Montrose revisited (Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction: sales, real estate market, rental)

[bluebird39]

Hi there,

I posted a while back about Montrose, and a possible job. Well, turns out the job is still open, and we're considering again whether to apply.

First of all, it concerns me a bit that the job is still open. I'm know that the economy is bad, and that people are staying put more, so I'm hoping that's the main reason.

We've lived on the West Coast, Midwest and South, but never in the Rockies. We've visited though.

I have 2 school-aged kids, and hope to be able to remain home with them. That means we need a house that's 200K or less. Do those exist there?

Are there good medical specialists there? Right now we have to drive over 90 minutes one way to see certain specialists. We live in a tiny town (1000), and it's nice in some ways, but I'm not too keen about it. We don't like huge cities either though. With kids, our idea of a Saturday night is pizza and a movie at home. Is there a good grocery store there? What about a public swimming pool? Also, my kids are in ski club at school here, and it's very affordable - $15 for rental and lift on week-day evenings (in MI). Is there anything comparable there?

I love the snow, but also love the sun, so that part about CO is appealing. It's also much closer to family than the West Coast, which is a place we're also considering. One bad thing about the WC, specifically Oregon, is that it seems that every job opening has a long line of very experienced, soon-to-be-retired applicants that makes it hard to get the job. Is that the case in Montrose area too? Are there many families there? What's the political climate?

Also, I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the heat in the summer up here in MI. Does it get hot enough to swim outside there? It barely does here. I also love gardening, and have had a hard time of it here. Is that doable in Montrose?

Thanks. Any other info would be great.

[Shuffler]

One of my best friends lives in Montrose. He's bounced around a few jobs and has repeatedly said that it's NOT a place where you want to be unemployed. Not many options for good jobs there, as I'm led to believe. I'd make sure that job you're going for is stable...

It gets very hot during summer and they are known to get dumps of snow in winter. You can garden there if you have good soil and plenty of water (it is the high desert, after all). Housing can be had in your price range, but just know that like every other 'special' place in Colorado, the retirees and equity locusts are flocking to Montrose which in turn drives up the land & housing prices. One of the newer gated subdivisions has already caused a bit of a rift...understandably so. A gated subdivision in Montrose?! Yep.

[winglady]

1) Yes, there are homes available under $200K -- not too many of the brand new ones, but you can find some selection among older houses, especially within the city itself

2) We've had good luck with some medical specialties right here in Montrose. For those that aren't here, you can get good medical care in Grand Junction, which is about 1 hour drive away on a 4-lane, divided highway.

3) Groceries: 2 City Markets (Kroger chain), 1 Safeway, 1 Super Wal-Mart, plus some groceries at the new Target as well.

4) Public pool -- yes. It could use a little face-lift, but is still a good facility.

5) Skiing -- not sure about finding low-cost lift tickets for kids. Telluride is quite expensive, Powderhorn is more reasonable (but still $36 for a 1/2 day pass for children), Monarch Pass is another option (I don't know their rates). Now, if you want to take up cross-country skiing, the opportunities are almost limitless, and nearly all FREE.

6) Yes, lots of families here. It seems like a good place to raise kids.

7) Political climate: A few years ago, people would probably have just answered this with one word: "Republican". With people moving into the area, however, the climate here has become a bit more diverse.

8) Summer climate: yes, we can swim outside here in the summer! Highs are generally in the 80s and low 90s. Lows usually drop down to the 60s at night, which makes for comfortable sleeping weather. We have a good growing season, with lots of farming in the area (due to irrigation), many flower gardens, and vegetable gardens around peoples' homes.

I hope this helps.

[jazzlover]

Like nearly all of rural Colorado west of I-25, housing prices there are still seriously out of sync with local incomes. The people who do alright are the ones with jobs in government, the school district, the medical community, and a few decent-paying business jobs or professions (at least for now)--or they have lived there for decades and "bought in" when the place was still affordable. For most everybody else reliant on a local income, it's a struggle. The people living in the fancy houses, gated subdivisions, etc. are the equity locusts and trustifarians that brought their money from someplace else. That supply of money to the local economy is starting to dry up, so I predict a serious tanking of the real estate market, which is showing its early signs now. Because Montrose, like so much of Colorado, has so overrelied on construction and real estate speculation to prop up its economy, any hiccup in the real estate market is going to seriously affect unemployment rates. I know several large contracting outfits in the Montrose/Delta area that have already either closed, dramatically downsized, or pursued work out-of-state if they can find it (which also means their employees have to work away from home for weeks or months at a time). If you don't already have a job there (and one that will pay enough to live there), or you don't have an outside income to support you, Montrose--or anyplace else in rural Colorado in or near the mountains--is a lousy place to move to. And, at the risk of ruffling feathers, most of the people on this forum who gush about how great these places are either a) don't actually live there or b) if they do, are retired or otherwise do NOT have to rely on the local economy for an income.

