Looking for Nice Town in Southern or Western Colorado (Pueblo: real estate, budget)

[arj00]

My family is looking to move and we need some pointers and opinions about towns in southern and/or western Colorado. We are looking for a midsized town thats not too over priced. We can probably afford to pay about $200K for a house for 3 people. My husband works over the phone and internet so actual in-person jobs are not so much a concern for him. I will have a Masters degree so I will be flexible in what jobs I can get. We are in our 20's and have a 7 month old baby and a dog. We enjoy a lot of outdoor activities, fishing, hiking, camping, traveling. I LOVE the snow and skiiing. Me and my husband need some sunshine. Does this place exist? Someone help me buy a clue.

[Mike from back east]

Yes, it exists here. All of it. Just about anywhere, except for the eastern 1/3 of the state, which is flat grassland prairie.

You will have to look around to find a place for $200k.

Southern and western parts of CO aren't my best topic, there are other people here who can give you good advice.

Best I can do is urge you to get on realtor.com and click on towns in those areas see housing styles and prices.

Pueblo West or Canon City might work for you, a south-central area. On the west side of the state (aka the Western Slope) Grand Junction might be one prospect, but things may be pricey there due to the boom in oil and natural gas work now going on. There are many more towns. Good luck in your search.

[jazzlover]

Having family in western Colorado, and having lived there myself for a number of years before leaving, I can tell you that in few areas in that part of state are there decent homes for much less than $200K--in many places they are much more. There are signs that the real estate bubble may be starting to deflate there, but things haven't deflated much yet.

More affordable areas exist in the San Luis Valley and some areas around Walsenburg and Trinidad in south-central Colorado, but local salaries and job opportunities are also less. As to the Master's degree--unless it is in a field that is in demand locally, it probably won't make much of a difference in your employment opportunities. There are lots of folks with Masters' and even PhD's who are waiting tables and working at Wal-mart in rural Colorado.

Living in rural Colorado comes at a price. You pay with higher living costs (housing, especially), or much more limited career opportunities, or lower income, or some combination of all of these. It's just a fact.

[Idunn]

No problemo. In working over the Internet, you have a lot of options in all else.

Durango and vicinity may prove too expensive for your budget. As an outside possibility Silverton might fall within your budget, but at a stretch.

Something in or near the San Luis Valley would probably meet your criteria. Simply from a cost standpoint Monte Vista or Del Norte might suite you best. They are also a reasonable drive to the Wolf Creek ski area. South Fork is even closer, and more or less within the mountains, and a beautiful location but may prove beyond your housing budget.

Crestone is worth consideration. Something of a New Age type of place. Fairly remote, if that matters to you. However no downhill skiing nearby and here again it may prove outside your preferred housing budget.

You might like Creede. An old Victorian mining town, it enjoys a unique setting. Also a bit more upscale in the last few years, and it and surrounding area may or not be within your budget. Also a bit remote, but still feasible in access to Wolf Creek ski area.

Something far more off the beaten path, and maybe something you will love, would be Lake City. Basically in the middle of nowhere but within beautiful forest and mountains. It exists as the county seat and upon summer tourism. I checked, and you can buy a house there for less than 200k. But depends, as some other properties are significantly more expensive. Prime consideration here how you feel there and if wishing that degree of isolation.

In any event, you certainly can. Have fun.

[jazzlover]

$200K won't buy you much more than a summer cabin in Lake City these days. Most houses big enough for year-round residence will be over $200K. Make no mistake, I like Lake City, but it is very isolated. 55 miles to Gunnison, which is not a big town in and of itself. Lake City also gets darn cold in the winter--30 below is not uncommon at all. I'm not even sure that high-speed internet would be available other than by satellite in Lake City--maybe right in town, but not anywhere else, probably. And what's a person with a Master's going to do in Lake City? In winter? Heck, even the high school is in Gunnison--so not even many teaching jobs.

By the way, unimproved city lots in Silverton are now on the market for $100K+, so I doubt that $200K will buy anything there but a shack. That's plumb nuts for that town, but it is what it is.

I think a lot of Colorado's outlying areas are going to lose their attractiveness with a gas fill-up now costing $50-$75 and soon to be a lot more. Just a weekly shopping trip is going to get darned expensive. Not to mention propane headed for $3.00+, etc., etc. I think we have reached "the age of limits."

[ShellKing]

You asked for a "midsized town" -- but maybe if you defined that we could help more? Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, Fruita? Those are all on the Western slope of CO. Within easy reach of a lot of recreation. Grand Junction is the biggest and Fruita is right next to it. Delta is 45 south and Montrose another 25 minutes south of Delta. Montrose is 'midsized' to small in my opinion. There is 1 high school, 5 elementary schools, 3 big grocery store chains, 1 wal-mart and a new Target. Some people would say it's small and others would say it's big, depending on your frame of reference.

[HappyMontrose]

Yes....Montrose may fit what you are looking for ..

A great town with a few new stores plus views and mountains that you will find hard to beat.


Important Info...

Chamber

Montrose Chamber of Commerce Home Page

Schools

Montrose County School District-index.cfm

Hospital

Welcome to Montrose Memorial Hospital

HM

[Josseppie]

200,000 dollars would buy you a great home in Pueblo. Here is a link to the web page on this site that has information and pictures about Pueblo:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/colorado/523455-pueblo-southern-colorado.html

[CosmicWizard]

jazzlover wrote:

Living in rural Colorado comes at a price. You pay with higher living costs (housing, especially), or much more limited career opportunities, or lower income, or some combination of all of these. It's just a fact.

I moved to Grand Junction from Virginia Beach two and a half years ago. What jazzlover wrote is mostly accurrate, but not completely. Wages here are noticably less, and most expenses are slightly higher. However, at that time, the cost of Grand Junction real estate was significantly less than it was in Virginia Beach. You can probaly find a home for 200K here, but it won't be much and it won't be in a desirable area. Also, as tumbleweed says, check out the climate. The summers are hot and the winters are cold. The saving grace is the dry air and plenty of sunshine. Best wishes for a successful relocation!

[Josseppie]

I don't understand why everyone says its hot in Colorado in the summer or cold in the winter? Sure we have our moments but overall its mostly in the middle of the countries extremes.

The south is hot and muggy in the summer with muggy nights while we get in the 90's and low 100's at night it cools off and never to hot to walk around. Many days, even in June the highs might only be in the 80's even a 70 degree day is not uncommon.

In the winter up north is so cold that when it hits 32 they get happy while here 60's and even 70's is not un common even in January.