Moving from Vermont (Boulder, Fort Carson, Gunnison: house, buy, schools) - Colorado (CO) - City-Data Forum

VTFamily · 11-09-2008, 07:33 AM

Hello,

We are moving from VT out West, and strongly considering Colorado & Oregon.

We enjoy snowboarding, good restaurants, microbreweries. We are college educated and enjoy living near college towns... We actually would ideally live on some acreage (2-5), but want to stay near points of education so that we aren't in the "sticks" with stick-minded people (rednecks). We want a simple lifestyle.

We have a 8-month old son and generally want to live in an area where we can get great jobs with progressive-minded companies... nice school system for the kid, and would love to live in an area where there is LOTS OF NATURAL BEAUTY.

So, any thoughts? We would greatly appreciate any insight.

We are looking to spend up to $275K on a house. We just want to live in a cool but not "too cool"/too trendy area and we're having a really hard time figuring out where to begin.

Thanks!!!!

motoracer51 · 11-09-2008, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VTFamily

Hello,

We are moving from VT out West, and strongly considering Colorado & Oregon.

We enjoy snowboarding, good restaurants, microbreweries. We are college educated and enjoy living near college towns... We actually would ideally live on some acreage (2-5), but want to stay near points of education so that we aren't in the "sticks" with stick-minded people (rednecks). We want a simple lifestyle.

We have a 8-month old son and generally want to live in an area where we can get great jobs with progressive-minded companies... nice school system for the kid, and would love to live in an area where there is LOTS OF NATURAL BEAUTY.

So, any thoughts? We would greatly appreciate any insight.

We are looking to spend up to $275K on a house. We just want to live in a cool but not "too cool"/too trendy area and we're having a really hard time figuring out where to begin.

Thanks!!!!

You've just eliminated Colorado.

Why are you leaving VT? Seems like it offers everything you are looking for, including water.

osman · 11-09-2008, 07:50 AM

You haven't eliminated Colorado at all. But the "ideal" of 2-5 acres will have to be adjusted.

$275K won't buy you a house in Boulder but it will 15 minutes away. Or if you like Ft .Collins, the MLS shows over 200 single family homes with 3BD, 2BA under 275K. If you add the acreage option (1-5 acres), the list in Ft. Collins drops to 3 properties. Still possible...

wanneroo · 11-09-2008, 08:42 AM

You would have to live out on the prairie on the front range for all that. There aren't any trendy liberal college towns in the mountains(and I'm including Gunnison).

$275k wont get you too far for a few acres and a house. If it does it will be grass or distant mountain communities.

Probably what you would be looking for is the People's Republic of Boulder, but like mentioned above $275k wont buy much there.

Sockeye · 11-09-2008, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motoracer51

You've just eliminated Colorado.

Why are you leaving VT? Seems like it offers everything you are looking for, including water.

I'd have to agree. I think I'd just stay in New England. Colorado has overbuilt it's water supply.

VTFamily · 11-10-2008, 05:07 AM

Thanks everyone. I know $275K doesn't buy much, but from what I understand, CO is affordable.

Wanneroo, thanks for the response, but I'm staying away from descriptions like trendy and liberal. Perhaps what I described sounds like those very things.... Progressive, yes. And yes I want to live around educated people vs. living in a town full of rednecks. But again, my idea of a redneck could be different than some........ I live in a pretty remote state over here in Vermont.

VTFamily · 11-10-2008, 05:10 AM

Also, I'd leave Vermont because I was born in Colorado, Fort Carson. I like it out West. I also like traveling and the idea of picking up and leaving for something new is exciting to me. Vermont is an awesome state, but there are more jobs out West and I'd still have the mountains (bigger ones with better snow!)

Thanks again for your responses.

motoracer51 · 11-10-2008, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VTFamily

Thanks everyone. I know $275K doesn't buy much, but from what I understand, CO is affordable.

Wanneroo, thanks for the response, but I'm staying away from descriptions like trendy and liberal. Perhaps what I described sounds like those very things.... Progressive, yes. And yes I want to live around educated people vs. living in a town full of rednecks. But again, my idea of a redneck could be different than some........ I live in a pretty remote state over here in Vermont.

It's true Colorado is "affordable", more so than VT.

What do you think is the cause of VT being more expensive; actually arguably the highest taxed state in the nation?

Back to Colorado. I believe in the next 20 or so years, we're going to start seeing serious problems with the issue of water out here. If you aren't educated on the matter, I suggest you read up on it because it WILL significantly change the way life is in the arid/dry west.

Also, one of the reason it's "cheaper" out here is because the utilities are cheap. Why are they cheap? Because we have many companies here drilling for more oil and gas.

With the new administration wanting to increase taxes on the "evil" oil companies making their windfall profits (only 9.6%), things could change SIGNIFICANTLY here in regards to economic conditions and utility prices.

Good luck...I'm heading to NH more than likely.

brightdoglover · 11-10-2008, 07:53 AM

I suspect calling the people you might live near (or don't want to live near) "stick rednecks" might present a problem in fitting in anywhere but the storied Boulder.
I gather people are quite tired of coastal assumptions about "rednecks."

VTFamily · 11-10-2008, 08:05 AM

Hello... Thank you for your response, motoracer.

As for VT Taxes, we do have one of the highest tax rates in America next to California. However, as of 2007 only one half of one percent of people in the state were charged that high rate. Almost 60% of Vermonters pay the lowest bracket rate of 3.6%.

Our property taxes are extremely high; however, they ARE based on income. So, you might pay out $4000.00 in a year, but come tax time, even if you make in the $45K range, you get a rebate of about $1200.00 to help toward you taxes. That happens yearly, and of course the less money you make, the more you get.

So yes, our potential rates ARE high, but the grand majority of people are not charged under that rate. We also rank really high in public education, so our schools are great here, and therefore we pay for that.

What makes you choose NH? I have a lot of family there. The no income tax is great (if that is your main reason, though it's not likely that it is!), but they pay more in property taxes, so it ends up being pretty even on the tax front.

Thanks for the tip on the water. An adventure doesn't amount to much without natural resources handy!!!