Affordable family homes near Dillon/Silverthorne? (Edwards, Vail: to rent, condo, townhouse)

[OnTheMovein2011]

My spouse has an interview for a job in Silverthorne/Dillon. We're trying to determine whether we could afford to live there. Are there places within commuting distance (30-45 minutes or less) where there are normal family homes? We don't need a mansion or a mountain getaway home or anything...just a normal house for a family of four (we have two little kids, one in kindergarten and one in preschool).

All I'm finding is crazy-expensive stuff. We need to be under $200K. I understand these are resort towns, but aren't there places nearby where middle class people live?

[Idunn]

Anywhere in Summit County about the best you could do for 200K is perhaps a small condo. That is why many people working there actually live in outlying areas.

Three towns, each with a different character, that could more or less fit your criteria would be Fairplay, Leadville, and Kremmling. In each of these a single family home with some property is possible for under $200,000. In none of them will you receive as much home for the money as in many areas of the front range. If wishing four bedrooms you may either get lucky, or need to do some remodeling, or otherwise compromise.

None of these communities are close to central Summit County, Silverthorne/Dillon, etc. Both Fairplay and Leadville must be reached via mountain passes, with only Kremmling not. With any of these places you'll be pushing your comfort level in commute time, particularly in winter. Just possibly feasible, but worth looking into more closely - and personally driving.

Leadville is the most iconic of these towns, still seeming half the rich mining town it was, and also distinctly the highest at an elevation 10,152 feet. That could be a consideration, as winters there even more severe and long-lived than in Dillon, for instance. Fairplay, at an elevation of 9,953, is not that much lower, and in a region which experiences hard weather. It seems more of a small ranching town more recently influenced by money and growth. Kremmling, 7,362 feet, is more of a regional ranching town with some summer tourism. Of all the other areas it will be the most different, quietest, and least influenced by tourism and growth. Unless influenced by wind-blown snow, etc., it may well offer the easiest drive into Summit County proper, with no passes and a fairly straight approach, and little traffic. But no short drive, either.

In looking, or in time, it might also be possible to find a home closer in to Summit County proper, somewhere in the country. This assuming one does not care for a town, or willing to forego one. In this respect, town or not, one might consider that aside from price and logistics that all these areas will be somewhat different in flavor; even in central Summit County such places as Silverthorne and Frisco will have different feels.

If the possibility of viable employment then you are more than halfway to living in the mountains. Many people only dream of such an opportunity and life. But the reality of it would also not suite many of them, either. As wondrous and beautiful as it can be, also the long winters and snows of the mountains that many in the end would rather only visit, and that possibly come summer. The cost of housing and other services is also a price to be paid. Whether worth it, a personal decision. On the budget specified you can if you wish, and willing to make some compromises.

It is a lovely place in many respects.

[OnTheMovein2011]

My budget might be a bit more than I thought...$230K or so (because wow, your property taxes are low...less than 1/4 what ours are in suburban Milwaukee).

I'm still not sure it will work, but we're in the preliminary stages anyway, so we're just trying to determine whether it's at all doable.

I will definitely check out Leadville, Fairplay and Kremmling...thanks!

[Fuzz]

At that price range, in Summit County proper (Silverthorne, Dillon, Frisco, Breckenridge), you're looking at a 2-bedroom condo or townhouse. There are not many normal (read: not mansions) single-family homes -- so when they come on the market, especially the (relatively) cheaper ones, they go really quickly.

Even within the county, there are some less expensive areas, e.g. Dillon Valley East, parts of Summit Cove, the Ptarmigan area, etc. Summit County is a funny place in the sense that local realtors may well be able to find a cheap place that is not advertised (widely) -- there are so many little nooks and crannies here, everything is not online. We found our place here because the realtor knew somebody who was maybe thinking of selling sometime in the future -- the place wasn't even on the market -- we just hurried the owner along!

The other places mentioned are also definitely worth checking out. Depending on where you will be working, you may prefer one over the other. For instance, if your work is in Breck, living in Fairplay or Alma makes most sense since they're the closest. Since you're looking at working in Silverthorne/Dillon, it can be somewhat of a hike from Fairplay/Alma to drive through Breck and Frisco to get to Silverthorne/Dillon (especially in ski season).

Leadville will probably give you the most options, but a few words of caution (somewhat reiterating the above) -- the drive between L'ville and Summit can be a real grind, especially if you're doing it everyday, especially in the winter (although the new bus service might alleviate that somewhat). My wife worked in L'ville for a year, and the drive took between 45 minutes to an hour each way depending on conditions. As mentioned above, the winters are harsher than in Summit, and the "town-life" leaves much to be desired.

Just be aware that it snows here, a lot! And it's cold, a lot! It snowed yesterday. We are finally hitting 70F now. Summers are very short (June - August). You better love winter and winter activities to really enjoy living here. Many people underestimate the length and strength of snow and winter and/or overestimate their love for it.

[Dogmama50]

Since you are moving so far away to a place that is very different than living in suburban Milwaukee you might want to rent for the fist year. Living in the mountains is a very different lifestyle and some people love it, some hate it.

I'm not sure about Summit County but Eagle County (Vail area) has local's housing. Some of it is very nice but it's made affordable by capping the percentage it can increase in value year to year, it can also only be sold to people employed in the area and cannot be rented out.

BEst of luck in your search.

[cowboyxjon]

Originally Posted by Dogmama50

I'm not sure about Summit County but Eagle County (Vail area) has local's housing. Some of it is very nice but it's made affordable by capping the percentage it can increase in value year to year, it can also only be sold to people employed in the area and cannot be rented out.

I'm curious about this -- what happens if someone retires? Would the rules associated with the property cause someone to have to sell his/her house if they are retired/no longer employed? Just a random question that popped into my mind.

[Dogmama50]

We have friends living at Miller Ranch fairly close to retirement so I was curious also. They said as long as you were employed at the time of purchase and still live "Full Time" in the county and don't rent out the house it's considered local's housing. As far as no longer employed, you would still have to be living in the county and there are very few who would qualify for employee housing and have a large enough nest egg to live without working. Miller Ranch is less expensive than the rest of Edwards, but by no means cheap.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by OnTheMovein2011

My budget might be a bit more than I thought...$230K or so (because wow, your property taxes are low...less than 1/4 what ours are in suburban Milwaukee).

I'm still not sure it will work, but we're in the preliminary stages anyway, so we're just trying to determine whether it's at all doable.

I will definitely check out Leadville, Fairplay and Kremmling...thanks!

If you can't live in the local area, personally I would not bother.

None of those three towns are great towns to live in, some with brutal weather. All are long commutes on winding roads in what will be often bad weather. I've driven all three roads extensively in the winter and doing that everyday, no thanks. And this is coming from a winter driving professional.

I've had this discussion many times with people about resort towns and living far away. And really what is the point of getting a job in one of these places and living so far away you do not experience it and enjoy it. It makes absolutely no sense at all to me. Completely pointless.

Kremmling is a dead town that has almost nothing going on at all. Leadville holds the US census record for continuously declining population and Fairplay is like living in the Canadian tundra.

If you think any of those places is a great idea, I'd find accommodation in those towns for a week and see if you can stand it.

Ultimately with resort towns, it has to be understood there is no free ride. They have a lot to offer in terms of sporting and social activities, but you have to pay the price to live there.