Tag Archive for: Realty ONE Group Western Slope

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Retire in Grand Junction – your grandkids and kids will thank you!

What is there to do in Grand Junction Colorado?

A retired couple contacted me from Arizona. They wanted to know “What is there to do in Grand Junction Colorado?” They retired to Scottsdale many years earlier. Their children and grandchildren visited them when they first moved there, then the visits waned. They added a swimming pool, which worked for a while.  As the grandkids got older, a pool and sunshine were no longer enough. The grandkids complained “there’s nothing to do.” They realized it was time to move to a place where everyone wanted to come visit, any time of the year, not just during spring break.

They like wineries. A relative recommended they consider Palisade, Grand Junction or Fruita. And so, their research began. They reached out to me because they found this website!

Keeping and nurturing relationships during retirement is important. I get it. So is the desire to live in a mild climate surrounded by lots of amenities, healthcare, and outdoor activities. While Arizona is a beautiful state, the Scottsdale/Phoenix area is very crowded and extremely hot in the summer. Why not consider an alternate retirement community that has all four seasons and endless opportunities for fun and personal growth? Consider retiring in Grand Junction, Colorado! Or Palisade, Fruita, Clifton, Orchard Mesa, or other communities within Mesa County. Collectively known as the Grand Valley.

Read my post about the weather. I post short videos and announce new website posts on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction. So be sure to follow me on Facebook to stay informed.

I helped a retired Minnesota client sell her townhome in Minnesota and she moved to Arizona. She didn’t last long. Too hot, not enough to do. After a visit here, she wondered, “Is Grand Junction a good place to live?” She now lives on a hobby farm in Fruita! Her adult daughter moved here too, and her son and his wife come to visit a couple times a year.

Retire in Grand Junction

Paul Aspelin on the Riverfront Trail

Paul Aspelin on the Riverfront Trail along the Colorado River

Why retire in the Grand Valley? We have access to downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, year-round golf, tennis, and pickle ball. We have incredible hiking trails, extensive gravel/mountain/road biking opportunities, river boating and rafting, fishing, hunting, ATV trails and camping. Lots of parks and walking trails, including a zipline over the Colorado River! We are known for our fruit orchards, wineries, distilleries, and breweries. And all this is “in town.” Check out my Two-Day Itinerary post and Things to do in Grand Junction: Easy Hikes.

There are so many easy day trips from Grand Junction to incredible eye candy, hot springs, arches, canyons, lakes, mountains, resorts, public lands, and of course, Dinosaurs! So many things to do together with family and friends as you age.  If you want to retire to a community where your family and friends want to visit you year-round, then the Grand Valley is your answer! Grand Junction is a basecamp with access to so much more!

More Than Just Outdoor Activities

Not only is this a beautiful and bountiful area naturally, with a fantastic climate and no humidity, there are other benefits that make Grand Junction and the surrounding communities a great place to retire to. In my opinion, here are just a few:

  • Low cost of living (and visiting) area
  • Easy access thanks to Grand Junction airport and connections via Denver and other cities
  • Warm weather activities
  • Winter weather activities
  • Close to diverse terrain like high desert, mountains, rivers, and lakes
  • Colorado Mesa University classes for 65+ and you can entice the grandkids to enroll
  • Many things to do right in Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade
  • Check out my day trips from Grand Junction post for ideas on what’s nearby that your kids and grandchildren will enjoy
  • Colorado is more centralized in the US compared to the SE like Florida – allowing you to reach so much more that’s only a day’s drive away

Grand Junction Living and Hosting Visitors

Snowshoeing on the Grand Mesa

Find a retirement home that’s convenient and easy to get to and your friends and family will want to come to visit you all year round!

It’s how they perceive the location that determines if they come visit. Grand Junction always has something going on for all ages and abilities!

When you purchase a home here, try to get an extra bedroom or two for visitors. It will encourage them to visit if they know they can save money by not needing to pay for a hotel. Having them stay with you gives you more opportunities to connect and share time with them.

We’ve hosted friends and family several times since we moved here. Based on their desires, we never run out of things to do or show them. Some have no interest in hiking, and that’s ok. We help our visitors adjust to the elevation before we go even higher to places like the Grand Mesa, Ouray, or Telluride. Some of our visitors fly right into GJT airport while others choose to fly into Denver and drive up and over the mountains to reach us. If they need one, car rentals are super easy at the Grand Junction airport.

We make sure we give them a list of suggested items to pack or have extras on hand like stainless steel water bottles, hats, sunscreen, and vitamin C (for high elevation days).

As our friends and family come to visit and get to know the area better, we hope someday they too might choose to move to Grand Junction like we did!

Consider starting new traditions in your new location. Invite everyone to come to you for a holiday spent at a mountain resort or discovering our nearby national parks! Make new memories. The opportunities are truly endless in Mesa County and beyond!

