Planning a trip to Colorado. Please recommend where to go and why.
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We darned near retired to PA, since they don't tax most pensions, but they do have other taxes that can seem high. It's a huge state with some incredible beauty and good for farming, ranching, etc. Not to mention just a few hour drive to some of the best cities in the world.
I don't think it's too bad, especially considering our neighbors, Maryland, NJ, NY, etc. all that have extremely high taxes on everything.
Property tax I don't think is too bad by comparison and income tax is around 3% with some variable local income taxes. Usually it comes out to the same as Colorado.
I think the main thing here is that water is no issue at all and if you get the right part of the state it's about the best spaced 4 seasons you are going to get in the real world. About the time you get tired of one season, the next is on the way. Whereas in Colorado, you might get your first snow in September and then it was a long grueling march until the last snow in May or so. By March, frankly the winter was usually driving me crazy.
The other thing is real estate in PA and outside the cities it's common for any rural house to sit on at least a few acres. With Colorado due to the topography you either have a very suburban/urban environment or a very rural environment with not much transition between the two.
Colorado was fun, but I am content to visit relatives every year and live back here in normal land.
I''d live in it after this unpleasant Winter we are having, as long as I get to control the weather
I am dreaming of Summer or moving to a tropical area right now.
What are the pros and cons for MO compared to central Texas (hill country?)
1. Cost of living?
2. Taxes? MO has a state income tax, Texas does not. How do property taxes compare?
3. What about the land for possible garden and/or livestock.
4. My family is in Houston, my wife's family is in Illinois so Missouri would be a good mid point for us both.
5. Are the (4) seasons that more distinct compared to Central Texas? I know the scenery of Colorado is worth leaving Texas over. I have been to the "Ozark" are twice and it was beautiful but nothing "jaw dropping"
What other VARIABLES in our "DREAM LIST" could we adjust to make Colorado a reality? Besides the obvious point of more money, what about water rights (I'm ignorant in this area).
Some of you have said Colorado is dry and water is a problem, so where is the best place to live near water? Near Rivers/creeks? if you have water on your land is it "YOURS"? All that melted snow has to go somewhere right?
What if we have our own well is that sufficient enough for our needs?
We still would love to look more into Colorado as well and may still take a trip up there so please recommend places to see to fully grasp what Colorado is all about.
What if we fly into Denver and rent a car, drive to Breckenridge then down to Colorado Springs etc??
I know I have been all over the place with my post and questions, we are just sure we want to move somewhere and are asking MANY questions to try and get wheels turning on something.
Breckenridge is a very different environment from Texas or Missouri. It resides at a sub-alpine elevation of 9,603 feet, in a region that is largely unsuitable for farming. It enjoys short summers with cool nights, and long winters with a fair degree of snow. In contrast, the highest point in Missouri is 1,772 feet; the highest in Texas Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 feet, and I doubt anyone lives on top of it. Leadville is higher than Breckenridge, with either overshadowed with higher surrounding mountains; the highest point in Colorado being Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet.
In other words, your dream may need some definition. One could live off the grid in any of these states, but your life will be different, depending. The cultures and topography are different, and the environments certainly are. Generally speaking, real estate will prove decidedly more expensive in Colorado than either Missouri or Texas. Specific variables would see urban (or resort) areas in all of them more expensive than remote rural regions. My understanding that Texas has high property taxes, whereas Colorado's tend to be low. One thing will balance against another, so that just the cost of property alone hardly the only factor to consider.
Each state is different, but in Colorado access to water does not mean one owns or has any right to use it. Although the law may be changing, my understanding that this even extends to rain that falls on one's roof: collecting and using this is legal in New Mexico, not in Colorado, unless this law now changed. In effect, one must purchase the land and water separately. In town, one will more usually be buying water from a municipal provider. If intending greater usage, such as with farming or ranching, then one need make provision to buy rights to the amount of water they intend to use. Colorado is a semi-arid state, and there is no excess water available that has not long since been accounted for by someone else: you must buy the rights. That is variable, with some properties perhaps sold in conjunction with their water rights, or others without, and none available. You should understand the status in advance. Also, the physical aspects of the water rights, of what type, quality, and how reliable in supply.
