The first time some people see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, they often fall in love. And that passion for the raw, natural beauty of the region prompts some to move to or buy a secondary home in the area. Yet the old saying goes, āDonāt shop for groceries when you are hungry.ā But unlike making mistakes when buying food, making a mistake in real estate can cost people entire fortunes. Locals who have lived through the various real estate booms over the past three decades all have stories of people who threw caution to the wind and sunk their fortunes into real estate gone amok.
So here are five tips to ponder when buying or building in this stunning rural area.
One: Try to stay or visit in the winter months.
One couple found a solution to dealing with the problems that arose from their passion for the region: they rented a small apartment for a year and made sure to come and stay during both summer and winter. āWe wanted to know what we were getting into before we retired from Ohio.ā This was great advice, as when the winter winds start blowing and many businesses on Main Street reduce their hours in response to the lack of winter patrons, it can cause some people to come down with cabin fever. This couple ultimately moved here, but they were fully aware of what they were getting into. Before comĀmitting your life savings, come visit when the summer sunshine is a distant memory in winter.
Two: Think a lot about water.
The Western United States is a semi-arid or desert environment, and water, or the lack thereof, signifiĀcantly influences nearly everything related to real estate. Much of the eastern and southern United States has very wet climates, and a significant amount of thought and energy is devoted to figurĀing out how to divert water away from homes and fields. In the West, conserving water is a constant subject for individuals and communities. Wells are often limited on what they can provide for a home, and state law continues to tighten any water use it deems is not being used appropriately. Remember, at the end of the day, the state of Colorado controls all water.
Three: Mountain home locations require a lot of equipment.
Beautiful homesites with vast views can blind buyers to the cost of the infrastructure it takes to even start building a home. The best sites for houses are often the rockiest and steepest on a property, requiring huge pieces of equipment to build roads and jackhammer through solid rock. Even after all that is completed, maintaining and plowing snow off dirt roads is a constant and expensive undertakĀing that requires constant vigilance. Additionally, how a home gets power should be considered after how the house gets water, as some locations are too far removed from power lines to connect without incurring a significant expense.
Four: Nature quickly tries to reclaim vacation homes.
The dream of about 60% of all homeowners in the region is to have a place to spend a few months of the year to get a reprieve from the urban or suburban rat race. However, without proper planning, the vacation home often turns into a second job upon arrival. The saying is that nature abhors a vacuum, and it really likes to mess with a home the second the owners leave. Bugs and rodents have a habit of completely taking over a house in a month, which, if not dealt with, can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Septic fields can freeze in winter and not work in the spring, causing nasty backflows into the house. Weeds, shrubs, and grasses quickly pop up and increase the fuel load around homes, causing increased fire danger. Lastly, power can be cut off, and water pipes can freeze, potentially destroying entire dwellings. Having plans in place to address these issues and involving local busiĀnesses to provide oversight is a good idea to proĀtect your vacation spot and investment.
Five: Help is often a long way away when you need it most.
The volunteers and emergency personnel in this region are among the best in the state. But these seasoned organizations are often a long way away from being able to provide help when you call. Many rural locations are a 30-minute drive away from the EMS station in Westcliffe, and heliĀcopter assistance can take upwards of an hour. There is no emergency room in Custer or western Fremont Counties, so when help does arrive, it can take an hour and a half to reach an emergency room. Many want to retire here, but it is in later age that life-saving help depends on reaching you in minutes, not half an hour. Additionally, the high altitude can place significant stress on individuals accustomed to living at much lower elevations.
The experts and businesses in this guide can help navigate local problems and ensure you enjoy life to the fullest in the Wet Mountain Valley.
Jordan Hedberg
