Where to move to in Southwestern Colorado (Denver, Grand Junction: real estate, rental)

[ashley61290]

My husband and I are looking to move from Delaware to Colorado. We want to have the "not as humid" summers, not like we have here on the east coast. I'm looking at Southwestern Colorado because we don't mind snow here and there, but we'd rather not be surrounded by it. If I didn't see any snow I'd be happy.

We don't have any kids. He has a bachelors in criminal justice and currently works as a youth counselor. I have a bachelors in behavioral science but I currently work as a clinical manager at an orthodontic office. I've really taken a liking to orthodontics, so I'd be open to doing either profession.

We want to rent for a while to check out the area, so anything $1000 and under would be good I think. Must be pet friendly, we have a dog. We want to eventually have some land (like an acre or so) but also not be too far away from a city/things to do. We don't want to have to commute over an hour for work.

This might be a weird question, but keep in mind I'm coming from a small state where we have the same weather throughout. Where does the weather change in Colorado? I want to make sure I stay away from the areas that are always cold.

Any ideas? Thanks a lot in advance!

[otowi]

There are no areas in Colorado that area always cold, imho, but the definition of "cold" is relative. If you're worried about cold, stay out of the mountains. Why did you pick southwestern Colorado as opposed to southeastern or northeastern etc.? Right now your post is vague/open enough that it seems almost any place might or might not work depending on jobs and rental expectations.

[ashley61290]

Originally Posted by otowi

There are no areas in Colorado that area always cold, imho, but the definition of "cold" is relative. If you're worried about cold, stay out of the mountains. Why did you pick southwestern Colorado as opposed to southeastern or northeastern etc.? Right now your post is vague/open enough that it seems almost any place might or might not work depending on jobs and rental expectations.

I figured the farther down south you go, the warmer it'll be, and the farther west I go, the less humidity I'll deal with. That's it. Lol.

[Ruth4Truth]

Durango is nice. It's a college town. Farther east, in south-central CO is Pagosa Springs, a spa town. (Natural hot springs.) In the lower elevations, like Pagosa Springs, there's not much snow at all anymore. Global warming has really changed the weather.

You might also consider Santa Fe, NM. It's still in the mountains, but doesn't get much snow anymore in town. There's a ski area outside of town at a higher elevation, but it's been a pretty dry winter in town. Santa Fe is bigger than either Durango or Pagosa Springs, so there would be more employment opportunities, and there are more cultural amenities, if you're into that (opera, symphony, lots of art.) Santa Fe and Pagosa Springs are in what's called the high desert, so the air is plenty dry. Summers are warmer than they used to be; the high used to be low 80's. Now it's in the 90's for a month each summer.

[Colorado Rambler]

I'd skip Colorado and head for ABQ, New Mexico. It's got warm, dry air, little snow in the winter but not unbearable heat in the summer - it's DRY heat just like in Colorado and there's more jobs and better rent prices than in Durango or Pagosa Springs. Durango can STILL get cold and snowy in the winter, as can Pagosa. It's true that climate change is at work, but it's not quite finished getting rid of winter around here yet. Plus, $1,000/mo rent in Durango would cover a kennel for your dog. If you asked him nicely, he might share.

If you insist on coming to Colorado, try Grand Junction right near the Utah state line. GJ is warmer and drier than either Durango or Pagosa Springs, again it has more affordable rents and while the job market there is tight, it's no worse than in any of the towns in SW Colorado proper.

But really, check out New Mexico first.

[GStone777]

Trinidad seems to have a relatively mild climate but jobs may be a challenge. You may even find something decent to rent there for $1000 or less. Trinidad is on the freeway so in a few hours time you can be in Albuquerque or Denver. I think the Spanish Peaks outside of town is one of the most beautiful areas in the state.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler

I'd skip Colorado and head for ABQ, New Mexico.

There's also Ruidoso, in the mountains near Albuquerque, so it's cooler in the summers. Also a bit of an art town.

[jim9251]

Have you even visited here? You might want to look at Montrose, but honestly there's no jobs in south western Colorado, none. And where there are good paying jobs, those go to relatives or friends of the company manager or owners. And it's COLD in winter, HOT in summer, high winds, blowing dust. Rent for under $1,000 is stretching it. Most home and condos go for $1,200 and up plus utilities. And if you want a nice place spend $2,000 and up on rent.

