How is the Trinidad area (Denver, Boulder: condos, how much, home)

[debbie at bouontiful]

I too grace have Trinidad on my list but for retirement. The homes around the lake are the Trinidad Lake Subdivision with all lots 35 - 40 and I believe 40 acre lots. I've been looking at the Santa Fe Trail lots which are on the raton pass exit 6 I believe. Anyway, you are within an hour or so from major shopping. Trinidad has enough to keep me happy and the water/hunting/driving for scenery are there. The property taxes on the the homes on 40 acre lots are reasonable. Moving from a ranch in OK which is a very reasonable property tax State, I am pleased that Trinidad area isn't really that much if any higher. I intend on building a home but not a HUGE home, more of a nice retirement home with a full walk out so we can have all our hobbies. It is nice to hear someone else see Trinidad as a nice town. Most people think of Colorado as if they have to move to the Springs, Boulder or such which is quite a bit more expensive. I'll drive!

[KurtinFlorida]

I am in the process of purchasing a house outside of Trinidad in the county. I am buying one of the 35 acre parcels mentioned in a previous posts. It is located in what is called a ranch. There is an HOA. The dues are under $400 a year. They do not tell you what you can do with your property. The dues are used for road maintainence. The advantage of buying inti a ranch is the agriculture tax asessment. The taxes on the house on 35 acres is under $400 a year. Trinidad is not Denver or the Springs and that is what I like about. It is a quiet peaceful kind of place that has not gotten to big for it's britches. There are no traffic problems to deal with. The people are very friendly. There are loads of things to do there and it is close to national forrests , camping , hiking and fishing. I have not had an opportunity to find out for myself but I have heard reports that Lake Trinidad has some good fishing. As to being a depressed area , this was caused by the coals mines in Cokedale closing. This is getting ready to change as China has just signed a contract that will reopen the mines creating jobs and boosting the economy. There is also a thriving and growing gas industry in this area that goes along with the coal veins found everywhere. Many drilled water wells in this area get free gas with the water which can be used to heat your house in winter. If big town shopping is desired or needed , it is just an hour and a half north in Pueblo. Where I live in Florida you can't buy an acre of land for $150,000. In Trinidad I can buy 35 acres with a great house for less.

[debbie at bouontiful]

Originally Posted by KurtinFlorida

I am in the process of purchasing a house outside of Trinidad in the county. I am buying one of the 35 acre parcels mentioned in a previous posts. It is located in what is called a ranch. There is an HOA. The dues are under $400 a year. They do not tell you what you can do with your property. The dues are used for road maintainence. The advantage of buying inti a ranch is the agriculture tax asessment. The taxes on the house on 35 acres is under $400 a year. Trinidad is not Denver or the Springs and that is what I like about. It is a quiet peaceful kind of place that has not gotten to big for it's britches. There are no traffic problems to deal with. The people are very friendly. There are loads of things to do there and it is close to national forrests , camping , hiking and fishing. I have not had an opportunity to find out for myself but I have heard reports that Lake Trinidad has some good fishing. As to being a depressed area , this was caused by the coals mines in Cokedale closing. This is getting ready to change as China has just signed a contract that will reopen the mines creating jobs and boosting the economy. There is also a thriving and growing gas industry in this area that goes along with the coal veins found everywhere. Many drilled water wells in this area get free gas with the water which can be used to heat your house in winter. If big town shopping is desired or needed , it is just an hour and a half north in Pueblo. Where I live in Florida you can't buy an acre of land for $150,000. In Trinidad I can buy 35 acres with a great house for less.

I've been looking at the Santa Fe Trail ranch. Which ranch did you buy.

[grace473]

We are planning to take an early retirement from Okla., if things work out. We want to buy a small mom 'n pop motel with an RV park included and run it till we're really old, haha. I'm mid-50s and he's just 60 now. So good time to relocate, we think.

[debbie at bouontiful]

We too can retire at any time. Husband has put all the time needed into his job to do so. He is 60 too. That sounds neat an RV park. We can't decide between Trinidad or Pagosa Springs. The good of Trinidad is lots to do and closer to my children. We are in Eastern OK and I have a ranch to sell. Actually I can just sell the house on some land and keep the cattle ranch for leasing out and sell later. What part of OK are you in grace473. Are you dying with drought and heat too. My ponds and creek look horrible and fortunately I have an great well because I am pumping 500 gallons at a time into the cattle water. Can't handle them drinking that standing water.

Probably is a good time to relocate, that is my feeling.

