Thinking about a vacation home in Colorado...need advice (Denver: ski resorts, for sale)

[Ravialdo]

The skinny:
I love backcountry camping and the mountains. Problem is, the wife cajoled me into moving to South Florida. Now, S.Fl. maybe a dream to some, but for me, its a nightmare. I'm slowly learning not to hate every second of it here, but its not ideal. However, her family is here, and I consider our kids growing up with cousins and aunts and uncles more important than my day-to-day happiness with the climate/locale/etc.

HOWEVER, we have openly discussed owning a property out West, to placate me as a 2nd home/vacation home. We have 2 young kids (3 and 2 yrs old) and we get a decent amount of vacation.
What are we looking for? The wife would like a mountain home with greenery...so Southwest Colorado is out.
Ideally, I'm looking for a mountain property with some acreage. I don't want a subdivision or heavily developed area....this is a mountain vacation home afterall! We are also looking for a place close to an international airport, one with direct flights from S.Fl. (what good is a vacation home if it take forever to get there?), hopefully no more than a 2 hr drive. Also, we would be more comfortable if there was a town in close proximity with some amenities. A town like Estes Park or Boulder, perhaps?
We are not skiers....yet. So proximity to the slopes is not a big deal.

Any suggestions? I know its a big state. Any particular developments? I anticipate that I would buy a homesite 1st, and develop it later (in a couple years). I'm not looking to move in tomorrow, this is more like a 5-7 yr plan. Also, are there other areas in different states I should be considering? I like New Mexico, just don't know about the level of 'greenery' for the wife.

[treedonkey]

Oh brother....
What's your budget?

(Really just buying some time here to see if the OP is a one post wonder or not)

[sunsprit]

To begin with, your "direct flights" airports would be either DIA (Denver), or Colorado Springs.

With a "2-hour" radius from each airport, that limits you to either a plains area (front range) or the mountains nearby.

"greenery" in Colorado is very much a seasonal moisture issue; on the plains is mostly brown or various shades of it for much of the year. Even our mountains are not lush foliage green as one expects in lower elevation and wetter climate areas. There's not a lot of deciduous hardwood trees ... it's mostly pines and conifers and spruce, which aren't as showy and colorful. It's a big deal when the stands of aspen turn colors in the fall among the stands of evergreens ... and some years, that fall "color" may last for only a few days before the leaves drop off.

Since you also want mountain acreage, ready access to the amenities of a "town", but not to be in it ... I think you're ruling out anywhere on the Front Range ... which would include Boulder (which is not in the mountains, by the way). Acreage in the Estes Park area could be had, but I think you're stretching the time issue from DIA ... and Estes Park is a "tourist" area with a Memorial Day to Labor Day season for it's major activity. The town pretty much shuts down in the winter months.

By your requirements, you've also ruled out the readily accessible mountain communities up the I-70 corridor from DIA/Denver.

I think you might want to investigate the areas South and West of Denver, up into the Pike National Forest area ... near towns like Bailey. Look at the Hwy 285 corridor SW of Denver, or the Hwy 24 corridor West of Colorado Springs. There's lot of outdoor recreation, privacy, tree'd areas in the region.

Your opportunities for a "mountain cabin" on acreage are more reasonably priced here because they're not readily accessible to ski resort areas. You also need to look carefully at your wintertime access as it may not necessarily be easy in the winter months.

If, however, you decide you want to become skiers ... you'll be better served by looking at properties closer to the nexus of ski resorts ... perhaps a mountain cabin in Clear Creek or Gilpin counties, which are accessed by the I-70 corridor West of Denver.

I think you might do best in making your choices by coming out and renting various places in the region for a season or two and seeing what it's really like to be in the Colorado mountains through all the year.

[Ravialdo]

Actually, in my early 'due dilegence' I've found a development in Gilpin County: Paradise Valley Mountain Properties - Land for sale in Gilpin County, Colorado.

My budget? Hard to say. I think around $200K is the upper range for a lot. Perhaps could be budged to $250K if it was perfect.

