Grand Junction Seems Perfect, What Am I Missing?
Are there cons of living in Grand Junction CO? Most of the posts on this website outline why we think moving to the Grand Junction area is a good idea. I have attracted home buyers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Oklahoma, and other states, plus, from within Colorado. Most of my buyer clients are moving to Colorado from another state. They ask a lot of questions about the area, and I try to share my personal perspective, experiences, and resources. My wife and I really enjoy living here, but there are a few cons of living in Grand Junction, and, in all fairness, we wanted to let you know about those too.
When clients search for a new home, they typically make a list of the pros and cons of the property before they write an offer. It is rare for one property to “check all of the boxes”. That holds true for finding a new community to live in. While Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita (collectively known as the Grand Valley) have a lot of great attributes, here are a few not so great facts. Here we go!
General Observations
It’s dusty here. You may want an unlimited car wash pass. You are in the high plains desert after all, but I have not seen dust storms like you would see in Arizona. However, dusty homes and dusty cars seem more common. Why wash it if it’s just going to get dusty again the next day? Plus, less washing conserves water. You may just have to get used to driving around in a dusty vehicle and dusting your home more often. We have a portable air purifier we like to use that we bought which really seems to help.
The nearest Costco is 2 hours away in Eagle/Gypsum on I-70. If you are a Costco fan, that is a bummer. We try and time our trips to Costco with other adventures. We do have a Sam’s club to tide over the bulk shopper cravings. Sorry Costco lovers, I understand your struggle. We almost got one in 2024 so ya never know.
There are jacked up trucks everywhere. There must be a bunch of rednecks in GJ! No, it’s because we are one of the greatest off-roading destination basecamps in the world. If you haven’t tried it, don’t knock it. I’ve been to Moab, Utah and it is a bucket list item whether you are into that sort of thing or not. The greatest sites around are many times down a 4×4 trail in the desert or the mountains. Back in MN, we called these Stump Jumper trucks. Around here it would be more like rock crawler trucks. Warning – don’t take your “stock Jeep” out on the trails in Moab. Those Jeeps have special equipment to handle crawling the beautiful rocky trails. Rent an ATV, those are so fun! Ask me about the times I have rented ATVs in Moab! There are a few photos on my post called Day Trips from Grand Junction.
If you like to travel by air, you can add about $250 to each trip for the puddle jumper that gets you to a larger city for connecting flights. You can also drive to Denver or Salt Lake City and fly from there. Montrose Regional Airport is another consideration for your departure airport and can be less expensive. We like to fly out of GJT even though it’s more expensive because it’s so darn convenient. Just 15 minutes away, no long lines, no traffic to worry about. Ready my post about our Grand Junction Airport Experience to learn more.
Although we are a medical hub, there is a shortage of medical professionals. For routine visits like a physical you may have to wait 30 days for an appointment. So, plan ahead. Maybe get all of your medical visits done in your current state before you move here.
Those darn goat heads! My relative came to stay at Camp Eddy for three weeks and was excited to ride his bike on the paved Colorado Riverfront Trail each morning. It didn’t take long before he got a flat tire from a goat’s head. Luckily, he got his tire repaired nearby. He was told you need inserts in your bike tires, even on pavement, especially if you ride along the river where these plants are. Do this up front so you don’t get stranded. What’s a goat’s head? It’s a weed who’s spiky, sharp thorn resembles the head of a goat. On a positive note, while his wife was stranded on the trail with his bike, waiting for him to go back and get the car, several people stopped and asked, “Do you have a rescue squad on the way?”. That was nice. Goat’s Head on Wikipedia
Housing Related Observations
Professional Resale Home Staging – Nonexistent. This was the first thing I noticed when starting my real estate practice in the Grand Valley. I walk into homes all the time that I wouldn’t deem ready for market. Some things in the real estate industry here are decades behind major metropolitan areas. This can lead to increased market times. I don’t feel the market times here match those of a major metro area. Besides, market times are calculated on the days from hitting the market to the closing versus the days it took to secure an offer. Most people request 30-60 days from the offer to close so an 88-day average market time as advertised here is actually much less. It’s just calculated differently. Don’t let the pictures sway you, I am able to help look through the clutter and help paint a picture of a great house.
