First let’s talk about life in San Luis Valley from an outsiders perspective. See I know firsthand what it’s like to live in the Valley compared to living in a larger city. We talk about the San Luis Valley a lot on our site, but it’s because is one the best places to buy inexpensive property in the United States. Taxes are tolerable, shopping is somewhat available, it is away from it all for the most part and is an absolutely gorgeous place to live.

With all this comes somehow shall we say.. a few downfalls. While the property is fairly inexpensive and is one of most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, it’s still not entirely an utopia. I’m not saying I don’t love the Valley, I do. It’s just that you need to understand a few things about the Valley before considering moving here.

I’m speaking from personal experience, because my family and I moved here close to two years ago. I have three daughters and a wife. We all had to be in agreement that we all wanted to move to the Valley. We’re from the East Coast, and from an area that we had all the modern conveniences you could have. Several well-known colleges, numerous shopping malls, Sam’s Club, Costco, a few different hospitals, great roads and much, much, more. So why did we decide to leave all this behind? Well, the busy day today routine was getting kind of old. While we loved the place we were at, we were getting tired of the traffic, lack of privacy, lack of openness (as in everybody’s house was up against each another’s) and most of all having big Brother breathing down your throat all times.

The final straw happened when we were at a town meeting and discovered that the local schools had a plan in place to evacuate the children in case of a terrorist attack. Why did have a problem with this, when they informed us that they would not let us know where this place was and would not contact the parents until after the terrorist attack was completely over, we were really disgusted. After all it is our children and we are their parents and we should go at all times where they are. So we have been looking at homeschooling for some time and decided to follow that route. Unfortunately homeschooling wasn’t too well thought of in Virginia.

I’ve been searching for cheap property for some time and knew a lot about Colorado from my reading online. But no matter how much you read is almost impossible to know place into you visit it. So the following summer we made plans to take a trip to southern Colorado. Originally we were looking at Colorado city which is about 30 minutes away from Pueblo Colorado. Colorado City was gorgeous and Pueblo seemed okay with us to, but a lot locals didn’t seem to care for it. While we were here on our trip we decided to go across the mountains and visit the San Luis Valley. Originally I thought was be a bad idea, because we found so much cheap inexpensive property around Rye and Colorado city I really didn’t see the need of going to the Valley.

So after about an hour trip across the La Veta pass we arrived in Fort Garland Colorado which is to first town you come to when entering the Valley from Walsenburg. For Garland is a very small town with not much to do, but it does have a few museums, a grocery store, and a couple of gas stations. We stopped in at one of the museums spoke to the locals and our children loved the place. The museum offered horseback rides which are girls were dying to do. See in Virginia where we lived at the time you cannot own a horse in our location. And our daughters were just crazy about horses, so you can understand their excitement when they actually understood if we moved to Colorado horses were common.

So after a few hours in Fort Garland we proceeded to go through Blanca on our way to the Sand Dunes. The Sand dunes were an incredible sight to see. Here against the great Rocky Mountains you have these giant dunes of sand that will like something out of Egypt. At the base of the Sand dunes was a fairly large stream where everybody could go and play and enjoy this the beach with the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Needless to say once again our children was quite impressed.

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The day was coming to an end only a few hours left to daylight at this time we decided to visit Alamosa Colorado. Alamosa is really the largest town in the entire Valley and is home to two colleges. By our standards coming from the East Coast is still a very small town. There is the downtown section with clothing stores, a hardware store, a few restaurants and some other odds and ends. Overall we felt Alamosa was a town that we could actually feel comfortable living in.

It is really necessary to understand our frame of mind we had before moving to the Valley. We spoke to people around the area and asked them what they liked and disliked about the area. Surprisingly most people really enjoy the Valley that we spoke to. The common thread is it gets really cold. They were not lying, it can get really cold the Valley.

So skip ahead two years now and let me tell you what I think people from outside the Valley need to know. First off, I hate to offend people, but they can’t drive here. I don’t understand how you can have perfectly flat land and still not able to drive. My next gripe, if you can call it that… Is it does get really cold here in the Valley. But you must take in to account the low humidity. I was told here on our visit by one the locals that was from Florida that a 30° night in the Valley feels like a 60° night in Florida. Originally when I first heard this I thought he was stretching the truth a little. Well after being in many cold nights I can tell you you can come to we walk around outside in 30° weather in a long sleeve shirt or light jacket.

