Snowboots and spurs... :P (Denver, Salida: transplants, to rent, selling a home)

[Terri722]

Sooo...do the transplants to Colorado, especially the ones from the
warmer southern state ever live there for a substanial amount of
time? I know we come there....impressed by the beautiful scenery
and in awe of the fact that we can be outside without melting...
(Texas folk here...where sweating is a way of life...haha) anyway,
I am truly wanting to move there...but am wondering about
making the investment in a home if my daughters are going to
be upset by the cold and snow once winter hits...

[jazzlover]

All I can say about this is that I know a lot of old-line Colorado folks--contractors, gas field people, etc., who flat refused to hire Texans and other "Southerners" for any outside work. Why? Because, as soon as cold weather and little snow would hit, half of those "lightweight" transplants would quit and go back to wherever they came from. I heard the same thing from old-line Wyomingites when I lived up there. I actually think that the inability of many to deal with adverse outdoor conditions is even worse now because so many people--especially from urban areas--simply spend so much time indoors in a temperature-controlled environment that dealing with cold or heat is completely foreign to them. Sadly, this seems particularly true for children today--they're too used to sitting inside the heated and air-conditioned house with their X-Box.

Contrast that to the years I spent living in Gunnison, where winter temperatures were regularly as low as -20° or lower. There was essentially no school bus service within the town limits then. Kids were expected to walk to school. Cold was not an excuse for absence. In the several years that I lived there, school was NEVER canceled because of cold or snow. Kids bundled up and went to school--and went outside at recess. I walked 7 blocks four times a day to my college classes there--no matter what the temperature. So, pardon me if I don't have much sympathy for some kid being "upset" about some cold. They can either get over it, or live somewhere else.

[dynimagelv]

Out in the flatlands [Limon] we had a 'snowday' policy.....when the snow on the south side of the school drifted even with the door handle, school was canceled.....the front door was 1/2 story UP from the ground.....

Bus service ran for the 'farm kids' unless hwy 71 was closed for drifting.....

[Terri722]

No sympathy is desired...but thanks for the response...my "kids" are grown women...
but they *have* always lived where it's hot and humid...beaches and pools...I am,
actually, the one wanting a change...but they are wanting to live where their Dad
and I go...as for staying inside...we have never done that here...hot or cold...but
our cold verses Colorado cold is going to be completely different...we have never
had to deal with snow...

[AV8Recruiter]

Originally Posted by Terri722

No sympathy is desired...but thanks for the response...my "kids" are grown women...
but they *have* always lived where it's hot and humid...beaches and pools...I am,
actually, the one wanting a change...but they are wanting to live where their Dad
and I go...as for staying inside...we have never done that here...hot or cold...but
our cold verses Colorado cold is going to be completely different...we have never
had to deal with snow...

Before moving, you might want to visit in the winter with the family to see how everyone likes it. We live in TX too, but I grew up in WI, and I love the snow...it's just the below zero temps I don't like. DH has family up in Marquette, MI. We love to go play in the snow. However, my oldest step daughter (age 19) doesn't like it a lot...she will stay inside a lot when we go visit, but the younger two love to ski and play in the snow. In fact, we did a ski trip last year to CO, and the oldest didn't even want to go. The other two thought it was the best vacation ever.

If you go up there and the family hibernates inside instead of wanting to go ice skating, snow shoeing, skiing, etc...I would think CO would not be the place for them.

BTW, when I was in college in WI, they never once cancelled classes due to snow, but they did for cold weather a few times when it was 20 below zero not factoring in the wind chill. (That cold weather is why I moved to TX, but I'm now sick of the heat...haha so I'm looking to go to Denver where the winters are not as harsh as WI.)

