Why is Durango so expensive? (Denver, Pueblo: real estate, apartment, rent)

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

-I know a lot of former Durango residents, many of them natives, who have relocated away from there because they did not like what their home town has become.

A lot of the ones I know of went to Southern California, but it wasn't to recapture that "old time feeling".

[j1n]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

You have to PUT that mobile home somewhere. Parks are $300 - $400 per month and land prices are out of site

You can also purchase a stick built (non-manufactured) home in Durango and have a mortgage payment of $600 or less per month. It's not going to be some country club estate home, obviously, but there are trade offs you make...

[DurangoJoe]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Durango was still pretty "gritty" 40 years ago. Certainly, it is more materially comfortable now than it was then--that's true of most of America. Funny, though, how that comfort has really not made us happier as individuals or as a society.

Don't get me wrong, there are many things I like about the area around Durango--a climate that I personally like, some terrific history, and some of the most magnificent geography in Colorado nearby. What I don't like is that Durango culturally no longer feels like "real" Colorado. I'm not the only one with that view--I know a lot of former Durango residents, many of them natives, who have relocated away from there because they did not like what their home town has become.

I think that's true of many places in the US. I grew up in a small town in northeastern PA. Sits in the Wyoming Valley (state of Wyoming was named after this valley) along the Susquehanna River. Extremely historic area with a documented history & families whose origins there pre-date the revolutionary war. My wife's family has been there since the early 1700's.

Anyway, this valley used to be a wonderful place to raise a family. People didn't want to leave the area and as a result, would take lower wages to stay there. Small town atmosphere with plenty of shopping, cultural, and recreational activities; snow skiing in the nearby Pocono Mtns, NYC & Philadelphia each only 2 hrs away, the the beaches of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland only 2-1/2 hrs away. As a kid, you could walk or ride your bike anywhere you wanted to go and the city bus usually stopped within a block or two of your house if you wanted to go any further than walking distance.

That's all changed now. Many areas are now run down with empty storefronts, crime is rampant, the whole area now seems so small & dirty. I wouldn't live there again if you paid me to. Unfortunately, the march of time is not kind to many places. It's a shame if as you indicate, the Durango of old is gone & with it, the culture that so many people loved. I never knew it, so I can't really miss it. I'm just looking forward to my eventual residence there. I don't want to change it, just enjoy it for what it is. A geographically beautiful place with a lovely climate, great recreation, accessible medical care, and a rich western history. Bought a gorgeous 5 acre lot with a 15GPM well, is close to town, hospital, and airport with water frontage & beautiful LaPlata/ San Juan mountain views. On the Florida Mesa (high desert) so it's close to everything yet still very rural. Can't wait. Visiting again in June and will start meeting with builders to start a long screening process.

[CAVA1990]

Bemoaning how things "used to be" is akin to cursing the darkness. I'm sure anyone who grew up anywhere in the 50s and 60s thinks things have gone to hell since then. I'm almost as sure many people growing up in these places now will say the same thing in a few decades.

[jchasse]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

What I detect in the post above is a total disregard for history--that only what one knows NOW is relevant or important. Aside from squandering our historical heritage--a historical heritage, by the way, upon which a good chunk of the Durango economy trades upon to sustain itself--such a view is the regrettable trait of far too many people today.

If you were referring to me, you detect wrong.

You have absolutely no idea about my level of interest in this area's history. What you probably detected correctly is that I love the area NOW. And I think that may be our rub. You seem to assume that if someone enjoys and appreciates what they see today, they have no appreciation of how things used to be? Baffling view in my opinion...

Rest assured I try every day to learn more about the history of SW CO, the geography of the area, and ironically much of what I've learned has come from recommended reading you've mentioned here. We share a desire to understand and appreciate the history of land and its people. But, happily, that's where our similarities appear to end.

We're not part of your perceived cartoonification. My family made sacrifices to come here and we like it the way that it is, BECAUSE it's not like where we came from. We're not trying to change it.

I'll try to ensure that my daughter appreciates the history of her home town, but also that she appreciates what it offers today, which is a LOT. I hope she doesn't grow old bemoaning how everything used to be better, grittier and more "real" (whatever that means).

[jchasse]

Originally Posted by SoButCounty

... It's a shame if as you indicate, the Durango of old is gone & with it, the culture that so many people loved. I never knew it, so I can't really miss it. I'm just looking forward to my eventual residence there. I don't want to change it, just enjoy it for what it is. A geographically beautiful place with a lovely climate, great recreation, accessible medical care, and a rich western history. ...

I totally agree, but I'd add one hugely important thing to your list - great people. It's the single thing my wife and I have been most taken by. Despite what some people desperately try to tell on this forum, the people here have been overwhelmingly warm, friendly, intelligent and very quick to help with anything a friend or neighbor may need.

It can be a tough place to make ends meet. And i personally think that may be part of why the people are the way they are, and why the sense of community is as strong as it is - because you don't stick around here by accident. The people currently making their homes here really WANT to be here. And there's no substitute for that.

Maybe to have this view you have to LIVE here? Not pass through, not have a friend who used to live here...just sayin'...

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by jchasse

It can be a tough place to make ends meet. And i personally think that may be part of why the people are the way they are, and why the sense of community is as strong as it is - because you don't stick around here by accident. The people currently making their homes here really WANT to be here. And there's no substitute for that

That's been the case since the area was first settled. I'm wondering though if hijacking this poor guy's thread to debate this is really appropriate. Perhaps someone should start a separate "Durango - Love it or Hate It?" thread (hmmm) so this one can get back to discussing the rental situation.

[jim9251]

Anyway to get back on topic, here's a list of rentals I found in Durango.

Apartments in Durango Colorado | Durango CO Apartments For Rent with Great Rates, Amenities and Location.

Durango Property Managment - Search Properties

Durango & Farmington Rental Homes (http://www.durangorentalhome.com/listings/viewcategory-2.html - broken link)

Durango's Finest Rental Condo Furnished W/ Utilties*-*Durango & Farmington Rental Homes (http://www.durangorentalhome.com/listings/detail-20.html - broken link)

home, apartment, condominium, studio, mobile home, commercial, storage and vacation property for rent in durango colorado area from action property management

[jchasse]

Sorry about the hijack...

We rented for 6 months before we bought. We tried a couple of agencies, looked at online listings and Craigslist etc., but we found the classifieds in the Herald to be the best source in the end.

[soma3660]

I have lived in Durango my entire life. i was born at mercy (the old mercy) i remember when dalton ranch golf course was built, and also remember 10s 0f thousands of elk that rested in that area before their migration to the high country before it was established. my father own a thriving business and many of my friends parents did as well. a very small amount of those families still live here. rent for homes when i started renting was reasonably cheap and you could afford to play(skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, etc.) ON A MINIMAL WAGE. i have a high paying job and i still find it hard to make ends meet especially in slow months(november and april). i dont know whats going on but its bumming me out. im going to work to stay where i love but sometimes i wonder if its worth it.