Searching Colorado land (Black Forest: buy, live, legally)

[davebarnes]

[quote=papitohead;48846651 Rain comes from heaven to you and the government then takes it away.[/QUOTE]

1. Rain does not come from heaven, it comes from the sky.
2. The government does not take it away, the owners of the water rights own it once it touches the ground or any attached structure.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by papitohead

From what I here from you guys, then it sucks to move to Colorado. Rain comes from heaven to you and the government then takes it away.

Thank you all for the advise.

I am out of here... I guess

No, it's fantastic in Colorado. You just need to understand what is possible and what is not. And as dave said, it's not the government taking the water, it's the people who own the water rights.

[Nn2036]

Originally Posted by papitohead

Thank you all for your good points. I did not know Colorado was like a desert with little water. I have seen many mountains with a lot of snow, so where does it go when it melts? back to the clouds?

I appreciate all the good comments here.

Actually I want to have a house built, not buying someone's headache. If someone is selling a house, most of the time is because it is not so good.

I will buy the land cash and build with cash. No financing at all. Who wants a mortgage at 71?

I can keep looking as some of you have mentioned. I have seen land and lots of properties for sale with good views. Oh well, will keep looking. It is fun anyway.

This guy is so clueless about Colorado.

[MountainEarth]

Most of Colorado is also zoned. You can't just buy a piece of land anywhere and do what you want with it anymore. This is especially the case if you want to be anywhere close to community amenities. And as others have said, good luck with the pond. Water is gold out here.

[SkyDog77]

If the OP is really interested in understanding why water is such a contentious issue in the west, there is not a better place to start than this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Dese.../dp/0140178244

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

If the OP is really interested in understanding why water is such a contentious issue in the west, there is not a better place to start than this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Dese.../dp/0140178244

That book pulls no punches. I've read it.

Required reading.

And mind you, the book came to print in 1993. Think about where we are at nearly a quarter century later.

Read the comments from the Amazon readers as they opine about the book itself. 408 replies, 77% give the book a 5 star rating.

[MsMetal]

Originally Posted by papitohead

From what I here from you guys, then it sucks to move to Colorado. Rain comes from heaven to you and the government then takes it away.

Thank you all for the advise.

I am out of here... I guess

It doesn't suck at all. But you need to be realistic about what it's like to live here.

You may not even be allowed to catch rainwater falling on your property here. Also, there are wells/acreage considerations & further considerations of how many animals you can have per well, etc. CO is a desert.

That said, people have been very gracious & helpful to you, but without a budget, we can't really give you any more info.

Contrary to one of the previous posters, there is still plenty of affordable land in CO, but it all depends on what you consider affordable & since you won't tell us, we really can't help steer you to any specific areas.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE H

That book pulls no punches. I've read it.

Required reading.

And mind you, the book came to print in 1993. Think about where we are at nearly a quarter century later.

Read the comments from the Amazon readers as they opine about the book itself. 408 replies, 77% give the book a 5 star rating.

It is such a great history of all the events that led us to where we are with water.

And it's the revised edition from1993. I think it was originally published in 1986.

I think this comment particularly pertains to this thread:

"The scale of this book is as staggering as that of Hoover Dam. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, it spans our century-long effort to moisten the arid West. . . . Anyone thinking of moving west of the hundredth meridian should read this book before they call their real estate agent."
--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by papitohead

From what I here from you guys, then it sucks to move to Colorado. Rain comes from heaven to you and the government then takes it away.

Thank you all for the advise.

I am out of here... I guess

Well, it doesn't rain enough in Colorado anyway to sustain a pond.

If you're set on CO I wouldn't give up hope. But realize that first of all you will need water rights that are deeded, probably ditch water. Then you will need to know what are the allowable uses for the water.

I once owned a house just outside Fort Collins city limits in a residential area that had ditch water available. Some folks used it to maintain a pasture for horses, but most just used it on their lawns. We got water once a week, so we had to either use it on that day (my scenario) or else store it. My next door neighbor had a small pond that she filled up, and then used the water all week long. Another neighbor built an underground cistern to store water and did the same.

As I alluded to previously, I'd much rather live on property bordering moving water, a stream or even a small creek. Stagnant water doesn't interest me personally, and it can be a breeding ground for mosquitos.

[Vision67]

I have seen houses with ponds in the Black Forest region. The lots there are generally 2.5 to 5 acres.

I would first investigate to make sure the pond was legally allowed before I'd buy one of those properties.

Perhaps an search using Google Maps on aerial view would find such a property.