Eagle Colorado (Denver, Durango, Aspen: ski resort, real estate market, houses)

[Westcliffe]

Perhaps I am just rethinking our decision to spend more time with our kids than to chase $$$ around 24/7, but in our travels today we realized that the family friendly and "affordable" community of Eagle and Eagle Ranch is a joke. $600k and beyond is so far out of the realm of the average Coloradan it isn't even remotely funny. These people all bring their $$$ with them when they settle there..............


My semi-custom 10 in log home on a measly .5 acre, private, 200 yr old pinyons, excellent views, good access, and trails out the door would be $900k. Perhaps we will just drive there; or not Many more unspoiled places with a better feel than Eagle County. All that said, my first reaction when cruising through was "Oh Goodie, Madison, WI in the mtns!" That wained pretty fast.

[wanneroo]

When I first started working in Vail and going to Eagle Airport on a regular basis in 1999, it was a one light sleepy town.

That all changed by 2007. The real estate boom with the economic growth fueled tons of construction in and around Eagle catering to the "wannabes" that couldn't hack multimillion dollar houses in the vail valley.

I never really got it, but they did a lot of development and as I remember a lot of it took time to sell. I actually have not been back in there at Eagle Ranch now for 5 years, but I will check it out next time. I do recall property values took a hit there. It's 30 miles from Vail in the high desert and while I think it is OK, it's over priced.

They have tried to get in a ski resort behind Eagle in the Aspen direction going for around 30 years. If that ever happens it might stimulate more construction and an increase in values, but I think the ski real estate market right now is saturated.

Eagle is still kind of a disjointed town, with a lot of development crowding I-70 and the downtown being kind of blank and then the Eagle Ranch out on it's own. I remember when I first moved there I don't think Hwy 6 along "downtown" had changed much in 30 years.

[Westcliffe]

All right on the money wannaroo. Almost two separate towns. Our list of just cool places to live in the state (in no particular order) whether I have $100 in my bank account or $1,000,000,000 would be as follows:



SALIDA (laid back, great climate, close enough to Denver if needed, SUNSHINE, monsoonal moisture to offset summer, the total spectrum of activities from stalking an elk in dark timber to floating the Arkansas, views) I worry a bit even there about the disparity between the haves and have nots though) I am relatively resourceful however still cannot logistically do Chaffee County

Buena (amazing but hammered by tourists)

South Fork (remote but just cool)

Westcliffe (prettiest valley ever - limited opps for kiddos)

Mancos (Durango spin off out of the Durango rat race)



You can tell I am freak for winter sunshine and monsoonal rain away from Denver at a mid elevation with moderate snowfall. However, the more we mature as adults/parents we realize the best philosophy is to bloom where you are planted, especially if the view is nice, the air is clean, and you are making a decent living Quite honestly after we moved back, I couldn't have cared whether I was in La Veta, Walden, Gunnison, Dolores, - name a mtn town. I just wanted low taxes, dry air, and blue skies after being stuck in the corn belt for almost 4 yrs. Saguache even looked better than the Midwest (maybe that is a bit extreme but you get the idea) Have a good day!

[dj32]

well, the 600K house in Eagle Ranch was 1.2 in 2007 so you dodged a bullet there!