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Posted: 9/12/2015 10:28:20 PM EDT
I can tell you the whole story, but I will make it brief as possible.
My wife and I just spent a week in CO in the Breckenridge/Vail/Frisco/Fairplay areas on vacation. We absolutely loved it and throughout the trip we both said "we should live here". Now that we are home, we are beginning to research living in that area. I currently work in financial services, and my wife wants to open a small business ( service related, catering to tourists). I have owned my own practice in the past, so business ownership is not new to me, but would be to her. We have two small kids as well, and have lived in TX our entire lives. The reasons for moving vary. First, we absolutely love the area, small towns, and landscape. We know how cold it gets, and we are ok with it. The second is a desire to escape the "fast, big city living". I am slowly growing tired of the corporate rat race, and we are both slowly growing tired of the crime, "keeping up with the Jones" mentality, and other things regarding the city. We also think a smaller town would be better for our children, along with just a simpler life. I can go into more detail, but would love some prospective from CO residents. For the record, we are both conservative, hard working, gun loving people, so we would help offset the liberals coming in  . Any thoughts on certain areas to look at or avoid, why it might be a bad idea, and anything relevant.
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Posted: 9/12/2015 10:47:45 PM EDT
[#1]
1. Have looked at housing prices in the ski towns?
2. Long winters |
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Posted: 9/12/2015 10:52:41 PM EDT
[#2]
Breckenridge/Frisco/Vail are hardly typical small towns. Cost of living is very high, and attitudes in ski country suck. I used to live in Summit County, and grew to hate it (and still do). Nice country, but the towns and people suck IMO. More assholes per square mile than anywhere else I've been.
Long winters can really wear on you too. |
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Posted: 9/12/2015 11:08:15 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted:
I can tell you the whole story, but I will make it brief as possible. My wife and I just spent a week in CO in the Breckenridge/Vail/Frisco/Fairplay areas on vacation. We absolutely loved it and throughout the trip we both said "we should live here". Now that we are home, we are beginning to research living in that area. I currently work in financial services, and my wife wants to open a small business ( service related, catering to tourists). I have owned my own practice in the past, so business ownership is not new to me, but would be to her. We have two small kids as well, and have lived in TX our entire lives. The reasons for moving vary. First, we absolutely love the area, small towns, and landscape. We know how cold it gets, and we are ok with it. The second is a desire to escape the "fast, big city living". I am slowly growing tired of the corporate rat race, and we are both slowly growing tired of the crime, "keeping up with the Jones" mentality, and other things regarding the city. We also think a smaller town would be better for our children, along with just a simpler life. I can go into more detail, but would love some prospective from CO residents. For the record, we are both conservative, hard working, gun loving people, so we would help offset the liberals coming in . Any thoughts on certain areas to look at or avoid, why it might be a bad idea, and anything relevant.And you want to move to the mountains 
You need to rethink the whole WE LOVE COLORADO MOUNTAINS thought process. Because everything you want to to get away from. It's all in the mountains, every last single thing you want to avoid. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 12:31:01 AM EDT
[#4]
Park County is a pretty conservative county - basically the opposite of Summit. Fairplay is a nice small town and great for kids but big economy isn't there. Commutable to Breckenridge, but look up Hoosier Pass in the wintertime. It's frequently closed if there is any precipitation as the road just gets slick fast. If you go to Alma, it's not only the highest town in the US but the zip code is also 80420 (do the math on that one). Highway 285 also gets closed frequently in the wintertime but it's not as bad as 9. Wintertime in the Colorado high country is no joke.
No way in hell would I want to live in Breckenridge. Expensive and traffic year round no matter what and tourists up the wazoo. I don't ski either so I don't see the appeal. Park is also far more affordable than Summit, but still expensive. Vail? Forget it. Might as well live in Aspen. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 12:36:57 AM EDT
[#5]
I enjoyed my time in and around Leadville more than I ever liked living in and around Breckenridge. Leadville was still a mining town back then, though, and didn't care whether tourists came or not. Not so much the case nowadays, I imagine, it's become another bedroom town for ski country.
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Posted: 9/13/2015 1:05:17 AM EDT
[#6]
I appreciate the responses. Where in CO would you recommend looking? We want to be close to the mountains and in a town that is at least 3,000 people.
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Posted: 9/13/2015 1:06:45 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
1. Have looked at housing prices in the ski towns? 2. Long winters Yes we have. We would probably live outside of those towns (cabin on land). |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 1:09:38 AM EDT
[#8]
what do you want out of life in Colorado that you're not getting in Texas? I'd start with that.
