Why is Pueblo CO so cheap? (Denver, Pueblo West: home, landscaping, neighborhoods)

[jonni]

Originally Posted by jamnkats

We're looking for a place to settle down for 4-5 years. We currently fulltime in an RV and winter in Mexico but one of the four kids really wants to settle down. If we stop travelling, I will go to school and get my RN, so Pueblo CC fits that bill. I've been looking at the homes in Pueblo and the homes in "Union HIstorical" make this California girl's teeth hurt. Such architecture and character! So, these are our needs:
1) homeschooling community. Our 4 kids (12, 10, 7 and 4) have never been to school. We want to keep it that way and need a support group of other families doing the same. We're not religious but can deal if need be...<snip>

I currently Homeschool my children have been doing it for the past 5 years through a virtual school here in Pueblo. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.

[TomF]

Hey - I lived in Pueblo from March 2006 - Nov.2006 - In the time I was there, I found NO computer programming jobs. I found the people of Pueblo very nice and would have loved to stay - but I was not about to give up the career I love and start new at my age (45).

If you can find decent work, Pueblo is very inexpensive to live and friendly.

[sunsprit]

Pueblo has been economically depressed since the extractive industries in the region closed up shop or CFI steel slowed down, years ago. There's been nothing to replace those economic foundations to the region.

So, like much of South Central and SE Colorado, the economy is pretty soft, perhaps even depressed. Immediately south of Pueblo are the poorest counties of Colorado.

Pueblo West is where I'd live down there ... closer to the lake, if possible. Not too bad to commute to town for shopping, and a little more isolated living. The lake has good boating for much of the year because the warmer months season is longer here, and you're closer to the mountains for views and recreation.

I recently heard that the AFA and some airline flight schools were going to refurbish a lot of the Pueblo airport facilites and begin all their initial and some advanced flight training there. Could be a real boost to the economy down there with all the aviation related activity and pilots training for overseas commercial airlines/air forces.

Home schooling not a problem. Shopping OK, but it's not too far to go to CSprings for the major stuff now and then.

[MattDen]

Colorado Springs is commutable from Pueblo. Not much traffic all the way from Pueblo until the Northside of Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs is only about 35 miles from Pueblo. So the drive is about half an hour.

Colorado Springs has had appreciating housing prices as of late, its became more like the rest of Colorado. Pueblo seems to be option more people from Colorado Springs are considering as the difference in housing prices between the two become greater and greater.

Pueblo West seems to have similar housing costs as the Eastern suburbs of Colorado Springs. But I think the real bargains and real difference is in the Urban areas: Downtown Colorado Springs older neighborhoods are becoming expensive as of late (alot of neighborhoods in the Denver area are more affordable then downtown Colorado Springs now), while Pueblo older neighborhoods continue to be probubly half the cost or less then Colorado Springs older areas.

I have a feeling Pueblo because of its closeness to Colorado Springs and very low housing prices by Colorado standards is going to start to improve fairly fast.

[McGowdog]

I almost lost site of the thread name for a minute.

So what you're saying is work in Colorado Springs but build a house in Pueblo West to live in. Which will be one more empty foreclosed over-sized home out here which drives the value of our homes down even further.

Here's a thought. Rent a home or Condo in Colorado Springs or Fountain or Widefield and live there.

If you come to Pueblo to live, bring a business with you and give one of us a job opportunity! Pueblo is historic and the mountain range to its south is awesome. You just have to see it to appreciate it. You can drive through Pueblo on any given day and not see the appeal. It's not for everybody. That's fine. I get that. I totally understand "Computer Job Guy". He's young and has a career to chase. It ain't here for him. It's great for me because I travel a lot.

It takes 24 minutes for me to go from my door in Pueblo West to I-25 (mm108) and about another 24 minutes to get to the mile marker 135, and about another 8 minutes to get to the Springs Airport. I drive through about 3 stoplights in total.

If you want to get off the reservation for a while, you can go to Springs or Denver.

Mountains. Are you kidding me? You've got Pikes Peak, the Wet Mountains, the Spanish Peaks, and in some areas, Le Veta Pass and the Sangre de Cristos in view. You can drive right up the Arkansas River into the mountains, drive up through Salida and be skiing in Monument in no time.

Pueblo Reservoir. Check it out. Especially after this season's snowpack.

My newest neighbors' to our north just built a home next to us and they had a full blown swimming pool installed (not an adobe or whatever they call them). They are from California! How special. I haven't seen them come out of their home in weeks now. I better go check on them.

[vnodak]

well, I would rethink the traveling nurse stuff and I know as I have been a nurse since 1979 and have worked in many areas---I even did the travel nurse stuff---you need to rethink this option and your stress level---nurses are few and far between and the pay is going up and I make as much as a traveler now in a great job so why put yourself in that kind of postion when it is not something you really have to do----talk to alot of people in the field and ones who have been doing it for sometime---I wish you and your family the best of luck

Originally Posted by jamnkats

We're looking for a place to settle down for 4-5 years. We currently fulltime in an RV and winter in Mexico but one of the four kids really wants to settle down. If we stop travelling, I will go to school and get my RN, so Pueblo CC fits that bill. I've been looking at the homes in Pueblo and the homes in "Union HIstorical" make this California girl's teeth hurt. Such architecture and character!

So, these are our needs:

1) homeschooling community. Our 4 kids (12, 10, 7 and 4) have never been to school. We want to keep it that way and need a support group of other families doing the same. We're not religious but can deal if need be.