Another thing about the Valley that I didn’t find out about before moving here is the windstorms. The mountains are capped with snow and when spring rolls along the snow melts causing cold air sink and warm air to rise. Thus creating a convection effect. There’s an old saying here that the winds do not stop until the snow on top of the mountains are gone. It seems to be true. You can actually have large dust storms here where your visibility is next to nothing. In fact it feels like being in a tornado that the cross winds can easily get up to 80 miles an hour.

One thing I hate are tornadoes and I did my research before looking at property in Colorado. Mainly it’s the very east side of Colorado that experiences bad tornadoes. The San Luis Valley really never gets a tornado and when they do is a very small one such as a category zero or one. But the windstorms here will make you feel like you’re in one. So you notice most houses that are out in the open are ranch-style houses. Again I don’t want to dissuade you from looking at this wonderful Valley, but I wish I knew some of this information so I would be better prepared before our family moved.

Another thing people think it is Colorado is full of snow. They will be right if you’re anywhere else but the Valley. See the Valley gets very little snow. It does have its years where it gets a fair amount of snow. There are a few things to understand about the snow here in the Valley. First of all it only stays around for a few days before it melts off. The roads are mainly dirt here and only the main roads are paved. They do not clear roads after 7 PM at night, so you’re a bad storm you really want to make it home before it’s too late. Generally the roads are always drivable for the most part. But you can get your windy nights with lots of snow that creates a white out effect cutting visibility down to nothing.

Another thing to consider is having a vehicle with four-wheel-drive. Although you rarely need it, you’ll be thankful when you do. And to make sure you carry a winter survival kit with you. This kit should have a few blankets, water, hand warmers, gloves, a poncho, flash light and at least some chocolate or some other type of energy food. One of the dangers of being in the Valley is hyperthermia. Because you don’t always realize how cold it is or how quickly the temperature can drop hypothermia after the sun goes down. So it is a real danger. Always carry gloves and a jacket with you when possible especially during the winter months. You do not want to be stuck on the side of the road in a winter storm without these items.

One thing you would notice about the towns in the Valley they’re about the same distance apart. I found the reason for this is because that the distance is about what a horse can travel in a day’s time. So when the towns were built they were built within a day or so of one another. Each town is about 20 to 35 minutes away from each other. Riding along Highway 160 you can go through many towns in about two hours time. In fact highway 160 take you from one side of the Valley to the other, if driving east to west and vice versa.

If you have children the Valley can be a very safe place in my opinion. Of course like everywhere there are places you probably don’t want to be with children. The school’s overall seem to be fairly nice for such a small area. The school for Fort Garland an exceptional school for it’s size. The Alamosa high school has its share of issues from what I’ve been hearing, but overall is still a decent school compared to some the larger city schools.

Crime in the Valley overall below-average, or at least I feel it is. I don’t really have a bad feeling riding around Alamosa, Blanca, Fort Garland, Del Norte or Monte Vista. San Luis on the other hand is not a town I would hang out at night. I’ve been told that too many people that outsiders are frowned upon. Even though the Valley is called San Luis, the town of San Luis is further south of 160. Now San Luis is in Costilla County, just the same as Blanca and Fort Garland. So please don’t think that Fort Garland and Blanca are the same as San Luis. The Valley is a very large place and is very diversified in some respects. When I say this I mean mainly cultural classes. Take for instance Crestone which is in the Valley many people feel it is a hippy place, and it is the same with Del Norte. Then you have places such as Monte Vista that are a smaller version of Alamosa.

Originally we moved to Alamosa and are fairly happy there. One thing you must understand if you’re like us coming from the coast were used to seeing trees and lots and lots of green grass you’re in for a change. Alamosa has tons of chico bush. Not exactly something I care much for. If you can get over staring at the ground the skyline is absolutely awesome. You are surrounded by mountains and 360°. Unlike the cities we came from the noise pollution is nonexistent, the air pollution is nonexistent and the traffic congestion is about nonexistent. Except on Highway 160 in Alamosa during prime time such as going to work, lunch and getting off work.

I don’t get how such a small town like Alamosa has so much traffic during these times. Unfortunately the city doesn’t know what stoplights are. Yes they have a few stoplights, but they don’t have them in the some important places such as the hospital for instance. So you can avoid Alamosa during these times you would never see any traffic for the most part.

Next was talk about shopping. I think I made it clear earlier that Alamosa will be your shopping hub in the Valley. While is very convenient to have Alamosa when you live in other areas there are some downfalls. Your choices are very limited when it comes to clothes, buying a new car is more expensive and everything seems to have a surplus on it. So what most people do is go to either Pueblo Colorado or Santa Fe New Mexico for their shopping.

