Colorado Voices: Cheap Land Part II
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- čas přidán 15. 02. 2023
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History repeats itself as cheap and falsely marketed subdivided land parcels continue to be misleadingly sold in the high desert of Costilla County. Generation after generation, hopefuls dream of owning their own Colorado ranch - then face the harsh realities of life on this lonesome prairie. As the cost of living skyrockets, more people are trying to survive on these isolated, barren lands.
Catch up on Colorado Voices: Cheap Land Part I at this link: • Colorado Voices: Cheap...
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I grew up in Monte Vista in the 70s and 80s where my parents owned a motel. We'd have a lot of visitors in the summer ask about the cheap ranch land such as the one you showed as well as the Forbes ranches. My father always told them that yes, it is cheap. But you have no water, no electricity, no sewer, and no telephone. You do have a lot of sunshine and rattle snakes. He told them to ask the people selling the land about that. Most thanked us for helping them avoid a big mistake.
No phone??
@@Freedom384 Pre cell-phone. So if Mountain-Bell would have even accepted your request, you would have had to pay through the nose to get a land-line ran for miles to your property. Nothing like just getting phone service setup at an existing house.
I grew up in Mesita and my first job at 11yrs old was irrigating alfalfa fields also a lava aggregate mine was the source of employment for a lot of valley residents. My family home is in the Mesita town and my family still lives there.
I've been boondocking in a small bus for three years, and I've spent a lot of time in the San Luis Valley. I really like the place, but don't think I'd want to live there full time. Still, I plan to be back there this summer. I bounce between BLM land on Lake Como Road near Blanca Peak and Limekiln Road near Monte Vista and stop at the Alamosa Walmart for supplies.
It's interesting to me to learn more about the area and the people who live there, so thanks for the video.
Can I ask why u wouldn’t live there
@@SinBaby-fv8iw Winter gets too cold there for my taste. And we have to think about water issues these days. I plan to use a lot of water for gardening and maybe a native plants and trees nursery, so moving back to Arkansas where water is more abundant seems like a better idea than burdening a place where water is less abundant.
Great job Kate thanks for interviewing us and thanks Ted.
Do you folks have a CZcams channel? We would be interested in following your journey.
I was working at The Regional Planning office in Alamosa in 1971-1972. I remember seeing the plans for some of these subdivisions and people in the office making jokes about where the water was going to come from for some of the features that were drawn into the plans. The plans looked very nice but we knew it was mostly sagebrush. I have really enjoyed these videos.
Haha, right when I saw the title I assumed it must be about the San Luis Valley. More like far northern New Mexico than southern Colorado. Been here my whole life and I love it. You almost certainly wouldn't. It's cheap for a reason.
because nobody wanted to live there?
The modern materialist American certainly doesn't want to live here. From my admittedly non-standard perspective, that's much more of a solution than a problem.
How fast can u get amazon packages?
Does anybody get amazon packages quickly in 2023? Anymore it's a case by case basis, and what you're shipping from where really matters. A week if you're lucky. I don't think that's unique to here, just the first rumblings of de-globalization.
@@advicepirate8673
PART 3! PART 3!
Wow thank you for this great production. I was looking at land here online. No water. And it was -1 deg F this week Feb 2023. Glad I did my research. Saved me from driving out to see it in person. Not for me.
-1 is nothing up there lol... I saw -40, no joke. I'd lived in northern Michigan, this is similar cold with NOTHING to see.
DO visit though, it's a nice area in the summer.
@@BuddhaSilencr wow. I visted Northern Michigan looking for cheap land to build. I knew it was cold, but wow is it COLD. Wish I could do summer place in MI. It is beautiful too. I asked some folks in Macinaw City how they survive the winters. They said 'oh we go down to Florida" lol
@@BuddhaSilencr -40 with no humidity is nothing like Michigan.
@@joannemoser3443 other than snowfall and trees, not really. It's beautifully horrible. I've lived in the UP Michigan, and SLV Colorado. They are both cold AF in the winter, period lol.
