Relocating and living in Colorado Springs (Denver: renting, condos, crime rates)

[Phil P]

I don't think an outdoor unheated pool would work. The night time lows would almost always make it chilly.

Each year varies on which part's the best depending more on how much moisture is coming than the temps. In general late fall early winters (Nov-Jan) is the worst, as it's all brown and still rather chilly, but there's not enough snow to do much. Feb-April are great times to be out and about playing in the snow and enjoying winter weather, especially in the mountains. May's nice in that you get long days and you can do a little bit of summer and winter activities, but a lot of people get sick of the snow by this point and can't wait for June. North COS got 16 inches in mid May this year and I thought it was cool, but a lot of other people didn't care for that. The biggest problem with winter isn't that it's intense (though there will usually be at least one blizzard), but that it's long, from Nov-May.

Sometime in the summer it will be browner and hot, but usually there's a couple good months. Falls are nice, but not as gorgeous as a lot of the rest of the nation is at this time.

Anywhere where there's things growing there will be pollen, but there's not nearly as much in COS as wetter places. I don't know what specific allergies you have, but the drier portions of town should be pretty good in that regard.

It's common to hear people here say that weathers WAY better than the eastern US, but people who like climates back east get annoyed at things here; it's preference. The two biggest differences are the day / night temp swings and how much drier it is.

[dr.frog]

I lived in New England (Boston and New Haven) for 20 years before moving to COS, and I LOVE the climate here compared to the eastern US. The best things are the low humidity, cooler nights, and lack of bugs in the summer, and more sunshine in the winter and not having that period in the early spring where there are dirty piles of snow and ice patches that partially melt and refreeze for weeks before finally disappearing.

Fall and the early part of winter tend to be pretty dry here, while spring is the season when it snows (but by then the sun is strong enough that it will almost always melt immediately).

[frankrj]

Originally Posted by rschlegel

Thanks!
I am originally from Philadelphia, so CO winters would be tolerable. We once lived in Denver for 1 year and visited Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak, so the area is not completely foreign.

We are moderately affluent, so we should be able to afford living there.

We are generally healthy and heard the state is good for staying active outdoors. I think we would just stay indoors on those days when it is nasty outside.

We were considering Prescott AZ, but we found it too dry and LOVE the Colorado Rockies!

I am also considering Colo. Springs and Prescott. Currently in South Florida but I am so so tired of the constant heat and humidity. I love the beautiful green areas & lakes but sweating is a turn off.

I need to move closer west for work and extended family.

I found Flagstaff and Sedona when we visited to be extremely dry but their outdoor activities and proximity to relatives is good for me.
My concerns about Colo. Springs are:
1. Are there more ex-Californians moving in? - Don't need elected officials making dumb decisions
2. Lightning Strikes - I heard they get the most in the U.S. behind #1 SW Florida.
3. Days snow is on the ground. Ideally I want 3-4 mos of 35-50 as low temps
4. Prefer a neighborhood with lots of trees and within 5 mi of Trader Joes & Sprouts, dining, parks, etc.
5. Homes $230-$300k or nice rentals w/garage for $1000-$1200
6. Will I be okay with a car, or do I need an SUV because it snows a lot?


I've been to Denver for a month about 25 yrs ago and liked it. I know Denver has skyrocketed in housing prices, can that happen in ColoSprings?
Someone mentioned rents are going up in Colo Springs. Are there new employers or industries causing this surge locally?

[otowi]

Your indicated price range might be a bit rough for where you want to be. Our prices have gone the way of Denver. Your low temps also sound unrealistic - winter will have lower lows, summer will have higher lows, spring and fall all over the place. Snow melts quickly though, usually. People in Colorado Springs have cars not just SUVs. Yes, there is a lot of lightning sometimes. And hail. And wind. Yes, there are people from California here, and from just about everywhere else.

[frankrj]

Originally Posted by otowi

Your indicated price range might be a bit rough for where you want to be. Our prices have gone the way of Denver. Your low temps also sound unrealistic - winter will have lower lows, summer will have higher lows, spring and fall all over the place. Snow melts quickly though, usually. People in Colorado Springs have cars not just SUVs. Yes, there is a lot of lightning sometimes. And hail. And wind. Yes, there are people from California here, and from just about everywhere else.

Just checked Denver metro prices and they increased just 1% on average since last year so the annual price appreciation lull is hopefully here.
Just checked, CS winters have 5 months on average with lows from 10 to 25 degrees (Nov.to March) and lows in the 30s in April. Is that data accurate?

I don't mind cold weather for months, just not the scraping ice off windshield, walking on ice, and a pain that emerges when it gets down to 40 degrees and windy. May have to be a snowbird and leave for 5 mos.

[otowi]

I think COS rents/prices might be rising more quickly than Denver recently but still a bit lower overall. Yes, that data sounds accurate. If you have a garage you might not need to scrape ice off the windshield, but if you have a car parked outside it is a pretty common occurence here. People complain about the wind here pretty often -I'm used to it, but for some people it is a major issue. Maybe COS isn't quite the right place for you.

[MountainEarth]

For the record, Colorado Springs (18" annual precipitation) is slightly drier than Flagstaff (21" annual precipitation) and Sedona (23").