Now I don’t mean every time they go shopping they leave the Valley. Just when they need to do large purchases or want to buy clothes that everyone else is not wearing. Our family does the online thing for the most part. Amazon must love us. Thank God UPS and FedEx both deliver to the Valley.

Now earlier I mentioned one of my biggest gripes with people’s driving ability. It seems the public schools do not offer driver’s ed. Parents take their children to back roads to teach them the drive. Some things to know, generally the speed limit on highways is 65 miles an hour in the Valley. The land is very flat with very few curves and most of roads are two lanes, by that mean one lane per side. So you get these people who want to go 90 in a 65 in mph zone and then come up on these people who want to go 35 in a 65 mph zone. It gets frustrating at times when people were trying to pass you while other traffic is oncoming at 65 miles an hour and they are not pay enough attention before passing. Again I know this sounds like a rant and is one the things I personally had it used to and my wife as well.

Gasoline in the Valley is not really that much higher than most places, but the octane for some reason is about two points lower than what I’m used to on the coast. Eighty-three octane is low-grade here, which I find odd due to the altitude, but perhaps this is how was it is supposed to be for the altitude, I have never asked. Groceries prices here are not that bad either. It is just the other household items such as furniture and appliances that tend to be higher than you can get them over the range. Used cars are also very expensive in the Valley. When I asked why I was told because they do not use salt on the roads here. They were trying to say due to no salt and low humidity the cars would not rust out as they would on the coast. Well that’s great but I won’t pay almost new car prices for used cars. So just like the other big ticket items we went to Pueblo and Taos to buy our cars.

I would suggest any one moving here to hang on to their appliances if possible, if they have a good used car bring it with them, especially if it’s a four-wheel-drive. When we moved I got rid of a lot of things just so we could move without hauling 15 years of my life with me. Overall I do not regret that, but again big-ticket items if you can bring with you bring it.

Finding somewhere to rent here during college season is very difficult if you’re looking for decent place. When I say here for the most part I mean Alamosa. Best for most people choose to move Alamosa when they first come from out of town just merely because it’s the center hub of the Valley. Alamosa has an airport, car-rental, shopping and healthcare so it’s natural most people want those modern amenities when moving from a larger place.

After being in the Valley for a while you will probably want to find another place that’s more scenic than Alamosa, such as Del Norte, Crestone, Fort Garland etc. There’re several hidden places in the Valley such as Jasper that is absolutely gorgeous and many of the locals do not even know about. Not saying I would move to Jasper if I wanted to commute to work, but if I was retired and didn’t care about going into a job Jasper would be an awesome place to live if you wanted to get away from it all.

Speaking of jobs this is something that scares a lot of people and rightly so. There is work in the Valley but it might not be what you want to do or to pay grade you want to be at. A lot of people don’t know this but the Valley is one the biggest producers of potatoes, yes potatoes in United States. The Valley has a lot of agriculture it grows potatoes, alfalfa, asparagus and much more. So and you can imagine there is a lot of jobs relating to farm careers here. Such as working in a potato factory, or in the fields or all the equipment.

There are other jobs to; we do have a Wal-Mart and a JC Penny’s, several local small stores and a few grocery stores. Again not high-paying positions, but jobs nonetheless. I guess it depends on the individual what they’re willing to sacrifice to be the Valley. I’m sure up to now I haven’t painted the Valley and very bright light. Well to be truthful I would want to move from the Valley. Yes the coldness is not great and the windstorms aren’t exactly desirable and Chico bush is horrible. The Valley is a wonderful place to be. The people are great and the scenery is awesome.

Unlike most people I feel fortunate because I landed a job after being here for about six months that pays very well and I enjoy very much. My wife also landed a decent job that pays fairly well. So jobs are to be had but perhaps not immediately. Considering the overall economy of the United States and the job market nationally it is surprising jobs are available at all. See the Valley is one of the poorer parts of Colorado. But we have the water everyone wants to steal from us. And as long as we have the water we have the agriculture and the sustainability for population growth. Unlike the bigger cities such as Denver and Pueblo that has to but it’s water from other areas we get our water from nature. So the big snow years that many complain about are the result of the Valley having so much water. Although the Valley is considered an Alpine desert it is on top of a massive amount of water. Water water everywhere, but nota drop to drink (without a well ofcourse)…

So where do you begin if you want to move to the Valley? Well do you want to be away from it all or living in small towns such as Blanca. This will make a large difference in your property pricing. But Forbes Park and Trinchera ranch in Fort Garland are subdivisions that are the exception to the rule. See these places are desirable because they have trees, hills, not wide open terrain where others can see your residents from miles and miles and water such as lakes and streams. Places such as Blanca that are flat and full of Chico brush can be had at much lower prices. Don’t get me wrong you can have a nice house out in the open with solar power. It all depends on how much you want to spend and what kind conveniences you want to give up.

