Looking to relocate. Responses Welcome (Denver, Colorado Springs: home, job market, neighborhoods)

[cegmeiner]

Hi Folks,

I need as much info, advice & help as you are willing to give!

A little about my family. My husband & I our in our late 20's. We have a son that is 20 months, we plan to have one more once we get our living situation nailed down. We currently reside in So. California (born & bread) but looking to move out of state.


We are an active family with two dogs (labs), we love to camp, hike, mountain bike, offroad, we ride ATVs, rock climb, the list is endless really. Willing to try anything once! We are looking for an active fun town with lots of outdoor activities! We also want weather. It's pretty much 70-80 degrees in California year round (including Christmas time...LOL). I know that may be heaven to some but it gets BORING! Not to mention we don't really get "seasons" either. We would love to add snow sports to our list of activities. Plus having a home with a little bit of land would be nice. You need at least a million dollars here in Cali to own a peice of prperty that is larger than a 1/2 acre. I know, crazy right?

My husband & I are both employed full time, he a police officer & I run a construction office. We do ok & live comfortably, epseically due to the cost of living here in CA, it is truly ridiculous (60% of why we want to move out of state). In order for us to relocate my husband will need to apply for a police officer and/or deputy position & hopefully earn a spot. It would be a huge risk for us to uproot without one of us being employed, especially in a smaller town where jobs are a little harder to come by.


I know most poeple would ask why the heck we would want to leave California, espeically since we live comfortablely here (for now) & both have jobs in this economic time. However, our hearts are no longer here & would love a better, wholsom place to raise our son & potentially another child. The rising cost of living, rapid population increase, overcrowding in neighborhoods & schools, the ridiculous state taxes & DMV costs, not to mention my husband has to commute an hour one way to work (100 miles round trip). Our fuel bill is outrageious! Its getting to a point where all we do is work & are no longer able to enjoy life & the activities we love.

We love the idea of Colorado & what it has to offer as far as weather, activities, basically what we want out of our life & what we want to provide for our son.

We have been doing endless amounts of research on cities to live, police departments to apply to etc. etc. So any advice, tips, tricks, if you have a connection would be amazing! We are looking to relocate ASAP, well as soon as my husband can earn a position.

Thanks in advance for any info...

Christy

Sorry for spelling errors, typed this on my phone.

[Mike from back east]

It's all here. Boulder is rather expensive. Denver is the big dog for jobs in the region. COLO SPGS is rather affordable and very close to all the outdoor stuff, as are some other areas in Denver Metro Area.

He should contact the various PDs asap for job info and where he can get a job he probably should jump on it.

There are about 10-12 prisons in the Canon City / Florence area, including a Federal Supermax, he might find work there too.

[GStone777]

For the sake of your son, stay where you are until the economy improves. If you or your husband are lucky enough to get a job you will probably be the first laid off when there are budget cuts. Much of Colorado is in severe to extreme drought and that is also affecting our economy.

[Airborneguy]

Be very careful which police departments he looks at. When I was researching a possible move back to Colorado, I was not comfortable with the tenous nature of police employment in the state. As stated above, layoffs of new hires are common. California and NY are secure civil service states; I decided I was not comfortable with the risk I would assume in giving up my position here to take what was offered in the CSPD and the DPD. At the time, even the state police were hiring and it appeared too risky.

Best of luck, but be cautious and don't let anxiousness get the best of you. I went pretty far down that road before reality snapped me back in check.

Also, pay close attention to the benefits, pay and retirement offered in CO departments. Nothing I saw came close to what I'm currently earning, even when adjusted for COL. I know CA departments are similar to NYC in benefits and pay, sometimes even better.

Best of luck either way.

[lurtsman]

Great advice in this thread. I have little to add because the early responses hit it out of the park.

I'd disagree with Gstone, but it's a soft disagreement. I feel that Colorado is a great place to raise a child, though I recognize that he has a great point about the economy. If you were to move, it would be wise to both have jobs lined up and be ready to go light on the expenses while you transition. Make sure to compare costs of living and wages paid. If I were him, I'd be really sick of that commute. You sound like great people that would really enjoy the Springs (or some parts of Denver). Cali traffic, property taxes, income taxes, and housing costs are the four primary reasons I crossed it off my list of potential places to live.

[Colorado Rambler]

Given the current economy, I suggest you probably stay away from Colorado's Western Slope. Even though we have lots of chic little ski towns like Aspen and Telluride out here where you can find jobs, the cost of living in such places is beyond the pale.

There are a couple of exceptions, however. If you really want to check out life in a more rural region, Durango might be your best bet. It's in one of the most scenic settings in Colorado, has a college which gives the town a shot at a cultural life, good schools, and a person can find work there. The cost of housing is high, but for someone coming from California, it may be possible to make a reasonable trade if you already own a home back in Cali.

Grand Junction would be the other Western Slope possibility. It's the largest town on the Western slope, housing is more reasonably priced, and the job market is reasonable given how bad the economy sucks. The climate might make the transition from Southern Cali a little less traumatic. GJ tends to be warm and dry, but it also has a real winter with snow and stuff. But the snow will be less overwhelming than it might feel in other parts of Colorado.

The Front Range (Denver, Fort Collins, Boulder, Colorado Springs, etc.) is probably your best bet. Denver/Boulder has the best job oportunities. Colorado Springs has relatively low priced housing in its favor, but employers there tend to be tight fisted. I grew up in the Springs, and the local joke was that you got your paycheck in scenary, not cash.

Best of luck with your future move. I hope you'll love it here as much as I do.