Durango-Pagosa Springs, Bayfield -Trinidad? (Denver, Colorado Springs: ski resort, real estate, rent)

[frcal]

Durango - Pagosa Springs-Trinidad ? Arrival Airport? Drive time within each other?
Looking for potential retirement, any advice? Looking for wooded mtn scenery, friendly people, low crime, family atmosphere, social activities, church, occasional concert and clean air. Oh, DH enjoys hunting, hence...possibly rural acreage. Any locals that would want to offer suggestions on terrain and comparisos of these localitiies. Would like to visit but may be short on time this trip in early April. May return in early summer to point of interest made on this shorter trip. Notice, some sub divions ? are lost acreage parcels within subdivions - POA fee? Could one conceivably purchase a parcel not associated with a POA -sub-division. What newspapers are within area to check on line prior to our visit?Any advice, comments appreciated.

[I_LUVNM]

Originally Posted by frcal

Durango - Pagosa Springs-Trinidad ? Arrival Airport? Drive time within each other?
Looking for potential retirement, any advice? Looking for wooded mtn scenery, friendly people, low crime, family atmosphere, social activities, church, occasional concert and clean air. Oh, DH enjoys hunting, hence...possibly rural acreage. Any locals that would want to offer suggestions on terrain and comparisos of these localitiies. Would like to visit but may be short on time this trip in early April. May return in early summer to point of interest made on this shorter trip. Notice, some sub divions ? are lost acreage parcels within subdivions - POA fee? Could one conceivably purchase a parcel not associated with a POA -sub-division. What newspapers are within area to check on line prior to our visit?Any advice, comments appreciated.

Ok, the retirement areas are generally Pagosa and Durango. Trinidad is really a small town and not much to offer retirees at this point. Durango has an airport, medical hospitals, clinics and so on. Durango will have most of the social activities, festivals, concerts, entertainment. Trinidad has a airport called Perry Stokes but I dont know much about it. Trinidad has a clinic for converting men into women again I dont know much about it either. Pagosa is a quiet town, there is the hot springs. Terrain wise, Trinidad is somewhat of a mountain desert area, Pagosa a pines and hills with mountain views town and Durango is smack dab in the mountains with the city in valleys, on hills, up on mountain tops and into canyons. I dont know about POA fees, I think most you dont have that but I am not sure. Durango Herald online is the best for southwest Colorado, Trinidad would be the Trinidad Chronicle News, Pagosa would be the Pagosa Daily Post. They are all online.
www.DurangoHerald.com
www.pagosadailypost.com
www.trinidadchroniclenews.com

[TinajaCo]

Of the cities you listed, only Durango has scheduled commercial flights into it, and those will tend to be more expensive since it is a smaller airport. You could also look at flying into Cortez, Alamosa, or Telluride, or Pueblo for visiting Trinidad, but you will find that the service is again fairly limited in general. The nearest major airport to the Durango area would be Albuquerque, for around Trinidad your best bet would likely be Colorado Springs (Denver if you're willing to drive a little farther, but likely pay less for tickets).

[frcal]

Thanks for the posts, you have both been very helpful. Now, would you suggest the best source of parcels, acreage would be a realtor in the vacinity? Do you know of a way I can get info of available property in either spot? I would then follow up and decide which to visit while I'm there. Driving from Colorado Springs to Trinidad, just to get it out of my system, and possibly a process of elimination, I'd then try to visit Pagosa Springs, then Durango. Are properties pricey, I've noticed in the Durnago area they can be. I'm looking for treed acreage (20+ acres). Hope to visit in that order, I guess I could make my return flight out of Durango. My question is what route would someone suggest from Trinidad to Pagosa Springs that time of the month, mid April? Should I rent a SUV as oppose to a sedan?
Thanks again,

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by frcal

Now, would you suggest the best source of parcels, acreage would be a realtor in the vacinity?

Folks: Send realtor or website links to FRCAL via Private Message, not here on the public side. Site rules do not allow this, the site owner considers it advertising when we name realtors or give out realtor info.

Thank you.
s/mike

[I_LUVNM]

Originally Posted by frcal

Thanks for the posts, you have both been very helpful. Now, would you suggest the best source of parcels, acreage would be a realtor in the vacinity? Do you know of a way I can get info of available property in either spot? I would then follow up and decide which to visit while I'm there. Driving from Colorado Springs to Trinidad, just to get it out of my system, and possibly a process of elimination, I'd then try to visit Pagosa Springs, then Durango. Are properties pricey, I've noticed in the Durnago area they can be. I'm looking for treed acreage (20+ acres). Hope to visit in that order, I guess I could make my return flight out of Durango. My question is what route would someone suggest from Trinidad to Pagosa Springs that time of the month, mid April? Should I rent a SUV as oppose to a sedan?
Thanks again,

Hi, I would visit the Chamber of Commerce in Santa Rita Park off of South Camino Del Rio and Santa Rita Drive. They have tons of info on real estate and can give you all sorts of info for Durango. They are very helpful. Pagosa has lots of websites too as does Durango just google Durango or Pagosa. Cortez has quite a bit as well on the web. Trinidad is quite small so not alot on it but some. A treed acreage sounds like maybe Bayfield or Animas Valley in Durango or Pagosa. Also west of Durango has quite alot of trees. The only route from Trinidad to Pagosa would be Highway 160. You have to go over Wolf Creek Pass which can be a "well you know what" in the winter and up that high, something like 10,000 feet or more, so there can be snow up there even in April. So I would go with the SUV. For Durango or Cortez, it doesnt matter, a sedan is fine but a SUV is nice if you go up into the mountains anyways like up to Durango Ski Resort north of Durango. Prices really differ on every turn. In the city limits Durango is pricey, outside not so much. There are huge homes in the Durango area so that makes it seem higher too. Any home with over 6,000 square feet is going to cost regardless, and Durango has alot of those huge homes. Cortez is actually pretty cheap. Bayfield isnt bad. Pagosa isnt bad either. Trinidad you will be very limited on anything to buy since not much is there but I think it is also pretty reasonable. If I were to pick a perfect time to go, Id say last of May or first part of June. It is pretty out, green, nice weather, things open up for tourists and such. April is fine though.

[frcal]

Thanks I LUVNM, you have been very helpful. I appreciate your suggestions.

[synchro]

Your best prices will be if you forget about a realtor.
First find where you want to be.
Then, live there long enough to get a feel for the community.
Buy from an individual.
Pay cash.

[frcal]

Good idea, I am glad you mention that. I was hoping that would be a possibility to buy direct from the indivividual, elimination a middle man and extra expenses. Just wasn't sure if it is doable in that general area. I am only familiar in larger cities, such as in CA.
Glad to hear.
I'll be visiting in Spring,.