I've been here for 40 years. It ain't what it used to be. Too damn many people, not enough water, too many east and west coast attitudes anymore. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably go somewhere else. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 1:27:52 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
what do you want out of life in Colorado that you're not getting in Texas? I'd start with that. I've been here for 40 years. It ain't what it used to be. Too damn many people, not enough water, too many east and west coast attitudes anymore. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably go somewhere else. Mountains, scenery, cooler weather, smaller towns that are touristy which mean better business, simpler life for kids and ourselves but with something outdoorsy to do like hiking. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 2:27:35 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I appreciate the responses. Where in CO would you recommend looking? We want to be close to the mountains and in a town that is at least 3,000 people. Salida...Canon City |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 2:38:23 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Mountains, scenery, cooler weather, smaller towns that are touristy which mean better business, simpler life for kids and ourselves but with something outdoorsy to do like hiking. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
what do you want out of life in Colorado that you're not getting in Texas? I'd start with that. I've been here for 40 years. It ain't what it used to be. Too damn many people, not enough water, too many east and west coast attitudes anymore. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably go somewhere else. Mountains, scenery, cooler weather, smaller towns that are touristy which mean better business, simpler life for kids and ourselves but with something outdoorsy to do like hiking. Red River NM. Other than that, you're thinking CO is going to fit the bill. IMO you're 30 - 40 years too late. What you want is what every out of state person who moves here wants. Unfortunately that bright eyed, bushy tailed dream comes with a price. One most can't afford. Can you and your wife afford to live with out an income for say 6 - 12 months? Can you afford $2k , more like $3k monthly rent or mortgage? Don't get me wrong, mountain living is a great lifestyle. It's just not on a daily basis, what it felt like on vacation. Best of luck, what ever you choose. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 9:20:03 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Salida...Canon City Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I appreciate the responses. Where in CO would you recommend looking? We want to be close to the mountains and in a town that is at least 3,000 people. Salida...Canon City Thanks. I forgot to ask about Salida. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 9:23:37 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Red River NM. Other than that, you're thinking CO is going to fit the bill. IMO you're 30 - 40 years too late. What you want is what every out of state person who moves here wants. Unfortunately that bright eyed, bushy tailed dream comes with a price. One most can't afford. Can you and your wife afford to live with out an income for say 6 - 12 months? Can you afford $2k , more like $3k monthly rent or mortgage? Don't get me wrong, mountain living is a great lifestyle. It's just not on a daily basis, what it felt like on vacation. Best of luck, what ever you choose. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
what do you want out of life in Colorado that you're not getting in Texas? I'd start with that. I've been here for 40 years. It ain't what it used to be. Too damn many people, not enough water, too many east and west coast attitudes anymore. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably go somewhere else. Mountains, scenery, cooler weather, smaller towns that are touristy which mean better business, simpler life for kids and ourselves but with something outdoorsy to do like hiking. Red River NM. Other than that, you're thinking CO is going to fit the bill. IMO you're 30 - 40 years too late. What you want is what every out of state person who moves here wants. Unfortunately that bright eyed, bushy tailed dream comes with a price. One most can't afford. Can you and your wife afford to live with out an income for say 6 - 12 months? Can you afford $2k , more like $3k monthly rent or mortgage? Don't get me wrong, mountain living is a great lifestyle. It's just not on a daily basis, what it felt like on vacation. Best of luck, what ever you choose. I appreciate the insight. I'll check out Red River, NM. Why the 6-12 months of no income? We would move somewhere I could find a job and she would start a business. I get it from the business side, but are you referencing that or something else? |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 9:29:44 AM EDT
[#14]
I'll sell you my $150k house that's worth $300k now, for some reason.
I think most people would honestly suggest waiting a few years for the market to normalize. And the big name mountain towns can be like Boulder. Fun to visit, not all much to live. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 9:34:42 AM EDT
[#15]
Salida was my first thought, actually. Maybe Buena Vista. Heck, you might like Leadville. That's all in the Arkansas River valley, under the Sawatch Range, highest mountains in the state. Long winters in Leadville, though.
I've heard it said that Canon City has the best climate in the state. Too many prisons for my taste. You might look into Gunnison, Montrose, maybe Ouray. The San Juans are beautiful. Maybe Pagosa Springs? |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 10:10:01 AM EDT
[#16]
Montana, Wyoming, Utah or Idaho
Colorado is not what it used to be, by a long shot. The changes here in the last 15 years rival the hope and change obungo has wrought in the whitehouse. Don't get me wrong, it is still better than a lot of places, but there are better if you are looking for a positive change for your family |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 10:47:03 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I appreciate the insight. I'll check out Red River, NM. Why the 6-12 months of no income? We would move somewhere I could find a job and she would start a business. I get it from the business side, but are you referencing that or something else? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
what do you want out of life in Colorado that you're not getting in Texas? I'd start with that. I've been here for 40 years. It ain't what it used to be. Too damn many people, not enough water, too many east and west coast attitudes anymore. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably go somewhere else. Mountains, scenery, cooler weather, smaller towns that are touristy which mean better business, simpler life for kids and ourselves but with something outdoorsy to do like hiking. Red River NM. Other than that, you're thinking CO is going to fit the bill. IMO you're 30 - 40 years too late. What you want is what every out of state person who moves here wants. Unfortunately that bright eyed, bushy tailed dream comes with a price. One most can't afford. Can you and your wife afford to live with out an income for say 6 - 12 months? Can you afford $2k , more like $3k monthly rent or mortgage? Don't get me wrong, mountain living is a great lifestyle. It's just not on a daily basis, what it felt like on vacation. Best of luck, what ever you choose. I appreciate the insight. I'll check out Red River, NM. Why the 6-12 months of no income? We would move somewhere I could find a job and she would start a business. I get it from the business side, but are you referencing that or something else? Why 6-12 months ?? ANY one who wants to start a business, should know they need to have XX amount of operating capital in the bank. You move here from TX, do you think your wife is going to get a loan like that, if she / you don't have money set aside? Curious , exactly what business does your wife want to start / open? Is this business a niche market, one that will draw customers in from day 1. Will she have the inventory on hand , can she compete with the internet? As for you. Why money in reserve. Oh yeah. You don't have a job lined up. What happens if the job you get is seasonal, or shuts down? What happens if your wife's business is closed due to flood , fire, or snow closures? In the mountains, you're competing with everyone else for work (most of it seasonal) thoe jobs are usually spoken for in by late spring. Not to mention you're competing with every stoner who wants that mountain life style, dude. It's been 2 years since the last serious flooding in CO. To date there are some places that were unable open to or still not up to speed. When we relocated (30 yrs ago) I had a job, place ready to move in, and a good back up plan (money) if things didn't pan out. Plus then, one could buy a home for $40-70K. Now you can't find an affordable place, even in the ghetto, let alone the "mountains" for under $300K. Best of luck. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 11:09:33 AM EDT
[#18]
My wife and I recently moved here for many of the same reasons (from a big city in Texas actually). We also fell in love with the mountain towns, but due to cost and work needs ended up "settling" on a small town outside Colorado Springs. We absolutely love it here so far. We're both always saying it feels like we're on a long vacation. While we do not live in the mountains, they are only a short drive away. Since we've been here we've gone hiking/camping up in the mountains practically every weekend.
