Am I crazy or is the whole world suddenly trying to move here? (Denver: transplants, real estate)

[RoseLikeAnyOther]

Over the last 6 months or so I keep on overhearing conversations from couples or single people that just moved here and are trying to find a house. It happens almost every time I am out and about. It's like they read somewhere in a magazine that Colorado is amazing (well it is) and decided to come here.
Is it because of the marijuana laws? Is it because living on the East Coast has become less desirable? Or has it always been like this and everything I am overhearing is just a coincidence?

[StealthRabbit]

Been happening for the last 50+ yrs (migration to Colorado).

Eventually the locals get chased away and the transplants live happily ever after (in their 'new' state. (which politically and socially transforms into their OLD state...)

I was forced to leave my Colorado home / ranch 34 yrs ago. MOST of my neighbors have left / been forced off their CO land, that they invested generations of hard labor to make productive.

City folk / employees... EZ... rent a POD or uhaul and in one weekend,,, moving is a done deal. For farmers and ranchers and employers it takes years and $100,000+ to move + a couple yrs lost revenue / crops / animals /productivity finding new employees and customers...

[Westbound and Down]

Originally Posted by RoseLikeAnyOther

Over the last 6 months or so I keep on overhearing conversations from couples or single people that just moved here and are trying to find a house. It happens almost every time I am out and about. It's like they read somewhere in a magazine that Colorado is amazing (well it is) and decided to come here.
Is it because of the marijuana laws? Is it because living on the East Coast has become less desirable? Or has it always been like this and everything I am overhearing is just a coincidence?

It has been going on for more than six months.

Colorado is certainly in the conversation, based on what I see on CD and among friends entering retirement, for people looking to "escape" from somewhere else, be it California or Texas or somewhere back east. The desire to escape high cost of living and high taxes seem to be the main drivers, although compared to all of its neighbors, Colorado is relatively "expensive" but I think that is viewed as a net positive by people moving there with a pocketful of house equity and fat retirement accounts to finance a nice Rocky Mtn lifestyle.

There is a definite herd mentality at work - people only seem to have a couple of states, or cities, they will consider - huge swaths of the country are effectively ignored. West of the Mississippi, it is as if there are only a handful of places people consider, like...Colorado (Denver, Boulder), Boise, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego...these are the usual suspects. The next tier includes select locations in Nevada, Arizona, NM (Santa Fe is very popular)...Austin is very popular among people hoping to escape the Silicon Valley...after that, not much gets discussed.

I moved to NM a year ago after spending the last quarter century on the east coast, so I am part of this wave or herd in that sense. For me, I wanted something different, less humidity, less "intensity" for lack of a better word, friendlier people, more wide open spaces...and so far I would say I have found that in NM, but I am still searching, hence why I spend time on CD, I guess. So I admit it, I am part of the herd, too, but I like to think that I am going to find the overlooked place - the hidden gem - or the road less traveled by the main herd.

What is the special sauce, especially of late, in CO? I think the marijuana laws are a big part of it, as it appeals to progressives who don't necessarily care to partake but like the "liberal" aspect of it, and it appeals to libertarian types (like myself) who, again, whether they care to partake or not support this direction of getting government out of our lives.

I lived in Texas (Houston) in the 80's when there was a huge in-migration of displaced auto and factory workers from the upper Midwest, especially Michigan, looking for work in the Sunbelt. It was an amazing thing to witness. I still think some people set their sights on Texas, but it doesn't seem to be the top of the list anymore, at least not the way it was 30 years ago...

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Been happening for the last 50+ yrs (migration to Colorado).

Eventually the locals get chased away and the transplants live happily ever after (in their 'new' state. (which politically and socially transforms into their OLD state...)

I was forced to leave my Colorado home / ranch 34 yrs ago. MOST of my neighbors have left / been forced off their CO land, that they invested generations of hard labor to make productive.

City folk / employees... EZ... rent a POD or uhaul and in one weekend,,, moving is a done deal. For farmers and ranchers and employers it takes years and $100,000+ to move + a couple yrs lost revenue / crops / animals /productivity finding new employees and customers...

Just remember who chased off the original locals. You don't have any more right to this state than anyone else. My family came here in the 1800s. I don't pretend to own Colorado anymore than the guy who moved here last week.

Honestly, the self pity in your post is out of control.

[allprolab]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

Just remember who chased off the original locals. You don't have any more right to this state than anyone else. My family came here in the 1800s. I don't pretend to own Colorado anymore than the guy who moved here last week.

Honestly, the self pity in your post is out of control.

And there we have it.

[Indigo Cardinal]

I think Colorado always has gone through 'waves' of when a lot of people suddenly move here. I moved here in 1998, along with a lot of other people (when I first came here, I saw more out-of-state plates than I did Colorado plates on cars.) About that time, the economy was good in Colorado, particularly for IT/Telecom (I could literally have quit my job, walked over to another company, and have had another one 30 minutes later.)

Then the economy went sour, and a lot more people were staying put. Getting a job if you were out of state pretty much wasn't happening (a lot of companies won't offer relocation expenses anymore, and most people can't afford to do that themselves.)

While the economy isn't perfect, I think it's picked up enough that people are willing to take a chance and move, or are getting job offers. My sister, for example, moved out here last August because she got a job offer with a company. They didn't offer relocation expenses, and they admitted that while they liked her resume, they would have ordinarily passed on it since she was out of state, but in her cover letter, she mentioned she already had living arrangements set up (she moved in with me.)

As for the people crying, "Wah, the transplants are pushing us out!"....well, *your* ancestors pushed somebody else out.

[whirnot]

With the economy coming back many are taking the plunge to make a move they have been planning for a few years. Real estate is on a tear. Inteesting enough Real Estate agents are starving because there is no inventory.....

Many areas are seeing the same, Oregon being on of them.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Been happening for the last 50+ yrs (migration to Colorado).

Eventually the locals get chased away and the transplants live happily ever after (in their 'new' state. (which politically and socially transforms into their OLD state...)

I was forced to leave my Colorado home / ranch 34 yrs ago. MOST of my neighbors have left / been forced off their CO land, that they invested generations of hard labor to make productive.

City folk / employees... EZ... rent a POD or uhaul and in one weekend,,, moving is a done deal. For farmers and ranchers and employers it takes years and $100,000+ to move + a couple yrs lost revenue / crops / animals /productivity finding new employees and customers...

That's a big problem when it comes to the transplants. Ask them why they moved, and tell them NOT to turn this state into their old state with their voting habits. People who move to a new state shouldn't try to change it, but try to assimilate.

I lived in Colorado for 28 years, grew up here most of my life but was born in pan handle of Nebraska. I never tried to change Colorado into Nebraska, unlike Californians and Texans.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

I was forced to leave my Colorado home / ranch 34 yrs ago.

Forced?
Similar to the Jews being forced out of Egypt in biblical times?
Similar to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears
Similar to American citizens of Japanese descent being forced to move to Colorado in WW2?
How can you be forced to leave Colorado?

[Sunderpig2]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

I never tried to change Colorado into Nebraska, unlike Californians and Texans.

Blah blah blah. I know a number of families from TX, and none have done anything to try to change CO into TX. Broad and sweeping generalizations like that are big on prejudice, and short on logic and facts.

People from California often seem to be the personification of evil in a number of areas. I've seen that in Oregon, Texas, and even in Colorado. I never see specifics or evidence though.