As far as medical, I disagree with Winglady. Most routine stuff is available in Montrose--more specialized things are available in Grand Junction, BUT many specialized medical treatments require going to Colorado Springs, Denver, or Salt Lake City--very inconvenient. I know--been there, done that.

[bluebird39]

Thanks for the info! We wouldn't move unless DH gets a job offer. With kids, we of course take a move very seriously. We've both been employed in the 3 areas mentioned (gov, schools, health care), so we're lucky in that aspect.

What are property taxes like in Montrose? Is food and medicine sales tax-free? Is there a good grower's market there? Are there good places to take an active dog off-leash?

My kids cross country ski too... we can go simply by walking out our front door here. We have tons of snow on the ground for many months here, so maybe x-country has gotten too "boring" for them. Once they got a taste of downhill, that's all they like now, although we've been having fun teaching our big dog some basic ski-joring (sp?) techniques...

One thing we've really missed about the West is the access to public lands. I assume there's lots of trails and camping there? What about rafting? Any lakes? Are elk (hunting) tags easy to get? Thanks again.

[Shuffler]

Yes, all that can be had in Montrose. And like any place, it's not immune to crime. Some kid went into the middle school last year and randomly attacked & stabbed a girl in the neck. There are drugs and crime and bad seeds there and just about everywhere these days.

Again, be absolutely sure you have stable employment in order to support your lifestyle, and have a backup plan if things don't work out.

Don't let the allure of an exciting new place overpower your ability to make a smart financial decision.

[bluebird39]

Yikes! I know meth was a big issue in Oregon. Is it a problem there? I think we're going in to this eyes wide open, and we certainly wouldn't go there without a good secure job, nor would we move to a place that didn't offer us better opportunities than what we have right now. We're just trying to decide whether or not to apply for said job. There are certainly worse places than MI to live. That said, Michigan has a lot of problems right now. But thanks for the concern. I do appreciate it!

[Shuffler]

Originally Posted by bluebird39

Yikes! I know meth was a big issue in Oregon. Is it a problem there? I think we're going in to this eyes wide open, and we certainly wouldn't go there without a good secure job, nor would we move to a place that didn't offer us better opportunities than what we have right now. We're just trying to decide whether or not to apply for said job. There are certainly worse places than MI to live. That said, Michigan has a lot of problems right now. But thanks for the concern. I do appreciate it!

With the influx of oil & gas development comes the surly roughneck crowd and related crime. Meth is a huge problem on the Western Slope, but nobody wants to admit it and scare people off. I'd hazard to guess that meth is just about everywhere in Colorado.

Opportunties are everywhere too, but how 'good' they are depends on your lifestyle & expectations.

[ShellKing]

Hi bluebird. I live in Montrose and have school aged kids, so I think I can answer some of your questions.

A season pass to Telluride for kids is $129/year, but you must purchase in the fall. You can rent skis/poles/boots for $99/year from a couple different places. There is also a ski swap where you can purchase used gear. Also in CO, 5th graders can get a ski pass good for 3 free days at almost all resorts.

XC Skiing can be done after a storm, but we don't always have enough snow on the ground all winter long. But a quick drive (25 minutes) up to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison will yield lots of XC skiing trails.

The Aquatic Center has an indoor pool with 2 diving boards and a big slide. In the summer the outdoor pool is open. It is shallow, and has a BIG slide. It's about $4 to go to pool. A children's membership is $170/year or $300 for a family of 4. Check out the Rec District for more info: Montrose Recreation District

Medical specialists?? I think it depends what you're looking for. You can see the physician directory at the hospital and get an ideas of what specialties are available in Montrose Care Providers (http://www.montrosehospital.com/care_providers.htm - broken link) There are orthopedists, urologists, ENT drs, ophthalmologists, etc. There is a cancer center.

Overall Montrose is pretty republican, but not as much as it used to be. There are a lot of Obama stickers in the elementary school parking lot!

In a quick search on realtor.com I found 20 homes between 190,000 - 200,000 that were single family homes with 3+ bedrooms and 1.5+ bathrooms in Montrose.

Hope that helps.

[bluebird39]

Thanks! It sounds like a neat place. We recently found out about a job opportunity coming up in the Portland OR area, and are now leaning towards that. We lived in OR for many years, have family there, and know a lot about the area. CO would be closer to other family members, but not that close. I'd like a little more sun, personally, but also enjoy moisture (I'm from Louisiana originally and have gills behind my ears). The job in OR also seems to be a better suit for DH, so we'll see. Thanks for the info.