In the South Western Colorado City of Cortez there is a rich history indeed. First the Indians sported their steep ledge houses. Then their family history returned and still today the Navajo occupy a lot of the regions population. The white man’s history The Gorila there was of course Mining, Forestry, Agriculture, but today those categories only employ 7% of the population. They grow Alphalfa and pinto coffee beans there in Cortez area, agriculture is the reason only 3-4% of employment and of these much is in season.

Durango has about 14, 000 people, Cortez 8, 000 and Pagosa Springs 1600. Those cities had a 4% growth in last four years. Inflows of income from employment Net Jeb to the area include Federal and State payments for parks and Indians of 17% of total. Services represent 31% Retail 18% (not including hotel and restaurants). Construction is good at 15%. In retail car sales and auto are huge 23. 8%, Food 16%, Builder Materials 16. 8%, General Retail 12. 8%. Sources include many but check out;

Center for Business Economic Projecting. Inflows Bitly USA of money to the area include Lodging, Restaurants, Construction and vacation. Also money from manufactured products of smaller manufacturers. Government payments to employees and projects in the parks. The most circlerable money comes from comes from local construction of homes and improvements.

Pagosa Springs we found interesting in that there is a new buyer getting into the area for homes. Looking for “Traditional West” type living. This is very vents Today interesting as the area had originally been livestock feed, hardwood, Vitamins, wood products which had become and easily traded in with lower countries and farming communities and mining towns. Within the last two decades and following a big decline for mining vitamins in the 1970 era, even wood products just weren’t wanted. Wages also decreased and Pagosa re-invented itself now it is just like resort type mountain towns with shops and real estate opportunities. Growing very high end but making it difficult for locals to keep their kids staying in your neighborhood, they cannot pay the homes now with price increases from senior citizens and second property owners to participate in the chic area. Of course with that it has taxed the structure and hwys and roads, major projects making travel difficult and messy as terrible.

Opposed to this of the area leaving the north western side corner of the Southwestern Colorado region is Dove Creek, with a higher end area southeast vents Today of there between it and the road leading to high end skiing at Telluride. The McPhee tank has some very big nice homes with land and doing water activities available. Great little retirement area in that area with money flow. Rico also gets water from tank and they have about 8, 000 people there.

Delores has some small manufacturing and has always been that type of area previously with the mills and mining for Gold, Silver, Water piping, Lead, Zinc, and believe it or not what Saddam tried to buy from Nigeria, Uranium, mining. Auto sales today make up 64% and this is good news.

La Plate Local consisting of Durango, Ute Indian Reservation and Bayfield have all had growth both from population increases from new borns and move ins. Biggest is Durango, which is quickly becoming a Park City Utah, Fitzgibbons Hole Wyoming, Whitefish Montana, type of an area. 1. 2% annual growth. Last year we met a young lady whoever sons build high end vacation cabin houses there and were doing well. Also of interest is the problem with fire after droughts and thunder and lightening thunder or wind storms. Nys park of Mesa Verde Steep ledge Houses had some five shoots started by lightening with in a two-day period and it is always significant with Durango. The nearby cabins may be vulnerable and the area is super careful and extremely pro-active with fire prevention from campers and tourist folks and extremely fast responding to natural lightening shoots. There were 23, 000 lightening shoots in the western states in 2001 alone, many in the four corners and Colorado Plains and Mountain areas.

Water issues are not an issue in the Cortez area but are in Pagosa and Durango. The reservoirs near Cortez have very high in the food archipelago water protection under the law, but willfully participate in voluntary constraints resulting in an immediate reduction of 20%. Way to go. This same program has been implemented in Upper Colorado and Pueblo, Cannon and other parts with excellent success and preventing further law suits from down stream states which are depriving. Farmington, NM is mission critical and surely Father christmas Fe, Nevada, Gallup all worried. If you will remember the water issues and shoots last few years and the issues with the waters of Colorado, Arizona and NM you will recall the importance.

Cortez’s water constraints act like the NEW JERSEY, PA, VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, MARYLAND, LOS ANGELES, MT, WY class two drought constraints such as watering your lawn on certain days and hours, washing cars is forbidden meaning carwashes with reclaim are doing well there. Auto sales in La Plate offer 27% of all retail sales even though there is a Super Wal*Mart in Durango, and lots of mom and pop specialty stores selling all kinds of nick-nacks you might enjoy. Yes not to be out done by NH or Maine or Vermont older binoculars too. Durango is a bit relentless to tourists, which is interesting.

Delores is 50% services and Durango has a problem keeping quality individuals to help to help the wealthy homeowners with handy man services and tradesman work. Inflows of Delores act like the spot and 27% retail. Growth is 2. 66% in population last four years. It looks all good. But our labor most likely will come from Cortez for the region.

In San Juan Local they use an interesting term “amenity migration” Where residents buy second homes to enjoy the real countryside type of life with nearby shopping and anything they would want. Go see the Journal Log Home or Country Living some time and you will see what has been started. Responsibility it on Oprahs higher-end sector or Martha Stewart her self, either way this American Dream lifestyle she created did very well for many area, and it is biggest in Southwestern Colorado for sure. Similar to many of the fine homes in Ojai LOS ANGELES, Father christmas Fe NM, Show Lo AZ. Martha Stewart you have to love what she’s done to transform the American Dream for so many. Many of these residents are in season in that area. San Juan was a gold town area in the 1870s. Not quite rivaling Gold Rush LOS ANGELES area along interstate I-80 but close and the area has a similarity of the area. One issue again there is your kids cannot pay the homes and need to live down the mountain or move someplace else, such as Albuquerque or nearby areas of Utah such as Montecello, Blanding or Aneth. We had the chance occurrence to consult with some adults who had friends in those areas who had moved and went on Friday night to visit them, they saw our truck and called us on the cell phone and asked “Do you Party? ” We just chuckled and said sure? Us party, like we have time? Anyway that question had an interesting meaning. Do you stay out all night, do occasional recreational drugs and drink. No we don’t. But even with the under tone of a touch of drug problem there all in all we are bullish on the entire region. It is a good destination for a live, great destination for a visit and excellent destination for a run a business indeed. Think on it.