From Long Island to Colorado

NARRATOR: More and more people are leaving the congestion and crowds of the city behind in search of a simpler life or even to chase a dream or two. But is the grass always greener outside the city limits? 300 days of sunshine. Yep. No more rain. You can change your surroundings and even your priorities, but can you find the perfect place to call home? WOMAN: Wow. Now, this is what I mean about a master suite. NARRATOR: It's time to trade the rat race for a dream space. -- Captions by VITAC -- Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. 8.3 million people, 2/3 of them renting a living space, all packed into 300 square miles. It's a frantic, congested mousetrap called New York City. ALLISON: It's crazy. It's just nonstop, and I think when you're younger, it's great, but, you know, life moves on and that lifestyle, it can kill you. The cost of living is high, and it comes with a lot of stress. [ Shouting ] NARRATOR: City natives Allison and Joe Sabia... Settle down. I'm trying to work here. ...fled the Big Apple for nearby Long Island in hopes of shorter workdays and a saner existence. Eat your Froot Loops. No. Yes. Did you do all your homework? But no luck. These high-level executives can't shake their high levels of anxiety thanks to lengthier commutes that mean less time with the kids. Do you know where my phone is? No. Find it yourself. In the mornings, I can definitely be on edge. Go get it. It's in his room. Please, now. JOE: So bossy. The plan for later is what exactly? You're asking me? It can be taxing, I think, on your personal life to try to get that, you know, two minutes to connect. It just doesn't exist. I'm breaking a sweat watching you this morning. [ Chuckling ] You break a sweat watching me every day. We're trying to change that. NARRATOR: If they have to sweat it, Allison and Joe prefer a workout in an adventurous setting on a blue-bird day followed by a dip in a hot-springs pool far away from the noise of New York. No. No? Allison is in luck. This over-achieving exec just got a chance at what she's always wanted -- to take a dynamic business team to a new level. Great, thanks. But the job is 1,700 miles away and just an hour east of the Continental Divide. Her job is just doing so well and I'm so proud of her, and let's just go. I look at this as an unbelievable opportunity to watch this flower bloom. [ Chuckling ] I'm tearing up. Sorry. It's an emotional decision, but one that will transport the Sabias from a concrete jungle to a Rocky Mountain Jurassic dreamland. Hey, guys. How are you? Hey, Jeff. Nice to see you. Great to see you guys, too. Welcome to Colorado. Yeah, this is beautiful. These Red Rocks are gorgeous. Doesn't get any better than this. What are you guys looking for in a home? How can I help? This is what we want -- the outdoor lifestyle, the serenity, the quietness. Some of the things that I would consider maybe must-haves would be at least four bedrooms. I thought she was gonna say four-car garage, 'cause that's what I want. We can find that, too. We'd love a great view and a backyard that we can entertain in. What price range are we talking about? I would say $1 million would be our budget. Okay. Well, I have some really great ideas. There's actually one right across the golf course here that I'd love to show you, and I think it could be a great first start. Well, let's go. NARRATOR: House number 1 is a short hike from Roxborough Park -- a natural wonderland of 1,900 people located along the foothills 26 miles southwest of Denver. Backs up to open space, unbelievable views, five bedrooms, five bathrooms, just over 6,500 square feet, and the price is $1,039,900. Plus it has a four-car garage. We're not buying a house because of the four-car garage. I'll buy a house for a four-car garage. No. All right, guys, come on in. Where is the entranceway? I feel like there isn't one. Yeah, it's kind of defined by the round rug. JOE: You don't like it? I don't care for the entrance at all. So, the entrance is just a very small piece of the house. Okay. The best is yet to come. Take a look at the view. It's like a picture. This is beautiful. Red rock, water, golf course. This has just about every type of view someone would ever want. This is absolutely stunning. So, as you walk through the dining area, it leads to the kitchen. Joe, it's our favorite granite. Oh, yeah. That favorite granite. I'm not a big fan of the color of the cabinets. No, I prefer the darker wood. Yeah, the darker wood is more timeless. And the deck off the kitchen, wow. That would be a relaxing spot. Joe, look. Oh, my God! There's more over there. Where? [ Gasps ] It's a whole family. There are, like, four or five of them. You want to talk about real outdoor living, you can't get much more outdoor than having a deer in your backyard. Look. They're coming over. They won't come too close, will they? If you feed