Any charming, small town feel cities, that are actually affordable in Colorado? (Denver: military)

[jenniferwilson]

I currently live in the country outside of Houston, TX. I have two kids, 11 and 4...for fun we ride dirt bikes, 4-wheelers, ride horses, got to local waterparks, ect...we love living in the country, yet would like a place where we don't have to drive a good 45 minutes in order to get to some "real" civilization...like malls and people that actually wear shoes instead of houseshoes when going to Wal-mart and the grocery stores...we love Starbucks, boutiques, ect and like the thought of shopping outdoors like described in Boulder, yet for many reasons I know that I nor my family would fit in nor would be able to afford that type of life style.
We want to meet new families that we have things in common with, but for personal reasons would like to meet people who don't plan every social event around alcohol. I'd like some acreage eventually, but mainly want to be semi close to a clean, charming and accepting town...oh and of course the main reason of considering Colorado is b/c of its georgous scenery and views, so definitely want to be in a place where we can take advantage of that...I am a runner, who would like to consider getting into cycling, but definitely don't consider myself to be a workout junky......so, is there such a place or am I just asking for the moon?

[jazzlover]

That depends on how much money you bring with you and if you expect to make a livable income in Colorado. Unless you work in the gas fields, or bring a specialized career (doctor, etc.) with you, most of the rural towns in the mountains and western part of Colorado are a hard place to make a living in, unless you can buy outright the home you live in or finance it with a minimum of debt. Otherwise, you're pretty much looking at having to live on the Front Range. That may be nicer than Houston, but it's sprawling out just like it.

A business acquaintance of mine lives near Conroe, Texas. His company has been trying to transfer him to Denver for years. He spends a lot of time at their Denver office, as it is. He likes Colorado weather and the mountains, but he has kids in college--with all of the related expense. He told me that his salary would have to be about 35-45% higher for him to live in Denver rather than in Conroe, mostly due to the difference in housing prices. His company is unwilling to raise his salary that much if he accepted a transfer, so he is staying in Texas.

Colorado still is a beautiful state in many ways, but--make no mistake--you must pay to live there (especially outside of the Front Range), either up front or in lower income than you might make elsewhere.

[jenniferwilson]

Thanks for the reply...I live only 30 minutes from Conroe...if you've ever been in Texas, you'll realize why I say, "only" 30 minutes...I moved from TX to IL in the past and did ok financially, but it sounds like CO is an even bigger move financially...I have my own small business, I staff accounting/finance, engineering, and a few IT professionals...of course, here in Houston, you can make as much money as hours you're willing to work, but what about in CO...I'd still assume every company has an accounting dept. and it sounds like there's lots of IT openings (unfortunately, that's a discipline that I'd have to learn all over again)...what about engineering firms, any around there other than Air Liquide??....also, if I was still considered middle-class in CO, what specific town would you reccomend?

[jazzlover]

Most of the bigger engineering firms are in Denver metro. High tech is all along the Front Range from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins. I love Colorado Springs' setting and climate, but the traffic there is awful (maybe not bad by Houston standards, but bad nonetheless), and there are parts of the Springs with significant crime problems. Much of the Springs' economy (high-tech or otherwise) is tied to the military.

Of all of the bigger towns along the Front Range, I like Fort Collins the best, but it is still too big and growing (sprawling) way too fast for my tastes. High tech is big in Fort Collins, but that industry is hurting some. A friend of mine working there is at his third company in a little more than three years, what with downsizings, outsourcing, and mergers. Budweiser has a big brewery just north of Fort Collins that is a significant employer.

Years ago, I lived in Golden--it's a nice community a little bit isolated from Denver physically by North and South Table Mountains. It has a lot of engineering-related firms because Golden houses the Colorado School of Mines, the federal energy research center (whateve it is called these days), Coors (both the brewery and the Coors Porcelin plant) and is in close proximity to the Denver Federal Center. It is not a cheap place to buy a house, though.

