We are making the move to CO

SHELBY · #1 05/21/06, 08:01 AM

My DH is working in CO and we both have decided that we are going to be moving out there. He is working with a realtor out there and has been looking at houses.
We have somewhere to board the animals ( 1 horse, 2 mini horses, 6 goats, 1 jersey heifer, will probably just sell the chickens) But if we can't find a place if our house sells fast, (putting it for sale in July) we will have to move ourselves into a 30 ft camper that he already has out there. 6 people and Sadie (our yellow lab).

I guess what my main question is, Is there anything we should know while looking at houses, property out there. We are looking around the Grand Junction area.

P>S> Anyone want to buy a house. 25 acres

Anything

Cyngbaeld · #2 05/21/06, 08:39 AM

Grand junction is one of the more rapidly growing areas, in CO if not in the US. Prices have been going up for yrs and are rather crazy. Air pollution in that valley is really bad, especially in winter. Building dept is a real stinker in Mesa County. Fought tooth and toe nail with them for three yrs and finally gave up and moved out and sold my place. GJ was a great place to live a few yrs ago. Not now. JMHO

Do you have to be right in GJ? How far out can you go?

SHELBY · #3 05/21/06, 09:15 AM

Don't need to be in Grand Junction. I was just using that for general area.
Has to be west of Denver though. don't want to be too far from work. The site they are on now is in Rifle and the shop is in Fruita. It can be anywhere around that general area.

There is one place in Loma that he really likes and from what I heard from him and the realtor, it sounds pretty good.

The kids and I are going to go out for 2 weeks in mid June to go check out some of them and the area.

Good info to know about GJ though, thanks

QBVII · #4 05/21/06, 09:22 AM

Oh my goodness, if you have horses you would love Fruita. Everyone there has horses.
Fruita is right next to GJ, anyway.

Fruita's nice.....very, very nice area. That would be a great place to look for a home. It's right next to GJ and the real estate would be a bit cheaper. It's a lovely area, right by the Colorado National Monument --- awesome place to go horseback riding!

You will LOVE it out there. :baby04:

SHELBY · #5 05/21/06, 09:30 AM

DH loves being out there because of the climate. He has problems with his shoulders when he is here in Pa. Out there he has no discomfort at all.

We've moved like 5 times before we bought this place and told him I would move only once more and that was it. Too tired of stuff getting borken during the moves. He said if we move out there we weren't going to move anymore and there we'll stay. But I told him I wanted it in writing. LOL

SHELBY · #6 05/21/06, 09:32 AM

No takers on the house huh, bummer.

Cyngbaeld · #7 05/21/06, 10:05 AM

Fruita is nice. Loma is a bit further out. You need to make absolutely sure you have irrigation water rights to go with the property. Rainfall in that valley averages 8" and some yrs you don't get anywhere near that much. If you have horses you will want irrigated fields for them.

You might want to look in the DeBeque area. Prices are still going up, but you may find irrigated land at slightly more reasonable prices. Also check out Colbran and Mesa. Very pretty too. If I could have afforded it, Colbran would have been my preferred place to live, but I didn't have to commute, which can be a consideration.

You might also look up toward Meeker in Rio Blanco county. Also very pretty land and not too far from Rifle. The house I'm selling is in Rio Blanco county, in Rangely. You wouldn't want to live there tho. The commute would be a killer. Property taxes in Rio Blanco are really good too. Don't tell anybody tho!

donsgal · #8 05/21/06, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHELBY

My DH is working in CO and we both have decided that we are going to be moving out there. He is working with a realtor out there and has been looking at houses.
We have somewhere to board the animals ( 1 horse, 2 mini horses, 6 goats, 1 jersey heifer, will probably just sell the chickens) But if we can't find a place if our house sells fast, (putting it for sale in July) we will have to move ourselves into a 30 ft camper that he already has out there. 6 people and Sadie (our yellow lab).

I guess what my main question is, Is there anything we should know while looking at houses, property out there. We are looking around the Grand Junction area.

P>S> Anyone want to buy a house. 25 acres

Anything

Well, consider yourself blesssed. Grand Junction is by far the BEST town in a state that sucks rocks. I've spend a great deal of time in Colorado (not by choice), and on a long list of places that I would want to live, it would fall right after hell.

Donsgal

QBVII · #9 05/21/06, 03:41 PM

Quote:

on a long list of places that I would want to live, it would fall right after hell.

Why do you feel that way - just curious -

goatlady · #10 05/21/06, 06:04 PM

my sentiments exactly, donsgal! I was seriously considering moving to CO several years ago but when I found out about the water well situation - the state registers EVERY private well in the state and has the authority to place a meter on the well head (at your cost) and basically tell you how much water you can pump from your own private well. That seems to be a protetection for the commercial growers seeing as how Co. has severe water scarcities statewide and it will continue to get worse. Co. is also one of the most bureaucratic states in the nation and the Co. Supreme Court issued a ruling several years ago which was upheld by the Fed. Courts that the Constitution has NO PLACE in a Co. court! TAlk about freedon restrictions - no way would I live there.

Jan in CO · #11 05/21/06, 07:05 PM

Well, Goatlady, I don't think the state gives a fig about the commercial growers and their water rights. They just locked down 440 wells in the northern counties, so those growers are just out of luck. Crops are in, and they were told 'we can probably get you loans or grants in 45 days or so". The growers all need water within 7 days or their crops will be toast. NOT pretty. I'm thinking the price of hay is going to be a killer this year with as dry as it's been. Sure doesn't help the farmers and ranchers out, let alone us small homesteaders trying to just manage our own few acres. Jan in Co

donsgal · #12 05/21/06, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QBVII

Why do you feel that way - just curious -

I spent a considerable amout of time in Durango. When I went there the first first time in 1996, the town was full of down-to-earth ranchers and cowboys and just good, normal, decent people (like us!)

Slowly, ever so slowly, "other" people came to town, rumor had it that they were from California, but I never confirmed this, so I don't want to say, but the "face" of Durango changed dramatically. Where there were once country bars, there were now places that sold pricey coffee and fresh squeezed juices. Everything turned all artsy-phartsy and "upscale" and what was once a charming little western town became yet another vicitm to yuppie-ism.

That having been said, I don't like the climate in Colorado. I don't like the scenery (mountains make me claustrophobic), it seems that everybody there is either into kayaking, hiking or mountaiin biking (they even got rid of the only BOWLING ALLEY in Durango, sheesh). Forget even finding one restaurant there that deep fries ANYTHING or uses goold old iceberg lettuce for their salads.

Oh and they (Durango folks) are super-duper prejudice against Native Americans, whom I personally happen to have a deep and abiding respect for.

Colorado just ain't my cup of tea. Other folks love it. More power to them.

donsgal