The cost of living in/around Colorado Springs is comparable to where we were from in Texas. The housing is actually less expensive than a lot of the areas where we came from. Just another thing to consider if living up in the mountains doesn't work out. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 12:38:15 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My wife and I recently moved here for many of the same reasons (from a big city in Texas actually). We also fell in love with the mountain towns, but due to cost and work needs ended up "settling" on a small town outside Colorado Springs. We absolutely love it here so far. We're both always saying it feels like we're on a long vacation. While we do not live in the mountains, they are only a short drive away. Since we've been here we've gone hiking/camping up in the mountains practically every weekend. The cost of living in/around Colorado Springs is comparable to where we were from in Texas. The housing is actually less expensive than a lot of the areas where we came from. Just another thing to consider if living up in the mountains doesn't work out. If that's an option for the OP, look at the Monument/Palmer Lake area, or Black Forest or Falcon, or the Fountain/Security/Widefield area. Not tourist towns for the most part, though. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 2:08:46 PM EDT
[#20]
If I had to do it over again, I'd have moved around Boise Idaho. It's what Colorado was 30 years ago. I avoid ski towns in CO at all costs. Over priced, too many un educated liberal hippies that don't shower, crowds, the list goes on. I can't stand the "accent" in the towns - for some reason it is cool to mumble as if you've smoked away half your brain.
Colorado is still a nice place to live, but I wouldn't pick a ski town |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 2:15:55 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Why 6-12 months ?? ANY one who wants to start a business, should know they need to have XX amount of operating capital in the bank. You move here from TX, do you think your wife is going to get a loan like that, if she / you don't have money set aside? Curious , exactly what business does your wife want to start / open? Is this business a niche market, one that will draw customers in from day 1. Will she have the inventory on hand , can she compete with the internet? As for you. Why money in reserve. Oh yeah. You don't have a job lined up. What happens if the job you get is seasonal, or shuts down? What happens if your wife's business is closed due to flood , fire, or snow closures? In the mountains, you're competing with everyone else for work (most of it seasonal) thoe jobs are usually spoken for in by late spring. Not to mention you're competing with every stoner who wants that mountain life style, dude. It's been 2 years since the last serious flooding in CO. To date there are some places that were unable open to or still not up to speed. When we relocated (30 yrs ago) I had a job, place ready to move in, and a good back up plan (money) if things didn't pan out. Plus then, one could buy a home for $40-70K. Now you can't find an affordable place, even in the ghetto, let alone the "mountains" for under $300K. Best of luck. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
what do you want out of life in Colorado that you're not getting in Texas? I'd start with that. I've been here for 40 years. It ain't what it used to be. Too damn many people, not enough water, too many east and west coast attitudes anymore. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably go somewhere else. Mountains, scenery, cooler weather, smaller towns that are touristy which mean better business, simpler life for kids and ourselves but with something outdoorsy to do like hiking. Red River NM. Other than that, you're thinking CO is going to fit the bill. IMO you're 30 - 40 years too late. What you want is what every out of state person who moves here wants. Unfortunately that bright eyed, bushy tailed dream comes with a price. One most can't afford. Can you and your wife afford to live with out an income for say 6 - 12 months? Can you afford $2k , more like $3k monthly rent or mortgage? Don't get me wrong, mountain living is a great lifestyle. It's just not on a daily basis, what it felt like on vacation. Best of luck, what ever you choose. I appreciate the insight. I'll check out Red River, NM. Why the 6-12 months of no income? We would move somewhere I could find a job and she would start a business. I get it from the business side, but are you referencing that or something else? Why 6-12 months ?? ANY one who wants to start a business, should know they need to have XX amount of operating capital in the bank. You move here from TX, do you think your wife is going to get a loan like that, if she / you don't have money set aside? Curious , exactly what business does your wife want to start / open? Is this business a niche market, one that will draw customers in from day 1. Will she have the inventory on hand , can she compete with the internet? As for you. Why money in reserve. Oh yeah. You don't have a job lined up. What happens if the job you get is seasonal, or shuts down? What happens if your wife's business is closed due to flood , fire, or snow closures? In the mountains, you're competing with everyone else for work (most of it seasonal) thoe jobs are usually spoken for in by late spring. Not to mention you're competing with every stoner who wants that mountain life style, dude. It's been 2 years since the last serious flooding in CO. To date there are some places that were unable open to or still not up to speed. When we relocated (30 yrs ago) I had a job, place ready to move in, and a good back up plan (money) if things didn't pan out. Plus then, one could buy a home for $40-70K. Now you can't find an affordable place, even in the ghetto, let alone the "mountains" for under $300K. Best of luck. Like I said, I get the top part of your last comment. Obviously we wouldn't move until I had a job lined up. That's part of the plan we are discussing. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 2:23:12 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If that's an option for the OP, look at the Monument/Palmer Lake area, or Black Forest or Falcon, or the Fountain/Security/Widefield area. Not tourist towns for the most part, though. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
