and the people were friendly. Unfortunately, lack of real estate is an issue there. Peyton doesn't have the town character but we found several properties there that fit our budget and needs and it's a short drive to Colorado Springs. We're probably leaning towards it, just due to what you get for the money.

[StealthRabbit]

Woodland Park while you still need the city and schools, AFTER that chapter of life... find a smaller / cheaper town.

There is a 'price-of-admission' for required services. If you 'buy right', you will be adequately covered during resell.

That will give you some time to find your 'final resting place'.

Consider buying a view property, or one on park / greenbelt, as they are much ezr to resell, tho more expensive to buy, (also very nice to live in while you are able to afford it and enjoy it).

I have seldom bought through a realtor, with all the info online I prefer to find my own deals before they hit the market. Now is the prime season to research. Make your offers to purchase slightly AFTER the property tax notices being mailed out. There are many search criteria / conditions to use that will enhance your chances of buying a place. Don't disclose your methods to a realtor, as they are out hunting too!

[TCHP]

I agree with you that Peyton doesn't exactly have town character. Its not much more than a post office to me. Calhan on the other hand, is much more of a town with a community. But that also will put you 45 minutes out but may met your needs for space and price.

If you must stay near Cos, maybe look down towards Hanover. Horse property is available out there, school is decent, despite recent news stories, and you are near Fountain which has some old town character to it, although they are getting some new developments that are a bit more cookie cutter, and Cos is right up the interstate.

If you were seriously considering Branson, I'd suggest going west of the Sangres and look at Monte Vista or Del Norte. Both historic San Luis Valley towns with tons of character and becoup horse properties, although property purchased out of town for livestock use will want to have water rights closely considered for your purchase. Sargent school district is fairly highly rated and is where most of the successful farmers and ranchers kids go to school in The Valley.

[beezle1]

I will vote for Black Forest, and maybe Peyton. There are still plenty of areas that will meet your needs without being in view of the burn area. You can find places within your 400k budget, but twice as many if you increase to 500k

[rphwrites]

Thanks everyone! I love these suggestions and will definitely check them out. Like StealthRabbit said, I don't really like working with a realtor; I prefer to do my own sleuthing. I sometimes find that I am able to find better properties, and make better deals, on my own. Since we are new to the area, though,we thought we'd start with one.

We don't HAVE to stay in and around Colorado Springs. We just needed a jumping off point, or a home base, while we got to know the state. We've been spending our time exploring and looking into new places.Thanks for you all of your suggestions. I am off to research! :-)