02/21/2025
I'm standing with Emma Rodriguez on her newly installed deck, watching alpenglow paint the Sangre de Cristo mountains pink while her two border collies chase each other across the yard.
Six months ago, this 1,200-square-foot home was sitting unused in a Grand Junction lot, destined for demolition.
Today, it's Emma's dream home on five acres outside Salida.
"Everyone thought I was crazy," she laughs, handing me a local microbrew. "
My parents kept sending me listings for 'normal houses.'
But I'm mortgage-free at 34 with mountain views and money left to actually enjoy Colorado. Who's crazy now?"
The Perfect Colorado Storm
When Crisis Meets Innovation
Colorado Modular Homes Are Very Popular!
Colorado's housing market has become a perfect storm of impossibility. Median home prices in Denver hit $650,000 last year. Mountain towns? Don't ask unless you've got tech money.
I'm standing with Emma Rodriguez on her newly installed deck, watching alpenglow paint the Sangre de Cristo mountains pink while her two border collies chase ea