Wanting to move to Colorado soon (Denver, Colorado Springs: rent, mover, how much)

[Mover1234]

I have been reading this forum a lot over the past few months. Me and my husband are wanting to move to Colorado and buy a house in the next few years but we just cannot seem to narrow down our options. We plan on renting a house first before we buy to test out areas, but obviously we cannot rent everywhere and want to narrow down our list.

We've been to Colorado a few times and have spent a few months in Colorado (all around the state) already this year alone.

We have an online business so looking for a job is not a priority for us. I am so very grateful that we have this opportunity. Haven't decided on a budget yet, but that will most likely be around $500K to $600K.

Some of the things we are looking for and/or like include:
-Rock climbing, hiking, camping, mountaineering. If we are going to move all the way to Colorado, we would like to be somewhat near some 14ers and/or good rock climbing.
-Decent weather. I know it snows a lot in mountain towns, but how much does it snow? Does it snow 9 months out of the year? Is it below freezing most of the year?
-Good schools. We do not have children yet, but would like to have them in the next few years.
-At least some land. We want at least 2 acres, but would prefer around 10.
-Near or on a lake. This isn't a must as I know lake houses will be more expensive. This would just be more of a plus to moving to a town, but is no where near being a NEED for us. We would also definitely be willing to decrease the amount of land if it means we are on a lake.

If there's another area in the U.S. that you think we should be looking at that may be better, please let me know also!

Thanks!

[brightdoglover]

I don't think anyone moves to Colorado for its lakes. I am also a lake person and have never found CO tempting in that respect. But oh, the mountains!

That said, Ridgway/Ouray is gorgeous and has ten 14ers in sight. All kinds of climbing nearby, and the red rock country of the Western Slope and Utah are a couple of hours away. It certainly doesn't snow most of the year, although there can be a snow squall at any time of the year. In fact, the main concern around the San Juans is the lack of precipitation for some time now. It also certainly isn't below freezing most of the year. When the sun is out (which is often) it is above freezing and is great. I suggest following areas of interest on weatherunderground.com to see the weather trends and changes.

[jim9251]

Ouray.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

OP, were there any areas in particular that you liked when you were here earlier this year?

I really like the scenery and outdoor activities in the Salida/Buena Vista area. They sit in what is called a "banana belt", which means that winter is usually fairly mild. There are are small lakes and reservoirs close by, but you also have rafting and kayaking on the Arkansas River that runs through both towns.

[Mover1234]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

OP, were there any areas in particular that you liked when you were here earlier this year?

I really like the scenery and outdoor activities in the Salida/Buena Vista area. They sit in what is called a "banana belt", which means that winter is usually fairly mild. There are are small lakes and reservoirs close by, but you also have rafting and kayaking on the Arkansas River that runs through both towns.

We pretty much liked everywhere we went. We liked Estes Park, Silverthorne, Breckenridge, Salida, and Durango. Didn't have time for Telluride or Ouray, which we are now regretting!

[delta07]

Are there other requirements besides the access to the outdoors and good schools that you are wanting? How far are you willing to travel for shopping besides the local grocery store or Wal-Mart (or a smaller store)? Do you need to be within a certain distance to an airport? What about an Internet connection? All of these may factor in to a desirable location.

If you don't have kids yet, I honestly wouldn't worry about finding good schools at this point. It will be at least 5-6 years before you even need to worry about Kindergarten. Many of the mountain towns don't have the best schools, but they are often sufficient for at least the first few years of education.

With all that said, I would also second the suggestion to look at the Salida/Buena Vista area. It's a beautiful gem of a location in Colorado and not so far removed that you can't get to the big city (Denver or Colorado Springs) in about 1.5 hours. Summit County is also an option, especially considering you've been there and liked it. It's a resort town though, unlike Salida/BV so there are downsides to that, IMO. Ouray/Telluride is certainly beautiful, but it's very remote. If you are wanting access to a larger city, you will have to travel quite a distance. It's certainly worth looking at though to see if it's your cup of tea.