I have to admit, I feel pretty guilty about it. I'm all for conserving our spaces and reducing our impact on the enviroment. I have a definete idea for the type of home I want (modernist, perhaps prefab modern something like Modern Retreat on Virginia’s Shenandoah River | Modern House Designs) but I've started thinking about a property with a 'tear-down' as opposed to starting new construction on an undeveloped lot.

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by Ravialdo

I have to admit, I feel pretty guilty about it. I'm all for conserving our spaces and reducing our impact on the enviroment.

Then don't do it... putting up a big ol' vacation home to sit there empty most of the year is a pretty ostentatious move, IMO. You could spend that $250k on vacations and be free to go to a different place each time with no hassles of home-ownership.

At any rate, for 250k, you should have no problem finding a decent lot within a two hour drive of DIA. Boulder is one of the more expensive areas though, along with the higher ski towns. You should probably be talking to realtors at this point.

[Mike from back east]

My advice is strictly from a "smart money" perspective. What follows is purely my point of view on such things.

By all means do not borrow money to buy a property (or a boat or RV) that you will only use a few weeks per year. Instead, rent a property from those who've already bought, spend a week or two doing what you love, then walk away from it. For me, that includes renting an RV if I want one for a bit, or going out a charter fishing boat occasionally. I use it and then hand it back to the owner. Millions of we Americans have let our ego's be sold by the siren song of I gotta have one for ME. It's a trap.

If you actually have the $200k in liquid assets, put it in something relatively safe and handy. There are tons of superb resorts out here where you can stay a week or two, do your thing, then walk away from it with 99% of your $200k still in YOUR name, not some bank.

I think buying a "retirement" home when your young is a poor use of money. Half of all couples end up in divorce court. Most couples who make it all the way through to retirement find their interests have changed or no longer appeal to them or their health has changed. It'll still be here when you retire.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by Ravialdo

Actually, in my early 'due dilegence' I've found a development in Gilpin County: Paradise Valley Mountain Properties - Land for sale in Gilpin County, Colorado.

My budget? Hard to say. I think around $200K is the upper range for a lot. Perhaps could be budged to $250K if it was perfect.

I have to admit, I feel pretty guilty about it. I'm all for conserving our spaces and reducing our impact on the enviroment. I have a definete idea for the type of home I want (modernist, perhaps prefab modern something like Modern Retreat on Virginia’s Shenandoah River | Modern House Designs) but I've started thinking about a property with a 'tear-down' as opposed to starting new construction on an undeveloped lot.

Ah, my reaction is the same as above. If you feel pretty guilty about it, then don't do it. It's a lot of money for a place to not be excited about being there ....

As Mike points out, you could come to Colorado and lease or rent for your stays and spend a lot less money over the years ... and have the freedom to stay at different places to accomodate your interests as time goes by.

[jazzlover]

I'll be more blunt about it. Second homes--especially the "trophy" type--are a scourge on the Colorado landscape. They wreck viewsheds, are a breeding ground for noxious weeds where soil is disturbed to build them, often disrupt wild game migration routes, frequently ignorant owners introduce non-native plants, etc. to delicate mountain environments around them, the roads to access them disturb more ground that causes erosion and other issues--not to mention impacts on public services that those properties frequently do not generate enough tax revenue to pay for. The only people who actually benefit from them are the slimeball developers that promote them.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

. . . . you could come to Colorado and lease or rent for your stays and spend a lot less money over the years ... and have the freedom to stay at different places to accomodate your interests as time goes by.

True, and points out a very important aspect; if one lives in one spot, hiking the same path over and over gets boring in a hurry. There are hundreds of great hikes all over the state (if not thousands) and visiting every six months or once per year to take in the variety of hikes is a much better use of time and money.

[Ravialdo]

Well, I thank everyone for their input. It is appreciated.
You are right, it is not a great move financially speaking. The upkeep alone would be tremendous. The impact on the environment is also an issue, which is why I've thought about using an existing home, as not to increase the overall home 'inventory'.
The reality is that people will want to move to the West. Thankfully, not a lot but enough that we need to make sure that builders and developers use ethical and responsible practices when building, as to ensure sustainable communities and environments.
Anyways, I've got a lot to think about. Sometimes its just the daydreaming about a move that really sustains me. I'll probably never go through with it, as long as I can 'virtually' be there!