Where to consider buying

[Good Red Road]

Many of Colorado's better High Schools are scattered throughout the state, but most are in the front range area.

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[Sunderpig2]

Originally Posted by Tipmart87

We rent right now and in reality see no hope of ever owning a home in this area due to the expense.

LOL. That parallels my family's experience with northern Colorado! Too pricey and overrated for us. The poorer job market and lower pay / benefits only makes the sting worse. Keep in mind too that Colorado doesn't have the look and feel of coastal California. This is wide open, dry country, with short trees and faded grass. You'll never see the deep greens and lushness of coastal CA.

Even though CO has a reputation for "active" people, it's probably overall less than your current area (coastal CA). Some here do winter sports, but most others cut back on their outdoor activities during the long winter months. So a look at the two places during the winter months would show a big difference, with CA probably never really slowing down at any point. I see people here perk up in April/May, and wind down in October with the leaves changing color. The farmer's markets also fade away.

That's great to hear that the move is still several years away (to give more time for research and reflection), and that CO is not the only state being considered.