Advice on where to visit to find a place to live! (Denver: 2015, rent)

[Bigtruck313]

My gf (soon to be fiancé) are looking to move to Colorado. This likely wouldn't actually occur until early 2016 when I complete some professional certifications I am working on now.

We are 28 now, no kids yet. I am currently living in metro-Detroit and work downtown, so I am used to a balance of suburbs and city life. My research has shown me that Colorado has the best balance of nature, culture, and economy that fits our lifestyle.

I want to visit some cities over long weekends in 2015 but don't know where to start. I work in accounting/finance and should be able to find work anywhere that has real business. The gf can work pretty much anywhere.

Our main focus is proximity to work areas (shortest commute possible) and good schools. Bonus points if I can get a decent view of the mountains. I ideally would rent a year to make sure I'm properly settled, but would then be looking to purchase a home in the $250k range.

Where should I visit first? What areas should I researxh the most?

[Idunn]

Fly into Denver, and then along the Front Range confine your explorations to as far north as Fort Collins and south to Colorado Springs.

You are speaking of a likely suburban existence which could be well met somewhere in that area. Denver as any metropolitan area has many suburbs surrounding it, so in no way discount what might be found there. You might also look to Boulder and, along US 36 leading to it from I-25, other likely communities such as Broomfield.

As many, the location you choose may well be determined by what employment you and your wife might find.

[Bigtruck313]

Originally Posted by Idunn

As many, the location you choose may well be determined by what employment you and your wife might find.

I agree with this. I am just doing my planning first as that can affect where I do the majority of my job searching later in the year.

[davebarnes]

How far (in time) are you willing to drive for your commutes?
Have you saved up money for a house purchase down payment?
What size house do you want for your $250K? What year do you plan to buy?
Why do you care about schools when you are at least 7 years away from needing one?

[Bigtruck313]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

How far (in time) are you willing to drive for your commutes?
Have you saved up money for a house purchase down payment?
What size house do you want for your $250K? What year do you plan to buy?
Why do you care about schools when you are at least 7 years away from needing one?

I drive about 30-45 min now, so anything less than or equal to that works.

I already own a house, so when I sell it I should reasonably have about $30k to roll into a new purchase (thinking just 10-15% down). For a new home, I am looking ideally for a 3-4 bedroom home (1500-2k sq ft +), nothing too fancy. While I certainly don't want a dump, I'm not terribly concerned about having a fancy overpriced house.

I would ideally be buying by the end of 2016. Arriving in early 2016, renting for 6-12 months, then buying.

[Bigtruck313]

Also, are there any decent rural-ish areas outside of the major cities? I know this sounds contradictory, but in Detroit if I was another 20-30 min further from downtown I would be able to have a lot more land for the same money, but it's all about proximity.

In a perfect world, I would live in a more rural/spread out area, and commute into work in a city that's large enough to be good for work, but not huge. I can do suburbs too though.

[mic111]

There are lots of ruralish areas peppered throughout the metro area. This came about because the little town surrounding the metro area grew out from their centers and the land in between was rural. With the infill going on the larger lots are being bought up and subdivided but you can still find them. Sometimes there are whole sections of them. Some neighbors band together and sell out as a group to a developer. But they are still there. But with prices rising so rapidly year over year I don't think you will find much in the $250K price range that isn't a scrape off in Denver Metro.

Areas out in the plains to the east of the cities tend to be cheaper because they are pretty barren. Some of the smaller cities will still have them with little tiny homes.

Schools are another issue. If you want good schools then you will likely pay more than a similar home on a similar lot without them.

If visiting I would visit:
Colorado Springs
Denver Metro (plan to spend the most time here to explore in all directions)
Longmont
Fort Collins

Given that your coming from Detroit I suspect anything other than metro Denver will be too much of a culture shock. I don't mean that in a bad way. Just that so many people coming from major cities think they are encountering another one with Denver and then see it isn't quite what they thought. Best of luck!

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by Bigtruck313

Also, are there any decent rural-ish areas outside of the major cities?

Denver - 15 inches precipitation per year
Detroit - 33 inches

As a result, everything is different.
I exaggerate slightly, but there are no areas east of the foothills with trees that have NOT been planted and watered by Man.
Water is very important here. In Detroit, no one really worries about it.

[Bigtruck313]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

Denver - 15 inches precipitation per year
Detroit - 33 inches

As a result, everything is different.
I exaggerate slightly, but there are no areas east of the foothills with trees that have NOT been planted and watered by Man.
Water is very important here. In Detroit, no one really worries about it.

I don't really plan on doing any farming. I was referring more to communities with larger plots of land, more spread out. I'm not expecting to find the exact same thing in Colorado, the whole point of this move is finding something different.

[NW Crow]

Ruralish can mean different things, but you might look at the following:

Outside Colorado Springs- Monument, Falcon, Fountain

Outside Denver- outside Louisville or Lafayette, outside Golden, edge of Lakewood or Wheat Ridge, maybe Erie

Further north- outside Loveland (Windsor, Johnstown)