Internet service and schools in Evergreen/Conifer area (Denver, Colorado Springs: insurance, to buy)

[mic111]

Originally Posted by Winterraven

Thanks for the helpful post. We actually toured one the properties that you included this weekend to get a better sense of the market there (we toured 5 homes to be exact). The driveway was challenging so that was informative (oddly enough we have a crazy steep and curvy driveway in IL so we sometimes drive on the front hill because it's so icy that it can launch your car into a steep drop). It was great to see houses with snow on the ground as we could see which routes were more challenging. I'm pretty confident we can find a place to meet our needs if we research the market well (since we have time to do so), but I was indeed thinking about renting first. To be honest, the whole appeal for us is the mountains. If I wanted pretty flat land I would stay in my current IL suburb, which is a gorgeous area and has all the conveniences one needs within commuting distance of one of favorite cities. I have no interest in moving to Denver itself or one of the dense suburbs around it.

If you wait until spring you will see a ton on the market. On the other hand the sellers over the winter will be the most motivated. I'm sure you've thought of this but you could rent out your existing house and rent a place in the mountains. Then if it didn't work out you could go back to a place you love. Some people have unknown issues with altitude (or their kids do) when they move here. Or they get tired of the nose bleeds, dry itchy skin, sun burn, weird washed out colors etc.

It is a good idea to go see houses in the snow for the very reason's you sited. Can be very hard to get access to some places that are placed for view.

Is your realtor screening houses for the internet access you need?

[Winterraven]

Originally Posted by vunderbar

PS Finally: if you DO move to these areas, strongly consider enrolling your children in additional driving lessons. They will be driving everywhere. You want them to have the skills to navigate black ice, sudden storms, white-out conditions, curvy roads and overconfident low landers who have no business driving in the mountains, much less at speeds they're used to in the burbs.

Great food for thought. Definitely makes sense.

[Winterraven]

Originally Posted by mic111

If you wait until spring you will see a ton on the market. On the other hand the sellers over the winter will be the most motivated. I'm sure you've thought of this but you could rent out your existing house and rent a place in the mountains. Then if it didn't work out you could go back to a place you love. Some people have unknown issues with altitude (or their kids do) when they move here. Or they get tired of the nose bleeds, dry itchy skin, sun burn, weird washed out colors etc.

It is a good idea to go see houses in the snow for the very reason's you sited. Can be very hard to get access to some places that are placed for view.

Is your realtor screening houses for the internet access you need?

Not really. We are not seriously looking yet but it would certainly be a big consideration. We ran into this issue when buying our place up north here. We had to make sure our phone hotspots were strong so that we could work from that remote location as there is no wired interest available there.

I like your idea of renting our place here as well. I'm just afraid the value will keep declining and we will still be stuck with the high tax bill.

[mic111]

Originally Posted by Winterraven

Not really. We are not seriously looking yet but it would certainly be a big consideration. We ran into this issue when buying our place up north here. We had to make sure our phone hotspots were strong so that we could work from that remote location as there is no wired interest available there.

I like your idea of renting our place here as well. I'm just afraid the value will keep declining and we will still be stuck with the high tax bill.

I just read your link on your current area being in the dumps. Ugh! And your tax bill is unbelievable. Never say never as if you don't like living in the mountains you will find the metro area taxes much more reasonable.

I guess it depends on if your willing to dump your current house at below market value. But be careful of buying in the mountains, especially at your price range. You could find yourself in exactly the same situation as the dynamics of buyers here is similar. People want to be close to the cities. Especially the retirees that might have the money for a high priced property. We live in a more affluent area and 3 out of 4 recent buyers were older folks moving down the hill to be closer to medical care.

I have known a few who just move back and leave their mountain house empty. Just something to be aware of if you are considering a purchase.

Do start asking about the internet speeds and cell phone availability. It will give you a more realistic picture if you can get what you are expecting from those essential services.

I have a friend who lives in NYC. She is shocked every time I mention that no one plows out our residential street. But then we don't pay the taxes she does. BTW, I can walk to something like 50+ restaurants, 3 grocery stores, a hospital and just about every convenience one would need so am not in a remote area. It is just the way things are here. We don't have high taxes so aren't paying for it either thus I don't mind. If I really need it I can pay some guy $25 to plow our cul-de-sac to our driveway.

[MissTerri]

The neighborhood you’re in in Illinois sounds like the equivalent of Cherry Hills here just after a very brief cursory look. I wonder if you might also like areas like that here as well as Greenwood Village. Just a thought.

Also, you may want to consider further south on the west side of Colorado Springs.