[grace473]

Yeh, we live outside Ft. Sill. The heat has been terrible this summer - about 85 days of 100+ temperatures; at least 15 where we officially were above 110. The grass is all crunchy & there are big cracks in the ground. The heat bothered Sweetie a lot this summer, tho' it doesn't seem to bother me. I'm just tired of the tedium of it, haha. So, yes, right now, we're ready to pack up and shuffle off to a better climate!

We want to go to Trinidad in December to see if we like it then - I have never been a winter person and I don't know that I want to be somewhere that has much snow. Everyone was telling us this summer that the winters are pretty mild.

[jazzlover]

I get amused when I read these posts of people wanting to move to Colorado to avoid drought. They have their undies in a bunch when their current home area--which may get 25" to 30" or more of precipitation in a normal year--has a drought year. They fail to grasp that most areas of Colorado get less than 15" in a normal year--many less then 10". In a drought year in Colorado, they can get half that. Aridity isn't an occasional condition in this state--it's a fact of life. Dry, cracked soil, and "crunchy" grass? That's pretty much an annual occurrence here. Then folks buy an un-irrigated 35 acre "ranchette" here and think that it might support livestock? Most of 'em won't support one horse without being overgrazed and requiring supplemental feeding for at least half the year. By the way, the domestic well you drill (if you can get a permit) can not be used for irrigating. Unless you have a water right--and usually a fairly senior one--you ain't gonna be irrigating anything, not even a vegetable garden. Then there is the 6 to 8 months of the year when everything is brown because it's below freezing just about every night. Places like Pagosa Springs, for example, that has an average whopping 58 day growing season between frosts. There is always a big turnover in those kind of properties when folks from other places find out that cold winters, frequent drought, and the overall aridity of Colorado is not what they thought the place would be.

[debbie at bouontiful]

Owing a Ranch in a drought, I fully understand what you are saying but.. most of us, well me for sure would not be buying a 35 acre parcel in a ranch like the Santa Fe Trail to raise animals other than a pet or two. Yes, I would bring a few horses and buy hay and have an area of nice trails I hope. As far as watering gardens, I can't imagine people buying on the trail to have hugh market type gardens. Are you telling me that I will not have water for a very large raised bed and what I do in a greenhouse. Then yes I would think more than twice to move. Will I be able to give my two horses water. That would be a deal killer too. You must be talking about people who buy way out in the desert type area not in one of the subdivision that think 35 acres support the same type of homesteading as say IL, Wisconsin, and other central and Eastern States. I do know what cracked earth looks like. I am pumping 1000gallons a day so my cows have just some fresh water. My ponds are horrible and my steams are half dry so anybody living in OK, or Texas must know what they are getting into if buying in Southern CO or Northern NM.

Another thing to consider, is I've lived in snow country but would you want to be locked up in an air conditioned house all summer because of heat or locked up all winter in Pagosa, or Trinidad with a lovely fire going and hot coco. In either climate you give up a season, I am choosing giving up winter instead of these hot miserable summers. While you guys are enjoying your summer I am dying in the heat and praying for an early Fall.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Then folks buy an un-irrigated 35 acre "ranchette" here and think that it might support livestock? Most of 'em won't support one horse without being overgrazed and requiring supplemental feeding for at least half the year.

This is why the homestead act was a real joke in those parts. 160 acres could not support a family as it could in the Midwest. However, if you could get your 160 between the river and a lot of unclaimed open range, you could make it work. Many around there played that game successfully, at least for awhile.

[debbie at bouontiful]

People buying in that area unless they haven't a clue in their mind must know water is a problem. I agree you can't even begin to think of grazing animals unless it is open range type which most of the ranches that our sub-divided have. All one needs is to vacation a few days in the area and they then know that is not a "homesteading" enviroment. For me knowing quite a bit about grazing, having a cattle ranch, I am looking at those 35 acres as retirement. Having lived rural I still want plenty of room to roam before I get to the next house. I would be moving with wide eyes open. It will cost to grow a raised bed or whatever I do because I will no longer be on a well but buying water from the city. I just plain love the area and the cooler temps. Been spending a lot of time in Trinidad, Pagosa and Chama yearly. Actually, I'll be leaving in a few weeks for the area and will spend about 7 days in each location as I do every year.

Now, on the Trail (being were on Trinidad's forum) I've seen lots of horses, goats and being open range, seen lots of cattle. Although, not sure what those cows are eating raising cattle myself. The people have to be buying their hay and feed and of course city water but for a hobby person that should be a problem.

After leaving Trinidad every year I drive through the San Luis ara and seen lots of farms with irrigation. Where are they getting the water? Always curious as to how they are growing in that area. Do you know much about those farms?