How to live in Park County, and commute to the metro area

Housing prices in the Metro Area are quite elevated, so most residents who would like to stop renting and purchase a house cannot afford to do so.  We were renting in the Metro Area for years, and my wife and I wanted to finally buy a house and start paying our own mortgage rather than someone else’s mortgage.

 After purchasing our house, our mortgage was almost half of what our rent was!  Now we not only have our own property, but we also can’t hear our neighbors sneeze in their own house from our house!  We have amazing views, a few acres, and almost NO NOISE!

 It was a two and a half hour commute one way to get to work.  But when you get to the top of Kenosha Pass coming home, and see all of South Park, it is almost instantly relieving of any stress from your day, or the drive.

 From our experience in the last few years, there have only been two times that Kenosha pass was closed. 

 If you keep an eye on the forecast and current conditions throughout your work day by visiting cotrip.org, you can make a decision to leave early or not, by looking at the traffic cameras and the weather stations on 285.  You can also call Jefferson Real Estate at 719.836.2615, and we can give you an opinion of the roads up here.

 (With the reduction in our housing costs, even the increase in vehicle maintenance costs were less than just what we were paying for rent.)

 I would definitely recommend having a survival bag in your vehicle.  Items for your bag might include non-perishable food, a blanket, a change of socks, some ice spikes that go on your existing shoes, some hand and foot warmers, a mobile battery jump starter, a toolbox, and a flashlight.

 Cellular coverage in areas of that commute can be sketchy.  Be prepared for the worst case scenario, such as going off the road where there is no cellular service in heavy snow conditions.  Make sure you can survive in the worst conditions for a minimum of 24 hours. 

 Yes, there are some days that you wonder if you made the wrong decision to do that commute… But in the big picture, it is an awesome decision and eventually you will completely own your home and acreage with privacy and peace!