I would suggest visiting.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by ashley61290

I figured the farther down south you go, the warmer it'll be, and the farther west I go, the less humidity I'll deal with. That's it. Lol.

Wrong! The lower elevations of western and southwestern Colorado are indeed arid, but they can be cold in the winter. Durango gets 65" of snow in an average winter (which we haven't had in southwest Colorado for several years, but they could return). Essentially anyplace in Colorado can drop below zero sometime during the winter, and usually does. Lows in the teens are very typical in many areas of western and southwestern Colorado in the winter, and that area does not get the benefit of the Chinook winds that can warm areas east of the mountains in Colorado during winter. The higher mountains of Colorado can get brutally cold in winter--remember the elevation makes the climate colder just as if you were traveling north in latitude. The highest mountain areas of Colorado have temperatures year-round that are typical of northern Canada! If you haven't lived in a dry climate, you also may not like it. Contrary to popular belief, people with allergies can have MORE problems in dry areas if they are prone to allergies for dust and any of the myriad of native plants in this region. Lots of people show up for a two week vacation, feel better, and assume that means that they will not have allergy problems. Quite often, though, they will develop them after they have lived a few weeks or months in the area. Get into the more arid and warm areas, and blowing dirt and dust can be a regular occurrence, as well. There are literally hundreds of different climatic regimes in Colorado, but all of them, to one extent or another, feature extreme variability, susceptibility to drought (often lasting for years, like the one is affecting a lot of southern Colorado right now), and periodic severe weather occurrences--hailstorms, blizzards, heavy snow events, flash floods, etc.

You obviously are fairly uninformed about climate in Colorado and the Southwest. I would suggest that you look at the climate normals for towns in the area on Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase) . You will likely find that many of the Colorado climates are not what you think they are.

I've also said about a thousand times before that southwest Colorado has to be one of the most economically hostile places to live in the country if you actually have to make a living in the local economy, which, in your case, you will. $1K per month won't rent so much of anything beyond a dump in much of Colorado, either. Bluntly, you will have problems making a livable income in a place like Durango, Santa Fe, or any other of the "resort" type towns in Colorado or New Mexico--real estate, especially, is just too expensive. If you live outside of a smaller community in Colorado, you also may have to heat with propane. Right now, propane is selling for over $4/gallon in much of rural Colorado. In a large or not well-insulated house, a propane bill of over $400 per month or more is not uncommon in winter at those propane prices.

You also will have to readjust to distances. Delaware is 2,490 sq. miles in area. That is smaller than a number of Colorado counties (and Colorado has 64 counties). Traveling in the rural areas of the region is measured in number of hours of driving time. In Durango, for example, you will be about 4 hours driving time from Albuquerque, the nearest major city. Denver is about 7-8 hours--much of that mountain driving that can be a holy terror in winter conditions for someone not used to winter driving. Traveling can also be a major expense when distances combine with fuel costs. To put that in perspective, Dover, DE is 165 miles to NYC. It's nothing for me to drive that far and back in a day just to attend a 4 hour meeting somewhere--sometimes I would have to do 600+ miles in day like that. Some years back, I had to go from western Colorado to Denver twice a week for medical treatments that lasted several months--they were not available anywhere closer. It was a 600 mile roundtrip in one day twice a week. Thank God it was when fuel was a lot cheaper than now.

You may adjust to that, but a lot of people don't. Know what you are getting into, and don't listen to the bunch of retired people who post on the Colorado forum who don't have to make a living in the rural Colorado economy. It's easy for them to say how great Colorado is when they don't have to make a living here.

[CosmicWizard]

Visit first. If you like the vibe, find jobs...THEN move! This simple, common sense strategy will save you a great deal of aggravation and financial hardship. OR....come with a B-I-G bank account and watch it dwindle before your eyes.

I don't mean to scare you off. If you have a dream, that's great. Go for it, but be prepared and get a sense of what you are getting into. This forum is a good place to start, but it is just that....only a start.