Are people delusional about Denver's climate? (condo, to buy, taxes)

[jshwon]

"Ideal climate" is relative. So is what one person considers extreme or mild or livable. There are any number of factors that contribute to this. To condemn someone for thinking Denver has a mild climate (to them) is just as myopic as someone condemning a person for thinking it's not mild.

I was born and raised in Boston and have now lived in Houston for 14 years and I can firmly tell you I would trade the weather in Boston/Denver for Houston's any day. FOR ME the summers here are virtually unlivable. The furnace can turn on as early as late March and stays on well into mid/late Oct. And the summers are just as crippling as a long winter. Where they keep you inside because it's just way too hot to do anything outdoors besides going to the store for essentials. Constant heat advisories and people dying because they can't stay inside anymore and want to do some extended outdoor activity.

So for every extreme winter there are places where the opposite is true. That doesn't even take into account what other health issues may exists that make living in warm climates more difficult (and there are a lot). For that reason everyone's ideal climate doesn't include 90 degree weather (humidity or not). For me I would take the long winter knowing that eventually it will end with a warm less humid summer knowing that it will end also. In other words variety. Houston there is really only two seasons with the worst one lasting what feels like 9-10 months out of the year.

Having lived in both climates with long snowy winters and long steamy summers I find it much easier and more desireable to get out and do things in the winter vs a Houston summer. You can dress and prepare for the cold/snow and actually make use of it (we ski/snowboard). In the summer here there is not much you can do before the heat sucks the life out of you and you have to go back inside. Being outside running errands only to come home and just want to lay down because you have no energy left.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by jshwon

Having lived in both climates with long snowy winters and long steamy summers I find it much easier and more desireable to get out and do things in the winter vs a Houston summer. You can dress and prepare for the cold/snow and actually make use of it (we ski/snowboard). In the summer here there is not much you can do before the heat sucks the life out of you and you have to go back inside. Being outside running errands only to come home and just want to lay down because you have no energy left.

I agree with this sentiment.

I'm allowed to wear a coat in to the office when it's cold out. Cannot wear shorts and a t-shirt in to the office in Vegas this week. Still have to wear a suit and its 110.

Personally, I'm uncomfortable over 80 degrees. My biggest complaint about Denver's weather is that it gets too hot.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by Phil P

CO climate lovers generally have these things in common:

1. A great disdain for humidity
2. An appreciation for winter and being out in the snow
3. A great disdain for overcast days
4. The variety of weather changes possible in a given day, week, and month
5. Not too much interest in plants or greeness
6. And most importantly, the ability to get outside and have the acceptable weather to do your activity, because people here are outdoor activity focused

1. Agree
2. Agree
3. Disagree. I enjoy overcast days. It gives a break from the intense heat of the sun in summer and I love a good gloomy day from time to time. What I don't like is weeks on end of not seeing the sun between November and February.
4. Eh. It is what it is. Edit: the more I think about it, I do enjoy the variety over the course of a week or month - it keeps things interesting.
5. Disagree. I care about both plants and "greenness". There are plants in Denver. I have beautiful peonies, clematis, hostas, lilies in my yard and I enjoy my membership at the Botanic Garden. I understand that there are some things I can't grow here. It's the price I pay for low humidity and bug population. I'm ok with that. When I start to question that compromise, all I need to do is travel to a lush, green part of the country for a few days in July or August. I get over it pretty quickly.
6. Agree.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Phil P

IMO, there are a lot of places in the US that have pretty decent climates, basically anywhere except the great plains and upper midwest (and Alaska). If you like it or not depends on preferences for precipitation amounts, temps, and variety.

CO climate lovers generally have these things in common:

1. A great disdain for humidity
2. An appreciation for winter and being out in the snow
3. A great disdain for overcast days
4. The variety of weather changes possible in a given day, week, and month
5. Not too much interest in plants or greeness
6. And most importantly, the ability to get outside and have the acceptable weather to do your activity, because people here are outdoor activity focused

First of all, I don't think the upper midwest is *that* bad, though I do admit to never having lived there. I follow Minneapolis' climate closely b/c my daughter lives there, and I've visited several times in different seasons, though never the dead of winter.

Now to take your points:

1. I don't "disdain" it but I find it much more comfortable here than in Champaign, 1000 miles to the east on the 40th meridian.
2. Agree. I like snow. I kind of miss the snow we got in Champaign, that sticks around for a couple of weeks/months.
3. When we first came here, I thought, "I miss these days where the sun doesn't come out at all". Now, I think, "Isn't the sun going to come out at all today?"
4. Agree
5. Another thing I miss from a wetter climate. I/we are inveterate gardeners, as are many on here.
6. I'm not too outdoor activity focused, but I do like that the weather rarely interferes with one's planned activities. You can plan a picnic, and actually eat outside. Even if it rains, it'll be over in a little bit. It's rare for a baseball game to be totally rained out. You can plan an outdoor birthday party, wedding, etc.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

For the price people pay for a house in Denver, they could live in Western San Diego County.

It is far hotter then downtown San Diego of course but it is stil far better on climate then Denver.

Similar temperatures in the summer with mild, San Diego winters and no snow.

No way Western San Diego County is as affordable as Denver is. I assume when you say Western San Diego you speak of the beach areas?

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

I don’t know but there was a thread on here a while ago about a shipping container house in Denver listed at $749,000. Everybody here seemed to think it was a great deal. So I guess people are willing to pay California prices for Denver real estate, despite the less then ideal climate. Then again, if you are willing to pay three quarters of a million dollars for $20,000 worth of recycled shipping containers, I guess you probably don’t care where they are located.

I grew up in San Diego and my folks just moved from there. Denver is getting expensive but it is still quite a long way off from being as expensive as Southern California.

I have looked at moving back and it is just not feasible.

[SQL]

Originally Posted by Mach50

"If you don't like the weather, wait 5 mins" is a well known saying about Denver and Colorado in general...that is how I would describe it here "dynamic".

I think this only applies when we get the occasional afternoon precipitation. But typically, hourly weather is pretty consistent IME. What I do like are the cool summer mornings. What I don't like are the hot summer afternoons. But at least it's dry.

[SQL]

Originally Posted by Timmyy

I grew up in San Diego and my folks just moved from there. Denver is getting expensive but it is still quite a long way off from being as expensive as Southern California.

I have looked at moving back and it is just not feasible.

We are moving in the direction very quickly. I don't believe we're as far off as people think. And if it came down to the two, I'd much rather live closer to the ocean (and mountains) as opposed to just mountains.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

I agree with this sentiment.

I'm allowed to wear a coat in to the office when it's cold out. Cannot wear shorts and a t-shirt in to the office in Vegas this week. Still have to wear a suit and its 110.

Personally, I'm uncomfortable over 80 degrees. My biggest complaint about Denver's weather is that it gets too hot.

I'd agree. But at least it generally cools off nicely at night. That's a huge plus for me. We love being able to sleep with our windows open during the summer. Being able to open the windows periodically throughout the year - I dislike stale air regardless of whether it's due to heating or air-conditioning. At some point, gotta open those windows!

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by Timmyy

I grew up in San Diego and my folks just moved from there. Denver is getting expensive but it is still quite a long way off from being as expensive as Southern California.

I have looked at moving back and it is just not feasible.

Give it a few more years. A quick Google shows that housing prices (depending on what type of housing you are looking for) are about 8% to 42% more in San Diego then Denver. With the current trend, the prices should be pretty comparable in another five years.