Searching for home in Colorado (Denver, Aurora: for sale, loft, crime)

[xpxexaxcxex]

I have a job that I pretty much can live anywhere in the United States as long as I have internet connection
I want to live in Colorado and I have a budget of 300K--350K, but if I can spend lower than that and use the difference on some cosmetic renovations that'll be perfect!
I'm willing to live anywhere in the state of Colorado.
What part of the state do you think I will be able to afford, a nice house around 3,000 sq. ft to 4,000 sq. ft. (I wouldn't mind smaller), with some acreage; 10+ acres minimum, but would love to have around 40ish acres. Also, MUST see mountains when I walk out! Being Colorado, that shouldn't be difficult. Also, a home built around 2005-2011 would be great!
I'm also looking for rural, and NOT a gated community. Nothing against it, it just isn't my style. I have a winter home in Arizona that's in a gated community and I'm selling it. The gated community lifestyle just isn't me. Perhaps when I'm older.
Any suggestions from Coloradans will be greatly appreciated.
THANKS!

[suzco]

You started another thread a few weeks ago, saying

Originally Posted by jspyder136

Okay, I'm from New Jersey and besides living in Utah for six months, I know nothing about the Mountain states, nothing about Colorado, or Denver---so bear with me.
I'm moving to Denver for work next month. I'm working downtown and mostly likely will live downtown as well. . .
. . .
Any tips and suggestions would greatly be appreciated. I love Denver! Looking forward to making it my home!

Has your life and what you're looking for in a place to live changed that drastically in the last month? No mention of your winter home in Arizona in the earlier post. . .

[2bindenver]

Well, I just did that tour of homes with a relo from AZ. They wanted a reasonable commute to Denver for the cultural life, but wanted a bigger newer house with above average mountain views. We looked from Superior to Arvada, and Aurora to Castle Rock to Roxborough.

I don't believe 40 acres is doable in your price range. You can get a loft with views, or a suburban type single family home with views.

They chose a property in Aurora because the view was expansive and the ride to the airport would be nominal.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by jspyder136

I'm willing to live anywhere in the state of Colorado.

Being Colorado, that shouldn't be difficult.

1. You'd be willing to live in Sterling, Wray, Burlington, Limon, Lamar, etc?

2. A good 30% of the state is not within sight of mountains.

[Mike from back east]

OP, go to Realtor.com

Do the Advanced Search

Town is Elizabeth, CO

Price range 250-350k

Lot size 20+ acres

I found 3 properties. You can see the mountains. You are an hour from DIA or downtown Denver.

Here's the links:
- 5100 Sq Ft, big garage, short sale, 36 acres aka MLS #1039645 for $295k.

- Horse lover property with large barn, 2100 sq feet, 40 acres (bring your own mule), aka MLS #1009169, for $275K.

- One more but no pix, 35 acres, horse property, short sale, aka MLS 1012576 for $292k.

Suggest you look at map of I-25 and find towns about 15 miles EAST of I-25, essentially out on the prairie, but close enough to see the mountains. Then plug in some searches on Realtor.com and have at it for a few hours. You can do this all way from COLO SPGS to Fort Collins. This is the Front Range corridor and is where more people and jobs are in the state, along with the best colleges, universities, pro sports, arts, music, culture, etc.

Then there's the whole western slope area on the Utah side of the state which is much less developed.

If you do consider something with acreage, you MUST find out the status of water on that property. IIRC you need 35 acres in many parts of the state to sink a well and have the right to use that water. Yes, it can get that crazy here in the west.

[xpxexaxcxex]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

OP, go to Realtor.com

Do the Advanced Search

Town is Elizabeth, CO

Price range 250-350k

Lot size 20+ acres

I found 3 properties. You can see the mountains. You are an hour from DIA or downtown Denver.

Here's the links:
- 5100 Sq Ft, big garage, short sale, 36 acres aka MLS #1039645 for $295k.

