Once again: The rural Colorado living reality check (Denver, Arvada: transplants, mortgage)

[jazzlover]

Once again, there seems to be a herd of potential transplants dreaming about relocating into the rural/retirement/resort areas of Colorado. To save making the same answers over and over again, here's my quick guide to how to do this successfully. The following applies to just about any rural area in Colorado other than the Eastern Plains--ESPECIALLY if you are wanting to relocate anywhere in the mountains or near a "resort" town.

There are four key ways to do this. You should planning on doing at least two or three of them, and probably all four, if you want to be successful living in rural Colorado for more than a couple or three years. If you can't/won't do these things, you'd better rethink the feasibility of living in rural Colorado--it probably ain't gonna work for you long-term.

1) Bring money with you. Cash. The more the better. If you plan on living in anything but a dump, at least $100K to $200K is a minimum--if you don't have an outside source of income (see below), better make it $300-$500K. Even with that, you will likely be taking out a mortgage (maybe a big one) if you plan on buying.

2) Have a stable, reliable source of outside income NOT tied to the local economy. At least $1,500-$4,000 a month is a minimum--the lower figure if you've done #1 and/or #3, the higher if you haven't. If you can't/don't want to work, it will likley have to be way more than this--especially if you didn't do #1.

3) Get a decent paying, stable job BEFORE you ever move here. Be forewarned: these are harder than hen's teeth to find in rural Colorado. Stable jobs tend to pay lousy here, high-paying jobs tend to be unstable. Even if you get one of those rare jobs, plan on doing at least one of #1 or #2 above, too. Even if you are a doctor, lawyer, or other professional, expect to make less money here. Period. Oh, by the way, the higher paying jobs in rural Colorado, outside of the "professional" category, you might just find somewhat "unsavory"--such as gas field roughneck, underground coal miner, etc.

4) Lower your material expectations if you actually think you are going to rely on the local economy. Most local incomes will be less than you are used to, and most everything you buy will likely cost as much or more than anywhere else. (This is likely to get much worse as transportation costs go up.) That's the price for living here. Get over it.

There it is, plain and simple.

[GearJammerOne]

Good tips Jazzy! Any tips on the social aspect of moving to Colorado?

[treedonkey]

Good. Thanks. Please cite one or two examples of:
"rural/retirement/resort areas of Colorado"
so we have a better idea of where you're referring to.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by treedonkey

Good. Thanks. Please cite one or two examples of:
"rural/retirement/resort areas of Colorado"
so we have a better idea of where you're referring to.

With pretty few exceptions, just about anyplace west of I-25 all the way to the Utah line.

[dynimagelv]

tried to rep you for that Jazz but I gotta spread it around first......

As a Colorado native of a million years ago[1941-1962], I ALWAYS enjoy your posts

[borborygmi]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

3) Get a decent paying, stable job BEFORE you ever move here. Be forewarned: these are harder than hen's teeth to find in rural Colorado. Stable jobs tend to pay lousy here, high-paying jobs tend to be unstable. Even if you get one of those rare jobs, plan on doing at least one of #1 or #2 above, too. Even if you are a doctor, lawyer, or other professional, expect to make less money here. Period. Oh, by the way, the higher paying jobs in rural Colorado, outside of the "professional" category, you might just find somewhat "unsavory"--such as gas field roughneck, underground coal miner, etc.

As a physician in rural SW Colorado, I just have to give you props for this and tell you what a spot-on assessment this is. I may or may not actually stay here for the long term; as I'm finding out, it's incredibly difficult to get by here on what passes for a physician's salary in this part of the country, believe it or not. It's (very) rural pay scale combined with big-city living costs.

Oh yeah, and I would add one thing to your list: make sure that if you move here, bring your own spouse/significant other with you. If you're single and you plan to move to the western slope, plan on staying that way and leading a pretty lonely existence. The social scene, even in a place like Durango, is lame if you're over the age of 25 and not a college student.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by borborygmi

Oh yeah, and I would add one thing to your list: make sure that if you move here, bring your own spouse/significant other with you. If you're single and you plan to move to the western slope, plan on staying that way and leading a pretty lonely existence. The social scene, even in a place like Durango, is lame if you're over the age of 25 and not a college student.

Absolutely true, too.

[ryanek9freak]

YEah not many women out that way

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

With pretty few exceptions, just about anyplace west of I-25 all the way to the Utah line.

Excepting places like: Arvada, Littleton, Monument and Manitou Spriings, which are reall just suburbs of Denver/COS, right? Not to mention the side of either of those cities proper which happen to be west of 25. You're basically, talking about non-suburban mountain towns, right?

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by treedonkey

Excepting places like: Arvada, Littleton, Monument and Manitou Spriings, which are reall just suburbs of Denver/COS, right? Not to mention the side of either of those cities proper which happen to be west of 25. You're basically, talking about non-suburban mountain towns, right?

Yes, and not just the mountain towns--pretty much everything, with few exceptions, from the Eastern Slope foothills on west.