@@jcenergy2493 of course they are cold but dry cold is no comparison to wet cold, period!
This was a kick in the nostalgia. I was one of those kids.
AH great memories of what we almost got stuck with ! Saw an ad in back of "Army Times" about 20 acre tracts (1977-78) just south of Ft Garland area, all properties have an 'unobstructed view of Mount Blanca "! Did by mail them. Cant recall the down payment but then $20 month ! in contract you had 1 year to come view property and cancel contract. So wife's folks livd in SE colorado we in SATX, so arranged trip before year was up, drove and met them. Took a tour of the wonderful lava fields we were buying ! no utilities, would have to dig in septic and all, and yes we "did" have an unobstructed view ! We had 2 weeks to decide one e visited. So once e got back to farm the next day we had a letter off canceling contract ad request refund, which we did get !! BUT how many folks didnt read contract, didnt go SEE what they were buying !!
Great video. Having seen these 2 videos, thinking about Mrs Black TeeShirt Woman "I got your back" skeleton words on it, saying how she misses trees. But clearly she's a very competent Desert Gardener, seeing that great vege patch and carrots she had grown there... ("Be the change, you want to see"). Perhaps at least some of her efforts could be to set up a little home-nursery of local climate appropriate tree seedlings (from locally available seeds and cuttings) and get them started. At various points in the video we see occasions where some hows are quite well surrounded by lovely bushy tree growth, so clearly there are varieties that cope with that climate and soils. Previously I lived in rural "almost outback" Australia. No snow and hardly any morning frosts, but yeah desert dry and hot for 6 months of the year. I was "on-grid" where I was, but around my almost barren house, in the time I was there I planted literally hundreds of hardy to local conditions tree, bush and shrub seedlings, as well as some fruit trees, vegies and flowers close to the house. I used a mixture of local "native" species of Australian trees and shrubs, as well as various plants from other arid regions. The Mexican Cotton Palms (Washingtonia robusta) were growing very well by the time I moved from the area. I spent years learning about the right plants for the area local to me. I don't know as much as what would suit the level of cold in that part of Colorado, but are there native Mesquite bean trees native to that area ? Or Poplar varieties ? There's a place in Colorado called "Aspen" isn't there? So I'm a'guessin' that Aspen trees grow there, and Aspen is just another name for certain varieties of poplar ! Another thing, don't think you have to only plant trees which grow 20 metres, (60 feet) tall. Especially when starting off, Even just low bushes or shrubby trees, that only get to 3 to 6 metres (10 to 20 feet) tall, will give a house, homestead, vege garden and fruit trees, chooks and domestic pigs etc a lovely sheltered environment. Plants shelter each other, so more and more grows more easily. Plant the hardy shrubs and small trees first and the bigger trees will follow along afterwards. Sometimes even sprouting up naturally. I'm hoping to one day be back on a small plot of land, perhaps back in rural Western Australia. Who knows, maybe one day LOL !
I like propagating native plants and trees, but I think it would be very difficult in the San Luis Valley, mainly because the "cheap" land just doesn't have enough water to support trees. Still, I like your idea of starting a native plants and trees nursery there. You never know until you try, right? Personally, I plan to plant some piñon pines in one spot in the SLV. Interesting trees. Very slow growing. They take about 25 years to start producing nuts, and they can live for centuries.
The kind of thing you're talking about is why I'm looking for cheap land in Arkansas. Plenty of water there, and the winters are much milder. Some of the properties I've looked at have a few acres that have been cleared for pasture, and I like the idea of restoring that to native forest.
I grew up on the eastern prairie of Colorado. We moved to a place where we were able to dig a well- but it was still super difficult to get local trees to grow. After 15 years we succeeded in raising 5 evergreens. People who grow back east where water is everywhere can’t understand that anything you plant has to be watered by hand several times a week or it won’t grow. Still the area has its own beauty and I love a big open sky!
