I work with a lot of buyers here in the mountains. The following advice is for those looking to buy in communities.
Community living is great. Whether you have a lot of amenities or few amenities community living offers a lot. Some communities are gated others are not. So the first thing to know is generally in gated communities you pay for the roads. If the monthly dues are zero or very low and you are in a gated community then down the road,no pun intended, you could be faced with a nasty assessment surprise.
The second thing to look at is why live in a community at all? After all you are moving to the mountains to "get away from it all". While that idea is appealing unless you want to farm or do other things that might violate covenants and restrictions, isolation is not all it is cracked up to be. You can be on homes on 1 or 2 acres and have the great country feeling in the mountains. Many many people I have met are looking to sell their mountain home because it is too far out there.
The third big pitfall I see is many try to buy in new communities. There are great incentives and glitzy brochures . But at the end of the day you need to know how the development is funded. Many many folks are now stuck in 1/3 or 1/2 built communities with little hope of selling. So work with a knowledgeable Realtor in the MOuntains and consider some of the points I have raised here.
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