Retirement in Blanca Co. (Monte Vista: renting, houses, buyer)

[MountainEarth]

Originally Posted by Hyperviktor

Since the view itself worth the money i don’t get why people shaking their heads when they hear bought unseen.

Also, i don’t mind water rights etc. as it’s not neccesary for construction and i am not a farmer

Because a lot of people who have bought “sight unseen” have been scammed. And people keep asking about the water situation because you seem to think access to water in the valley is no big deal. In the SLV nothing could be further from the truth. There are very good reasons why land down there is abundant and cheap. And it’s not because it’s the find of the century.

[EastwardBound]

Originally Posted by Hyperviktor

I did mention this but we’re not moving there, maybe will spend 1-2 month a year in there so water stuff simply doesn’t bother me - I can always get water delivered so the water situation from my side is good.

Have you surveyed the water situation?

[Hyperviktor]

Mountainearth - how got people scammed ? As far as i know we got very dry land with great views.

We simply got the land bexause the view itself worth more than what we paid for.

We’re not going to live there only stay for maybe a few month a year - have BBQs, drive to the dunes or national forests around, maybe do some mountaineering.

As for water i don’t want to grow anything so even if i can’t get a well i can get water delivered - would be good if people read my previous posts because it seems everyone is way too obsessed with water here - i can just go to walmart and buy bottled water - we don’t drink tapwater anyways.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I understand the you will be buying bottled water for drinking and you won’t be growing anything. Have you thought about how you will shower and use the toilet? How about a composting toilet?

[Hyperviktor]

Water can be well or delivered - both is fine for shower, toilet, cleaning etc. I have no preference.

[ColoGuy]

Started building here in 2010. I've never heard of a dry well in the valley, it sits on top of a gigantic aquifer fed by the 14,000 foot mountain ranges that almost surround the valley. I don't know why people love to lie about the valley but they do it all of the time. I hit water at 70' while drilling to 100' - that is a very common scenario in the Blanca region.

Water is harder to hit, and deeper, as one approaches and drills in the surrounding mountains. Is it still worth it to live in the mountains instead of the flat valley? I think so in spite of living in the flat valley. Everybody that I know in the mountains was successful in drilling for water by the way. But I have heard that some regions are more difficult than others.

The winters are notoriously cold and dry and sunny. Nobody can deny that. The region also has strong winds more often than many would like. Though it seems like the western US tends towards the windy side once one leaves the protective "barrier" of city living.

Blanca has a great Postal Office manager/employee though government closure is always a threat - we could mint a new billionaire, maybe two, with post office privatization. Though I suspect that they ran out of P.O. boxes several years ago. That is a reason to have reasonable access to a group of mail boxes for many.

My place is taxed at commercial rates instead of residential which makes my property taxes five times higher than they should be? Why? I called my pole barn a shop instead of a barn I guess. I blame the youth and inexperience of the property appraiser. I am not commercial at all - I just take care of some aquariums in Denver.

Every lot has a great view and the valley is growing population wise in spite of constant lying by inexperienced "busy bodies".

Having said all that - I do plan to move once again. Why? Because it is not fair to tax me at five times the proper rate because one very inexperienced person decided to call it "commercial". One can challenge their property tax every two years and that is on the agenda this year.

When Colorado legalized pot several years ago the valley became a magnet for avid pot growers with no means to build a legitimate structure. There was a governmental crackdown and government always uses a huge boot that inadvertently crushes a few innocents.

Blanca is usually several degrees warmer than Alamosa during the winter. Alamosa is the "bottom of the freezer" as cold air sinks to the lower elevation.

Blanca mountain is gigantic, the terrain is brushy, steep and rocky. Hiking is better in the nearby easterly Sangre de Cristo's.

[Hyperviktor]

What type of building did you construct? How was finding tradesmen? Did you get people from Blanca / Fort Garland or from Alamosa?

Good to see the positives mentioned every now and then.

Do you do any outdoor cooking, BBQing?

[ColoGuy]

Originally Posted by Hyperviktor

What type of building did you construct? How was finding tradesmen? Did you get people from Blanca / Fort Garland or from Alamosa?

Good to see the positives mentioned every now and then.

Do you do any outdoor cooking, BBQing?

Started with a pole barn and added four wings to it. The south wing is a passive solar sun room and that works extremely well in this very sunny environment.

I did everything myself but the drywall, plumbing and electrical. I'm a builder at heart - and often in practice. Tradesmen are easy to find in my experience. Their rates go up with strong economies of course. I employed locals.

I'm a bachelor and cooking isn't really my thing. I'm into hiking and 4 wheeling - often at the base of Mt Blanca.

[Bluebark67]

Man I am glad this convo got back to BUILDING in SLV. Frankly, I am sick and tired of hearing about the lack of water and the cold in SLV! I read through ALL the SLV threads on this site and then some.

Water Water Water...what the hell are you doing buying land in SLV!
Cold Cold Cold...what the hell are you doing buying land in SLV!

That is why I started this Building thread...to talk about building in SLV. So please, if you want to talk water or weather...do it on one of the other threads. I am sure everyone means well but if you look at the other threads, If you bought or are looking to buy in the SLV...your trashed in front of everyone on here. It's like their is another agenda going on here....just my 2cents on this issue. Also, where are you located in the SLV?


@ColoGuy, what do you think about the local construction skill level in SLV? Are the mostly stick builders or do they have some with modern building knowledge? Really into concrete building as you may have figured out.

[Hyperviktor]

Hey Blue, I agree. Couldn't care less about water really, I'm not gonna farm anything or live off the land.
Either will have a good well or water delivered - for a few month here and there in a year I'm even happy with water delivered.

Located south-west from 17th st / Oak ave junction, second plot.


There's a good looking company in Alamosa I'm about to email regarding concrete delivery, possibly they can advise on other stuff too. The framework is the part that needs to be made well, the rest is just decoration. Materials I guess easily can be delivered - if no further than at least to Blanca from where in smaller pieces everything can be carried up with a truck.


I guess if well supervised even basic skill level would be able to do exceptional quality work.