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DENVER — It's no secret Colorado is full of transplants from other states, and no state is better represented than California.
In recent years, the sky-high cost of living on the coast has sent even more people inland.
"Unless you're in tech, it can be difficult for people to purchase a home and to be able to have a good quality of life," said Scott Fuller, a real estate broker who started Leaving the Bay Area.
Fuller said more of his clients were looking for out-of-state options, so he decided to create a service built around facilitating that move. His company currently has 13 focus cities and Denver is one of the most popular destinations. The company will even hold a webinar on moving to Denver in June.
"Whether it’s for retirement or to take a new job, (the webinar) is really a high-level overview of what’s going on in the (Denver) area — talk about some of the new communities, what those price points are, what the general cost of living is," Fuller said.
Speaking of cost of living, the median price of a home in April for Denver was about $420,000. In the Bay Area, it's $830,000. And in San Francisco, it's over $1.3 million.
"When I first came out here, everyone would say, 'It's so expensive here,' and coming from there it was like, 'Oh yeah, totally'," transplant Rich Greenley said sarcastically.
Greenley moved from San Francisco to Denver three years ago for a job. He said he loves Colorado's mountains and the nice people.
But not everyone knows what to expect in a new city, so Leaving the Bay Area helps prepare clients. As a real estate firm, it can help clients sell their home in the Bay Area, and matches them with real estate experts in Denver to find an area that matches their needs and lifestyle. It even helps with the move itself.
"Even utilities, getting those set up. You know, a lot of those details that sometimes end of being a lot of work and are kind of a pain," Fuller said.
Fuller said he understands the plight of Coloradans who feel threatened by more California transplants. He admits some of his clients have enough equity in their San Francisco homes to pay cash for a Denver home, which many believe has led to higher prices in the Denver market.
"We do occasionally get the email, 'No Californians in our city,'" he said, but added that most of the reaction, especially from partners in other cities, has been positive.