Saturday, January 10, 2009

Bailey Real Estate: Where Greenpeace & NRA Co-Mingle


Small Mountain Town Review of Bailey, Colorado: Rated "A"

There is one value Greenpeace and NRA members have in common - their love of the outdoors.

They relish the benefits of "getting away from it all" to enjoy the wilderness. They have respect for nature (each in their own way) and understand her power.

Colorado is a unique state in that it attracts everyone who loves the outdoors, no matter their political affiliation or beliefs on the proper "use" of the outdoors. As an incredibly large state, fortunately, there is room for us all.

It is interesting, really, how much a Greenpeace or Sierra Club type person and a hunter or NRA member do have in common. They both have profound respect for how awesome nature is. They both have respect for cycles of life. Now, of course, the conclusions they draw from their love of the outdoors are frequently on opposite ends of the spectrum, but they both come from the same starting point - love of the outdoors.

As a native Coloradan (both an NRA member and a Sierra Club advocate), I am always searching for that little piece of paradise I can call home. I look at cabins for sale and mountain land for sale all the time. I am searching for a piece of property that is secluded enough for me to co-habit with wildlife and hear nothing but humming birds humming and my own breathing. But, as a practical, city-dweller, I do not want property that is so far away from Denver that I rarely visit.

One town, Bailey, Colorado, offers the chance for a part-time mountain dweller to escape from the city and enjoy the mountains on the weekends and on vacations. Located on Highway 285 (same road as Hampden Avenue), the town is a focal point for fishermen, kayakers, hikers, motorcyclists, and even bird watchers.

It is about a 30 minute drive from the western suburbs of Denver and downtown Bailey. Drive another hour beyond downtown Bailey and you'll find yourself in Breckenridge (traveling the back way through Fairplay and Alma -and what is great is that you can go skiing without having to deal with the horrible I-70 weekend traffic). Bailey is centrally located to delve further into the mountains for skiing or hunting, or for driving down to Denver for the day.

Wisely, local, full-time residents keep the benefits of their little mountain jewel to themselves and do not readily advertise that Bailey is one town just beyond the Denver foothills that is feasible for daily commuting to work in Denver, and living daily in the wilderness.

One resident summed it up saying, "I love it up here. Every night after work and on the weekends I just let the pressures of my job in the city lift off my shoulders. The air is clean and it is so quiet."

So what is the real estate in Bailey like? The prices vary greatly - from $150,000 to an easy 2 million. Affordable properties that offer seclusion on well-maintained county roads, with a modern, bright home and acreage are rare and sell quickly.

One such "cabin" home, located on 10 acres with views from every window and southern exposure, is for sale for $450,000. The new owner of this home doesn't have to compromise. With most mountain houses, you have to make a compromise: either you have a lot of trees and no sunlight in the home, or lots of sunlight but no trees. In this spectacular home, you have the best of both worlds: plenty of mature trees but also plenty of sunlight!

If you've been searching for Colorado mountain properties then you know that there seems to be three options. Buy a mountain property with gorgeous land and a dark, run-down old house, buy a beautiful mountain home on a small lot, or pay nearly a million dollars to get both a beautiful house and gorgeous, private land. That is what makes this property so unique. It is affordably priced and has the land and has a beautiful, sunny home. Click here to take a virtual tour of this home.

Skyrocketing energy prices over the last few years have further united naturalists and outdoorsmen. An outdoorsman is attracted to homes and cabins that are off –the- grid, meaning the house has its own energy and water sources and is not dependent upon municipal or outside companies to supply power and services. They like off-the-grid homes because they like being in control and do not want their lives to be subject to the whims of any outside organization.

A naturalist is also interested in self-sufficient houses because the buildings have less impact (footprint) on the land with fewer pipes and poles drilled into the earth to transfer water, sewage, and power from an outlying company.

This home can appeal to both survivalists and naturalists because of the cost-effective, off-the-grid, self-sustaining features. This property for sale has: emergency generator hook up system, 300 gallon water storage reserve system for the well, well water and septic system, house currently runs on propane; however a natural gas line has been installed up to the house, pre-wired alarm security system and Qwest High Speed (OK, more vital to city-dwellers looking for a second home perhaps). With just a few modifications, this home can be completely independent.

When Your Quiet Mountain Getaway is Close Enough to Call Home

As an avid nature lover myself, I do hope that you find your own bit of paradise. Perhaps living in Bailey, Colorado will offer exactly what you are looking for. Perhaps this home nestled in Pike National Forest in the Rocky Mountains will be quiet enough to be your mountain getaway but close enough to call home. Click here to learn more about this property.