My wife and I recently moved here for many of the same reasons (from a big city in Texas actually). We also fell in love with the mountain towns, but due to cost and work needs ended up "settling" on a small town outside Colorado Springs. We absolutely love it here so far. We're both always saying it feels like we're on a long vacation. While we do not live in the mountains, they are only a short drive away. Since we've been here we've gone hiking/camping up in the mountains practically every weekend. The cost of living in/around Colorado Springs is comparable to where we were from in Texas. The housing is actually less expensive than a lot of the areas where we came from. Just another thing to consider if living up in the mountains doesn't work out. If that's an option for the OP, look at the Monument/Palmer Lake area, or Black Forest or Falcon, or the Fountain/Security/Widefield area. Not tourist towns for the most part, though. Thanks, both of you. Will look at that as an option. |
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Posted: 9/13/2015 3:10:11 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Montana, Wyoming, Utah or Idaho Colorado is not what it used to be, by a long shot. The changes here in the last 15 years rival the hope and change obungo has wrought in the whitehouse. Don't get me wrong, it is still better than a lot of places, but there are better if you are looking for a positive change for your family This. In my almost 15 yrs. here, I've seen the cluster unravel. Between the dysfunctional R state party not knowing when to STFU and not being at least somewhat consistent on liberty, and the infestation of "enlightened" pseudointellectual control freaks, we've arrived at this mess. I'm pessimistic about the future of this state. It's not that we don't want more pro-liberty people moving here. It's us being honest with you. We'd still welcome you. |
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Posted: 9/14/2015 12:14:20 PM EDT
[#24]
I would second Salida. I would not recommend Leadville. It's too high, and living at too high an altitude is bad for your health!
Also check out Gunnison, that is a great little town. Or Montrose. Durango. |
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Posted: 9/14/2015 1:51:12 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I would second Salida. I would not recommend Leadville. It's too high, and living at too high an altitude is bad for your health! Also check out Gunnison, that is a great little town. Or Montrose. Durango. I love Gunnison and would live there in a heartbeat if I could. I do like living in Montrose, but it doesn't quite meet your living in the mountains standard. Less than an hour in any direction and you are in them though! Durango fits the bill pretty well. |
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Posted: 9/14/2015 2:21:24 PM EDT
[#26]
Buena Vista might be something to consider
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Posted: 9/14/2015 9:02:22 PM EDT
[#27]
Come on out, we'd love to have you. breck, and summit county in general is an awesome place to live, and raise a family. The winters are long, but there's ways around that, and sometimes the tourists get to you, but they for the most part are the ones who pay the bills, so you just deal with it. It's really not as bad as people make it out to be.
Summit county is pretty much the perfect location. In the winter you have downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and everything winter. Summer, you have hiking, mountain biking, sailing, fishing, motocross, kayaking, rafting, softball, rafting, golf, and lots more. Hunting season brings turkey, deer, elk, bear, moose, waterfowl, and others. All within a 40 mile radius or less. If your wife wants to start a tourist driven business, breck is growing like crazy right now. I don't know what "financial services" is, but I'm pretty sure you could fined something to do. One of my favorite things about breck is that it's a pretty small town, from where I grew up anyways. But within an hour or so, you have Denver, so you can easily get your big city fix, without actually living in the big city. There really isn't any keeping up with the joneses here if you are a local, and know plenty of people who ride a mountain bike that is more expensive than their car. Violent Crime is fairly nonexistent. It's a great place to raise a family, and there's something to be said raising kids in the mountains, they are just tougher and more self reliant. You don't say where your from or your income level, so I can't give you much advice in comparison, but the cost of living here is high, but there are ways around that too. But then again, you pay for living in a resort community. I can give you much more detail if interested of you give me some more details. |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 10:39:18 AM EDT
[#28]
It is pretty interesting that people who are just now discovering CO still feel the same as we did many years ago.
I found it via the US Army, 4th ID/Ft Carson in 1976. Every weekend off was a trip to the Mts, and I was hooked. Remember when cripple creek really was an old mining town? No way I could ever go back to PA. So I figured it out when I got out of the army, made my way to Summit county in 1980 and have had a great life in this state. I have lived in Breck,twice  (first house bought there was a modular in Valdora village for 70k), Denver, twice , Bayfield and have settled on GJ.