Many people say they can just buy land and move out here live in their vehicles. Unfortunately they find out quickly this is a mistake. The winters are too cold to even imagine living in a vehicle. And a pop-up camper is not much better. You’ll see a few abandoned trailers/campers out on open land in the Valley. People who thought they could tough it out and found out they couldn’t. I think most of this is due to lack of preparedness and information. Something that you will have the advantage of by reading this. Do I think you can live out in a camper and survive, yes I do. But you need to know where you’re getting the water food from.

As I mentioned earlier there’s the water in the Valley, but is underneath the ground. Wells can get expensive, so a lot of people buy cisterns and have water delivered. This works out fine and many people do it. There are also artesian Wells that you can drive up to the off the side of the road and fill up your own water containers for free. It is some the best water you have ever tasted. In fact there is a spring off of Highway 160 on the north side between Blanca and Alamosa.

If I was trying to live on the cheap and not worry about electricity and telephone. I would consider finding an inexpensive spot near the foothills in Fort Garland or a little south of Fort Garland. You can find owner from financed property in these areas. Yes you would pay a small premium for the convenience of owner financing, but anyone can buy land from these places. Overall pricing still is not that bad even with the owner financing premiums. Where I came from in Virginia a quarter acre lot was $75,000. Here you can find a nice 5 acre lot in the areas I suggested for about 15,000 to 18,000 owner financed.

There is a place in Monte Vista that sells sheds and small cabins and offers free delivery to Fort Garland called Pro-Shed. I would suggest looking into them versus a camper. If that you are looking to buy a home here there are a few good deals here to. I would recommend overall avoiding modulators due to the fact a lot of banks are reluctant to finance them. Then Alamosa and Monte Vista if you like to have a cheap home you can find them in the city limits. But as always the taxes will be higher in the city limits and your freedoms much less. Of course you cannot go hunting in the city limits for example.

Yet again I recommend looking into some the smaller towns outside of Alamosa if you want to maintain the standard of comfort to may be used to. If not it to buy out in the open areas then you will probably give up telephone, electricity, and city water and septic. Now of course you can get satellite out here, install well and septic tank. I’ve seen 5 acres of land in the open areas go for as little as $2000, but you’re in the middle of nowhere for the most part.

Granted some people want this, some do not because of the medical care is too far away and did not want to drive an hour to the hospital in case of emergency. Some of the open areas are prone to such things as rattlesnakes so you must be careful where you decide to move and should do due diligence before buying property.

There are places such as Crestone, South Fork, Creede that are absolutely gorgeous, but demand high dollar on the properties in these areas. So you have a few choices, open land, small towns, the largest town Alamosa, the foothills of Fort Garland or the expensive areas mentioned above. Again I prefer Fort Garland area because I considered a sleeper, for the value of the property in the area you’re getting a lot. High-speed Internet’s available a lot of area which is very important me of course. Well permits are generally available with the property, there are a few convenience stores and restaurants and in most areas no Chico Bush if you buy the right place. There is sagebrush but don’t confuse that with Chico two entirely different species of Bush. I can handle sage just fine, the Indians used it in many of their rituals. Many people today use it is incense inside their house.

We’re thinking about offering the service to help people looking to move to the area check out potential property they’re interested in, but at this time we hadn’t started it as of yet. As I mentioned earlier I have a full-time job that pays very decently. So this would have to be something I do on weekends to help people. So if you think about moving to the Valley give us a yell the e-mail and see if we can help you some. There are a few people online I would suggest avoiding and I can help you is that if you message me who you’re talking about dealing with. In a small knit communities around here you’ll find out whom to deal with and not to.

If you have questions about the San Luis Valley you need answered I’ll try to help answer them as well and post them online at http://www.coloradolandcheap.com

There is so much more to discuss about the Valley that this document will never end. So I will try to break it into future documents and go into further detail about specific areas of the Valley and the pros and cons of the areas themselves. So please make sure you go to our website http://www.coloradolandcheap.com and bookmark it.