Sewer line issues in older homes can be an issue because years ago they were made of clay. You’ll want to have the sewer line from the property to the street scoped during your inspection period. It’s cheap insurance. The cost can be around $150.
Homeowner’s Insurance in more remote areas, like up on the Grand Mesa or in Glade Park, can be expensive depending on how close you are to a fire station or fire hydrant. Are you looking for more elbow room? That could come at a cost when it comes to insuring your remote property.
Certain neighborhoods with existing homes and even new construction developments have a history of foundation concerns. The water table is so close to the surface in some areas that piers or pilings need to be installed because soil is moving. About 25-30 years ago when Grand Junction started to take off, the builders were not aware of these soil conditions in certain areas. Some existing homes have had foundation repairs or are still dealing with issues. Soil testing is an absolute necessity in building new construction. This could cost you $1500 up-front depending on the lot size and number of soil borings needed.
The lot price may not be the lot price. Because of the soil conditions in some areas, your new home may require a pier system under your concrete foundation. Pilings are expensive and could add $20- $100k to your costs just to make the lot you buy buildable.
I represented new construction buyers in the Redlands 360 Easter Hill neighborhood.
There are no national builders in the Grand Valley. Now that could be considered a pro and a con. No Lennar or DR Horton here. Most are custom home builders run by small businesses.
New construction builders do not have the same level of cooperation with REALTORS® that I was used to back in a major metro area. If you are going to build new, make sure to talk to your agent about builder/Realtor® cooperation hurdles. Even more of a reason to hire an agent who represents YOUR best interests!
There are some areas to be more cautious about. We’ve got some neighborhoods that were built 40-50 years ago to create affordable workforce housing for the oil and mining industry employees. Sometimes low-cost housing is in areas with higher crime, but not always.
Are the unhoused an issue? I’ve witnessed homelessness but never had any issues or concerns. There are certain parts of town where they gather more often, but it’s nothing like the major metropolitan areas.
Land use and Zoning seem odd compared to where we lived in a western suburb of Minneapolis. This town was not planned out like the suburbs of a major city when it comes to zoning and land use. You may drive through an industrial park of commercial buildings to get to your neighborhood. Some people get turned off by that, but it’s just the way GJ is. We also have many small farms or ranches that have accumulated unwanted items over the years in their yards. You can literally have a gorgeous neighborhood next to a yard that looks unkept. They did do a good job laying out the streets in grid format. That makes it easy to get around town.
The month of October can be tricky for scheduling contractors and even professionals. Hunting is a major part of life in and around the Grand Valley and October is elk hunting season. People literally take weeks off at a time to attend elk camp with their family and friends. Traditions are an important part of living out west.
Many stucco homes. Coming from MN, buying a stucco home was a huge NO NO! In Minnesota I saw so many stucco issues with mold and even mushrooms growing on the interior walls. It wasn’t worth the risk. In this dry climate, however, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. I remain cautiously optimistic about stucco homes in the Grand Valley.
Home prices seem to be high. I hear clients say this all the time, “I don’t want to buy at the top of the market.” With any home purchase decision, I recommend this be a 10-year purchase, if possible. Our prices are going up because the demand is going up. Like most other communities, we also have a shortage of homes. The driver behind that is the high number of people moving to the Grand Valley from other states. The inventory is low, but the demand is growing stronger than most cities.
Connect with me for more truths about living in Grand Junction, Palisade or Fruita.
About ten years ago while on vacation in Whitefish, Montana (Glacier National Park area), we went into a local shop to buy some souvenirs. The clerk behind the counter was wearing a T-shirt that said, “My life is your vacation.” We laughed but now live that statement. I feel like I want to get a T-shirt like that now, for myself.
Although this post was about some of the negatives of living in Grand Junction, we feel the positives far outweigh those. Some of the best things about living here are the geographic proximity to so many wonderful areas and a great sense of community. To end on a high note, consider reading some of these popular (and funny) posts.
Retire in Grand Junction: Your grandkids and kids will thank you
What it’s Really Like to Drive I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction
Accolades for the Grand Valley
Move to Grand Junction. We’ve been waiting for you!
Moab Trip
Text/Call 612-306-9558
PAUL ASPELIN, REALTOR®
GRI, SRES®, CNE
Serving Mesa County
Licensed in Colorado
Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Learn more about my experience and how I serve my clients
Text/Call 612-306-9558
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