Purchasing Mountain Property in the Front Range Region (Boulder County & the Surrounding Central Colorado Areas)
Owning a parcel of land in the Rocky Mountains is the dream of many folks looking to homestead or to set up a rustic retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city or suburban life. That being said, there are many things to consider in terms of purchasing land in Colorado's mountainous and rural areas. There are many factors including the Colorado mountain home's topography, road access, water, drainage, access to septic systems, wildlife, heritage sites, and regulations and laws that need to be contended with.
It is essential that Colorado mountain home purchasing is conducted through properly researching what you getting into before you close on a house in the Colorado mountains. For example, it may be cheaper to buy a parcel of mountain land and develop it in Colorado instead of purchasing a mountain property with a pre-built home on site. This is just one of many things to consider moving forward with purchasing your first Colorado mountain property. This piece designed to provide you with a broad overview of things to consider before you purchase a mountain property or other structures in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. At the conclusion of this article, it is our objective that you will walk away with a bit of information about purchasing Rocky Mountain land or property, a better idea what to look out for in the mountains, and fresh ideas on how to move forward with the rustic mountain getaway of your dreams.
Considerations when Purchasing a Rocky Mountain Parcel or Home
The first thing to consider is how close you want to live to other people in the Colorado mountains and how near or far you would like to be to a local mountain towns or the more populous civilization in Denver, CO. How far are you willing to drive to from your recently purchased Colorado mountain home to get to the nearest town with shops, stores, and amenities is very important. Consider how long it would take you to get from your mountain property and into town if your car is broken down, there is a sudden blizzard, or if there is another emergency.
It may seem like a dream come true to purchase a mountain property away from other people in the far back woods, out in nature. However, this dream can quickly turn into a nightmare if you find yourself too far away from civilization and need help of some sort. Another thing to consider is the convenience factor when purchasing your Colorado mountain property. It may seem amazing at first to have to travel dozens of miles to the nearest town, the appeal of that can be quite exhilarating, at first. However, really ask yourself if you are prepared to make that kind of trek every time you need something as simple as household hygienic items. It is also important to ask yourself at this phase how ready you are for the rigors of rustic living in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. How handy are you? Can you mend a fence? Fix a leaky roof? Repair plumbing? Many times, folks are caught off guard by how much upkeep is required in a rural location, which is subject to wear and tear that modern city living just doesn’t require.
This is not meant to deter from your goals of being a rugged Colorado outdoorsperson and purchasing your mountain property, but it is good to reality check yourself before embarking on such an endeavor. Through doing your research performing an honest self-analysis you can save yourself a lot of trouble later on if you discover that real rustic living isn’t for you.
Consider the accessibility of your potential mountain property purchase. Determine whether there is ease of access because of roads, and not only roads, but the condition the Colorado mountain roads are in. A well paved mountain access road can mean a world of difference in terms of speed of movement as opposed to a dirt road that has deep bore, washes, or potholes that require a four-wheel drive vehicle to navigate to your Colorado mountain property. In addition, learn who is responsible for maintaining roads leading to your property. This can be everyone from the HOA to the local property owners, or even the towns or townships. Verify that you have year-round, permanent access to roads leading to your property. If you can only get to your property on privately-owned roads, verify that your purchase includes permanent use of those roads.
Purchasing a Mountain Property in Colorado: Topography
The next step in the process of purchasing your mountain parcel or home requires that you perform an in-depth analysis of the topography of the land you are looking at. You need to check on soil suitability in order to make certain that the soil can maintain additions to buildings, foundations, and other structures. You may also need to analyze your mountain parcel's soil in order to make sure that it can maintain crops or areas for livestock. You must ensure that your Colorado mountain parcel isn’t prey to things like rot or disease in the trees or plants. You should also check on light availability - Where are all of the spots with sunlight vs. darkness on your Colorado mountain parcel? This is important when purchasing your Colorado mountain parcel, because it can be very difficult to sustain growth and sustenance without good light sources. This is also absolutely essential if you want to run off the grid with solar panels, as you will obviously have to have access to sunlight to run them effectively.
More Considerations when Purchasing a Mountain Parcel in Colorado
You also want to check on whether or not the land is located on a flood plain or mud-slide zone in the mountains. As the people of Boulder Colorado can attest, a flash flood can be a pretty harrowing experience, even in a city environment. A flashflood or large movement of water in the Rocky Mountains can leave you completely cut off for days or weeks at your mountain parcel, and if this threat exists you must provision yourself and your home accordingly. You also want to ensure that your land will have year-round access. Winters in the Rocky Mountains, for example, can be particularly brutal and you may find yourself without access to your home if the weather turns too extreme near your mountain parcel.