them, I guess they will. Once you feed them, they'll never leave. Sort of like your family. [ Chuckles ] The wildlife here in Roxborough is awesome. You have deer, foxes, coyotes. NARRATOR: And you also have cats -- big ones. Roxborough's sharp terrain is ideal cougar country. In New York, my big concern was the kids getting bit by a mosquito. Now I have to deal with worrying about mountain lions. That's a little concerning. NARRATOR: Fortunately, mountain lions prefer easier prey, and there's plenty of that. Now, this is what I mean about a master suite. Yeah, very nice. High ceilings. Joe, look at this. This is gorgeous. The bathroom is in the bedroom, like, open. That's weird. Talk about -- look. The Red Rocks in the back. Ahh. You really like this place. This is the nicest bedroom suite I've ever seen. JOE: Two decks off the master. That's incredible. So, if we're having a little disagreement, I can go out one door and you can go out another. Perfect. I think I might close this in. No. I love that. The openness is perfect. I know, but I like my privacy. Well, we can agree to disagree, but I happen to love it. JEFF: So, here's the rest of the house. You have bedrooms, study. Okay. Have at it. I guess this is the office. What exactly would you think those are for? JOE: I know what they are. My Aunt Millie used to have these things -- used to hang sausage from them. [ Laughs ] I would not call this a basement. This is amazing. Oh, yeah. This is really nice. In New York, this is not what basements look like. No. I mean, basements are underground. And definitely not this ceiling height. No. Right. ALLISON: Wow. Look at this. One-armed bandits. Cool. Nice touch. JEFF: It gets better. Keep walking. [ Gasps ] Oh, wow. Look how much bigger it gets. It has another kitchen. It's a real Italian house -- a kitchen in the basement. We could make the sausage down here and hang it upstairs. Configuration works okay? Oh, it's great. And walking out right into the Red Rocks. So quiet. What's with the fencing around some of the trees? Having deer in your backyard is great, but they also kill the Aspen trees. They love the bark on the Aspen trees, so it's just to protect them. Okay, guys. What did you think of the Roxborough house? Well, the basement -- unbelievable for entertaining. Really nice. JOE: The views were spectacular, and the outside patios for entertaining -- great. The one thing I'm not sure about is the kitchen. The cabinets, I really don't like. All right. We did okay on the master bath, though. Phenomenal. Loved it. Okay, well, we have a lot more homes to see and a lot of Colorado to experience. Shall we? Absolutely. Let's do it. Okay. I think I just saw a tumbleweed. We're in the middle of nowhere. Wow. Oh, my God, it stinks in here. JOE: Come on, guys. Come on, we're gonna be late for the train. NARRATOR: A fun family outing takes a lot of planning and patience when your home base is Long Island, New York. Joe and Allison Sabia won't miss the train rides. We're almost there, believe it or not. I know it's taking forever. Yay. Finally. No, we're not. What? NARRATOR: The Sabias certainly won't miss the hordes of people... Feels crazy as ever. NARRATOR: ...or the high prices. Could you believe these tickets were 200 bucks? This family is ready to trade the fanfare of Times Square for the romance and rustic appeal of Colorado... or are they? ALLISON: Where is the house? JOE: I think I just saw a tumbleweed. We're in the middle of nowhere. We're in Colorado, baby. This is it. There's a gate. Well, I'm sure if you just pull in front of it, the gates will open. It's not gonna open. We don't even have an asphalt road. Of course it's gonna open. You got to do it. Are you kidding? Get out, city slicker. This is ridiculous. Be careful. Don't hurt yourself. How are you supposed to open it? [ Gate clanging ] Ah. JOE: Not bad for a city slicker. My shoes are getting all dirty. I'm not closing the gate. Look what I got. [ Chuckles ] [ Chuckles mockingly ] I said open space. I didn't say live on a farm. Give it a chance. [ Sighs ] Hey, guys. Jeff, where are we? We're in Elizabeth. Okay. Howdy, partner. I love the straw. Here's the deal. I wanted to show you a complete 180-degree change from city life to Colorado country life. Well, you succeeded in that. Yeah, you know? NARRATOR: Living in this house, located in the small town of Elizabeth 40 miles southeast of Denver, would certainly be the exact opposite of anything the Sabias are used to. JEFF: It's a ranch property on 40 acres. It has four beds, five baths. It also has wonderful horse stables and unbelievable views. It's priced at $895,000 -- well below their budget. I'm gonna need a corncob pipe for this one. [ Chuckles ] Okay. I guess this is what farm life's about, huh? [ Chuckles ] Nice entranceway. Yeah. You know, you have the slate tiles. Yep. Flooring, and coupled with the hardwoods. It's really