planning a move to grand junction- but cant afford to live there...need info on surrounding towns. (Clifton: rentals, how much)

[heyzeus]

i know this has been asked before, but its been a while so ill make my own post. i have a job opportunity in grand junction, and am planning a move back to colorado (we are from the cotopaxi area, hwy 50 outside salida).
now, there is NO WAY i can afford to live in grand junction, so ill have to commute. ive never actually been to that part of the state so i dont know anything about montrose, delta, olathe, fruita, etc. which would be the most ideal town for us?
got no problem with small town living, small school districts, or lack of walmarts, ha! but i need an affordable rental home.
thanks in advance!~

[jazzlover]

There really is not that much difference in housing prices and living costs between Grand Junction and most towns within 40-50 miles of it. Add in commuting expenses (which will explode when fuel prices explode again, and they will) and living "out" will actually cost more. It's just the harsh fact of the Western Slope. There are some people who commute from outlying towns, but most of them are people that bought into places before "the bubble", or they are in the netherworld where their job is one town, and the spouse's in another. There is a lot of that.

I've said it before: In this economic/energy situation that we are in now--and are going to stay in, in my opinion--there is NO WAY that I would set myself up for a long commute. To do so is just foolhardy, in my view.

[heyzeus]

really? i looked up local classifieds and housing in grand junction is listed at 200% or more compared to prices in delta or montrose. think $1400 per month for average sounding 3-4 br in gj, vs $700-850 for similar listings in montrose or delta. huge difference. if i have to pay $1400 a month for anything im not going anywhere, thats a ridiculous cost in an area where wages are so low. i mean, i understand the economy there 'the way to make a small fortune in colorado is to move there with a big one' , but i know some surrounding areas have to be better.

[80skeys]

Clifton is cheaper, but many people also consider it shabbier and with more petty crime, thefts, and things like that.

Orchard Mesa is a little cheaper across the board, you'd save about $200/month in rent by living there instead of Junction.

I think Fruita is pricey, but Loma would be cheaper.

Olathe is just a bunch of farms and dusty land spread out around east Hwy 50 south of Junction. I'm sure you can find great deals on rentals, but it's very isolated.

I'm not familiar with housing in Montrose. It might be a little cheaper, but then I wouldn't be suprised if it cost the same. And you'd be commuting 120 miles every day.

Consider Collbran. It's a beautiful ilttle mountain agriculture town. Should be cheaper.

[heyzeus]

ill check it out...what about delta? seems like the right size, decent distance, etc. i'd love to be at least close to montrose, and closer to salida/cotopaxi,canon where my family is

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

Clifton is cheaper, but many people also consider it shabbier and with more petty crime, thefts, and things like that.

Orchard Mesa is a little cheaper across the board, you'd save about $200/month in rent by living there instead of Junction.

I think Fruita is pricey, but Loma would be cheaper.

Olathe is just a bunch of farms and dusty land spread out around east Hwy 50 south of Junction. I'm sure you can find great deals on rentals, but it's very isolated.

I'm not familiar with housing in Montrose. It might be a little cheaper, but then I wouldn't be suprised if it cost the same. And you'd be commuting 120 miles every day.

Consider Collbran. It's a beautiful ilttle mountain agriculture town. Should be cheaper.

Didn't Olathe make a list of towns where the Mexican drug cartels have set up shop?

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Didn't Olathe make a list of towns where the Mexican drug cartels have set up shop?

Yes, unfortunately.

[NW Crow]

Mesa to Collbran looks pretty but you'd probably want to like a good amount of snow. Given the population in that area and the data on the share of properties that are rental there might only be around 50 -100 rental houses. How often they turnover and how much they fetch I don't know.

Loma has more population but a lower % of homes rented. There might be a total of 100 or more rental houses.

I've heard a couple of people say the Fruitvale area between GJ and Clifton is a good price-quality blend. It is a pretty big area so there are probably at least several hundred rental houses. Exactly where you are in that area could affect price and relative attractiveness & safety.

Delta might be within reach for some commuter tastes, too far for others but another option would be to look in-between. Not sure exactly how many houses there are between GJ and Delta overall but given the population reported for the Whitewater area I think there is probably at least 50 rentals nearby. I know there is or was someone around here that lives in Whitewater. Somewhere along that highway south of Whitewater might appeal to you, given where you from.

Or maybe you might find a place you like enough in or right outside Orchard Mesa and have the advantages of being closer in. It is also a pretty big area.

Some have spoken favorably of Palisade.
DeBeque might appeal to few but I'll mention it as another option out there.

A pretty good number of choices outside GJ proper. Look at the ads and when you visit to see what your budgeted rent with get in each you'll probably be able to narrow the search down. The more areas which are acceptable to you, the more homes will be available when you want it and you might have a better chance of finding a good price.

[jazzlover]

I would be very wary of making rental price comparisons between Grand Junction and the outlying towns. A lot of the rentals available in the outlying areas are low quality, bottom of the barrel rentals.

As to an earlier post, there are relatively few houses between Grand Junction and Delta. Most all are right around Whitewater and Kannah Creek, and most of those are larger (3,000 sq. ft.+) newer homes. If any are for rent, they would rent for way more than what the OP wants.

[NW Crow]

Most lower priced rentals including rural ones are that way for reasons but there are usually some that seem better than the price set by the market. Perhaps older but fairly well maintained, better on the inside than the outside. With owners who put a high premium on quick occupancy over vacancy. Places that many dismiss out of hand without checking or rate as being too low for their tastes / expectations in some way, especially if there is a lot of other better properties / locations around, which some other people will find good enough. I've found a few of those good values. It is a hunt as they are not that common and you have to have some flexibility, maybe more than average. Sometimes it is the unusual lower price end place in a good neighborhood of bigger / better places, sometimes it is the upper end of a less good neighborhood, maybe near the edge of a better one.

In a typically fairly tight housing market like the GJ area you have a lot of competition. In a tight economy maybe there is some downward pressure on rental prices but it is still resisted. Maybe in a tight economy even more people look for the decent place at a better than typical price instead of buying higher. Some people bargain more and are better at it or sell themselves well as safe, desirable renters. There are a lot of details involved.

There might be good values near-in but there is often more further out as many people do not want to live further out logically to save commuting time and cost and for their own tastes about civic amenities and neighbors. If demand is lower for rural places for a range of reasons, the owners may face great vacancy risk and are sometimes milder on price. Your gas mileage and how often you drive will affect the cost of commuting. The preference for the country has some price attached but sometimes you can find the right combination of overall price and location. Other times you can't get real near what you want and have to settle in one or more ways.