[hikenbike]

Speaking as someone who grew up in the north shore suburbs of Chicago (Evanston and Wilmette) and spent nearly every summer (and sometimes the depths of winter) at a cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, there is simply no comparison between that area of WI and Conifer/Evergreen. As others have mentioned, the fire danger is a serious concern, much more so than WI due to the arid climate. Even living in Boulder in the city limits I was under pre-evacuation from 2 separate fires and had my car packed up ready to flee. Several other fires were visible from my yard but never came close enough to warrant packing up the car. Even if you're not in an evacuation area the smoke from fires and the noise and stress of fire fighting efforts can impact you. And while pretty much everywhere in the arid west is at risk of wildfire, areas of Wildland-Urban Interface are at very high risk (Google Stupid Zone and wildfire risk). Insurance rates in these areas can be significantly higher and some insurance companies won't touch them. I'm not trying to be a fear monger here but this is a real issue with mountain living near an urban area and something to think long and hard about. I know some people who accept the risk, even some who have lost their homes almost lost their lives in both fire and flood, because they love the mountains and others who have decided it's simply not worth it. Many people last 1-3 years. Renting is a good idea.


Also it may look like houses in your price range sell quickly and perhaps right now they do but the markets shift and a high end, large, expensive home in the mountains is going to be one of the first to lose value and hardest to sell in a downturn. It's not a problem if you don't plan to move but if you decide mountain living is not for you during a downturn it could be difficult to bail.


Weather in the lower elevations (Denver/Golden) is definitely way better than Chicago. But Conifer? Winters are long and especially so if you end up with a property in the shadow of a hill. I had to drive from Boulder to Durango during the first week of May last year and had clear sailing the whole way except for the Pine/Evergreen/Conifer area where I encountered a spring snow storm and winter driving conditions.


It's beautiful up there but it comes with a price.

[Winterraven]

Originally Posted by mic111

I just read your link on your current area being in the dumps. Ugh! And your tax bill is unbelievable. Never say never as if you don't like living in the mountains you will find the metro area taxes much more reasonable.

I guess it depends on if your willing to dump your current house at below market value. But be careful of buying in the mountains, especially at your price range. You could find yourself in exactly the same situation as the dynamics of buyers here is similar. People want to be close to the cities. Especially the retirees that might have the money for a high priced property. We live in a more affluent area and 3 out of 4 recent buyers were older folks moving down the hill to be closer to medical care.

I have known a few who just move back and leave their mountain house empty. Just something to be aware of if you are considering a purchase.

Do start asking about the internet speeds and cell phone availability. It will give you a more realistic picture if you can get what you are expecting from those essential services.

I have a friend who lives in NYC. She is shocked every time I mention that no one plows out our residential street. But then we don't pay the taxes she does. BTW, I can walk to something like 50+ restaurants, 3 grocery stores, a hospital and just about every convenience one would need so am not in a remote area. It is just the way things are here. We don't have high taxes so aren't paying for it either thus I don't mind. If I really need it I can pay some guy $25 to plow our cul-de-sac to our driveway.

Yes, I see what you are saying re buyer pool. We have quite the dilemma with our house here as we have a net outflow of residents in IL so I don’t see the market recovering anytime soon.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Winterraven

Meanwhile this is our place in northern WI today.

Aspen Park near Conifer got 2 feet yesterday. Conifer was similar.

[Winterraven]

Thanks everyone for chiming in. I won't be checking this thread anymore as I think I got all the info I need for now.

[hikenbike]

I lived in Boulder for 28 years, now live in rural Southwest CO, never lived in Denver but worked there 1990-1994 in went down there very occasionally. As far as city amenities go (restaurants, museums, cultural stuff, diversity) there is no comparison, Chicago is the clear winner. Denver has grown a lot and it has a lot going on but you just can't compare it to Chicago. As I said though the weather is way better, it's a semi-arid climate so you rarely get that bone chilling, damp cold that goes right through you. Summer is way nicer as well because of the lack of humidity. I love the dryness, some don't. I hated the dampness and humidity, don't miss them one bit. The snow in town typically melts much more quickly, you see the sun a lot more in winter. The mountains are another story though, winters are longer, snow comes sooner, doesn't melt as easily and can linger on well into May and sometimes June.


I moved because I love to hike, mountain bike, trail run, etc. I love being outdoors, I love the mountains. The last few years that I lived in Chicago I lived in the city proper and I hated the traffic and aggressive driving. I had to commute to the burbs for work. It was exhausting and I hated it. I wanted a smaller, quieter, less crowded, friendlier place near good outdoor recreation and Boulder fit the bill. And after 28 years it didn't so we moved again.