Again I wish I knew all this beforehand so I can be better prepared. This kind of information you just don’t find on the Internet often, so I really hope it helps people understand the challenges and rewards that living in the Valley can reap.

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SAN LUIS COLORADO 40 ACRES ,POWER,COUNTY ROAD FRONTAGE US $2,843.00 (24 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 11:00:37 PDT Add to watch list

Buying land in today’s economy may be one of the wisest decisions you can make. Most people are afraid to play the stock market for many reasons, it seems like the US dollar is constantly losing its value on a daily basis. And leaving your money in the bank will not earn you much of anything these days. So where does that leave a person to invest their money?

Many have found that purchasing land is a wise investment. Not only does this give you an intangible asset, it also provides you with an investment that is known to constantly rise in value even during times word the economy is in poor. In fact when the economy is doing bad it might be the best time to purchase land, due to the fact that many people are nedding money to survive and therefore are selling their land at rates you normally couldn’t buy it at.

Where I have decided to purchase my land is a place in Colorado known as the San Luis Valley. The San Luis Valley is only a gorgeous place to live and there’s so many land investment opportunities to be had. Buying land in the valley is something someone should educate theirself on before doing so. The reason being the San Luis Valley has so many diverse areas and to make the correct investment in land requires one to know about these area’s.

Costilla County is one of Colorado’s poorest counties in the state. In spite of that fact it is also one of the most beautiful areas you can buy land in. You have towns such as Fort Garland, San Luis, Blanca and a handful os smaller towns. Costilla County borders Alamosa County which is the largest county in the valley as far shopping and jobs are concerned.

If buying land in Costilla County then you should know the land varies considerably depanding on location. With Blanca being entirely flat for the most part and its vegetation being Chico bush instead of grass. Parts far south of Blanca being desert with little vegetation. So if you are used to a lot of trees and green grass then the valley will be a change for you.

You normally will not see much trees or grass of any kind unless you’re against the mountains or on the mountains. This leaves areas such as the town of San Luis and Fort Garland as the areas that border the mountains. Of course the greener you get usually the more expensive the land becomes.

In Blanca you can often find 5 acre parcels of land for under $4000. Many of these partials can be owner financed with little or no money down. But you must realize although the land may be cheap, most of it is so far out that you would need solar power for it and it’s going to need a well and install a septic tank. Still even with these expenses included you can end up with 5 acres of land with well and septic for around $20,000 when everything is said and done. Again electricity is often not available on many of these lots are sale. So either you must pay the local power company to run power to your property which is around four dollars a foot plus other expenses or are you must look to solar power. Solar power is fairly expensive if you want to maintain your city lifestyles, if you’re willing to go green and cut back on the power consumption then perhaps solar is a route that you can consider.

Areas such as Fort Garland which border the mountains often have more expensive lots and offer gated subdivisions. Roads in these subdivisions are often maintained by the county and homeowner associations. There are subdivisions such as Forbes Park which is considered one of the more prestigious communities in the valley.

When shopping for land online make sure you confirm where the property is located what utilities are available and if water rights come with the land. You should not buy property without knowing the answers to these questions. We know it’s impossible for every body to see the land in person than they are interested in buying, it would be a good idea to hire someone to go take pictures of land for you. The reason for this is often land sales online do not typically show pictures of the property, instead they show pictures of the area. You’re not buying the area, you’re buying a particular piece of land and need to know what it looks like. Don’t let picutres of beautiful mountains and lakes with wildlife running freely persuade you into buying a piece of property without seeing.

Many people have purchased property out in the valley to finally visit it one day and almost go into shock because it looked nothing like the pictures they seen online. I will agree if the price of property is cheap enough it’s hard to go wrong if you get it at a steal, but if you’re buying it to live on it, then it has to be something you will be happy with.

5 AC BLANCA COLORADO,SAN LUIS VALLEY RANCHES ,MTN VIEWS US $1,225.00 (29 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 16:49:40 PDT Add to watch list

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SAN LUIS COLORADO 40 ACRES ,POWER,COUNTY ROAD FRONTAGE US $2,843.00 (24 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 11:00:37 PDT Add to watch list

Many still refer to the Park as the Gator Farm, but it has expanded since it opened to the public and added many new attractions such as Ostriches, Emus, donkeys and over 100 species of reptiles including Rattlesnakes, Gaint Pythons, Tortoises, Crocodiles and more. Still it’s main attraction is the gators and the park has well over 400 gators!

