Local Schools - The Grim Reaper

OK folks - the budget cuts in JEFFCO will be $40M + this next year. Next year will possibly be much worse. Root cause is the dwindling tax base - foreclosures galore being a prime example. The leaders here must focus on economic growth FIRST - and deer gutting/snow plowing second. I also hear rumors Safeway may be closing - another sign of the Depression up here.

And the local natives (pseudo natives - gimme a break) want to not create an environment for newcomers (read this with $$$ from down the hill) to come up here - REC District I do mean.

Continue to fight change and investors will pick over the bones of this cadaver and take properties at 25CENTS on the 2005 dollar...... I am starting to get interested.

What may kill property values up here even more than bad schools and lack of services is the price of gasoline. Fewer and fewer people can afford to commute into Denver. Smartest real estate bet right now might be picking up distress properties in the city and suburbs close to light rail lines and/or in highly walkable neighborhoods. I wouldn't be too surprised if within a decade or two the Conifer/Pine and especially Bailey area aren't "populated" mostly by weekend and vacation owners, with most of the rest being those fortunate enough to be able to work from home.

Which Safeway are you talking about Conifer or Evergreen? Where did you hear this?

Aspen - the schools are not bad - I did not say that at all - skills here are marginal and those with skills do drive down the hill because that is where the jobs are - well deer hunting and snow plowing are not high value jobs as we all know........gasoline is a factor. THE issue is the unfriendly environment created by deer gutters and guess what - skills and $$$$ are fleeing.


I do not disagree fully with your demographic analysis. Cheap vacation homes are indeed now on the market. NO industry to speak of. Ask me about "GREEN PODS".......a solution.

CLOSURE OF SAFEWAY CONIFER IS A RUMOR.........but smoke leads to firs usually. Kroger (KS) is killing them as we all know - the key is how long corporate can take the losses.

deltamrey wrote: Aspen - the schools are not bad - I did not say that at all - skills here are marginal and those with skills do drive down the hill because that is where the jobs are - well deer hunting and snow plowing are not high value jobs as we all know........gasoline is a factor. THE issue is the unfriendly environment created by deer gutters and guess what - skills and $$$$ are fleeing.


I do not disagree fully with your demographic analysis. Cheap vacation homes are indeed now on the market. NO industry to speak of. Ask me about "GREEN PODS".......a solution.

The schools aren't bad now, but you can't cut and cut and cut the budgets without impacting quality. One thing a lot of people don't realize when voting on school taxes is what it eventually does to their property values if school quality declines. How much sense does it make to save $150 on property taxes and watch your property values decline by thousands?

This issue sort of got forgotten during the years that real estate was booming but I predict it is going to become a much bigger factor than it used to be.

As for those who "fight progress", well that's usually a losing game, too, and for the same reasons. If you really can't stand to see things like paved roads and rec centers, fighting it is only going to cost you, it's better to move out of the path of development than to think you can hold back the tide.

Might all become a moot issue soon though if gas prices keep going up. Demand is going to go in the reverse direction, towards the city center.

BTW Aspen - the distressed properties up here are a great value - reality starts next door.

Are they a "great value" if values are going to continue to drop due to gas prices?

Aspen we agree on a lot.......we have too many voters here that do not grasp economics, quality of life issues, and are not too bright. The future looks a bit bleak here accordingly.

There is a possibility, given fiber backbone up here, islands for skilled professionals could be developed that essentially eliminates commuting ($$$$ stay here mostly) - is being done in more sophisticated areas as we speak.

deltamrey wrote: Aspen we agree on a lot.......we have too many voters here that do not grasp economics, quality of life issues, and are not too bright. The future looks a bit bleak here accordingly.

There is a possibility, given fiber backbone up here, islands for skilled professionals could be developed that essentially eliminates commuting ($$$$ stay here mostly) - is being done in more sophisticated areas as we speak.

I've been working from home for 12 years now, never would consider commuting again. Not everybody can arrange their life that way, though. I'm lucky in that I can conduct my business almost 100% over the internet, but not everybody can do that.