Calculate the external costs of owning Colorado mountain land in cold-weather regions. You may need to purchase items like a snowplow, snow and mud tires, and a heavy-duty vehicle on which to mount them. These are essential things to have when accessing your mountain land during inclement weather. In addition, a word on the Colorado Biome - Colorado is a desert, technically, and as such has difficulties with water at times. You may want to look into water availability and whether or not you will need to set up a cistern in order to store water on your mountain parcel during the driest months.
Purchasing a Rocky Mountain Property: Septic Systems in the Front Range
You need to determine right away if a Colorado septic system and well must be installed. Installing these essential items can be a very costly endeavor for your mountain parcel, so you must hire the best Colorado excavation services team to come down and dig the trenching, reservoir, and structure for a septic system and well. This is also based on road availability and the ability for excavation companies to be able to move large excavation equipment into the area. This can drastically increase the overhead of your Colorado mountain property, so exercise caution in confirming your water systems before you make a final parcel purchase. Also look into natural water sources. Is there a creek or river nearby that can be utilized as a source of water? What are the laws surrounding water usage for this body of water? Water is an absolutely essential component for any living situation in the, not even to mention on a rural mountain property in Colorado - Do you research especially in this area to make sure that you can keep your costs down and your water flow up.
Purchasing Colorado Mountain Parcels
The next step is to decide how the land is going to be utilized once you purchase your Colorado Mountain Parcel. This is essential as mountain properties have HOA’s just like any other location, which dictates restrictions on how land can be utilized. There are many complex factors that govern these decisions, so it is important to narrow down how you want to utilize a particular plot. Many HOA’s make distinctions between residential and farming territory, for example. Or may be touchy about where and when you can keep livestock on your mountain parcel. It can become a very difficult situation if you intend to grow your own crops or set up off the grid living, only to discover that there are laws preventing you from doing so. Deciding upon the lifestyle that you want to lead and then checking into land that meets your needs is a great way to go about this. Review the Rocky Mountain land ordinances, zoning and mineral rights rules as well. Many Colorado mountain properties are located in areas that restrict how the property can be utilized, what can be built on the land, and whether or not individuals or state governments can own the rights to minerals located underneath the soil. All of these things can factor into how you are able to establish yourself on your new Colorado mountain property, so make sure you study all of these restrictions and provisions carefully.
Selecting Your Colorado Mountain Real Estate Agent
The next step is logistical. You need to gather your financial team together in order to make sure that your Colorado mountain purchase will be a smooth transition. Start by locating a reputable real estate agent or broker who who specializes in rural property. It is also a good idea to try and find someone with intimate knowledge of the Boulder and Jefferson County area. A remote agent who only sells residential properties in established communities may not have enough familiarity with the Colorado mountain area's regulations about septic systems, water wells and road infrastructure. Choose your agent carefully.
Rely on extensive reviews and enlist the aid of friends or family prior to purchasing your Rocky Mountain parcel. Next you want to combine saving a lot of cash with approaching appropriate financial institutions. Having a lot of cash around can ease a lot of this process, as many rural folks deal in cash. Next consider finding a bank or financier that actually comes from the mountainous area you are considering for your parcel. They will have a much better insight into the financing structure and will be much better able to serve you.
Finally, make plans to build structures on the property, as the financiers will be much more likely to invest if you are going to have some sort of collateral involved. It is good to mention here to look towards the future in terms of value. Research the re-sale value of the property and try to project what the additions you will be adding - This may impact the overall value of the Colorado mountain property. When you are hunting for a plot, look for a steady rise of property values in the area where you want to buy. Slow, upward growth often indicates that land will be more valuable in the future.
As you can see there is a lot more to owning a mountain home in Colorado than merely purchasing the mountain property. There are many things to consider in the purchasing of mountain parcel, and it pays to be very prepared before entering into such an endeavor. Don’t try to do everything on your own, seek out people with different areas of expertise that can help you to make an informed decision. Rely on their words and wisdom to set you upon the right course in terms of owning one of these Colorado properties. By doing so, you not only make sure that you are making sound decisions, but you will also create a network of people who can help you in the future.