Grand Junction is the center of energy-related activity in western Colorado. I also used to live in that area. Housing prices there are going nuts right now. Most of the decent jobs are energy-related out in the gas fields.

And, before somebody else jumps me about it, I'll say up front that, after about 50 years in Colorado (a native), I left the state for Wyoming. In my case, the day I left Colorado my income went up 50%. That said, I still have family in Colorado, and friends all over the state. During my residency in Colorado, I lived on both the Front Range and rural Colorado, and I travelled for business in pleasure to every corner of the state.

Also, as a native Coloradan, although I am loathe to admit what I am about to say, I do have relatives in several different parts of Texas, including a few in the Houston area.

[sunsprit]

jennifer ... the short answer is NO.

Your post indicates you want all the amenities of a city life, but close & affordable access from a country property. That simply doesn't exist in Colorado today.

Many years ago, when I first moved to Colorado, places like Golden were "out in the sticks" and a modest commute into Denver. The urban growth along the Front Range has sprawled from Fort Collins south to Colorado Springs, and with it, the traffic and shopping/population density.

The resort areas in the mountains are simply not affordable, nor do they offer the close access to all the shopping you want.

I drove from Cheyenne to SE Denver last Wednesday at 5 PM and it was high density traffic all the way from Fort Collins southward. That's getting to the Denver metro area after the historical "rush hour" traffic jams ... and the traffic was still packed. I came back at 2 PM on Thursday from I-25/Arapahoe, and the traffic through to 120th was still very solid.

Boulder was last "affordable" (in my view) around 1966. When they first started with limiting the housing permits per year, that's when the property values skyrocketed. My first house, on the "hill" in Boulder and a modest walk to the CU campus, was only $30,000.00. I sold it for a modest profit when I left Boulder ... now (with 20-20 hindsight) wished I hadn't. 6 bdr, 4 bath, beautiful living & dining rooms, full basement level finished, gorgeous entry and stairways, built in closets and storage, maybe worth $1.5+ mil. No garage, a tiny back yard (in name only) with two alleyway parking spots, and built right up to the set-back of the adjacent houses.

[jenniferwilson]

Sunsprit and Jazzlover...thank you both for the additional input regarding having my cake and eating it too in Colorado...Sunsprit nailed what I'm looking for, "all the amenities of a city life, but close & affordable access from a country property"...so as much as I'd love to move to Colorado, I guess it isn't going to happen in this season of my life...maybe later, say in my 40's or after I make my first million, right!

[MorningGlory]

Actually my friend just bought property (5 acres, 2000 sqft, 3 horse barn) in Peyton, its a 15 min drive to the malls and she only paid 275K

[Katiana]

Where in location to a city, is Peyton?

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Where in location to a city, is Peyton?

According to the Peyton School District website, the town is 25 miles northeast of Colorado Springs. Wikipedia says the population, in 2000, was 71, but the town must be growing fast because the school website says that the high school had over 200 kids enrolled last year.

I drove from Cheyenne to SE Denver last Wednesday at 5 PM and it was high density traffic all the way from Fort Collins southward. That's getting to the Denver metro area after the historical "rush hour" traffic jams ... and the traffic was still packed. I came back at 2 PM on Thursday from I-25/Arapahoe, and the traffic through to 120th was still very solid.

The above kind of says it all for me.
I think that perhaps getting out to "the sticks" these days means going to Wyoming.

[sunsprit]

I've also got friends who bought a horse property in Peyton about 2 years ago. They needed an equine property close to CSprings for a job transfer.

After looking at several places closer to Colorado Springs that had indoor arenas and very nice homes without a lot of acreage ... in the low 7 figure range ... they settled for Peyton.

60 acres, a nice 2500 sq ft house, barn with 5 stalls, outdoor arena, about $600K.

Peyton is out in the plains, rather flat and barren country out there. Not what one would call "pretty", it's just a wide spot along Hwy 24.

Is $600K "affordable"?