Having lived there I can truly say growing trees in the valley is nearly impossible. Near streams and rivers trees are common. The land is worth LITERALLY $1000 per tree extra, so if they could be grown it would be standard practice. Wells there cost 8-10k. Water is VERY scarce. I did a great garden, but trees are another thing. Trees need grasses and ground cover to hold water, grass is almost nowhere. Water is more sacred than marriage up there, for real.
It's high desert there. Most people have water shipped into tankers. Trees can be grown in the poor soil, but it takes tons of H2O and fertilizer which are very expensive for poor people...
@@richfarfugnuven6308 in Colorado water can be expensive for regular people. Water is gold in the square state.
Off grid and van life is not something to glorify. Let the wild places stay wild. Sprawl is already devastating enough
Not everyone lives in a van and off grid is very doable and a wonderful life style. I love the independence. No black outs unless caused by yours truly and no one to blame but myself.
I'm willing to haul water but the regulations are ridiculous. We have a hundred gallon tank on my truck and we use spring water all summer then go to long term visitor area on blm in winter. Rent free mortgage free. Don't fall for the fear but know what you are getting into. Gruber should start a vlog
wait what regulations for water hauling? like dot or what?
The punisher was created as a vigilante because the police were ineffective and cowardly.
I use heat tape on my water pipes out here in costilla off grid I wish you would have gotten my back yard with Blanca peak I was given a month to stay but I won been here 17 yrs love it I have log cabin
Secret behind this development - WATER ! 🌈 ⚡🌧️
Great job Kate
Nice looking place there now
There used to be water in the aquifer under there. The water was sold off and the aquifer drained...
The aquifer is not drained. While it has gone down due to lack of snowfall in the mountains in past years, there is still water.
Plus, if there was no water in the aquifer the county would not continue to give out well permits.
This is the one question NO ONE is asking.
WHO has been selling this land over and over and over. My mother is a Gallegos. I pondered on buying one of these lots and she told me NOT to buy them it’s a scam, they have no water rights. She was spot on. My great great grandfather Is Dario Gallagos he had the oldest store in Colorado. I think he is rolling in his grave seeing how San Luis has gone down hill and has turned into one of the poorest communities in the USA.
@1:35 I can see the home I grew up in behind the destroyed home. So strange that know this was suppose to be paradise. I would never move back, it’s too expensive and too far from anything. People in that area have been fighting for water and water rights for years. It is nice to see my hometown brought into a positive light.
No water is available for small farmers yet somehow these mega ranches have enough water for all of their crops? 🤔
It’s because there is one of the largest bodies of water below the valley that can be tapped into but drilling 1000 feet for commercial is very expensive. Most of the big ag has been here many years. Residential wells are about 400 ft deep and approximately 15k to drill. These come from a more shallow body of water that sits on top of the deep water. This is why every couple years developers try to buy water rights from the south so they can build thousands more houses on the front range. It’s not sustainable and I can’t understand why Co doesn’t have some sort of moratorium.
The realities in this are the same all over the remote places in the world that people seek to escape something in urban life. Mostly, these are negatives. Idealism will harm you. But people do not learn.
I purchased 5 1/4 acres in the Rio Grande Ranches subdivision about three years ago. We only camp on it but really love the area. My wife is Navajo and we live in Kentucky. We plan on having a family reunion for her side of the family sometime on the RGR property. The downside for us is that we get up to 5 offers per month in the mail to buy our 5.3 acres for chicken feed prices. My question is.....who gave our info to these "realtors" ? They are from all over the US. I know they are just trying to buy low sell high but someone also made money by selling them our info.
The digital nomads are coming.
already here mate jaja
Wow 😯
Hah! That couple, especially HER! Very enjoyable listening to and learning from!
Thank you - to all who helped produce this film.
