Relocation to Vail

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Dogmama50

The idealized cabin on acreage in the Vail Valley really doesn't exist. The area is a narrow valley with an interstate running through it, land that can be built on is at a premium and thus the reason why developments are common. I live on an acre in Avon, but the lots are long and narrow, public green space is easy to come by, private green space not so much. The concept of caretaker on a ranch happens now and again, but people don't leave those situations so saying that they are rare would be an understatement. My neighbor rents a 1 bedroom, furnished in-law apartment for $1200 with a garage. The landlord comes up a couple times a month to ski for the weekend, she has the upstairs of the house completely separated. That's probably the closest you can come to a SFH that is affordable in this area.

Eagle and Gypsum will be your best bets to find a SFH, but you'll still be in the $2000 range an have close in neighbors. The Ebby Creek area in Eagle my afford you more privacy but will be more expensive too. Commuting from Eagle or Gypsum will run closer to 40-50 minutes, factoring in getting from the house to the highway and weather. Gas right now is $3.29, it will only go up this summer.

Living out here is a lifestyle choice, we took a big pay cut to move back but it's where we like to be. Fly out, take a couple days and look around. Townhomes and Duplexes out here are very different than the East Coast sprawl.

I have several friends that are or have been caretakers in a locked off apartment at some large homes up in Mountainstar or Beaver Creek. For them it has been a good deal but you do have the homeowner to deal with sometimes. Also these friends that have done this are well established known people in the valley, not likely some newcomer would land something like that.

The Eagle/Gypsum thing I have mixed feelings about, it's far enough from Vail that I don't feel connected to it from there and also the commute is an issue. The Wolcott area is one of the most dangerous stretches of interstate in the state and I can vouch for that personally with all I have seen on my thousands of trips back and forth between Eagle and Vail. I've got friends that have bought down there but to me it is counter to the point of being in the Vail area in the first place.

In the local area, there are really no working ranches left, not that there were ever many anyways before Vail was "invented" back in the late 50's. 4 Eagle is going to be under water at some point and the chunks of ranching type land are being held tightly for various reasons in Wolcott. The one ranch with the red barn you can see between Wolcott and Eagle that dates from 1885 has been all subdivided up now for million dollar homes. I think if someone desired the ranching type lifestyle, the Steamboat area would give you a better chance for that.

[Dogmama50]

I agree with you wanneroo on the Eagle/Gypsum thing. When we moved back we wanted to avoid living out that far, but we wanted a SFH so we knew flexibility would be key. We lucked out with a place in Wildridge, though that commute can be fun some days, I'm about to go shovel for the 3rd time today.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Dogmama50

I agree with you wanneroo on the Eagle/Gypsum thing. When we moved back we wanted to avoid living out that far, but we wanted a SFH so we knew flexibility would be key. We lucked out with a place in Wildridge, though that commute can be fun some days, I'm about to go shovel for the 3rd time today.

Wildridge isn't a bad neighborhood. You are up and away from I-70 and a lot of the cross through traffic. Metcalf/Wildridge Rd. can be fun when it's icy. What I found when I stayed up there in November was the damn wind was much more intense up on the hill, then back in the day when I was tucked in the valley.

If I had my pick in the valley for neighborhoods, I'd probably go for Homestead or Singletree.

[Dogmama50]

The wind in Wildridge is extreme, plastic patio furniture is not an option up here. We lived in Singletree years ago and loved it, but the dogs prefer the open space of Wildridge.

[pyrotech]

Originally Posted by Dogmama50

Eagle and Gypsum will be your best bets to find a SFH, but you'll still be in the $2000 range an have close in neighbors.... Gas right now is $3.29, it will only go up this summer.

Before I moved to Avon, I was looking for a rental house with similar amenities to what the OP mentioned. SFH with a garage, though I knew already I wouldn't get to have any type of stretch that you can really call a 'yard.' I found a house in Gypsum that was for rent; less than $2k/month, 3br/2ba. I went to check it out, and took a walk around Gypsum. Gypsum is rather out of the way, the roads to get there are pretty sketchy / icy, and I owuld personally feel a bit depressed working in Vail all day and going home to Gypsum. No offense to anyone that lives there, but it just seemed a little dreary. The bar there was fun to hang out at though!

I've only been out in Avon a couple of months, but I'd have to say, I really like Edwards. Don't get me wrong; I love Avon and the time it takes me to walk to Beaver Creek (7 mins walk if the roads aren't too icy... otherwise 10), but Edwards seems slightly further from the freeway but still easy to access to go to Vail, has the shops I like to go to, and has Crazy Mountain Brewery, lol.

Besides, if you live around Avon / Edwards, you can always hop on the Turtle bus and have a drink on your way to work! Haha.