Pros/Cons of buying in one of the canyons? (Boulder, 4 Mile, Coal Creek, Left Hand, etc)

[crashdown]

Coal Creek Canyon.
Look at anything off Camp Eden Road for maximum "mountain" feel, and no sport bike noise, but 99 percent of the homes in the canyon are not actually on HWY 72 (canyon). Also you have two fire stations in that area to help with insurance.
The commute is gravy, 30 minutes of scenery and almost never had a problem with snow.
We lived there for over three years and it was as good as it gets without being where we are now.
Sun exposure for driveway, cross breeze for AC, fire mitigation, multiple road exit points for forest fire, well depth and static level, entrance points ( Arctic or mud room) to home that allow dumping of snow boots, etc. And just like all of Colorado, nobody actually parks in the garage. We had a two car, and never once put a car in there. You also want to look at trees in area for blow down areas. We had 100mph+ winds regularly, but our neighbor across the street was protected by our property and was fine.
You can also find homes that are off Camp Eden that are Gilpin not Boulder county.
PM me if you want to chat.
Most importantly... LAND AND LOCATION over structure. You can always remodel. Once you get up there you won't care about granite countertops when you are outside enjoying what really matters.

[Hummer]

I have two homes on the river in a canyon NW of Boulder--family has been there since the 1930's. The comments above are spot on. My advice:

1. Avoid buying in Boulder County
2. Do not buy a house on the south side of the canyon. Most of those properties are cold, dark, and depressing nine months of the year. Your heating costs will be higher and you'll have a hard time selling when the time comes.
3. If it's near a state highway you'll be assaulted by vehicle noise from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Motorcycles are the worst.
4. Make sure it's well above the 100 year flood plain. At higher elevation there will be fewer tributaries that add to flood levels.
5. Mountain top locations will be very windy in the winter. Higher elevations will get more snow.
6. Think about winter access; does it have a long or steep driveway? You may need a snowplow or snowblower costing more time and money.
7. A garage will make life easier, especially in the winter.
8. The commute will wear more on vehicles, especially tires.
9. Services and contractors will cost more.
10. Higher elevations get more rain and snow releasing from the Continental Divide. Thus higher elevations have richer soils and greater plant and animal diversity.
11. The farther you are from the city the less likely you'll want to drive back for shopping or entertainment in the evening.
12. Once you live in the mountains you'll never want to live in a city again (if you make it past the first year).




6.

[ClangClang]

Guys this is fantastic info. Lots of stuff I never would have even considered. Much, much appreciated. Please keep it coming.

[Irving]

You'll need to consider buying a Subaru, Jeep, old Nissan truck, or a Scout.

[Circuits]

Pro: easy to secure - only one road in or out
Con: easy to get stuck - only one road in or out

[BladesNBarrels]

Talk to the neighbors!
I was looking to buy in the upper Coal Creek Canyon area and found out that wells were going dry a few months a year.
Many neighbors had large water tanks in the garage for those periods when the wells were producing red water or were temporarily dry.
I also found that the previous owner of a lot I was interested in had drilled a dry well.
I checked out the Well Permit and found the Driller and was able to see the log.
Changed my mind.
I also found out about trash pick-up, road plowing, emergency response in the area, and general conditions.
Most people want to share their experiences - good and bad.

[ClangClang]

Ah yeah. Water. My main concern, followed closely by reliable high speed broadband. I work in IT from home, so a spotty internet connection is pretty much a deal breaker. As I understand it, it's highly variable from property to property. Some have cable lines already tapped, some have nothing but low speed satellite.

[Irving]

Ah yeah. Water. My main concern, followed closely by reliable high speed broadband. I work in IT from home, so a spotty internet connection is pretty much a deal breaker. As I understand it, it's highly variable from property to property. Some have cable lines already tapped, some have nothing but low speed satellite.

I just happened to have gone up Coal Creek Canyon today for an appointment. Both my Sprint phone, and Verizon tablet had zero internet. I'm sure you're not working via a mobile connection, just wanted to share my experience.

[colorider]

Funny mentioning sport bikes. I find the loud ass slow moving Harleys are more of a problem.

[crashdown]

Internet in CCC is fine if you can handle DSL. Half my neighbors were stay at home IT guys and they were able to work.
People with low producing wells usually have holding tanks in their garage so that their well can produce water 24/7 and have plenty on tap in tanks if they need a lot at one time. Most of CCC is just fine with water production.

If you need the fastest internet, perfectly manicured roads, 100% wireless coverage regardless of carrier, noise ordinances, etc... You might want see about a nice HOA controlled condo in downtown Denver.

Moving up to the mountains, especially when you are at or above 9000 feet is a whole different life and you will need to embrace the differences between mountain living and city living. It was said earlier that if you can make it a year, you will never live in the city again, and that is true. It's like when I moved moved to Alaska and everybody was asking about the cost of living.... I didn't fu&$ing move here to save 5 cents a gallon on my milk, or bitch that a tank a gas is almost a dollar more.
Shoveling snow sucks in the city, shoveling snow in the mountains is great. A slow commute in the city sucks, slowing down and waiting for a herd of elk to cross the road on your way to work is great.
If you want to move up to the mountains for any other reason than wanting to be in the mountains, you will regret it and will lose your ass when you sell next spring and move back to town.