Bravo
Okay, I'm the 420th "thumbs up" LoL
It don’t matter what community you are in… you end up keeping your kids safe
I’ve traveled a lot through these areas and wondered why people would live out here ,miles from shops ,doctor , ect ,no water or power , I suppose you could dig a well ,and now solar power is easy and cheap to set up ,but no bus or rail transport , no trees , just desert looking areas
The deepest darkest skies you will ever see. The solitude and quiet like no where else. Not everyone wants to live in a cluster f.
If there's property for renting for the summer let me know
Do you get to own the minerals on the land when you buy it? I noticed a lot of cheap land for sale in Kern County, but you don't get the rights to the minerals.
All depends on if the mineral rights are conveyed in the sale or not. It is one of the things that you do your homework on by asking the seller and then confirming whatever they say by going to the county clerk office to see who in fact owns the land aka surface rights and who owns the mineral and water rights .
@@optimus163 And also whether any taxes have to be paid on water or mineral rights.
They want to tax them but don’t want to keep the roads up…
Have no water ??
Decisions decisions!
Hah!
V e r y w e l l !
The guy at the kitchen table. GREAT storyteller.
RIP car Jim
My Family were 1st White settlers in the Valley....Mormons last name Christianson. Alamosa is THE coldest spot in America, All that cold air settles in the Valley. Epic cemetery in La Hara' too btw...peace!!!!
"Alamosa is THE coldest spot in America. . .
Ely, Minnesota enters the chat.
Fairbanks, Alaska enters the chat
Water trucks from Colorado river.
Fyi fire pit ash works great for mice.
my mice are dirty enough thanks.... 🤣
I wanna pwn some cheap land in Aspen
LOL
Hmmmmmmmm. . . . Were you born, yesterday ? 😬
@@paulsuprono7225 YASS Kween!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gods country !
This is all of Colorado besides Denver or mountain vacation towns
wish there was some cheap land in Canada, here, either the government, foreigners or natives own all the land !
Get out of Colorado before the cwd prions get into your system.
Is this a joke?
Is what joke? Trying to survive in the San Louis valley is no joke.
Could you move the camera more? I almost deciphered the content of one of your images.
Not cheap enough AND severely racist!
i like that lady tough & humble, appreciates life and what was given to her. SEXXI
This was a terribly put together documentary. The SLV is booming with growth and you choose to focus on people roughing it. You're creating a narrative that is not what the majority of the people who live in the SLV experience.
Well, this documentary *isn't* about the growth of commercial farms and the "big city" of Alamosa. It's specifically about the speculative sale of "residential" plots where no platted infrastructure exists. Where roads _really are_ just lines on a map...
@@YouveBeenMiddled I never once mentioned commercial farms or Alamosa. I live off of the grid in the SLV and it is amazing. This documentary focused on tweekers and people who moved here with nothing. This should have focused on all of the people who were able to build off of the grid successfully (not roughing it) and are thriving here in the SLV. It's clear that PBS only cares to show the narrative of struggle to turn people away from living a completely free lifestyle that isn't reliant on anybody.
@@kma4235 U . . . R correct ! Free of crime, crowds, traffic & termole ! With the appropriate skills, desires . . . I can make it work. And that secret - 'Patience, is a virtue ! 🤗 🇺🇲 😎
wait, you weren't trolling, lol jk is there a part 3 or no?
Theyre showing the common person seeking land and freedom at this pricepoint. Not wealthy or well financed folks who have thousands on top of thousands to create a new life for themselves. I dont think this is 'false advertising'
This is kind of false advertising
How so? I don't think that anyone is idealizing anything here.
basically it's uninhabitable with a lot of work but it can be done
@@gameangyl2861
So is Kansas, Western Nebraska, South Dakota, Nevada and lots of Utah. lol
Actually, there is a underground water in the mountain fens, and agricultural canals, but you cannot drill a well in the subdivisions because a single powerful family holds all the legacy water rights. That was left out of this report.
Don't buy land in Commirado, it's cheap for a reason.