I would say GJ for the OP, but the economy is still pretty bad here. Hell, our Hooters even closed this month. Somebody said Salida, I always liked that town. Colo spgs really seems like a good choice too. We prolly feel like the best times were 30+ years ago, and that may be true. I still like it here, smelly hippies and all. |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 2:46:18 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It is pretty interesting that people who are just now discovering CO still feel the same as we did many years ago. I found it via the US Army, 4th ID/Ft Carson in 1976. Every weekend off was a trip to the Mts, and I was hooked. Remember when cripple creek really was an old mining town? No way I could ever go back to PA. So I figured it out when I got out of the army, made my way to Summit county in 1980 and have had a great life in this state. I have lived in Breck,twice (first house bought there was a modular in Valdora village for 70k), Denver, twice, Bayfield and have settled on GJ.
I would say GJ for the OP, but the economy is still pretty bad here. Hell, our Hooters even closed this month. Somebody said Salida, I always liked that town. Colo spgs really seems like a good choice too. We prolly feel like the best times were 30+ years ago, and that may be true. I still like it here, smelly hippies and all. Thanks for the insight. I don't think GJ will work based on our job needs. For my wife's idea, we need tourism. For mine, probably what is best is for the area I am working on to be the financial hub of that region and it needs to have decent money in the area. We can live in an area and one of us commute to make it work. |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 2:50:32 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Come on out, we'd love to have you. breck, and summit county in general is an awesome place to live, and raise a family. The winters are long, but there's ways around that, and sometimes the tourists get to you, but they for the most part are the ones who pay the bills, so you just deal with it. It's really not as bad as people make it out to be. Summit county is pretty much the perfect location. In the winter you have downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and everything winter. Summer, you have hiking, mountain biking, sailing, fishing, motocross, kayaking, rafting, softball, rafting, golf, and lots more. Hunting season brings turkey, deer, elk, bear, moose, waterfowl, and others. All within a 40 mile radius or less. If your wife wants to start a tourist driven business, breck is growing like crazy right now. I don't know what "financial services" is, but I'm pretty sure you could fined something to do. One of my favorite things about breck is that it's a pretty small town, from where I grew up anyways. But within an hour or so, you have Denver, so you can easily get your big city fix, without actually living in the big city. There really isn't any keeping up with the joneses here if you are a local, and know plenty of people who ride a mountain bike that is more expensive than their car. Violent Crime is fairly nonexistent. It's a great place to raise a family, and there's something to be said raising kids in the mountains, they are just tougher and more self reliant. You don't say where your from or your income level, so I can't give you much advice in comparison, but the cost of living here is high, but there are ways around that too. But then again, you pay for living in a resort community. I can give you much more detail if interested of you give me some more details. Thanks. As for the cost of living, we are ok living outside of Breckenridge, like maybe towards Silverthorne, Dillon, or somewhere else I am not thinking of. One CO spot I found that might work is Divide CO. It wouldnt work for Breckenridge, but that might be an area that would give us what we want. Also Glenwood springs might work. Anything on those areas? |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 4:12:05 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I would say GJ for the OP, but the economy is still pretty bad here. Hell, our Hooters even closed this month. I did not know that! It's been a couple years since I drove up there for wings, I tend to just order sauce online. The second Hooters to open was in my hometown. I grew up going there with my parents... They defined wings for me...yes I expect people to give me grief over that statement.
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Posted: 9/15/2015 5:20:08 PM EDT
[#32]
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Thanks. As for the cost of living, we are ok living outside of Breckenridge, like maybe towards Silverthorne, Dillon, or somewhere else I am not thinking of. One CO spot I found that might work is Divide CO. It wouldnt work for Breckenridge, but that might be an area that would give us what we want. Also Glenwood springs might work. Anything on those areas? Quote HistoryQuoted:
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Come on out, we'd love to have you. breck, and summit county in general is an awesome place to live, and raise a family. The winters are long, but there's ways around that, and sometimes the tourists get to you, but they for the most part are the ones who pay the bills, so you just deal with it. It's really not as bad as people make it out to be. Summit county is pretty much the perfect location. In the winter you have downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and everything winter. Summer, you have hiking, mountain biking, sailing, fishing, motocross, kayaking, rafting, softball, rafting, golf, and lots more. Hunting season brings turkey, deer, elk, bear, moose, waterfowl, and others. All within a 40 mile radius or less. If your wife wants to start a tourist driven business, breck is growing like crazy right now. I don't know what "financial services" is, but I'm pretty sure you could fined something to do. One of my favorite things about breck is that it's a pretty small town, from where I grew up anyways. But within an hour or so, you have Denver, so you can easily get your big city fix, without actually living in the big city. There really isn't any keeping up with the joneses here if you are a local, and know plenty of people who ride a mountain bike that is more expensive than their car. Violent Crime is fairly nonexistent. It's a great place to raise a family, and there's something to be said raising kids in the mountains, they are just tougher and more self reliant. You don't say where your from or your income level, so I can't give you much advice in comparison, but the cost of living here is high, but there are ways around that too. But then again, you pay for living in a resort community. I can give you much more detail if interested of you give me some more details. Thanks. As for the cost of living, we are ok living outside of Breckenridge, like maybe towards Silverthorne, Dillon, or somewhere else I am not thinking of. One CO spot I found that might work is Divide CO. It wouldnt work for Breckenridge, but that might be an area that would give us what we want. Also Glenwood springs might work. Anything on those areas? Divide is a dinky little town with no services. It's situated in the middle of some nice areas but I'm not real sure if you'd like it. You'd be about 90 minutes from downtown breck though, and 15 minutes from Woodland Park- which might be worth considering for you. |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 5:36:45 PM EDT
[#33]
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It is pretty interesting that people who are just now discovering CO still feel the same as we did many years ago. I found it via the US Army, 4th ID/Ft Carson in 1976. Every weekend off was a trip to the Mts, and I was hooked. Remember when cripple creek really was an old mining town? No way I could ever go back to PA. So I figured it out when I got out of the army, made my way to Summit county in 1980 and have had a great life in this state. I have lived in Breck,twice (first house bought there was a modular in Valdora village for 70k), Denver, twice, Bayfield and have settled on GJ.
