Montana or Colorado?

[SFC B]

Uncle Sugar brought me to CO 11 years ago and I love it....BUUUUUUTTTT.......when my youngest graduates in 2 years we are OUT to either MT or ID. Everywhere in the Inter Mountain West has a lot of transplants which change things but CO has already reached the "Colo-fornication" tipping point. Our politics are going nowhere but worse.....unless you like the California model. One look at our governor and his flunkies will give you a preview.

Cost of living wise this is what I know from experience. Housing costs are continuing to soar. For reference, we bought our 3000sf house in a nice part of the Springs 9 years ago for 270k. Currently I could sell it for about 425-35k in less than a week (probably with an all cash offer). Property taxes, however, are low, @+-$1600 a year on that house. Utilities are also very reasonable. We average about 150-200 a month combined (worst ever was a VERY cold January at $400). Due to hail and fires our homeowners insurance has TRIPLED since we bought the house. As for housing prices from the south suburbs of Denver north through FoCo you can probably and another 25-35% onto what is here.

Traffic around the Springs isn't bad but anywhere around Denver and north is horrific.

I have only traveled through MT but I would say there isn't much of a choice( unless the job forces your hand). It is too bad because there is a lot to love about CO and actual Coloradans.....alas, we can't flush the People's Republics of Denver/Boudler/FoCo

Feel free to ask any questions not touched on.

 

[mtmuley]

This really scares me

Scary reality. mtmuley

 

[shb]

Your money goes twice as far in tropical south America.









Not to mention that CO, and MT are both full.

 

[buffybr]

I was 5th generation Colorado but it got too crowded for me back in 1975 and I moved to Montana. I still have family in the Denver area so I go back there several times each year. It's really sickening to see what has happened to that once great state.

Now the leftists' are taking over Montana but I am too entrenched into where I live and too old to start over somewhere new, so I guess I'm here for the duration.

But I hear North Dakota is nice.

 

[devon deer]

An outsiders view, as in way outside the US, I took my wife and kids to Montana and Colorado for a 2 week vacation, I asked them after our visits 'if you could, where would you choose to live' it was a resounding 'Montana'!
My wife said 'I want to live in Paradise valley near Livingston' I told her to dream on, rob a bank or buy more lottery tickets
I just found Montana to be more welcoming, the fact that I have been back there fishing and hunting so many times also speaks volumes.
Good luck with your choice.
Cheers
Richard

 

[AZbywayofWI]

Born and raised in Colorado and moved to Montana 35 years ago and never plan to leave. I do love Colorado and my Broncos but all the people drive me nuts. I'm in Helena which has a Target, good elk hunting, the Missouri River and 3 reservoirs full of walleye and rainbows just minutes from my house....I'm pretty happy here. Prices of homes in Bozeman are already insane and Missoula close behind. Starting to get bad in Helena too. Billings is not my favorite place. Lewistown is a pretty cool place and I like the Flathead too where you can still live in the sticks but Kalispell is close. Good luck with your search.

Thanks for the great information!

 

[AZbywayofWI]

To Become a Montana resident you must agree to inform "Non Residents" about the following (Or something close)...

- WINTER starts in October & ends in May (Every year)
- SNOW (Likes to blow around a lot making it hard to see AND will eventually drift your driveway in)
- ROADS, during the above stated winter months, can & WILL become impassable (So we encourage not traveling...)
- WIND (we have the days where it blows and then the days when we pick our grill covers up in North Dakota)
- MOISTURE is the Same every year (Too much AND Not enough... at least according to our farmer/rancher buddies)
- DAYLIGHT HOURS (gets dark at 4ish (December, January & February) so if you have to work get used to coming and going in the dark)
- DEER all seem to be getting CWD (seriously not a joke though)
- Summer time mosquitoes carry small dogs away on a regular basis AND they all have West Nile (But if you give the Mosquitoe-Spray-Truck a 6 pack he'll drive slow through the neighborhood)
- Etc., etc., etc........

You said Montana right!? Because it sounds exactly like my home state, Wisconsin. Haha.

 

[AZbywayofWI]

Funny you're asking, I live in Montana and if I was to move, Arizona would be one of my top picks. I definitely wouldn't want to live anywhere near Phoenix though. I have also lived in Wyoming and I could definitely live there again.

Yup stay away from Phoenix!

 

[AZbywayofWI]

Actually, the only opinion that matters is your's. Your decision is years away. Use the time to winnow various locations you identify as possibilities. There is no place that is perfect in every regard.

If you are going to need to continue to work,, use the years to get your balance sheet in good order. Most areas that have fantastic outdoor recreation do not have an abundance of good jobs.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[MTGomer]

If you like Montana, you could live in Missoula or Bozeman and still get a lot of the same benefits as Colorado, while only being a few minutes from Montana.

 

[AZbywayofWI]

Uncle Sugar brought me to CO 11 years ago and I love it....BUUUUUUTTTT.......when my youngest graduates in 2 years we are OUT to either MT or ID. Everywhere in the Inter Mountain West has a lot of transplants which change things but CO has already reached the "Colo-fornication" tipping point. Our politics are going nowhere but worse.....unless you like the California model. One look at our governor and his flunkies will give you a preview.