[Westbound and Down]

Originally Posted by frankrj

I am also considering Colo. Springs and Prescott. Currently in South Florida but I am so so tired of the constant heat and humidity. I love the beautiful green areas & lakes but sweating is a turn off.

I need to move closer west for work and extended family.

I found Flagstaff and Sedona when we visited to be extremely dry but their outdoor activities and proximity to relatives is good for me.
My concerns about Colo. Springs are:
1. Are there more ex-Californians moving in? - Don't need elected officials making dumb decisions
2. Lightning Strikes - I heard they get the most in the U.S. behind #1 SW Florida.
3. Days snow is on the ground. Ideally I want 3-4 mos of 35-50 as low temps
4. Prefer a neighborhood with lots of trees and within 5 mi of Trader Joes & Sprouts, dining, parks, etc.
5. Homes $230-$300k or nice rentals w/garage for $1000-$1200
6. Will I be okay with a car, or do I need an SUV because it snows a lot?


I've been to Denver for a month about 25 yrs ago and liked it. I know Denver has skyrocketed in housing prices, can that happen in ColoSprings?
Someone mentioned rents are going up in Colo Springs. Are there new employers or industries causing this surge locally?

Your budget for Colorado Springs housing is low unless by "homes" you include townhouses and condos. Nice rentals with a garage? Even decent apartments with garages or at least covered parking will likely run above your budget. There are plenty of neighborhoods close to TJs, etc., with trees, but again your budget is a problem. I am renting a nice 4BR/3Ba house in just such a neighborhood, and it has a nice big garage, but rents for homes that size, location, and quality typically start at $2,000 per month.

The fear of Californians is overblown. I think that would be much more of an issue in AZ...

SUV not necessary here for snow as long as you have front wheel drive and don't plan to drive over to the ski areas on a regular basis...for in and around Colorado Springs, snow will not hold you up for more than a day or so a couple of times a winter.

Finally, if access to doctors and good health care are important to you, Colorado Springs is outstanding in this regard. Many places "out west," including very popular destinations like Boise, have physician shortages. Be sure you have a good picture of this situation wherever you end up moving...be sure you know what you are getting into in AZ, at least outside of the Phoenix metro.

[TCHP]

1. CO attracts a lot of people, CA isn't only on place they come from. Many are also from TX, AZ, FL, NY, etc.
2. This is true. How do you avoid it in FL? Probably applies here too.
3. Define snow on the ground. A patch on teh north side of a house, grass covered, roads covered, a foot everywhere? We don't have as much snow as you might think, and while we have some decent temps at times in the winter, your lows are not close to reality. If I had to throw a number out, I'd say maybe 30 days total with some snow blowing on the roads. Maybe 60 days total with some snow on my lawn. Maybe once a year we'll get a consistent dump of 3-10 inches. But, that snow can occur October to May.
4. That's easy, Rockrimmon, Old North End, Erindale, Country Club Estates. We only have 1 Trader Joes on north Nevada, BTW.
5. Not going to happen in the those areas I listed above.
6. Cars with good snow tires are fine in all but the worst storms.

CO is a desirable place, prices are escalating. Insurance is above national averages, and vehicle registrations are expensive. Other COL factors are along national averages.

If there is are industries driving up prices in COS, it is defense and software.

[Westbound and Down]

Originally Posted by Westbound and Down

Your budget for Colorado Springs housing is low unless by "homes" you include townhouses and condos. Nice rentals with a garage? Even decent apartments with garages or at least covered parking will likely run above your budget. There are plenty of neighborhoods close to TJs, etc., with trees, but again your budget is a problem. I am renting a nice 4BR/3Ba house in just such a neighborhood, and it has a nice big garage, but rents for homes that size, location, and quality typically start at $2,000 per month.

The fear of Californians is overblown. I think that would be much more of an issue in AZ...

SUV not necessary here for snow as long as you have front wheel drive and don't plan to drive over to the ski areas on a regular basis...for in and around Colorado Springs, snow will not hold you up for more than a day or so a couple of times a winter.

Finally, if access to doctors and good health care are important to you, Colorado Springs is outstanding in this regard. Many places "out west," including very popular destinations like Boise, have physician shortages. Be sure you have a good picture of this situation wherever you end up moving...be sure you know what you are getting into in AZ, at least outside of the Phoenix metro.

Adding to my comments above, for Frankrj:

You should look at Albuquerque, particularly for the cost of housing that would fit your budget. Less snow to be concerned about (very infrequent). Less lightning, and even less windy than COS. Overall, the weather in ABQ is more even keeled, more predictable, than the wild conditions that we have in COS. Californians are not an issue. Plenty of neighborhoods or areas with trees (more than you might otherwise think).

Your housing budget more or less knocks Colorado Springs (and certainly Denver) off your list; the rest of your "wants" therefore don't even come into play in evaluating COS - you can't afford to live here, period. I have no idea about Prescott or anyplace else in AZ, but I think it gets pretty dang hot there in the summer - Phoenix is miserably hot from April through October...I have spent a lot of time there, and would not live there myself.

Caveat: I lived in ABQ for the four years prior to moving to Colorado Springs about 9 months ago...I like it here, but I can afford it, and I believe it is worth it. I would not live in ABQ again on a dare...YMMV...