bright, open, lot of windows. Really nice. JOE: Pretty windows. It's nicer than I thought it was gonna be. Me too. Incredible views and sun. There's the kitchen. Kitchen. Very nice kitchen. Yep. I didn't think you could get granite all the way out here. So, this also has a main-floor master. Wow. Nice size room. And what's behind the wall? [ Chuckles ] What's behind curtain number two? Wow. It's a closet. It's a bathroom. No, it's a closet. JEFF: It's a closet/bathroom combination. Well, you know, you won't need an iron because, you know, the steam will naturally -- Are you for real? Good point. [ Both chuckle ] This won't work. I mean, there needs to be a closet in a bedroom, and it shouldn't be in my bathroom. All right, let's move on. I'm not caring for that much. All right, guys. Wow. This is nice. This is some view. wow, you can see Pikes Peak out there. That's amazing. Wow, it's so quiet, and can you imagine, Joe, how much the kids would love it back here? Maybe we'll get some dirt bikes and ATVs. ALLISON: They could learn how to ride a horse. JEFF: That's right. And, you know, speaking of which, you could raise alpacas, lamas, and sheep out here. You can allow people to board their horses here. NARRATOR: Boarding could reap the Sabias an extra $400 a month per animal. You know I get allergic smelling hay. JOE: Ah, don't worry about it. Just take a pill. Oh, my God, it stinks in here. But these city slickers might not be ready to horse around with such new hobbies. Ow. Okay, what did you think? Well, for a city girl like me, this is a lot to get used to. You know, we never really considered living on a farm and raising animals, but it is a different lifestyle that could be interesting. Well, you know, if you buy this property, we're gonna have to get you some cowboy boots. One step at at time. JOE: All right, guys. Now that we're gonna live in Colorado, we need to look the part. NARRATOR: You can take the girl out of the city, but can you take the city out of the girl? What do you think, Christina? The Sabias are game for a lifestyle change. There's my cowboy. But they'll need a lot more glitz to go along with their Colorado grange. Yee-haw. Yee-haw. [ Imitates horse whinny ] Wow, look at this. JOE: It's like a maze in here. ALLISON: I'm gonna have to buy a whole new wardrobe to fill this closet. What about me? NARRATOR: Living near New York City has grown exhausting for the Sabias... Oh, well, guys. It's really busy. We're gonna have to stand. ...day in and day out. They're tired of the weather and the all-around way of life. ALLISON: Don't go near the street. There's a car coming. They're ready to switch gears from the fast lane to the boundless blue skies of Colorado. Whoo-hoo! JEFF: The house I'm showing Joe and Allison today is in a wonderful area in Parker, which is about 20 miles southeast of Denver. It sits on about an acre and a half, four beds, five baths, a little over 7,000 finished square feet, and unbelievable outdoor living spaces. It's currently priced at $1,074,000, which is a little bit above their budget, but I think they're really gonna like what they see. Beautiful. Yeah, isn't this cool? There's a circular staircase, vaulted ceilings. Seems tight in here. JOE: Yeah, a little small. And the floors -- I don't like the floors at all. It's something you would see in a bathroom. This room, I don't care for. Okay. Also on this main level is the master bedroom, which is probably one of the largest ones I've seen in a while. Wow. This, I really like. There's only one negative, so far, I find about this room. I really didn't want a main-floor master. We're not getting any younger. We're gonna appreciate it when we get older. That's very true. Wow, look at this. This is what I'm talking about about a closet. Wow. It's like a maze in here. I'm gonna have to buy a whole new wardrobe to fill this closet. What about me? I think half of this is mine. Oh, I don't think so. I'm gonna fill this one up on my own. Really nice. Well, here's the master bath. Wow, Joe, look at this. Whoo-hoo. This is really big. If I ever got a chance to actually relax, how nice would this be? Jetted tub. JEFF: What do you think? JOE: Great view. Ton of natural sunlight. Kitchen's completely integrated into the living room. What a really nice open floor plan. JOE: Nice color wood. Warm. Couldn't you picture me cooking in here, Joe? I could see you ordering takeout in here. [ Laughs ] Are we ready to go downstairs? We are. Magnificently finished basement, and it's even got a surprise for you. That a bar? Yeah. Granite top. Wow. Nice. I love the ceiling height. So big. Look at this entertainment area. Wow. This is perfect for a pool table right here. Right here. And look at this. This must've been the surprise Jeff was talking about. [ Gasps ] The cinema room. Look at this! Wow. Wow. Oh, this is comfortable. Ahh. Kids will love this. All I can say is that