- Horse lover property with large barn, 2100 sq feet, 40 acres (bring your own mule), aka MLS #1009169, for $275K.

- One more but no pix, 35 acres, horse property, short sale, aka MLS 1012576 for $292k.

Suggest you look at map of I-25 and find towns about 15 miles EAST of I-25, essentially out on the prairie, but close enough to see the mountains. Then plug in some searches on Realtor.com and have at it for a few hours. You can do this all way from COLO SPGS to Fort Collins. This is the Front Range corridor and is where more people and jobs are in the state, along with the best colleges, universities, pro sports, arts, music, culture, etc.

Then there's the whole western slope area on the Utah side of the state which is much less developed.

If you do consider something with acreage, you MUST find out the status of water on that property. IIRC you need 35 acres in many parts of the state to sink a well and have the right to use that water. Yes, it can get that crazy here in the west.

WOW! Thanks! That's helpful!

[80skeys]

Unfortunately, it's probably impossible to find what you're looking for in the mountains at that budget. For example, in the mountain foothills of Littleton (near Denver), a single acre (land only) was selling for $200,000 last year. You'll find cheaper mountain prices in western and southern Colorado. Examples of these areas would be Paonia or Cedaredge in western Colorado, or Salida or Buena Vista in southern Colorado, but even in these areas it's probably still not within your budget except in certain unusual places that are difficult to make habitable (lack of water, road maintenance, etc.) On the drive from Grand Junction up to the Grand Mesa, there are signs along the road up in the mountain advertising land for sale by the Government. I don't know how much it is sold for or in what size of parcels, but it would be worth looking into. It's very snowy up there in the winter, but it is sure is beautiful and there are a fair number of houses scattered around the area.

There's a lot of cheap acreage in the high desert around Trinidad but it's desert, not mountains. As other posters said, you most likely would have to live outside of the mountains, either in the Plains or the desert. Although you would be in sight of the mountains, the living experience itself is totally different - something else to keep in mind.

[MattClyde]

40 acres...the park regions, idk how expensive those are but lots of land with nice mountain views(even though you are up 9500 feet already). You can get 40 acres in the Eastern half of the state but there are no mountains at all, just plains.

[xpxexaxcxex]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

Unfortunately, it's probably impossible to find what you're looking for in the mountains at that budget. For example, in the mountain foothills of Littleton (near Denver), a single acre (land only) was selling for $200,000 last year. You'll find cheaper mountain prices in western and southern Colorado. Examples of these areas would be Paonia or Cedaredge in western Colorado, or Salida or Buena Vista in southern Colorado, but even in these areas it's probably still not within your budget except in certain unusual places that are difficult to make habitable (lack of water, road maintenance, etc.) On the drive from Grand Junction up to the Grand Mesa, there are signs along the road up in the mountain advertising land for sale by the Government. I don't know how much it is sold for or in what size of parcels, but it would be worth looking into. It's very snowy up there in the winter, but it is sure is beautiful and there are a fair number of houses scattered around the area.

There's a lot of cheap acreage in the high desert around Trinidad but it's desert, not mountains. As other posters said, you most likely would have to live outside of the mountains, either in the Plains or the desert. Although you would be in sight of the mountains, the living experience itself is totally different - something else to keep in mind.

Thanks for the info. I was looking into Saguache County. Does anybody know more about the county. Looks like what I've been looking for. I'm also looking for a safe place. A place I won't feel wary about leaving it vacant for a extended period of time.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by jspyder136

Thanks for the info. I was looking into Saguache County. Does anybody know more about the county. Looks like what I've been looking for. I'm also looking for a safe place. A place I won't feel wary about leaving it vacant for a extended period of time.

Saguache is part of the San Luis Valley. It's one of the coldest places in Colorado in the winter. Mostly open space and some ranch land. Very isolated, just a few small towns. I don't know what the crime situation is down there. I believe a few other posters have said it's not safe to leave houses unattended in the San Luis Valley.