I would say GJ for the OP, but the economy is still pretty bad here. Hell, our Hooters even closed this month. Somebody said Salida, I always liked that town. Colo spgs really seems like a good choice too. We prolly feel like the best times were 30+ years ago, and that may be true. I still like it here, smelly hippies and all. Good ol' VD Village, eh?  I was up there back then, actually I moved to Lake County in 1980. Summit County was fueled by cocaine back then. I saw a lot of lives ruined up there. And it was a great place to get a divorce. I still had family up there, so I'd go back on a regular basis. Breckenridge turned into a great big candy cane yuppie ghetto. I loathe the place. The family up there just left after 40 years or so. They finally had enough.
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Posted: 9/15/2015 5:48:31 PM EDT
[#34]
IMO. The OP and his wife need to come out for more than "vacation" explore different areas. Check out where they like without the touristy stars in their eyes. This way they can see how the place really operates. We looked at some places that sounded good on paper...........till we got there.
GJ to us looked great on paper, till we were in traffic. Granted it was over by the college. However 60K + people is too many. |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 6:11:24 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
IMO. The OP and his wife need to come out for more than "vacation" explore different areas. Check out where they like without the touristy stars in their eyes. This way they can see how the place really operates. We looked at some places that sounded good on paper...........till we got there.
GJ to us looked great on paper, till we were in traffic. Granted it was over by the college. However 60K + people is too many. Montrose traffic drives me nuts at times! Then I go to Junction or somewhere bigger and it reminds me it's not so bad! |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 9:53:37 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
IMO. The OP and his wife need to come out for more than "vacation" explore different areas. Check out where they like without the touristy stars in their eyes. This way they can see how the place really operates. We looked at some places that sounded good on paper...........till we got there.
GJ to us looked great on paper, till we were in traffic. Granted it was over by the college. However 60K + people is too many. Aren't you in the fort or Greeley? The Mecca of traffic
And I tend to agree, the thought of it is great, but once you're committed I think you may find yourself with regrets. Especially if you choose some of the areas your discussing. And don't under estimate the winters and traffic up there. If you think you're going to commute to the front range for work, you're gonna be in shock once the first snow falls or you need to drive on a Friday. I used to run a route in the Breckinridge, silverthorne, Dillon, copper mtn, Leadville area where I came from Denver in the morning and returned in the evening. Nothing short of miserable. Hated the people as well, save for Leadville. Not a day on that route went by where I wasn't blown away by the amount of snow in Leadville. Truly takes a different type to put up with that kind of winter. I'm not saying don't do it, just really take the time to explore all your options before doing so. You mentioned 5 years, so sounds like you'll have plenty of time to work out the details. |
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Posted: 9/15/2015 11:09:50 PM EDT
[#37]
With the economy stalling, and a lot of different things in limbo, I would NOT be venturing into business that relies on tourism or toy money. Not until things stabilize about this time next year, at the least if not a couple of years. People stop traveling, and stop spending on unnecessary things when money gets funny.
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Posted: 9/16/2015 12:14:44 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks. As for the cost of living, we are ok living outside of Breckenridge, like maybe towards Silverthorne, Dillon, or somewhere else I am not thinking of. One CO spot I found that might work is Divide CO. It wouldnt work for Breckenridge, but that might be an area that would give us what we want. Also Glenwood springs might work. Anything on those areas? Breck has a new neighborhood that's for locals only with families. It's an affordable housing neighborhood and geared towards kids. The majority of locals that live there have kids, and many are business owners. If you can afford it, and want to open a business or work in breck, that's your best bet. Silverthorne is nice, especially if you get north where the ranches are, and there are some family neighborhoods there too. How much could you spend on housing and how many kids do you have? And what kind of income do you have? That's really the key question as to if you consider the cost of living high or not, vs what you have wherever in tx you are. As far as traffic, a lot of people complain, but those are the ones who don't actually live here, so they are either going the wrong direction on the wrong day, or don't know the back roads. Ski traffic is terrible, but you just have to plan to not get in it. It's not a big deal if you live here. The thing is, it's predictable, and avoidable, unlike the big cities where a wreck on I10 jams things up for hours on any given day. Sure, they close i70 a few times a winter, you just deal with it. Same thing goes for the economy. Breck is growing so fast right now it's insane. If you can find a niche business that fills a void, you would be in good shape. Finding a retail space may be tough though. it really depends on what kind of business you are thinking of starting. |
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Posted: 9/16/2015 12:19:13 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Aren't you in the fort or Greeley? The Mecca of traffic
. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
IMO. The OP and his wife need to come out for more than "vacation" explore different areas. Check out where they like without the touristy stars in their eyes. This way they can see how the place really operates. We looked at some places that sounded good on paper...........till we got there.
