A FEW IMPORTANT RANCH PROPERTY AMENITIES!!

With the "new age" of the internet and all the properties for sale being accessible with the click of a mouse, it can definitely become overwhelming to the decision making process. That's when you need to know the details of what is important to specific criteria that's not being displayed or told on the web page you're viewing.

Just a few important behind the scene issues that over the years I've found to be important to property use, enjoyment and future appreciation:

#1. Location... Does the property meet the criteria one would be looking for with respect to year-round living, distance to services...size of nearby town or city, shopping, medical services, hospitals, schools, types of recreational activities in the area, etc., all these things being contributing factors to the appreciation in value over time!! Colorado City area is just minutes to thousands of acres of San Isabel National Forest to explore and enjoy with numerous hiking & horseback riding trails open to the public. The close proximity to Pueblo Reservoir is great for water sport activities. Lago Vistas is just minutes and within walking distance to Lake Beckwith for a little fishing, or just an enjoyable evening stroll around the lake. Any property within a few minutes distance to year-round water is certainly an additional asset. You’re only a few minutes to Hollydot’s 27-hole golf course, minutes to a 24-hour convenience store (Loaf & Jug), minutes to fabulous local area restaurants, and even a pizza delivery service is available.

#2. The property itself... The only way to know if it's right is to be on it, hike it and feel it for yourself.  Driving by or looking at Internet pictures doesn’t tell you much...other than it's a property for sale. Does it have some privacy with respect to the neighboring properties surrounding it?  Five acres of land gives you a nice distance from the neighboring homes, unlike a small lot where you’re right on top of your neighbor. Does it have access to power, phone and Internet? A lot of the mountain properties here in Colorado do not have access to phone lines and have no cell reception. Does it have a guaranteed water source? There are no guarantees of water when purchasing vacant land, and well drilling costs can become very expensive at current costs ranging from $20 to $35 per foot.  Having a source of availability to a safe and guaranteed water supply is an appreciable asset. Is the power underground or overhead? Having underground utilities in a rural area is a much more desirable feature…it doesn’t obstruct the surrounding beauty. Plus, you don't have the power outages that you have with overhead power. Lago Vistas also has high-speed Internet access…an important feature in today’s world. What's the access to it like? Does it have the access most folks would want? If not, what would it cost to achieve that access?  Does it have a good building site accessible to cement trucks, excavation equipment & lumber trucks...etc., when one goes to build? I've found it important to be accessible and close to area builders and services to avoid excessive building costs when you go to build. Being within twenty minutes to the City of Pueblo and the services available there is certainly a plus.

#3. Accessibility to a fire department and other services... This is really important when you go to build. A lot of the mountain properties here in Colorado do not have access to a fire department and you can run into trouble getting fire insurance on your home. Lago Vistas is within the Rye Fire Department service area. The ranch has fire hydrants throughout accessible to unlimited water. Trained EMT service personnel and an ambulance are within minutes…this becomes more of a concern, as we grow older.  Garbage disposal service is also available. (Most 35 acre mountain properties here in Colorado are miles away from fire and emergency services, and most areas require that the individual property owners haul their own trash to the county dump in the county they live in....that could be miles away).

#4. Zoning... Is the property zoned agricultural? Is there a grazing lease in place by the Property Owner's Association so that taxes will be at an agricultural tax basis (a few dollars/acre a year), or is it taxed as vacant land? (That can run hundreds of dollars/year depending on the mil levy of the county it's in). Lago Vistas does have a grazing lease in place to keep taxes at an agricultural tax basis. This can be a huge savings difference over a ten-year period of owning vacant land, especially if you’ve no immediate plans to build.

#5. POA and their Covenants... Are they what most folks would want...protection of property values? You don't want them too restrictive, but yet protective enough to maintain and enhance property values…important for resale appreciation.  People don't desire to own rural property, build a nice home or cabin and then have a neighboring property owner move in a mobile home or a modular. Nor does one care to have junk piled around outside on their neighboring property. Is there ranch road maintenance, so one can always get to their property? Having an association set up with annual dues for road maintenance is an important asset, and over the long haul, it is a cost saving feature to the ranch property owner.

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