But again to location. It is so key, and what may appear perfect on paper, in perhaps meeting your every criteria, may in person just not feel right. A lot can be gleaned in advance through research, of course, some better notion. But if a dream is as ill-defined in particular aspect it will never be realized at all in the same way in such dissimilar places. Such things are possible, more easily in some places than others.
But first, perhaps, an understanding if one really must be in the mountains or not - and how high.
Your current questions would best be answered in the MO forum.
If you looked at the previous houses I posted you can see that they have good acreage, greenery, house and land size for the money. They are lower in price than here.
1. Cost of living? Well I do not know MO on that level except to say that their cost of living is less then here, how it compares to Texas, not sure.
2. Taxes? MO has a state income tax, Texas does not. How do property taxes compare? We have state income tax, it is not horribly high.
Our sales tax can be from 7.75-9.75%, sadly I am in the latter group once they slap me with the 1% PIF ( public improvement fee)
Depends on where you live, what you are zoned here. I live in Weld County and am zoned AG, on 6 acres and I paid $2,000 last year in property taxes. Now if you have a house in a more expensive area you will pay more, zoned RES the cost will also be higher.
I looked at a house in MO for 400k on 35 acres and it said the yearly taxes were $1,200 so I am guessing there taxes are quite a bit lower then here in CO.
3. What about the land for possible garden and/or livestock.
In MO they are a more humid state, have more rain and it is easier to grow veg and etc there. Here the growing season is short so your veg have to be times well in order to yield enough. Also due to the growing season and livestock you have to buy hay for half or more of the year. Right now due to the negative temps we have been having I am going through 1500 lbs of hay a month, and it is really hurting me. They get cold so they stand there stuffing their faces all day long and there is nothing to eat out in the field since it all died back in Sept. So MO would be the better choice due to the growing season and long Winters here.
4. My family is in Houston, my wife's family is in Illinois so Missouri would be a good mid point for us both.
Well that would be less driving in one direction
5. Are the (4) seasons that more distinct compared to Central Texas? I know the scenery of Colorado is worth leaving Texas over. I have been to the "Ozark" are twice and it was beautiful but nothing "jaw dropping"
The scenery in CO depends on where you live and if you can see the mountains. If you cannot see them, then you see neighborhoods or the flat plains. Which are brown for a good half or the year. We do not have all the greenery and little lakes, rivers and etc that MO has. They each have their own but totally different beauty. I have never been to Texas so I am not sure what your view is like.
Water rights is a whole big bunch of stupidity if you ask me. I live right near a canal I cannot touch that water. Someone owns my water rights and they get my water shares. I have a full use well but those are harder and harder to come by. I cannot over tax my well and try to irrigate a couple of acres to grow things. Sure I can use it for a small garden but it would have to be watered daily. Skip a day of watering in the Summer and kiss the whole thing goodbye
So even if you live near water it is not yours, even if it falls from the sky it is not yours. I know in some areas it is illegal here to try to catch water in rain barrels.
Breckenridge is not a place to look for land and etc. It is a ski resort area, rocky uneven land in places, houses and land costs a heck of alot more up there. Due to their higher level of snow you will have even more of the issues with growing, and livestock, not to mention predation from bears and mountain lions. The predation I deal with down here is mainly coyotes and I have trained livestock guardian dogs to deal with that issue.
If your main focus is growing and livestock, I still would go with MO, lower cost housing, longer growing season, halfway between families and alot less water nonsense and rules.
I did a search 20 miles around Springfield, the SW area I hope you were talking about. I said 3 bed 1.5 baths, 200k, 10 acres or more and there are over 100 listings, you will not find that many here and not in that price range unless you live far to the East or far to the South which brings up another set of issues since it is less populated and you have to travel farther to get hay or truck in water and etc:
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Defining dreams