2) community college or university within commute. I will be schooling to get my RN.

3) small town, low crime

4) homes under 200K. We might be able to stretch to 250. I want our mortgage payment to be $600-1000 a month.

5) job for hubby. He can do about anything but will need to work 2nd shift or something to provide income while I'm in school (4 years).

6) mountains for hubby to ride (bike) on his time off

7) not horrid winters (we LOVE Chama NM but it won't fit us for a good long time)

8) Organic or whole food shopping possibilities. We don't have a large food budget, but I prefer our high fat foods to be organic.

We have Silver City NM, ABQ, NM, Hot Springs Ark, Austin TX and Eugene Oregon (for the jobs, housing prices, university, organic and homeschooling community but the RAIN! Argh! Rain!) on the short list. The New Mexico forum has recommended Durango repeatedly so I checked it out but their college does not offer nursing. I had previously identified Pueblo's nursing program but can't remember why I took it off the short list.

Anyway, how is the job situation and why is the real estate so cheap and what neighborhoods in Pueblo should we look at? I'm planning to only spend 4-5 years wherever we settle and hopefully move somewhere small town after that (and work as a travelling nurse). The neighborhoods I'm finding are: Union/Historical, Northside/Avenues, Eastside, Minnequa Area, Central Highschool (PCC is close to this also), Highland Park, Belmont)

[Kaptain Karl]

When I read the Thread Title, I thought "CFI". And it wasn't util this post...

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Pueblo has been economically depressed since the extractive industries in the region closed up shop or CFI steel slowed down, years ago. There's been nothing to replace those economic foundations to the region.

... that somebody else showed the same thinking.

"Pee-eblo" (Strange, but that's how many locals say it.) Is a community of super people just ready and waiting for half-a-dozen medium industries to move in and take advantage of their ready-made workforce. Great, old-fashioned, neighborly people for the most part.

(Others have addressed your other issues quite well, IMO....)

- KK

[uppertwinrocks]

Originally Posted by jamnkats

We're looking for a place to settle down for 4-5 years. We currently fulltime in an RV and winter in Mexico but one of the four kids really wants to settle down. If we stop travelling, I will go to school and get my RN, so Pueblo CC fits that bill. I've been looking at the homes in Pueblo and the homes in "Union HIstorical" make this California girl's teeth hurt. Such architecture and character!

So, these are our needs:

1) homeschooling community. Our 4 kids (12, 10, 7 and 4) have never been to school. We want to keep it that way and need a support group of other families doing the same. We're not religious but can deal if need be.

2) community college or university within commute. I will be schooling to get my RN.

3) small town, low crime

4) homes under 200K. We might be able to stretch to 250. I want our mortgage payment to be $600-1000 a month.

5) job for hubby. He can do about anything but will need to work 2nd shift or something to provide income while I'm in school (4 years).

6) mountains for hubby to ride (bike) on his time off

7) not horrid winters (we LOVE Chama NM but it won't fit us for a good long time)

8) Organic or whole food shopping possibilities. We don't have a large food budget, but I prefer our high fat foods to be organic.

We have Silver City NM, ABQ, NM, Hot Springs Ark, Austin TX and Eugene Oregon (for the jobs, housing prices, university, organic and homeschooling community but the RAIN! Argh! Rain!) on the short list. The New Mexico forum has recommended Durango repeatedly so I checked it out but their college does not offer nursing. I had previously identified Pueblo's nursing program but can't remember why I took it off the short list.

Anyway, how is the job situation and why is the real estate so cheap and what neighborhoods in Pueblo should we look at? I'm planning to only spend 4-5 years wherever we settle and hopefully move somewhere small town after that (and work as a travelling nurse). The neighborhoods I'm finding are: Union/Historical, Northside/Avenues, Eastside, Minnequa Area, Central Highschool (PCC is close to this also), Highland Park, Belmont)

Move to Woodland Park its 30 minute drive to Colorado Springs.. I come from Woodland Park and I just moved to Springfield, OR.. 2-3 miles to Eugene.. the thing i have found about this town.. is that there are alot of bums.. homeless looking people.. so much moe that i have ever seen in Colorado Springs.. Its been rainy.. but everything is so beautiful.. springfield is considered poor.. if ya know what i mean.. eugene is nice..
Back to Pueblo.. I never lived there.. I am sure there are desent places to live there.. Pueblo always get hotter at least 10-15 degrees hotter that Colorado Springs.. The snow?? i really don't remeber.. i know they have there hands full with druggies.. but what town doesn't ... ??

[McGowdog]

If you move to Pueblo do NOT move to Pueblo West because we "don't have enough money" to take care of our own roads. Our roads really ... aren't the nicest in the country. The paved roads are the worst. They have like expansion joints running across them about every 20 feet, so it sounds and feels like you have 3 round wheels and 1 square wheel. The dirt roads are like creek beds with a wash board surface. If you are fortunate enough to live on a dirt road, then you have to wipe the dust off of your eyeballs hourly.

"We don't have enough money to fix our roads". Of course we don't. Let's just build some more spec homes. Pueblo West is a joke.

[Deb G]

I live in Trinidad, about an hour south of Pueblo and my sister-in-law lives in Pueblo. When we want to go shopping, we all go to Pueblo. It has a wide variety of stores and restaraunts. Plenty of things to do. Close to many recreation areas. A kayak park in the middle of town and a great river walk. Biking trails all over. If I didn't love Trinidad so much, I'd probably be in Pueblo.