Durango, CO (Denver, Mead, Bayfield: ski resort, for sale, real estate market)

[AustinTraveler]

I am currently researching Durango as a possible relocation. I have noticed that there are a lot of new homes for sale in the area which makes me think a lot of other people are moving to Durango as well. My question is, who is buying all these homes? It seems that the population of Durango is too small to be supporting so many $500K+ new home sales. Also, is there anything I need to be aware of when buying a home there? For instance, water availability and the like. Lastly, what is your favorite area near Durango? We are looking for at least an acre lot with good views (of course!) and not more than a 30-40 minute drive to downtown Durango. We are not interested in golf course communities or master-planned subdivisions.

Thanks for any information you can provide!

And we're not from California, if that makes a difference!

[danco]

Whats with the California and Texas Bias ?

[Crackerjack]

One of my brothers live in Durango and loves it. The California, Texas bias is that a few natives think the Californians and Texans are buying all the land up and changing the laid back lifestyle. MOST do not think that way. I was born in New Mexico and have lived in New Mexico most of my life and I know Durango is very similiar to New Mexico being so close to the border. They get TV channels from Albuquerque and Santa Fe and not Denver for example. There are many adobe and stucco homes like in NM but Durango has a lot of different styles as well, from log homes to brick homes. The areas to live in if you want in the city itself is up by the college, or the rim of the college, or down 3rd Avenue if you like old Victorian type homes. There are lots of condos throughout the city. Some are quite pricey and located close to all the downtown action, which downtown Durango has one of the busiest, bustling downtowns I have ever seen for it's size. Someone there told me he called it "Little New York" not due to New Yorkers which there are many from there but because it is a very pedestrian city with walkers and bikes everywhere mingling with the busy traffic.
If you want out from the city, it depends on how much you want to spend, for the nice areas - Rockridge, Skyridge, Hillcrest, Timberline, in Durango, Dalton Ranch in Animas Valley,which are more of the planned communities you were saying you wanted to avoid but are nice. Out in the valleys - Lightner Creek is very nice, I know several doctors who live out there, but not too many homes for sale in that area. Hermosa Orchid out in Animas Valley is pretty but only a few houses there as it goes into a small valley. There is Bear Creek in Hermosa, it is a planned area too. Shenandoah and Rafter J are suburban communities out in the Wildcat Canyon area.
Some big homes sprawl out on the cliffs and rims of mountains throughout the area, some enormously large. Some homes are right off the mountain cliffs on poles hanging off the edge.
The area will fool you. There are a lot more people there then the city population shows because most in that area live in the suburbs and out in the county instead of in the city. I would look to live either in Animas Valley, Lightner Creek, Junction Creek or up in the mountains. I asked my brother why there were so many large homes, the kind you see in Beverly Hills or Malibu and he said he thinks because a lot of Californians are moving in and building large homes but we don't know. Oprah Winfrey just visited Durango and said she loved it, my brother read it to me in the News. I think more celebrities are finding Durango out. I know a while back Bob Seger was walking downtown there.
If you don't like snow, stay away from anything north of Hermosa, it gets a lot more snow up that way. But if you love snow, up toward Durango Ski resort is where you would love. Durango has many zones such as south Durango is usually at least 10 degrees warmer than the north areas. It is getting really busy in the southern part with all kinds of growth, I would avoid that myself. There is Durango West, it is pretty but you climb a good ways up to there so the winters are colder then down in Durango. Bayfield is a small town east of Durango and it has more rolling hills then mountains. If you like ranches, then out toward Bayfield or Ignacio has quite a bit of those out toward those areas. Ticolote is another area with homes. Edgemont Ranch off Florida Road is another planned suburb and the road goes out to Vallecito but too crowded for me until you get out from the city a good ways. There are many suburbs, I just can't name them all, it would take forever.
You ask where to avoid, again it is my opinion but I'd be careful out at Forest Lakes or Vallecito and Lemon Lake, due to it being prone to forest fires. A lot of thick trees out there and out near Baker's Bridge the same and south Durango due to it being so much hotter in the Summer and really busy. Durango is a really nice place and the people have always been friendly to me even when they know I am not from there.
Be sure and take a trip north to Ouray. Ouray is I think one of the most beautiful little towns in the world. It is called "Little Switzerland" and when you see it, you will see why but living there would be quite hard in the winter as it is really high up in altitude in Silverton and Ouray with hairpin roads snaking around VERY high mountains and it gets lots of snow there.
I like Durango because it has mild winters and you can get to the desert in a matter of minutes or to the high mountains in a matter of minutes too. Hope this helps.

[AustinTraveler]

Crackerjack, that wasn't just helpful, it was awesome! Thank you so much for the wealth of information. I have so much to go on now and it will make research so much easier. Again, thank you so much!

[Crackerjack]

You are welcome! My brother called me, he lives in Durango, and told me there is another place to add to the areas you are looking into, it is called Florida Mesa and there are acreages out in that area near Durango and people have horses out there. I think he also said something about The Meadows or something like that out in that area to look into. He told me that you probably wouldn't want to live in Rockridge, Hillcrest, Skyridge, Dalton Ranch and Edgemont Ranch as these are pretty much homes side by side with little to no land. He said to concentrate on Florida Mesa, out toward Bayfield, Ticolote, Lightner Creek, Junction Creek and Shenandoah. He said Animas Valley is beautiful but getting built up really fast. And make sure in Shenandoah and Rafter J, you can get water. Good Luck on your search!

[AustinTraveler]

Hey Crackerjack!

Thanks again for the great information. Today is my birthday and you've given me a great present!!

[Crackerjack]

You are welcome and Happy Birthday!

[yZeCounsel]

Here's a very helpful thread with the help of crackerjack regarding Durango/New Mexico

For my purposes, it seems that the Durango burbs is it
http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-m...t-durango.html

[AustinTraveler]

Thanks for the link - once again Crackerjack gave great information. I can understand moving from Florida. We are actually in Austin after being wiped out by Ivan. We love Austin and hate even thinking about moving but we really want to live somewhere with more of a four seasons climate. If things don't work out for you in Colorado you might check out Austin!

[colorado native]

Actually Crackerjack, it is not only a few locals that have a bias against Californians and Texans; it's all of us. Seriously. And it's mostly the Texans, to be honest.

Austin Traveler, I feel like you should get an honest answer, rather than the apparent Realtor-Generated answer from Crackerjack. You said, "It seems that the population of Durango is too small to be supporting so many $500K+ new home sales." It is. The people buying these homes are not from Durango. They're from Texas, and they drive Hummers and they treat waiters and waitresses and counter-help like total scum. They wear way too much perfume and way too much turquoise. They walk into bookstores and ask, "Do y'all got paperbacks?" They drive up the real estate market so that the people that actually call Durango home, rather than second-home or vacation-home, either have to rent or move out of town in order to stay in the area. They are ruining the laid back lifestyle. They wear furs and buy brand new cowboy hats when they visit. They clog the passes with their Motor homes.

These are the reasons we many many local Coloradans do not like Texans or Californians.

Sorry it's true. Oh, and if you're Republican, Durango's probably not hte place for you.