Cost of living wise this is what I know from experience. Housing costs are continuing to soar. For reference, we bought our 3000sf house in a nice part of the Springs 9 years ago for 270k. Currently I could sell it for about 425-35k in less than a week (probably with an all cash offer). Property taxes, however, are low, @+-$1600 a year on that house. Utilities are also very reasonable. We average about 150-200 a month combined (worst ever was a VERY cold January at $400). Due to hail and fires our homeowners insurance has TRIPLED since we bought the house. As for housing prices from the south suburbs of Denver north through FoCo you can probably and another 25-35% onto what is here.

Traffic around the Springs isn't bad but anywhere around Denver and north is horrific.

I have only traveled through MT but I would say there isn't much of a choice( unless the job forces your hand). It is too bad because there is a lot to love about CO and actual Coloradans.....alas, we can't flush the People's Republics of Denver/Boudler/FoCo

Feel free to ask any questions not touched on.

Thanks for the great advice! The housing market is crazy here as well! I bought my house in January, and according to my real-estate could probably sell it tomrrow for at least 50k more than I bought it for and it would be sold in a day.

What are your opinions/experiences with the Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont areas?

 

[AZbywayofWI]

Your money goes twice as far in tropical south America.


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Not to mention that CO, and MT are both full.

No thanks haha!

 

[AZbywayofWI]

I have received a lot great feedback and I really appreciate it! I have received a lot of comments on what is wrong with each state, how about comments on what there is to like? What do you guys like about Colorado and Montana? What are the positives? Good place to raise kids, good schools, decent economy, the hunting/fishing etc. Thanks!

 

[Western Traveler1]

Lots of different perspectives here. Seriously though 9 years? Unless you are going to buy in the next 18 months the research you do is going to be of little help. 20 years ago I nearly invested in property up in the Lake Mary area of your state. Today the thousands of people that flee the heat of the Valley at every chance is hard to grasp unless one sees it. It would have been a great investment but I’m not big on neighbors or areas that are overrun with visitors at every turn. It is one thing to buy in or around a small town but to guess what a city is going to look like in 10 years? Bigger or depressed.
Medical care needed in retirement and employment need to be considered if planning to be your last place.
Also every time I drive into the city (Helena for instance) I can’t help but wonder why anyone would move to a state like Montana, deal with the winter weather only to have to close their curtains lest their neighbors look into their bedroom. No offense intended to those that do. Just not for me. This is dream fulfillment after all.
I know you are talking 9 years but 10 years after that? Look at Bozeman, Belgrade, Missoula, Saint George Utah, Hamilton in the Bitterroot. Springs or Boulder Colorado. The list could go on and on. Who could have imagined? JIMHO

 

[SFC B]

Thanks for the great advice! The housing market is crazy here as well! I bought my house in January, and according to my real-estate could probably sell it tomrrow for at least 50k more than I bought it for and it would be sold in a day.

What are your opinions/experiences with the Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont areas?

My hunting buddy (CPO) lives in Wellington and when we started hunting together 8 years ago it was the country......now it is a suburb of FoCo. He bought his current house (2200sf) new 4 years ago for 260k......they are now building the same floor plan in another part of his addition starting at 425k. Will you be working at home or would you need to get to an office in one of those towns? FoCo is a college town with the goods/bads that go along with that. It is not quite as crazy as Boulder but not my flavor at all. Loveland and Longmont I would put a peck above those with Loveland top for the "personality" of the town and the fact that Longmont is still part of the Denver metro to me. All three have horrible traffic (it doesn't ease up from Denver until you get almost to Wellington). There are a lot of oil and gas opportunities up there but our current governor would like to change that. In that area I would look north up toward Cheyenne, northwest of Wellington or east out toward Ault and Eaton to get a little space. I waterfowl hunt out in the Greely/Ault/Eaton area yearly and it is still roomy for now with plenty of birds

 

[KB_]

Go to Colorado, I heard its nice there

 

[SFC B]

Go to Colorado, I heard its nice there

Stop that!!! We are smaller with 4.5 million more folks....ya'll NEED more folks

 

[JLS]

I can’t help but wonder why anyone would move to a state like Montana, deal with the winter weather only to have to close their curtains lest their neighbors look into their bedroom.

Uuum, to save 6-8 hours of drive time to the trailhead?

 

[buffybr]

Stop that!!! We are smaller with 4.5 million more folks....ya'll NEED more folks

We now have over 1 million people. WE ARE FULL!!! I heard that Wisconsin has a ski area.

 

[AZbywayofWI]

Lots of different perspectives here. Seriously though 9 years? Unless you are going to buy in the next 18 months the research you do is going to be of little help. 20 years ago I nearly invested in property up in the Lake Mary area of your state. Today the thousands of people that flee the heat of the Valley at every chance is hard to grasp unless one sees it. It would have been a great investment but I’m not big on neighbors or areas that are overrun with visitors at every turn. It is one thing to buy in or around a small town but to guess what a city is going to look like in 10 years? Bigger or depressed.
Medical care needed in retirement and employment need to be considered if planning to be your last place.
Also every time I drive into the city (Helena for instance) I can’t help but wonder why anyone would move to a state like Montana, deal with the winter weather only to have to close their curtains lest their neighbors look into their bedroom. No offense intended to those that do. Just not for me. This is dream fulfillment after all.
I know you are talking 9 years but 10 years after that? Look at Bozeman, Belgrade, Missoula, Saint George Utah, Hamilton in the Bitterroot. Springs or Boulder Colorado. The list could go on and on. Who could have imagined? JIMHO

9 years before we would make the move permanent, I never said we wouldn't buy before then. 9 years goes quick, and I would like to have all my ducks in a row financially before then.