GJ to us looked great on paper, till we were in traffic. Granted it was over by the college. However 60K + people is too many. Aren't you in the fort or Greeley? The Mecca of traffic
. Neither. But i do Play Al Unser when driving to the fort. There was a time when i could go from the Ever Open down to walmart on Harmony rd in 15 minutes tops. . One could eat anywhere in ft fun , no one cared what you looked like. Cowboys, students, trustifairians, bikers chowing down @ Tony's. No big deal. Now there's the pretentious attitude when one visits the many eateries in the fort. Not to mention. Well there's a 30-45 minute wait to be seated. FOR BREAKFAST??
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Posted: 9/16/2015 5:35:09 AM EDT
[#40]
Salida, Buena Vista, Canon City, Woodland Park, Evergreen, Bailey, Falcon, Monument, Castle Rock.
Canon City had a big hit with the fire at the Royal Gorge, lost 1/3 of their tax revenue. Not sure how they intend to make it up. However property taxes were/are reasonable. I like Canon, cooler than Pueblo, less snow than Colorado Springs, short commute to either Pueblo or Springs. Monarch ski area is reasonable and just up the road. Everything in Colorado is a day trip from Canon. Lots of equine activity in the area. Plenty of outdoor activities. Canon is trying to be a tourist town, with limited success in my opinion. Canon would also be the cheapest on my list. Canon does not have the high energy you see in Breck, mostly due to not having the hypoxia/alcohol mix. 
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Posted: 9/16/2015 8:52:50 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Good ol' VD Village, eh? I was up there back then, actually I moved to Lake County in 1980. Summit County was fueled by cocaine back then. I saw a lot of lives ruined up there. And it was a great place to get a divorce. I still had family up there, so I'd go back on a regular basis. Breckenridge turned into a great big candy cane yuppie ghetto. I loathe the place. The family up there just left after 40 years or so. They finally had enough.Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
It is pretty interesting that people who are just now discovering CO still feel the same as we did many years ago. I found it via the US Army, 4th ID/Ft Carson in 1976. Every weekend off was a trip to the Mts, and I was hooked. Remember when cripple creek really was an old mining town? No way I could ever go back to PA. So I figured it out when I got out of the army, made my way to Summit county in 1980 and have had a great life in this state. I have lived in Breck,twice (first house bought there was a modular in Valdora village for 70k), Denver, twice, Bayfield and have settled on GJ.
I would say GJ for the OP, but the economy is still pretty bad here. Hell, our Hooters even closed this month. Somebody said Salida, I always liked that town. Colo spgs really seems like a good choice too. We prolly feel like the best times were 30+ years ago, and that may be true. I still like it here, smelly hippies and all. Good ol' VD Village, eh? I was up there back then, actually I moved to Lake County in 1980. Summit County was fueled by cocaine back then. I saw a lot of lives ruined up there. And it was a great place to get a divorce. I still had family up there, so I'd go back on a regular basis. Breckenridge turned into a great big candy cane yuppie ghetto. I loathe the place. The family up there just left after 40 years or so. They finally had enough.It never seemed like a good place to raise kids, but lots of people were doing that. And thinking back, nearly all my married friends (I was single) left divorced. I just stayed for the skiing and summers. I loved to ski and dirt biked all over that area. |
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Posted: 9/16/2015 9:16:47 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Neither. But i do Play Al Unser when driving to the fort. There was a time when i could go from the Ever Open down to walmart on Harmony rd in 15 minutes tops. . One could eat anywhere in ft fun , no one cared what you looked like. Cowboys, students, trustifairians, bikers chowing down @ Tony's. No big deal. Now there's the pretentious attitude when one visits the many eateries in the fort. Not to mention. Well there's a 30-45 minute wait to be seated. FOR BREAKFAST??
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
IMO. The OP and his wife need to come out for more than "vacation" explore different areas. Check out where they like without the touristy stars in their eyes. This way they can see how the place really operates. We looked at some places that sounded good on paper...........till we got there.
