Young bachelor looking to relocate (possibly Leadville, Buena Vista, Salida?)

[interloper1138]

Originally Posted by bbtm100912

I wonder if Interloper is still in Salida. His last commentary was sad. I've looked at real estate prices in the area and it's not cheap!

Hi there. I'm no longer living in Salida, although I still work there and its where most of my friends are. I'm now commuting from a town out in the San Luis Valley, where home prices are much more affordable. I love the people in my life and my job in Salida. My life has only improved in many, many ways since I left Indiana for there, so sticking around long-term is extremely important to me. I likely could have stayed in Salida for a year or two more, but I felt like the clock was running out on my chance to buy anywhere, the northern SLV included. So, last fall I spent 6 months trying to buy in Chaffee and western Fremont counties, but in the end just couldn't afford it. Ultimately, the San Luis Valley made sense for me. It's now been six months that I've been out here and I haven't regretted my decision at all. I do miss the convenience of living in Salida, but I love the peace and solitude out here and I've got some terrific neighbors, too.

I know there are a lot of people on this forum that caution people against the Valley for a myriad of reasons (as they well should), but I've done my research and decided this roll of the dice was worth it for me and what I want out of life. So far, so good.

I'd be happy to answer more questions about my experiences, so feel free to PM me if you'd like.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by interloper1138

Hi there. I'm no longer living in Salida, although I still work there and its where most of my friends are. I'm now commuting from a town out in the San Luis Valley, where home prices are much more affordable. I love the people in my life and my job in Salida. My life has only improved in many, many ways since I left Indiana for there, so sticking around long-term is extremely important to me. I likely could have stayed in Salida for a year or two more, but I felt like the clock was running out on my chance to buy anywhere, the northern SLV included. So, last fall I spent 6 months trying to buy in Chaffee and western Fremont counties, but in the end just couldn't afford it. Ultimately, the San Luis Valley made sense for me. It's now been six months that I've been out here and I haven't regretted my decision at all. I do miss the convenience of living in Salida, but I love the peace and solitude out here and I've got some terrific neighbors, too.

I know there are a lot of people on this forum that caution people against the Valley for a myriad of reasons (as they well should), but I've done my research and decided this roll of the dice was worth it for me and what I want out of life. So far, so good.

I'd be happy to answer more questions about my experiences, so feel free to PM me if you'd like.

That's too bad that you couldn't stay in Salida. We were fortunate enough to have bought our house in Buena Vista ten years ago, while things were still affordable. These days it is hard to find anything decent in BV or Salida, either to buy or rent. We have friends living in their RV, which they are not enjoying AT ALL!

[interloper1138]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

We have friends living in their RV, which they are not enjoying AT ALL!

Yep, this is extremely common now in all of Chaffee County, and its no longer just young kids who moved there on whim that are doing so. There are whole families, many with children, that are sleeping on couches, in cars, in tents, etc. I know that both BV and Salida have people that are actively trying to work towards coming up with real housing solutions, but I'm not convinced that either community is doing enough from a local government perspective, especially Salida.

[NW Crow]

If local government isn't ahead of the problem, it is behind. The evidence of need for more affordable housing is the vacancy rate and price increases. There should be tracking & thresholds that trip a switch for more multi-family approvals, zoning, attached dwelling units, more public housing, etc. But there don't seem to be. Most elected officials seem to hear more from or listen more to folks who oppose new density near them and like fast rising real estate values. There should be a balance but imo it ain't what they are doing.