Retiree's - Grand Junction? (Denver, Durango: real estate, property taxes, transplants)

[OutBnd]

We are in our early 70's and desperate to leave So Cal, even if it means moving away from family. Grand Junction seems to be a community we could enjoy even in our later years. We enjoy outdoor activities such as gardening, hiking, photographing wildlife; and we enjoy indoor activities such as geneology, theater/concerts, wood working, and continuing education. Since we are on a fixed income now, we are concerned with the cost of living, especially costs such as income tax, sales tax, auto registration, insurance. We are also seeking a community with good quality health care, 4 seasons, friendly neighbors and a sense of community. Do you think Grand Junction would be a good place for people like us to move to?

[jazzlover]

To be sure, there are a lot of retirees who move to Grand Junction. The proximity to some nice desert and mountain country is the main attraction. It is a trade center and medical center for western Colorado. All of that said, I no longer would consider it an attractive place to live. Here's why. First, growth. Grand Junction is not growing smartly. It is being impacted by the current gas drilling boom in western Colorado. Read the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ( [Welcome to GJSentinel.com! ) and you will find continual stories about growth issues. Second, the real estate market is way inflated there. It may seem cheap to Californians, etc., but compared to most local incomes, it's expensive. Grand Junction also has a pretty colorful history of booms and busts, affecting both the economy and the real estate market. Personally, I think the Grand Junction area has lost a lot of its sense of community, especially if one compares it now to what it used to be. Many of the posters on this board can not make that comparison because they are recent transplants to Grand Junction. I can--my family has been in the area for 30 years.

As to taxes, Colorado has some of the lowest property tax rates per dollar of fair market value of any state in the Union (around 47th or so, the last time I checked). It's income tax is middling. Colorado sales taxes (combined state and local), though, are some of the highest in the country. Colorado is also an expensive place to own an auto. Registration fees (especially on newer vehicles) are pretty expensive, Colorado has one of the highest gasoline taxes in the country, and auto insurance is pretty expensive in Colorado. I've posted this before--you will pay to live in Colorado, either in foregone income or higher living expenses.

Medical costs in Colorado tend to exceed the national average. While Grand Junction serves as the medical center for western Colorado, I can't say that I have been overly impressed with medical care in Grand Junction, and my family has quite a bit of personal experience with it. Some specialized care still may require travel to either Denver or Salt Lake City.

To be sure, Grand Junction is better than a lot of places, but it is also working hard to squander the things that make it desirable and is tending to attract many of the problems (worsening crime, for example) that make it less desirable. Not a positive long-term trend, in my opinion.

[OutBnd]

Jazzlover: thank-you so much! Very well stated and informative. It appears our concerns were as we feared. It is so beautiful there, and the homes and neighborhoods so appealing, yet, the factors that can make a place ( like California) turn from wonderful to problematic are reaching even Colorado. It seems so many places in our country are experiencing the same troubles: growing crime, meth infestation, diminising dollar power, less than excellent medical care, education, community. I guess we are looking for utopia. Some things that make for a good quality of life are just too important to live without: clear air, adequate water, safety, community, beauty. Wish I knew where we could find all five!!

[Ulysses61]

I'm also from Southern California and looking to retire to Colorado for its beauty, lower property taxes and lower state income taxes.

However, I must tell you that Grand Junction might not be the place for you. Obviously Jazzlover is much more of an authority than me and I base my experience on four visits, not a lifetime of observing the area.

In my view, Grand Junction is really no different than many over-built communites in Southern California (think Moreno Valley, Yorba Linda, etc.) Endless tract homes, not very pretty.

Have you considered Durango? That also has tract homes galore, but is prettier than Grand Junction and also has medical care available.

