Will relocate to CO by sheer force of will if have to. Options?

[CosmicWizard]

Those who bash the Californians, forget that the California equity locusts bailed out more than a few financially struggling Coloradans by paying way too much for their houses. I betcha those folks ain't complaining about selling too high! I haven't heard anyone say, gee, I wish I'd have taken $200,000 instead of the $500,000 that fool paid for my house. Nor are they steppin up to the plate and helping out their fellow locals who are now priced out of the market in part due to the sellers own greed. Just like everywhere else...Coloradans put their own interests above anyone elses. So perhaps, good old GREED is the real culprit that has changed Colorado for the worse in the eyes of some.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

Those who bash the Californians, forget that the California equity locusts bailed out more than a few financially struggling Coloradans by paying way too much for their houses. I betcha those folks ain't complaining about selling too high! I haven't heard anyone say, gee, I wish I'd have taken $200,000 instead of the $500,000 that fool paid for my house. Nor are they steppin up to the plate and helping out their fellow locals who are now priced out of the market in part due to the sellers own greed. Just like everywhere else...Coloradans put their own interests above anyone elses. So perhaps, good old GREED is the real culprit that has changed Colorado for the worse in the eyes of some.

I agree--the developers and real estate people--from wherever--who are constantly pimping Colorado are as guilty as the people buying their wares when it comes to wrecking the place. Sort of like asking who is more guilty--the pimp, the prostitute, or the john. They all are part of the problem.

[brightdoglover]

I think the previous poster was referring to the people who sell their property to developers or through real estate people or however for a big chunk of change. No one is making them do it, either.
I am originally from south Jersey. I remember reading John McPhee's book, "Coming Into the Country" about Alaska (early 1970s, I think). He said that, if New Jersey had the same population density as Alaska, there would be 21 people in the whole state.
Heavens, one Catholic family on my street almost hit that mark.
Remember, there are now some 300 million people in the U.S. Not so long ago it was 200 million. Crowding and mess and stuff isn't just because individual states are doing X and people leave to other states. There are just too many people, and they/we don't spread out very evenly.

[bbschafer]

Wow! Didn't mean to set off such a firestorm or pent up frustration. Thankfully, the majority of the people I've spoken to and know in Colorado are very welcoming and encouraging. There is nothing wrong with looking for a better quality of life for your family, wherever that may be found. I've lived my whole life in California and am frustrated beyond belief, by what a mostly liberal/large government oriented legislature has done to drive my homestate into the ground. But, that is another argument and I'll leave it at that. You have a beautiful state and while it does not have an ocean, it has so much more to offer than the one thing it lacks.

I truly appreciate the info Katarina, and anyone else who feels compelled to reply with helpful details. Thank you!

[freewest]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I just laugh when I read another post about someone who just has to get out of California because it's so bad, and then figures Colorado is going to be nirvana. How long is going to take for the reality to sink in that Colorado is plunging headlong toward being another California, with the same problems, the same undesirable characteristics, and the same bad ending? Colorado is busy making the same huge mistakes--every single one of them--that California has made. People who think they will escape those problems here are epitome of the axiom, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Well that is why I have resentment towards citizens of California and New Jersey in general(not on a personal level). They have wrecked their own states with high taxes, tons of bureaucracy and public sector binging, corruption and stupid laws and then now after creating a dump, they want to move to your backyard and wreck your state.

I've seen the transformation in my lifetime of Californians coming into Colorado and making a mess of everything. I can see the state on a downward decline and it was a part of my decision to leave permanently despite my multi generational family ties and it being a "home" state as well as PA. It is very sad to me to see all this happen.

That about sums it all up. It is nothing personal. There are philosophical differences between people of most mountain states, and the people of the Pacific coast (and northeast). Mountain Staters tend to have a more self-reliant culture, whereas Coasters like their services (which costs money, lots of money). Same thing happened in Texas back in the '70s. A million transplants, demanding all the same stuff they had where they came from, and the state nearly went bankrupt. Throw in the resource problem (i.e. water) that Colorado has, and poof.

[T. Adrienne]

We moved from SF Bay Area to Evergreen, then to Breckenridge before finally landing in Boulder. I agree with the general advice regarding gaining employment being easier if you already have a CO address, but it really does depend upon the field you're in, plus, in today's job market, competition is much stiffer, so qualifications and experience matter more than ever. Also, it's no longer the norm for people to expect relocation packages, and increasingly, people are even faced with having to move wherever they can find work. Still, a few years ago, we did allow a friend to stay with us during their interview process and use our address to establish residency, get a cell phone here and after getting a job, to be in a better position to find their own place. Using a relative's address could work if you're flexible enough to interview in person when called upon to, and I'd definitely agree that Whosjongalt's advice works as a great alternative too... We actually have that type of private P.O. box for business where we've received a thank you gift from a client delivered from a local store without a problem.

My husband was, (still is), in I.T. when we chose to move to CO "by force of sheer will", and was beginning his own design/integration/instruction corp at the time we left CA. This complicated moving because he had a little over a year left in Bay Area contracts to fulfill, but we moved anyway. He spent that remaining year or so splitting time between Bay Area/CO, renting a spare bedroom from a friend "back home" until finally settling here in CO full-time. We have one child and it was tough at times, but what he does still requires him to travel anyway. I think it would've been harder if he were away for longer stretches, but a very positive result to this for us has been that we've never really taken each other for granted. It's given us the chance to miss each other sometimes and not grow complacent in the relationship. After 19 years of marriage, we're still very much in love! Not sure this would work for everyone, but it certainly did for us. We're all very happy we did it... Hope this helps!

My husband's company is legally incorporated in CO though. And to address an earlier, and I must say, rather hostile sounding post, he says that while he wouldn't condone outright lying about any info on a resume, application or during an interview, and wouldn't hire anyone he "caught" doing so, he and I agree that the willingness to relocate by their own power and $$ for a position here in CO, or anywhere else for that matter, is a positive sign of commitment--- not a detractor! And if that individual has already taken steps toward their goal like getting a cell phone and address here, to us, that would just serve as an indicator of the seriousness of their commitment.

[T. Adrienne]

Agreed... Good advice! There are many people here who are committed to a particular area where they may be stuck with a mortgage, not wanting to move their kids, etc. Planting yourself within commuting reach of cities along the "Urban Corridor" would be a good idea. For example, renting in a child-friendly community in the Denver area, your range would be essentially all the way from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins because Denver is roughly in the middle, with Boulder about 30-40 mins to the Northwest of it. Even after getting a job, it would be a good idea to rent while honing in on exactly the neighborhood/area that best meets your needs.
BTW Evergreen is a great, family friendly bedroom community with a decent commute to Denver if you want to live in the mountains, but still have access to the city. Though there definitely can be traffic during peak times, this is true for skier/recreational traffic on I70 too.
During the years we lived in Evergreen, my husband had contracts at Avaya, Sun and IBM in Gunbarrel, a suburb of Boulder, as well as needing to get to DIA for others. Our son was on Copper Mtn's Ski Team, so we had to deal with the I70 weekend traffic too. Timing is everything!