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The first thing we noticed was that in Canon City real estate was still affordable. Then we saw the climate statistics. An average high of 50 degrees Fahrenheit in January? That sounded a whole lot better than 20 degree winters we put up with in Michigan. We started making plans for a home shopping trip.
We were actually coming from Tucson, Arizona. We had been living there for about 18 months. Real estate in Tucson was getting a little crazy (it has since started dropping in price), and the town is a bit hot in the summer, to say the least. Michigan and Montana, our previous two homes, were too cold in the winter. Canon City looked to be just right.
And it is. We were impressed a soon as we came into town. On the internet it looked dry and dusty, but it was green and pretty in reality. Some one needs to take some better photographs for their web sites. We found a hotel, and the next day looked at a few houses. A day later we bought the house below.
It is technically a one bedroom (we have no kids, pets or large screen televisions), but we use the carpeted, enclosed back porch as a bedroom too. There is a little "house" in back that had a workshop in one room and a bedroom/storage room set up in the other. There is also a root cellar, and a brick garage that we made into our personal disco. The enclosed front porch has large screen windows that make it a great place to sit on summer evenings, and the irrigation system keeps the grass green.
More About Canon City
Real Estate
We love Canon City, and not just for the cheap real estate. It is great to be in a nice climate and be so close to so many beautiful areas. The town itself is still small (29,000?), but there are snowy mountain ranges an hour away, canyons and hiking trails minutes away, and the Arkansas River goes right through town. The Royal Gorge Bridge, the highest suspension bridge in the world, is eight miles west of town. At least a dozen outfits run rafting trips through the gorge's class 4 and 5 rapids.
The town is a bit quiet, but it is growing. In the fourteen months we have lived here, we have seen a few businesses fail in or near downtown, but we have also seen ten new ones start. A great brew pub and restaurant just opened this summer, as well as a mountaineering shop and a kayak store. The big box stores are here as well - Home Depot, WalMart Supercenter, and and Office Depot (opening soon). The downtown area seems much livelier this summer than last, and there are festivals and other events throughout the year.
Home Prices In Canon City
Fixer-Uppers
If you like the idea of building sweat equity, this is the town for you. The supply of fixer-uppers is likely to last for many years. At the time we first came to town there were a couple under $50,000, and such cheap handy-man specials still show up regularly. With a growing population and jobs coming to the area, Canon City has escaped the real estate downturn that other areas have experienced.