You can do a lot more than just look at the gators, you get to hold them and even attend an Alligator handling class, if you are “brave” enough to do so. This is the only class in the world where you are able to get hands-on experience with an 11 foot alligator. You will learn how to handle a small gator and then gradually build up to a larger size alligator, the whole way up to the 11 footers! The three hour class fee is a hundred dollars and you must sign up and pay in advance.

The Colorado Reptile Park’s address is 9162 CR 9N., Mosca CO, 81146 and for you GPS die hards out there the GPS Coordinates 37 42.373N 105 52.201W (but seriously you can’t miss the gaint alligator signs on Hwy 17 or give them a call at 719-378-2612)

Assuming you have the right bargaining expertise, you can buy pieces of property for a cheap price then sell them later, at a higher price. You may even develop the property and then grow your asset’s worth perhaps a hundredfold. You might have read about self-made billionaires whom managed to get rich as a result of real estate investments. This approach is among the ways they create those enormous amounts of income.

In the past, the actual worth of real estate has almost always gone through an upward movement. This particular is generally due to the simple fact in which there is most certainly a limited quantity of land. If you even been around real estate investors then you have heard the saying “They ain’t making any more land”. Together with the expanding global population placing land as an non-renewable asset in growing demand, the odds of losing your own funds with your investment decision are usually very slim if you do your groundwork and invest low.

Keep in mind to consider pre-platted lots situated in developed or even developing planned residential areas as well as subdivisions. A great deal more builders will certainly develop within those areas. Together with each individual new home which is constructed, land availability becomes reduced and the worth should to increase.

Donald Trump, for instance, created his enormous wealth simply by what is referred to as land banking – the practice of purchasing and possessing property for future sale and / or development.

Much like any kind of investment business plan, you should prepare yourself for all those aspects of property investing.It takes not merely five to fifteen thousand of investment to begin with, but additionally flawless planning scheme for the new investor.

Market analysis, going to city zoning meetings, and on-going conversation together with potential sellers is really a requirement. Buying property is a lot more than thoughtlessly spending money for something which might possibly not maintain value. Making the best choices will certainly determine whether your endeavor is going to be lucrative or simply a financial blunder.

Some areas of Colorado have a lot more land available at very affordable prices, just remember there is a reason often for the lower prices. The job market and shopping are among the top factors for higher land prices. For instance the San Luis Valley has very few jobs and nearly all the shopping is in Alamosa. This should not discourage you, many people want to get away from it all. In todays ecomny many people are being forced to sell their million dollar homes in California are looking for places where they can move to with what little equity they get from their home sale. Imagine getting 35 acres of land for $20,000, it is very possible to do in the Valley.

Looking for some areas in the valley to invest in, then here most of the prinicle towns located in San Luis Valley:
Alamosa, Antonito, Capulin, Center, Creede, Crestone, Del Norte, Fort Garland, Hooper, La Jara, Manassa, Monte Vista, Mosca, Saguache, San Acacio, San Luis, Sanford, South Fork, Villa Grove

For those who have funds as well as the gumption, staking your own name to a plot of property could possibly be the greatest decision you’ll ever make.

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$1 DOWN $99/MONTH~5 ACRES COLORADO LAND~MOUNTAINS! US $1.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 19:30:15 PDT Add to watch list

SAN LUIS COLORADO 40 ACRES ,POWER,COUNTY ROAD FRONTAGE US $2,843.00 (24 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 11:00:37 PDT Add to watch list

$1 DOWN $622/MONTH~70+ ACRES COLORADO LAND~MOUNTAINS! US $1.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 19:30:50 PDT Add to watch list

Colorado auctions around the 150 wild horses and burro’s year. This is because in 1971 Congress passed the law named the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro act. In some parts of the valley you can be driving through and see these wild horses freely roaming the land. This is one of the valleys most cherished natural resources. Colorado rounds up wild horses and burros and adopts them out every other Fridays of each month. Not everyone is pleased by this, but Colorado claims this is to protect the wild horses.

In and around the San Luis and Antonito areas wild horses are seen very frequently. In fact you can often see wild packs of Mustangs running around off of Highway 159 in the valley. Of course your not going to run out and try catching one of these animals because they’re wild, but there very beautiful to look at them reflect the naturalness of the Valley.

Much of the land in the valley is for sale so is very easy to buy land and have your daily visit of wild horses. Of course this mainly applies to land purchased on the open areas towards the southern part of the valley. While horses can be found in other parts of the valley, it just seems the greatest concentration is in the southern areas.