[Mover1234]

Originally Posted by delta07

Are there other requirements besides the access to the outdoors and good schools that you are wanting? How far are you willing to travel for shopping besides the local grocery store or Wal-Mart (or a smaller store)? Do you need to be within a certain distance to an airport? What about an Internet connection? All of these may factor in to a desirable location.

If you don't have kids yet, I honestly wouldn't worry about finding good schools at this point. It will be at least 5-6 years before you even need to worry about Kindergarten. Many of the mountain towns don't have the best schools, but they are often sufficient for at least the first few years of education.

With all that said, I would also second the suggestion to look at the Salida/Buena Vista area. It's a beautiful gem of a location in Colorado and not so far removed that you can't get to the big city (Denver or Colorado Springs) in about 1.5 hours. Summit County is also an option, especially considering you've been there and liked it. It's a resort town though, unlike Salida/BV so there are downsides to that, IMO. Ouray/Telluride is certainly beautiful, but it's very remote. If you are wanting access to a larger city, you will have to travel quite a distance. It's certainly worth looking at though to see if it's your cup of tea.

All great questions!

I'd be willing to travel up to an hour for groceries, Walmart/Target, etc.

Airport distance doesn't matter too much. If we are within an hour of one, that would be good though.

I will need an internet connection as I have an online business I need to run.

I am still interested in being in an area with good schools.

I will definitely look further into all of these areas

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Mover1234

...

We have an online business so looking for a job is not a priority for us. I am so very grateful that we have this opportunity. Haven't decided on a budget yet, but that will most likely be around $500K to $600K.

Some of the things we are looking for and/or like include:
-Rock climbing, hiking, camping, mountaineering. If we are going to move all the way to Colorado, we would like to be somewhat near some 14ers and/or good rock climbing.
-Decent weather. I know it snows a lot in mountain towns, but how much does it snow? Does it snow 9 months out of the year? Is it below freezing most of the year?
-Good schools. We do not have children yet, but would like to have them in the next few years.
-At least some land. We want at least 2 acres, but would prefer around 10.
-Near or on a lake. This isn't a must as I know lake houses will be more expensive. This would just be more of a plus to moving to a town, but is no where near being a NEED for us. We would also definitely be willing to decrease the amount of land if it means we are on a lake.

If there's another area in the U.S. that you think we should be looking at that may be better, please let me know also!

Thanks!

My responses keep getting bleeped, but.. here goes again...(abbreviated)

You have a business and a high budget, and want outdoor paradise and good schools so... why not income tax free WY, WA, AK, SD? Even MT, ID, or UT would probably be a better choice than CO. Proximity to Canada is a good thing if you like the outdoors / camping / skiing

I did 28yrs in Colorado (Estes Park / Masonville) / WY (Laramie / Powell) and 30 in WA. Colorado does not have the corner on the market, and may not be the correct choice given your criteria.

Colorado is nice to visit (a few times / yr).

[Mover1234]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

My responses keep getting bleeped, but.. here goes again...(abbreviated)

You have a business and a high budget, and want outdoor paradise and good schools so... why not income tax free WY, WA, AK, SD? Even MT, ID, or UT would probably be a better choice than CO. Proximity to Canada is a good thing if you like the outdoors / camping / skiing

I did 28yrs in Colorado (Estes Park / Masonville) / WY (Laramie / Powell) and 30 in WA. Colorado does not have the corner on the market, and may not be the correct choice given your criteria.

Colorado is nice to visit (a few times / yr).

This will probably make me sound like an idiot, but we are wanting some warm times of the year as well. Are those other states warm in the summer time?

We are used to a very humid and HOT summer, and while I do not want that, I also think a 60-70 degree summer is fairly cold as well.

[Mover1234]

Does Durango fit what we are looking for?