North Fork Valley

Here's an area that's showing strong potential.

 The weather data shows a little less precipitation (snow) than the Colorado average; the temperatures also appear to be a little warmer than any place within a 50 mile radius.

The geographic diversity is very intriguing.  Depending on the direction you head in, you can have either high-plains ranch land, aspen covered mesas with an abundance of water, alpine National Forests, or extremely remote wilderness.  There is also direct access to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. 

There are several towns located in this area.  Some are larger than others.  We haven't been able to investigate each one yet, but it appears that there are enough differences that lumping them all together would be a disservice.

Real Estate

Real estate values are very strong but if you're looking for a large choice of multi-million dollar homes, you'll probably have to head over McClure Pass to Aspen.

The Realtors we talked to seemed to have a lot of "pocket listings".  These are properties that they personally know the owners want to sell, but they are not listed on the mls.  Since we are not in the business of listing properties, those Realtors are more than happy to share them with us.  Other Realtors in the area are clearly competition and don't get that access.

Lifestyle Choices

Rich with a mining and ranching history, there also appears to be a strong culinary, vineyard and arts community.  Surrounded on three sides by National Forrest, Wilderness and a National Park; outdoor activities are usually within 15 minutes of any one of the towns.  The only asset not right in your backyard is an international ski area.  The closest would probably be Aspen, about 90 minutes away.

What do we think?

As soon as the FLC Cycling Fantasy Weekend is over, we'll be spending a lot of time in each of those towns.  Our guess is there are a few "gems" in those "pocket listings".  Experiencing the fly fishing, rafting, cycling, rodeos, music festivals, wine tasting, golf, hiking and a few days of just relaxing; could also take quite a bit of time.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog.  If you have any specific interests, drop us an email. 

Never Fly Solo!