5 AC BLANCA COLORADO,SAN LUIS VALLEY RANCHES ,MTN VIEWS US $1,225.00 (29 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 16:49:40 PDT Add to watch list

$1 DOWN $99/MONTH~5 ACRES COLORADO LAND~MOUNTAINS! US $1.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 19:30:15 PDT Add to watch list

SAN LUIS COLORADO 40 ACRES ,POWER,COUNTY ROAD FRONTAGE US $2,843.00 (24 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 11:00:37 PDT Add to watch list

And while we’re on topic of the wild horses since Colorado is still known as one of freer states nearly anywhere you buy property outside the city limits will allow you to own horses. The restrictions are usually two horses per 5 acres. So if you ever wanted on your own small ranch the Valley is a perfect place to do so.

In fact horses are like dogs here, meaning that they are treated more like pets than a prize possession. Originally I’m from Virginia and people who own horses are usually the more the snobbish type that belong to bit and bridle clubs. The equestrian owners as they call themselves made a big to do about their horses.

Here on in the valley horses are so common, nobody thinks twice about it. You’ll have horse auctions, horse shows and other horse events almost daily during the summer. There are many stores that sell horse related items and feed. In fact many of the farmers here grow alfalfa for horse hay. The wild horses on the other hand live off the land and therefore must constantly roam the land to graze.

So the settlers finally never ceases to amaze me with its beauty and natural wonders. If you ever decide to visit the valley and I hope that you do, take some time out and look around at all the beauty. Perhaps you get lucky and run into a few packs of wild horses of the San Luis Valley.

In fact many residents of Colorado’s never visited the valley which is so surprising considering that it’s such a gorgeous place for a tremendous vacation. The Valley’s population is very sparse and under 25 thousand people live in the entire valley. One reason for the sparse population may be that the winters in the valley can be very cold, the temperatures at night can dip below 40°F. Although not typical some winter years may not go above 0° during the day time.

When people first hear about the temperatures, they find it hard to believe people can actually live in areas they get this cold. What they’re taking for granted is that the valley has very little humidity. Unlike the coastal areas of the US where 40° might seem chilly, 40° in the valley might feel like 60+ degrees to people from the more humidl areas.

The valley is made up about 2,000,000 acres of land, and much of this land is privately owned. In fact the much of the San Luis Valley was originally part of the Spanish land grants. So it’s possible to actually own land on top of mountains with the most beautiful views you’ve ever seen due to these land-grant. Today the US government typically grabs up land and prevents people from living on and around mountains. Luckily the Valley still offers people the chance to experience mountin land ownership not available most anywhere else.

There is so much in the valley to enjoy such as hiking, biking, mountain climbing, Jeep trails, four whelling, Geo caching and much more. So if you love the outdoors the San Luis Valley could be the perfect place for you. If you ever wanted to only get away, mountain home or looking to move to somewhere like if it’s so hectic.

Another rare quality of the valley is the people there, they’re kind, friendly and willing to lend a helping hand if necessary. It’s uncommon in today’s world, when broke down on the side of the road to have some one pull up and offer to help you. Well thats the kind of people you’ll find in the Great San Luis Valley. The residents of teh Valley are very humble and generous, they might not have much, but they will offer you what little they have.

Many feel the valley is a perfect place to raise children in, it’s safe, has some great schools, allows for homeschooling and offers an environment unlike any where else available in the US. If your kids love sports then there’s many soccer teams, baseball teams, football teams and other activities for them to join in.

If you are a senior looking to retire then the valley is a perfect place for you to. Many people from the larger cities have sold their homes and use their surplus income from the sale of their home to purchase land and a house for a fraction of the price they could have gotten a similar home for in their area. With taxes being much lower than most big cities, it is easier to buy a bigger and nicer house for less.

So you can see the valley offers a little something for everyone, young and old.

5 AC BLANCA COLORADO,SAN LUIS VALLEY RANCHES ,MTN VIEWS US $1,225.00 (29 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 16:49:40 PDT Add to watch list

$1 DOWN $99/MONTH~5 ACRES COLORADO LAND~MOUNTAINS! US $1.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 19:30:15 PDT Add to watch list

SAN LUIS COLORADO 40 ACRES ,POWER,COUNTY ROAD FRONTAGE US $2,843.00 (24 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 11:00:37 PDT Add to watch list

This historic place is by a small bridge along the Rio Grande River in Conejos County, Colorado. Here the remains of ancient Petroglyphs created by native American Indians can be viewed on the rocks lining the Rio Grande River. These Petroglyphs date back hundreds of years. If you never head of Petroglyphs before they are also referred to as carved rock, Indian writing, picture writing and rock graphics. They are created by carving, pecking, chipping or abrading into stone.

