Relocating from midwest looking for small town (Denver, Colorado Springs: fit in, real estate)

[spruden]

My husband and I lived in Colorado Springs during his station at Ft. Carson. We loved it. So much more beautiful than Indiana. After he was discharged, we moved back to Indiana and started a family. We want to move back to Colorado. We are so unhappy here, ever since living in Colorado. We home school, have 2 children and plan to have 2-3 more. My husband works for a CAT dealer and he manages a coal company contract with the equipment dealer. We also like to grow and can our own vegetables, and prefer to have grass-fed beef. We also would like to have enough room to potentially have horses.

What is it like for a homeschooling family in CO? Do the laws regarding homeschooling, make it difficult? Are there home school co-ops, or groups for home school families? Do the public schools still allow homeschoolers to participate in extracurricular activities? Are there many homeschooling families in CO?

What towns would be good for a one income family that enjoys simple living? We liked the springs, but I think we would prefer to be in a smaller town. More of a country feel. Lower cost of living, and low crime rate are important. My husband makes good money, but we are used to the midwest cost of living, where for 180,000 you can get a 3bd/2ba home with acreage. We want plenty of room to grow a garden and let our kids play.

We hardly left Colorado Springs while we were there, so I don't know much about the surrounding areas.

[julian17033]

I lived in Colorado and the front range for close to 22 years.

Your 180K price point including acreage is difficult to locate anywhere close to the mountains or the western slope.
I moved to Sterling with my mother in 1977 when I was twelve.
It is a small farming community that acts as the hub of most of Northeastern Colorado.
The population is approx. 13000 with Northeastern Junior College in session.

It's located 125 miles northeast of Denver off of I-76. Most towns along the I-76 corridor like Sterling, Fort Morgan, Brush and Hillrose could sustain you and your family with a little acreage and an older modular home.

Until we moved to Colorado I grew up in Alton IL. I know IL and IN very very well. Even in the remotest of eastern Colorado locations the price of real estate is notably higher in cost than it is anywhere in the Midwest.

The same level of quality of home and land you would have in Indiana would cost you in the mid 250,000 range and higher almost anywhere in Colorado.

The extreme arid and treeless landscape of eastern Colorado all the way to the foothills is very difficult to "" farm "" as it compares to the lush green and jungle like scenes you see where you currently call home.

Most of the land that is reserved for ranching is scattered with prickly pear cactus and very sandy soil.

You also need to know I'm not trying to talk you out of moving to Colorado but everything and I do mean EVERYTHING is completely different in Colorado as it compares to the Midwest including the most important thing and that is the cost of property.

Good luck to you in your decision.

[reed303]

Re home schooling, lots of info here:
Home Schooling in Colorado

re homes, go to COhomefinder | Colorado's most popular real estate website select "more Search options", enter acreage, enter county = El Paso. Currently showing 15 listings under 180K on 2 to 3 acres.

As julian17033 said, the climate here is very different from IN. Soil tends to be clay or sand. No "black muck" like the Midwest.

[davebarnes]

Colorado - 7-15 inches of rain a year
Indiana - 40 inches of rain a year

Water is scarce and highly regulated in Colorado.
I suggest that you learn about water before making any decisions.
Google "water law in colorado" and start reading.
It is nothing like Indiana.

For example: In most of Colorado it is illegal to collect rainwater.

[spruden]

When it comes to gardening, we could be flexible because so long as there are farmers markets, we could still purchase fresh vegetables to can.

[spruden]

I am also wondering if any of you know any of the homebirth laws in Colorado? We are planning on our next child being born at home and know of plenty of midwives in Indiana, but I do not know if it is legal in CO.

[lovethehighcountry]

I don't know the laws, but I know I friend just had a home birth with a midwife here in CO.

And, as said above, gardening is a tough deal out here. There are some good farmers markets, though! We liked the one in Greeley a lot.

[davebarnes]

I really think you should look at other states.

1. Lower priced land. Overall, CO is much higher priced than half the country.
2. With water. You can buy very low-priced land in CO, but it does not have water so about all you can grow is grass.
3. Longer growing season.

Kentucky
Tennessee
Ohio
Illinois

[spruden]

I was just looking at the real estate website that reed303 posted, and it looks like we could find something affordable that we would be interested in. As for gardening, as long as there are farmers markets we are okay. I can't stay in the midwest. We are miserable here, and we don't fit in with the mindset of the bible belt. If we don't get out soon, I may go crazy.

[julian17033]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

I really think you should look at other states.

1. Lower priced land. Overall, CO is much higher priced than half the country.
2. With water. You can buy very low-priced land in CO, but it does not have water so about all you can grow is grass.
3. Longer growing season.

Kentucky
Tennessee
Ohio
Illinois

I have a friend who lives in Sterling which is in Northeastern CO. He moved outside of town on some subdivided ranch land.

He purchased 2.5 acres with no well or electricity running to the property.
The well drilling was rather expensive. They had to go down to approx 175 feet in order to reach water.
Running electricity was another hefty expense.

He is in the process of saving for a home to be constructed.

Meanwhile he's in an older single wide trailer.

The real issue with water in this story is if the well runs dry or drops below a certain flow rate he will have to spend another large amount of money to have another well re drilled with again no guarantee.

I fully and completely agree with Davebarnes on this, really think about staying in the Midwest.

You are able to have a much higher quality of life compared to living in Colorado.