this is the best part of the entire house. I can see us spending a lot of time down here. Watch out for the pool table. Definitely. You don't find a backyard like this in New York. Wow. Look at this. This is what I expected to see in Colorado. Someone really put some thought into this. Look at the waterfall. JOE: Absolutely gorgeous, and then backing up the green belt. JEFF: Okay, guys, net it out for me. What did you think of the Parker house? Lot of house, Jeff. Really love the basement, though. It's gonna be a great man cave. ALLISON: The cinema -- That was really cool. The fact that the master bedroom was on the main floor -- I really wanted it on the same floor as the rest of the bedrooms. Beautiful outdoor area for entertaining. So, Jeff, what kind of animals am I sharing this open space with? You know, it's beautiful, but it does come with the occasional coyotes and foxes. [ Snake rattling ] And a few snakes running around every once in a while. Snakes? That's concerning for my two kids. That's not something we're used to in New York. It's kind of all part of Colorado living. ALLISON: We've seen three great houses. JOE: Yeah. Jeff really paid attention to our needs. This is a big decision. NARRATOR: It's almost time for the Sabias to bid adieu to the Big Apple... their familiar cuisines... and close friends. We've been best friends for 20 years. I think that our loss is gonna be Colorado's gain. Great friends forever, and I love you guys very much. ALL: Cheers. Cheers, please. NARRATOR: Moving across the country means replacing the familiar and comfortable with the fresh and unconventional. Only one step remains -- deciding where to put down roots in beautiful Colorado. I can't believe we're actually gonna do this. I can't believe it, either. You know, when I think about the Roxborough house, I mean, that view was just priceless. I don't think you can get a view like that anywhere in the world. It was just gorgeous. And the entertainment area in the basement? Oh, the entertainment area. Don't forget -- four-car garage. I think we're still gonna have to make an investment into the kitchen and some of the bathrooms. But the master bedroom suite -- I mean, that was to die for. Now, what did you think about the farm house? Well, the Elizabeth house also had some really spectacular views. Pikes Peak. It's way below our price range, so it leaves a lot of money to make the upgrades. And the property -- 40 acres? The kids would love all the open space. It's beautiful, but I don't know if I'm ready for that much of a change. Now, the Parker house was really nice. Really beautiful interior, that basement was to die for, that spot for the pool table, the cinema, the walk-out, the backyard. Did have the master bedroom on the lower level, though, and I don't know how comfortable I am with that with the kids upstairs. I am really excited to start living this new life in Colorado. Me too. I know I've made my decision. I've made mine, too. Let's go. Okay. Guys, it's decision time. All right, well, drumroll, please. What's your answer? The Roxborough house. Awesome. I think you've made a great choice, and I think it fits your lifestyle. Yeah, I think, you know, moving from New York, the Roxborough house really fit into what we're looking for. So, welcome to Colorado. Thank you. I've taken the liberty of having the head chef prepare a special Colorado cuisine for us. Fantastic. Doesn't that look good? Okay, everybody. Here we have our bison bone marrow. We have our quail eggs that are wrapped in buffalo sausage. And we have our Rocky Mountain oysters. Oh, I don't like fish. JOE: You don't like oysters. Um... You may want to try it. It's not exactly seafood. Okay. Let's see. Awesome. What exactly is it? You just ate deep-fried bull testicles. [ Laughter ] NARRATOR: This move means more than a new house. Oh. NARRATOR: It means reinventing a lifestyle and turning a dream into reality. Christina, your favorite. It didn't take us long to really transform our lives when we came to Colorado. Very quickly getting involved in the outdoor activities. We've been skiing. Follow my hand, Christina. There you go. Playing a lot of golf. JEFF: You know, the best thing about Colorado -- when you hit a ball like that, everything goes farther. I could use all the help I can get. That's great. NARRATOR: The amazing part -- skiing and golfing can happen on the same day, all within a one-hour radius from Roxborough. Instead of train stops, you have trail heads... So relaxing. No cars around. ...and a 180-degree lifestyle makeover from Manhattan. ALLISON: I'm sure there's other families out there considering a move like we just made. If I had any advice for you, jump in with both feet. Life is about experiences and change, and this was well worth it. One, two, three. Salud. Cheers. ALLISON: In hindsight, the only thing I would say is we waited too long to make this decision.