GJ to us looked great on paper, till we were in traffic. Granted it was over by the college. However 60K + people is too many. Aren't you in the fort or Greeley? The Mecca of traffic
. Neither. But i do Play Al Unser when driving to the fort. There was a time when i could go from the Ever Open down to walmart on Harmony rd in 15 minutes tops. . One could eat anywhere in ft fun , no one cared what you looked like. Cowboys, students, trustifairians, bikers chowing down @ Tony's. No big deal. Now there's the pretentious attitude when one visits the many eateries in the fort. Not to mention. Well there's a 30-45 minute wait to be seated. FOR BREAKFAST??
this |
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Posted: 9/16/2015 8:23:08 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
With the economy stalling, and a lot of different things in limbo, I would NOT be venturing into business that relies on tourism or toy money. Not until things stabilize about this time next year, at the least if not a couple of years. People stop traveling, and stop spending on unnecessary things when money gets funny. Agree with this. Do not get into a consumer driven or service industry like lawn service, pool cleaning, restaurant, book store or stuff like furniture sales, travel. Think hard times and what is wanted then. |
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Posted: 9/16/2015 10:15:13 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Agree with this. Do not get into a consumer driven or service industry like lawn service, pool cleaning, restaurant, book store or stuff like furniture sales, travel. Think hard times and what is wanted then. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
With the economy stalling, and a lot of different things in limbo, I would NOT be venturing into business that relies on tourism or toy money. Not until things stabilize about this time next year, at the least if not a couple of years. People stop traveling, and stop spending on unnecessary things when money gets funny. Agree with this. Do not get into a consumer driven or service industry like lawn service, pool cleaning, restaurant, book store or stuff like furniture sales, travel. Think hard times and what is wanted then. Appreciate the advice. Do y'all mean the CO local economy, or the overall nationwide economy? I'm curious if what you are talking about is local and what you are seeing. |
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Posted: 9/16/2015 11:07:24 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Appreciate the advice. Do y'all mean the CO local economy, or the overall nationwide economy? I'm curious if what you are talking about is local and what you are seeing. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
With the economy stalling, and a lot of different things in limbo, I would NOT be venturing into business that relies on tourism or toy money. Not until things stabilize about this time next year, at the least if not a couple of years. People stop traveling, and stop spending on unnecessary things when money gets funny. Agree with this. Do not get into a consumer driven or service industry like lawn service, pool cleaning, restaurant, book store or stuff like furniture sales, travel. Think hard times and what is wanted then. Appreciate the advice. Do y'all mean the CO local economy, or the overall nationwide economy? I'm curious if what you are talking about is local and what you are seeing. I can't speak to the national or even the state economy, but the economy in summit county is very strong, and somewhat insulated from the national economy. It's a typical resort economy. |
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Posted: 9/17/2015 10:25:28 AM EDT
[#46]
Look at Carbondale and the surrounding area or New Castle and Rifle.
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Posted: 9/17/2015 5:19:12 PM EDT
[#47]
Woodland Park gets a lot of tourist traffic. Nice little town west of the Springs, but it's growing and getting busy.
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Posted: 9/18/2015 2:44:44 PM EDT
[#48]
I live in Summit County. I'm actually moving, but not because I don't like it here - for a relationship. I know two people that do catering here and they keep plenty busy. I live on the Keystone / Dillon side. It's different than Breck. I'm not a fan of Breck but it may have more opportunity for your wife there.
People here are suggesting several great locations. There is a huge difference in mountain towns that have skiing / tourism / recreation vs. the mountain towns that don't. An elevation difference of 3K' can make a huge difference in the length of seasons too. I've been here off and on since 1991 and have seen a lot of changes. It's definitely busier and more expensive now. When I first came here it seemed everyone was here for the skiing and outdoors lifestyle (some for partying too). But now, due to growth and demand we have a big population of people that just come for the work and don't play in the mountains it seems. It's expensive in the mountains, but there is money to be made here too for the entrepreneurially inclined. Summit County is open and hospitable to newcomers; the same can't necessarily be said of smaller mountain towns in CO and elsewhere in my experience. Like any other place, there's a give and take to being here. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Cheers! -JC |
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Posted: 9/18/2015 10:19:17 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I live in Summit County. I'm actually moving, but not because I don't like it here - for a relationship. I know two people that do catering here and they keep plenty busy. I live on the Keystone / Dillon side. It's different than Breck. I'm not a fan of Breck but it may have more opportunity for your wife there. People here are suggesting several great locations. There is a huge difference in mountain towns that have skiing / tourism / recreation vs. the mountain towns that don't. An elevation difference of 3K' can make a huge difference in the length of seasons too. I've been here off and on since 1991 and have seen a lot of changes. It's definitely busier and more expensive now. When I first came here it seemed everyone was here for the skiing and outdoors lifestyle (some for partying too). But now, due to growth and demand we have a big population of people that just come for the work and don't play in the mountains it seems. It's expensive in the mountains, but there is money to be made here too for the entrepreneurially inclined. Summit County is open and hospitable to newcomers; the same can't necessarily be said of smaller mountain towns in CO and elsewhere in my experience. Like any other place, there's a give and take to being here. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Cheers! -JC Hey JC, sorry to see you go. Good luck on your next adventure! |
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Posted: 9/19/2015 9:23:56 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Montrose traffic drives me nuts at times! Then I go to Junction or somewhere bigger and it reminds me it's not so bad! Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: IMO. The OP and his wife need to come out for more than "vacation" explore different areas. Check out where they like without the touristy stars in their eyes. This way they can see how the place really operates. We looked at some places that sounded good on paper...........till we got there. GJ to us looked great on paper, till we were in traffic. Granted it was over by the college. However 60K + people is too many. Montrose traffic drives me nuts at times! Then I go to Junction or somewhere bigger and it reminds me it's not so bad! |
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