[Blueveteran]

Another useful thing I would like to know from anyone there is what are some good apartment complexes that you know of and which ones should be avoided? I tried rent.com and some other websites for apartments, but I could not find anything in depth and useful for determining a good place to live. I am looking at moving into the area maybe in Jan 08-Feb 08 and would appreciate any input. Thank you

[CosmicWizard]

OutBnd

I am one of the recent transplants that Jazzlover mentioned. During the 18 months that I've lived here, I've continued to enjoy living in Grand Junction. In fact, I enjoy it more today than I did when we first moved here. Compared to Hampton Roads, VA where I moved from ( a metro area of 1.7 million ), Grand Junction is a veritable paradise. Before crossing it off your list, I encourage you to come visit the are, spend some time here, and get a feel for the place. You might really like it, and then again you might not. If you cross it off your list without ever visiting, you could miss out on a place you might really like. It's your impression of Grand Junction that really matters......not Jazzlovers, not mine, nor anyone else who posts on the forum. I sincerely hope that you won't let a few words on a computer screen keep you from getting an up-close-and-personal impression of Grand Junction. If you are considering this as a place to retire, you owe it to yourself to ckeck it out...in person. I'm guessing that is is just a 10 to 12 hour drive from Southern California.

blessings....Franco

[TXCowgirl]

We moved to Grand Junction in December from Houston. Our home cost $120,000 more than our home in Houston, but the cost of living here is cheaper than in Houston. Milk is $3 here versus $$4.35 in Houston. The property taxes are WAYYYY cheaper. The gas prices are probably about the same, maybe a little more. The people here are a WHOLE LOT more friendly than in Houston or anywhere else that I have visited. They must think that am rude, because I just really am shocked at times and don't know what to say other than thank you. Yes there is more crime here than I thought, but nothing compared to the other towns that I have lived in. I have lived all over East Texas and parts of South Louisiana and I still don't understand why they say Southern Hospitality. These people in Colorado cannot be touched when it comes to welcoming newcomers. I have not had one person be rude to me here. In Houston, you are lucky to find one person nice to you. Everyone there seems too busy to say a kind word or make a nice gesture. I would recommend Grand Junction to anyone. I love it here so far.

[CO_Rider]

Moved to Grand Junction in 1993 upon retirement from Minnesota. Now live in Fruita (just 10 miles West of GJ).
We've had good medical care here except starting in Jan 08 our Internist retired. Since we are on Medicare no other Doctors will take us. There just are not enough Doctors here so they can be picky about who they will accept. It is a big problem here for many others in the same situation since in the last few years there have been many Internist/GP Docs retiring.


If anyone has breathing problems or allergies this is not the place to be. They have open burning season here where the farmers burn the weeds out of their fields in the fall and spring. During the winter there are many temperature inversions trapping pollutants in the air.

Traffic has increased greatly in the past 15 years and many streets and highways are congested since the traffic flow was never designed to handle so many vehicles. People move here and bring there bad driving habits with them so it is getting to be like some other cities which I won't mention here.

With the above negatives we remain since it sure is better than those Minnesota winters we experienced.


I suggest that you look at Montrose, CO. If it wasn't for the cost of moving we would consider moving there.

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by CO_Rider

Since we are on Medicare no other Doctors will take us. .

I have to presume this is legal under current law. I know I can't refuse to rent to someone without getting sued. Have you contacted your congressman and senators about this issue? It is affecting many, many people now and in essence making Medicare the same as being un-insured. There has to be a change in the laws to prohibit doctors from refusing Medicare patients. I'd make some phone calls-it might get something started.

[sterlinggirl]

Originally Posted by Bideshi

I can't refuse to rent to someone without getting sued.

You can refuse to sign up for the section 8 vouchers. If the tenant can't afford to pay out of pocket, they can always go somewhere else.

There has to be a change in the laws to prohibit doctors from refusing Medicare patients.

How is this different than forcing you to accept vouchers for undesirable tenants?


To get back on topic....Grand Junction is booming right now, and there is a lot of downside potential in real estate there at the moment. If you're willing to accept that risk, it may be worth a trip to have a look.