Anyone from Sterling or know someone there? (Fountain, Akron: sales, foreclosure)

[RewThere]

Hi, I was hoping to get some information on here about Sterling, CO. My fiance and I are looking
to buy a house there. But we have heard from people that it's not a good place to move.
Reasons: crime/ (which they say that public officials down-play) plus they say that the economy
besides outward appearances is really poor. The stats are really high for foreclosure rates which
I admit is a concern and possibly a red-flag that the economy is suffering. This is not such a
big deal for us, because we both work from home. But if we want to re-sell down the road in
a couple of years it might be a bad investment. So I was hopeful that someone can give me a good
true idea in their opinion what it's like there.
Also heard that the police dept and officials are corrupt.
Please don't get mad at me though, I don;t have an opinion, that's why I am asking. For all I know it
could be Mayberry--and sure there are good folks there doing well!
Anything would be very much appreciated.

Cheers!

[2bindenver]

Why there? What else is important to you in a location?

[TCHP]

Sterling is small town with all the related benefits and pitfalls. Biggest employers are in Education and Corrections, so that certainly can color reports of crime and corruption. Population is 50% under 45 and 50% over, so you may see a big divergence in perspectives based on if you are talking to someone 25 year old or 65 years old.

[RewThere]

reply to why there? because houses are a LOT cheaper and there are more available. ( foreclosed)
No emissions testing+ cheaper taxes for more property. We are trying to avoid being house rich and life poor. So, there you have it.
I was hoping to hear from someone who lives in Sterling right now to give me their 2c worth. But
thanks for replying.

[otowi]

I've only visited there for a conference or two, not lived. It does seem economically depressed to me but I didn't notice crime being an issue - but as I said I was only visiting. I found it charming in some ways - the junior college there seemed nice, and there are a few nice restaurants and parks and lots of state wildlife areas, etc., nearby. But it really is kind of in the middle of nowhere in a lot of ways - so make sure you want that before moving to Sterling.

[2bindenver]

Have you looked into Fountain?

[jwiley]

I once lived outside of Sterling and still have a couple of friends out there, but unless your job requires it or you really enjoy small towns and the rural lifestyle I do not know why anybody would choose to live out there. They are currently going through some financial trouble mostly due to the oil boom and now bust, but overall it should recover a little when the oil prices recover, and as long as agriculture stays somewhat steady it will be okay long term.

OP it actually sounds like you just picked a place off the map because you want to live in Colorado, but you should probably do a lot more research as it is not the Colorado you see in the tourism photos, and is about 2 1/2 hours from the mountains.

[ohazco]

Sterling is a fairly average city in my limited experience. I don't have a lot of first hand experience, mostly second hand as my wife's employer is based in Sterling so she spends several days there each month. I also know several folks who went to school there. There is a fairly noticeable Somali population in Sterling, and student population as well.

Its a little too large of a town for me, but I'm biased as I'm not a fan of towns in the 10k-35k range, as they are too small to have the amenities of a 50k+ city, but too large to experience most of the real benefits of a "small town". Sterling is especially unattractive to me as its like living on the Eastern Plains without the main benefits of the Eastern Plains. It does seem more run down than a similar city like Hays, but that may just be my limited exposure. I think if my wife ever got transferred to Sterling we would probably live in/near Haxtun or Akron, as they are both nice towns that fit our lifestyle better. Merino would be closer, but I'm not familiar with it at all.

[StealthRabbit]

Buying an inexpensive home in a rural town that is 2 hours to another work destination is not favorable to a timely resell. You may get stuck with that place for decades, and then have to sell at a loss to get rid of it. There are just not too many buyers out there. (Most Often, many more sellers than buyers). Energy towns compound that problem. Sterling has an 'energy' element to consider. My small hometown has lost population for over 50 yrs.

[poppyh]

My husband & I have lived in Sterling for 13 years. We moved here from another Colorado town that we loved, to be closer to family. Being near family has been wonderful but we have seen many changes to the town and not necessarily good. We also own a business and find local support to be a struggle. Fortunately the business doesn't rely on just local. There is definitely a clique that runs the town. There has not been much growth except for lower income residence. The prison (which is now maximum security) attracts family members who move here to be closer to an inmate. More "homeless" have moved here because of the various groups who "do good" by feeding them and doing handouts. There are limited jobs - mostly minimum wage. The oil business has moved out/shut down and word now is that the railroad is laying off. Towns around us have grown and attracted new businesses (restaurants, retail, hotels) that were originally supposed to have come here. Our local government is the good ole boy variety. Most of the crime is theft and drugs although there has been 2 murders in the past couple of years. Many folks are learning not to leave cars unlocked, bikes left out or anything attractive in the front yard. As for housing - it's a mixed bag. Most people tend to their properties but for every 5 that do, 2 don't. Houses do sell quickly that are in a particular price range ($80000 to 200000) but rentals are horribly high for what is available. Yes, this sounds like a lot of negatives (and they are) but with that said we do feel safe, most people tend to their own business and you don't have to drive far for anything in town. Walmart is the main shopping experience, plus 2 small grocery stores. Downtown is pretty close to non existent except for a few specialty shops. Other smaller stores are scattered around town (2 Dollar Stores, Penney's, 4 furniture stores, Sears, several car repair garages, car sales lots, 6 or 7 banks, 3 shoe stores, many realtors, insurance agents, attorneys, health food store, a couple of clothing stores, 3 antique stores, etc) There are 9 Mexican restaurants, 2 Chinese restaurants, a couple of general dining places and a bunch of fast foods. We have an excellent library, a theater with 5 screens, bowling alley, school events and a junior college. 2 major annual events are Sugarbeet Days (vendors set up around the courthouse square) and County Fair. (parade, week of carnival, rodeos, C&W performers, and lots of beer) For the most part it is a typical Colorado small town but considering it is the county seat, it is disappointing. We are planning to relocate in the near future, but primarily for a different climate. The cold winters are getting rough for us.