Using the coordinates below with a GPS you will be lead right to the Petroglyphs.

Depending on your GPS one of the 3 below formats should work.

N 37° 03.955 W 105° 46.125

37.06589 -105.76818

N 37° 3′ 57.3012″ W 105° 46′ 07.5000″

Be forewarned that you will need a vehicle with high ground high clearance if you plan to drive directly to them, if not you can drive most of the way and park and hike a short distance to the Petroglyphs. The Petroglyphs are about 80 feet from the bank of the Rio Grande River.

If you come from the east to the coordinates you will be crossing the bridge which is a steel 1 lane bridge (its a few hundred feet long at best), but you will have to ride on the two tracks when you cross, if you ever pulled into a oil change place and had to ride up on 2 metal supports you will know what I mean.

The trip to the Petroglyphs is well worth it, the scenery is great! There are other great places to visit while in the area. Alamosa and the Great Sand Dunes are approx a hour drive north of this spot.

Today Fort Garland is a small town in Costilla County, Colorado. It has less than 1000 people residing in. There are two museums, a grocery store, several small restaurants, a few gas stations, post office and a few little antique shops. Fort Garland is the first town you enter when you come off La Veta pass entering the San Luis Valley on the east side from Walsenburg.

Fort Garland has a few subdivisions if you want to call them that and a small residential town area. Luckily for Fort Garland Forbes bought a bunch of land and built three subdivisions. The subdivisions are Trinchera ranch, Blanca Ranch and Forbes Park. Forbes Park being the most exclusive one. Forbes also contributed money to help build a new school and a large community center to be shared by Blanca and Fort Garland.

$1 DOWN $99/MONTH~5 ACRES COLORADO LAND~MOUNTAINS! US $1.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 19:30:15 PDT Add to watch list

$1 DOWN $622/MONTH~70+ ACRES COLORADO LAND~MOUNTAINS! US $1.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 19:30:50 PDT Add to watch list

Colorado Land - NEW PRICE - 1.434 Acres - FINANCING US $300.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Sep-10-2010 12:08:24 PDT Add to watch list

Buying land in Fort Garland for the uninitiated can be a challenging task. Unlike most of the Valley Fort Garland does have trees areas was running streams and plenty of privacy, but it also has plenty of open land with Chico Bush on it. Therefore it is imperative for you to know which of the two types of property you are buying.

The cheaper land which is pretty wide open Chico Bush property is usually out in the open often located off of either highway 159 Or Hwy. 160. The cheaper land often will come with no power, no telephone service and no public utilities such as water. You can typically can get well permits with these properties, but always check. Wells themselves to be fairly expensive on the cheaper land due to the soil content whereas it is more sandy and more likely to collapse during drilling therefore steal case is required for the well.

Is hard to believe that this desert area is actually above North America’s largest water aquifer. Some people can hit water in a little as 20 feet below surface. Others might have to drill several hundred feet to hit water. So again it’s important to know the property type you’re looking at.

Living in Fort Garland is a different experience for someone from a larger city. There’s not a whole lot to do, if you don’t enjoy outside activities. Yes there is high-speed Internet in some places. As far as I know there is no cable TV in Fort Garland, but of course satellite’s work.

There is a small museum by the name of White Mountain Trading post that is open year-round and offers horseback riding, live gunfights and has a small variety of animals native to the area such as bison and Longhorn cattle. There are streams to go fishing in, two public lakes also called reservoirs here that you can boating in and swim and if you like. But remember the area remains fairly chilly until about late April.

That is something to keep in mind; the temperature of the Valley is somewhat cold. There is a term used by the locals that is “cool sunshine”, cool sunshine is what is known as a sunny day with real cold temperatures. See here in the Valley you’ll have over 300+ days of sunshine but many of those days will be fairly cold. One thing about this; it makes for great solar power which is something that is now taken off in the Valley by companies such as Sun Edison who is putting in solar plants to power local schools and hospitals.

So if you like to move the Fort Garland, make sure you’re prepared for the change in temperature, change in culture and don’t mind driving a half-hour to the “large” city here in the Valley called Alamosa for most of your shopping and healthcare needs. I don’t want to talk you out of Fort Garland, it is a very beautiful place, you can find some tremendous deals on land and offers great solitude for those who looking to get away from it all.