Best Place to move to??? HELP. (Denver, Colorado Springs: sales, real estate, to rent)

[grace&geoff]

My wife and I are looking to move from Albany, NY because the people are miserable and the area is expensive. My wife is finishing up her masters to be able to help children therapeutically with the use of horses. She went to Colorado to take a national training on this and she loved it. I am in business sales so I will need to be close to major cities.

Basic things we are looking for

-Nice area with a lot of greenery and trees
-Places where horse farms could be bought/built
-Great place to start a family
-not too much snow or very cold.
-Not too far from Denver because I may have to go there for work and I need my sports fix! (one of the only great things about NY)
- Not to expensive (I wont live in bolder) from what I have read about $$ and the conservatives.


Any suggestions would be appreciated... We are going to rent to a year and then look to buy to make sure we love the area.

Thank you!

[Count David]

Originally Posted by grace&geoff

My wife and I are looking to move from Albany, NY because the people are miserable and the area is expensive. My wife is finishing up her masters to be able to help children therapeutically with the use of horses. She went to Colorado to take a national training on this and she loved it. I am in business sales so I will need to be close to major cities.

Basic things we are looking for

-Nice area with a lot of greenery and trees
-Places where horse farms could be bought/built
-Great place to start a family
-not too much snow or very cold.
-Not too far from Denver because I may have to go there for work and I need my sports fix! (one of the only great things about NY)
- Not to expensive (I wont live in bolder) from what I have read about $$ and the conservatives.


Any suggestions would be appreciated... We are going to rent to a year and then look to buy to make sure we love the area.

Thank you!

Just a note, there are miserable people here too.

It is relatively expensive here as well, but property taxes will be WAAAY lower.

The only places you'll find greenery and trees are in the higher elevations. The mountains, foothills and some areas between Denver and Colorado Springs are the only "greener" places in Colorado. Most everywhere else is grassland. In the mtns/foothills, you'll find mostly pines and aspens. In between DEN/COS, (places like far SE Aurora, Parker, Castle Rock, Larkspur, Sedalia, Monument, Black Forest) you'll find stands of PondeBullBoxer31. What you won't find, is the constant green that you can find in NY.

Horse farms could probably be found in most of the places I mentioned, with price being the major difference between places. I think anywhere you could live with horses would be a great place to raise a family.

As for snow/cold, you are going to the wrong state if you want to completely avoid it. It snows at least 40 in. per year most places in Colorado, but it doesn't stick around on the ground all winter in the lower elevations, I'd say below 6500 ft. It comes and goes. In the mountains, however, it does stick around all winter. It can get cold (it got below zero a few times last winter here in Denver), but the spells don't last very long; it also helps that it usually is a "dry" cold, not as bone-chilling as you'd find in NY. If you do decide on the mountains/foothills, you will get more snow and cold.

If you want to stay near Denver (< 1 hr), look in the cities/towns I mentioned. Most anywhere else would be a longer drive than that. There are mountain communities closer in as well, such as Evergreen, Conifer, etc. Take a look at a map, to help you out.

I'd have to say horse property would be more expensive, but I don't know what expensive is for you.

Boulder isn't conservative, it is liberal. Colorado Springs is the ultra-conservative town.

[2bindenver]

you'll have to come and see for yourself if CO/Denver is a good fit.

[froggin4colorado]

Black Forest is on the northern end of springs and meets your criteria.
We also have a program on the eastern side of Colorado Springs where children with disabilities ride horses for therapy.
Falcon also meets most of your criteria, except for the "a lot of greenery". It is primary flat plains looking west at the mountains. Falcon is the eastern side of Colorado Springs. Housing is affordable, plenty of acres for horses, decent schools.

[breaksraver13]

Boulder, conservative!?! LOL!

But yea, the plains aren't very green at all. The Denver area will get the least amount of snow, the further west you go the more snow you will get.

[Ticky909]

move to denver and keep the horse in a parking garage somewhere.

[FalconMom]

We live in Falcon and love just about everything about it - most people say that it is too far out of town, however if you know the right roads you can be at I-25 in about 15 minutes - Denver is only 1 1/2 hours and it's a great drive.

There are plenty of areas to have a ranch small or big for your horses.

From what you were saying the only drawback for you would be the wind and lack of trees. Black Forest or Elbert might suit your purposes perfectly as there is alot of space to be had for your horses and lots of pine trees for perfection. Get a good real estate agent and they might know of the perfect ranch for you all. Lot's of ranchers raise alpaca - I don't know anything about them, but there are quite a few, so there must be a reason why! =-)

Good luck with your move!

[FalconMom]

Wow, just read your conservative comment - this would definitely NOT be the place for you - this area is surrounded by military who absolutely love this country = you will find front yard memorials and an American flag flying beside it - just about everyone out this way is conservative Republican. Doesn't sound like your cup of tea - Denver would be a much better fit for you.