[TexaCo Mom]

Terri,

Native Texan here. Born, raised and lived in San Antonio until the age of 39 then transplanted to Colorado 8 years ago with my family. Unless you're planning to live in the "high country" surviving the cold of Colorado (Denver metro) is completely doable. My kids were 10 & 7 when we arrived here and are now 18 & 15. Of course, initially the kids were thrilled with the prospect of seeing/playing in the snow after not having ever seen any in Texas. Now they appear to be quite "seasoned" and the snow/cold is no big deal. Rare is the day where either of them actually have the desire or the need to throw on a real winter coat, nor do I for that matter. I will say that learning to drive here can be a little intimidating at first, but go slow & watch your following distance and you'll do fine. It's not like when the rare snow falls in Texas and the entire city shuts down. It's business as usual here.

Good luck with your decision.
Lisa

[Terri722]

Thanks so much AV8 and TexaCO....helpful information to think about... I too, am so sick of the heat that I would welcome the cold (I hope) my 19 year old is actually wanting to move there...nature, mountains etc...all my older daughter can think about is *freezing to death* ...her words...haha Probably is a great idea to rent a cabin or
something this winter and see what everyone does...I think we
could do it though...we are looking at homes in the Salida...
Coaldale...Cotopaxi or Westcliffe area if either of you know anything
about those areas...I would appreciate your input...again, thank you
for your help...

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Terri722

Thanks so much AV8 and TexaCO....helpful information to think about... I too, am so sick of the heat that I would welcome the cold (I hope) my 19 year old is actually wanting to move there...nature, mountains etc...all my older daughter can think about is *freezing to death* ...her words...haha Probably is a great idea to rent a cabin or
something this winter and see what everyone does...I think we
could do it though...we are looking at homes in the Salida...
Coaldale...Cotopaxi or Westcliffe area if either of you know anything
about those areas...I would appreciate your input...again, thank you
for your help...

Nice spots, all, IF you bring your money and income with you. If you are planning to rely on the area for your income--well, that is another matter entirely. Also, expect about 7-8 months of brown or white--summer is only about 4 months long in any of those locales. Salida is a nice town, but rapidly becoming way too overpriced. $300K+ houses and $10/hr. jobs (that's for the "good" jobs) doesn't work out very well . . .

[Mike78613]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

All I can say about this is that I know a lot of old-line Colorado folks--contractors, gas field people, etc., who flat refused to hire Texans and other "Southerners" for any outside work. Why? Because, as soon as cold weather and little snow would hit, half of those "lightweight" transplants would quit and go back to wherever they came from. I heard the same thing from old-line Wyomingites when I lived up there. I actually think that the inability of many to deal with adverse outdoor conditions is even worse now because so many people--especially from urban areas--simply spend so much time indoors in a temperature-controlled environment that dealing with cold or heat is completely foreign to them. Sadly, this seems particularly true for children today--they're too used to sitting inside the heated and air-conditioned house with their X-Box.

Contrast that to the years I spent living in Gunnison, where winter temperatures were regularly as low as -20° or lower. There was essentially no school bus service within the town limits then. Kids were expected to walk to school. Cold was not an excuse for absence. In the several years that I lived there, school was NEVER canceled because of cold or snow. Kids bundled up and went to school--and went outside at recess. I walked 7 blocks four times a day to my college classes there--no matter what the temperature. So, pardon me if I don't have much sympathy for some kid being "upset" about some cold. They can either get over it, or live somewhere else.

+1 for you!!
I can see that happening for sure. People have to think about it in Colorado for longer colder months then hot / warm
Now just "oh wow, look at those big hills, they are pretty, I want to move!!"

lol

[Terri722]

I don't think I have come across as "oh wow, look at those bigs hill, they are pretty, I want to move!!!" In reality, my husband sustained a brain injury in 2005 because
of medical negligence....I AM HOPING that the change of scenery (which he loved
because we vacationed in Colorado before this happened to him) would give him
some new hope...he cannot walk or talk and I take care of him 24/7...All of his so
called friends have deserted him because he is different now...and my a**hole
inlaws visit him once a week for 30 minutes and do not talk to him while they are
here...we are all needing to start our lives over somewhere peaceful and beautiful
and I thought this would be a great place....he was a big outdoors person before
this...so he will enjoy the nature...I am just trying to find out as much as possible
before I make any longterm decisions...selling a home these days is tough...so I
am researching so that we do not buy a home and turn around and need to sell
it....