If you are considering a move and would like a tour of the Grand Valley, give me a call. I have several articles on this website about retiring in Grand Junction and things to do in the area. Look around the site and consider me your Grand Junction retirement real estate expert!

Be sure to get your kids and grandkids a water bottle for their trip to Grand Junction. Read my post about which water bottles we have, why we chose them, and where to get them locally.

Live Your Vacation Everyday when you Move to Grand Junction!

Michelle and Paul AspelinText/Call me at 612-306-9558

Contact me directly regarding non-MLS listings.

PAUL ASPELIN, REALTOR®
GRI, SRES®, CNE
Licensed in Colorado

Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Learn more about my real estate experience and how I serve my clients 

 

© 2024 Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®. MovetoGrandJunction.com Copyright protected. All rights reserved.

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When Should I Sell My House?

When Should I Sell My House?

Are you asking yourself “When should I sell my house”? or “Is THIS a good time to sell a home”? Sellers frequently ask me these questions. What they really want to know is “when is the best time to list my house for sale” because they want a quick sale and the highest price. The Grand Junction spring market usually provides the highest activity but more importantly, is your house ready? I mean really ready? First let’s talk about timing, then preparation.

Historic Real Estate Market

Under historic normal real estate market conditions, there were always very predictable market periods of activity and in-activity. The spring market flurry could start anywhere from the first week of January up to June. I’ve seen active spring markets last for 5 months and I have seen them last two weeks (think 2009).

Most Realtors® will agree that it feels like the spring market instantly turns on and off like a light switch. Many have joked that the spring market starts immediately after Super Bowl Sunday.

Once it starts, an active real estate market will usually cruise along with a slowdown around Memorial Day through the first couple weeks of June as attention shifts to graduations and the start of summer.

The rest of June and July are generally steady except for the week surrounding the 4th of July holiday. Activity will slow down in the last two weeks of August as people prepare for back to school, and many Realtors® take vacations with their own family.

The fall market takes off after Labor Day weekend in September and starts to slow at the beginning of November. Not surprising, the last two weeks of December have always been slow with people enjoying family and the holidays.

Of course, there are exceptions to the norm, and economic circumstances have a significant effect on the listing and sale of homes. Election years have shown lower activity but then accelerate afterwards, no matter who is currently in office and who won the election!

Here’s a chart from the Colorado Association of REALTORS from March 2024 showing a statewide Single Family Market Overview. Over a year, you can see the increases and decreases in the number of units on the market, pending, sold, etc. You can click on their website to get Mesa County specific reports or other Colorado counties.

Market Overview March 2024 Colorado Single Family

Today’s Real Estate Market

This year is no exception with market activity coming to life in March and April, more people began to list homes for sale. I feel the rate of home showings for the rest of the year will follow normal ebbs and flows.

Any time there is limited inventory is a GREAT time to list your home. Buyers are out there waiting for homes to come on the market. Years ago, I would have estimated that four out of ten showings on a home would be from serious “I need to buy right now” buyers. The remaining six showings were people just starting to look or only “shopping” not ready to buy. Today, that ratio is more like 8 serious ready-to-move buyers out of every 10 home showings. This bodes well for sellers. It doesn’t take 50 showings to fetch a great offer on your home!

Preparing Your Property for the Market

Home prepared for the market.

I could write a whole post explaining the detailed advice I provide as a licensed real estate professional when it comes to preparing a home for the market. I want the absolute best for every client, every time. Each client deserves my full attention and my full list of enhanced services. No matter what price point their home will be listed for on the MLS.

There are several “must do” items, however sometimes I say, “Skip it, save your money”. During a consultation, I address home inspections, appraisals, home staging, cleaning and repairs, updates, etc. The thing is, each property truly IS unique. I prefer to meet with my clients in person and explain my services and advice specific to THEIR property. In fact, that initial meeting with homeowners’ lights me up. I get energized by helping create a detailed plan for success. I enjoy hearing a seller’s story. I ask a lot of questions so I can fully understand their objectives and their timeline. So, when I started this post about when should I sell my house, what I want you to think about first is if your home is truly READY for the market. Then we can talk about when to list it for sale.

If you are considering selling your property, call me for honest advice and guidance you can count on. I have been listing and selling homes since 2001. Let me put my real estate experience to work for you!

You can read the many reviews and recommendations I have received over the years here on my website. I pulled together client notes and paper surveys I have collected from past clients as well as online reviews. Let them explain how I do business and my character. 😊

Paul Aspelin Reviews and Recommendations

Michelle and Paul AspelinText/Call 612-306-9558

PAUL ASPELIN, Realtor®
GRI, SRES®, CNE

Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Learn more about my experience and how I serve my clients
© 2024 Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®. MovetoGrandJunction.com Copyright protected. All rights reserved.

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Paul Aspelin Reviews and Recommendations

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Don’t Ask Why Move to Grand Junction, Ask When

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