Is Rocky Mountain High Country Living for You? Consider the Pros and Cons Before You Decide

Boulder County's mountain real estate is again selling more briskly after suffering a very slow period that started during the recession and persisted for a few years afterward.

We are guessing this trend will continue into next year and beyond.

According to the IRES multiple listing service, sales of mountain homes in Boulder County reached more than 270 in 2006, dropped steadily to the mid-170s in 2009 and have been in 250s each of the last two years.  So far about 240 sales have closed this year, with more than a month-and-a-half left on the Calendar.

Mt. Meeker from a location near Allenspark  ©Ron Rovtar

So this might be a good time to consider the pros and cons of mountain living, which really is different from living elsewhere.

Mountain living can be incredibly rewarding. But it has drawbacks.

It definitely is not for everybody.

Many of us (myself included) are perfectly content living in higher country.

But we have seen a number of people move back to town in very short order, sometimes in less than a year. This can make it a very expensive experiment!

There is much that is very good about mountain living!

Mountain living does put you in closer contact with nature, provides breathtaking views on a daily basis and lets you participate in a slower lifestyle.

Few experiences are more enjoyable than standing on your deck during a cool spring morning, hands wrapped around a warm a cup of coffee, watching a doe and her fawns, a fox or some wild turkeys foraging!

I always will remember the astonished look on my daughter's face when she came outside in her stocking feet and let her toes hang over the side of the deck. Shannon's bright red socks attracted several pecks from a confused hummingbird.

It sometimes seems the ever-changing light on the mountains is never exactly the same especially in the morning and evening. You never get fully used to the remarkable interplay of light and land and sky.

And then there are the unusual phenomena. Two of my favorites: very light rain or snow inexplicably falling from a blue sky and inch-long crystals of hoar frost on the pine needles after a cold autumn night. These always bring a small smile to my face.

Sego Lily, Sunshine Canyon.

But, there are issues as well. After a while, the ride to town can become tedious.

The range of wildlife also includes bears and cougars. It does feel a special moment when you catch a glimpse of these larger wild residents, but only if it happens from a safe distance.

Bears occasionally break into kitchens in the fall as they fatten up for hibernation and mountain lions do take pets as well as wildlife. If you have children or grandchildren, you will want them close as the sun sets and afterward.

In most cases, you will maintain a water well and septic system. Boulder County's  SepticSmart program will ensure you move into a home with a good septic system, but you may have maintenance concerns later. You should have your tank pumped every couple of years.

You probably will heat with propane, which is more expensive than natural gas and a minor inconvenience (or potentially a major inconvenience if you do not check the tank and order more before a cold snap).

The forest has become overgrown since people arrived in the west. This means fire now is more of a danger. And forest pests are moving in and killing over-abundant trees.

Responsible mountain residents spend time and money thinning trees and watching for mistletoe, pine beetles and other parasites. If your trees become infected, you will want to take action before the problem spreads.


And, as much as you might hate it, you may have to remove some of the trees near your home for fire safety.  Your insurance carrier may require removal even if you resist.

Boulder County does a wonderful job of clearing snow from main roads so the school buses get through in the morning and afternoon. This usually makes getting to town and back relatively easy except in the worst weather.

You will have to do something about your own driveway. Some people hire a plowing company. Others do it themselves. If you are far back from the road, you will occasionally stay home for a day or two.

Weather knocks out power more often in the mountains. It sometimes takes longer for the electric company to get to mountain outages. They rightly fix problems in more populated areas first.

Don't get me wrong, many of these issues are fairly rare. But, taken together they do concern some people and you should consider them before moving to the mountains.

If these issues worry you, perhaps you should explore compromise solutions. You can reduce drive time by moving closer to Boulder City and other Front Range cities.

Or you can move to an area with more amenities.

If you will look near Boulder, Pine Brook Hills, has natural gas lines and its own water system. There are fire hydrants for emergencies. Pine Brook also is closer to the city. However, you will have your own septic system and your lot may be smaller than elsewhere in the mountains, probably around an acre.

But Pine Brook and other areas like it still offer many of the positive attributes of living a little above it all.

If you have questions, feel free to give me a call. I'm always happy to talk about life in the Boulder-Denver areas.


Ron Rovtar is a broker associate at Cherry Creek Properties LLC in Boulder. He can be reached at 303.981.1617 Please visit Ron's website for more information or to start your search for homes.

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