Here in the Pikes Peak area there are many homes without air conditioning.  "What?" you say.  That's right.  Not every home here has built-in a/c.  I have found this information most shocking to the out-of-town buyer who comes from a humid climate, where air conditioning is just as essential as running water. 

Here's what I tell them: Air conditioning here is more of a luxury, not a necessity.  About 1 in 5 homes have it.  Yes, we do get some warm days in the summer.  But that warmth usually tapers off in the afternoon when our thunderstorms roll in.  It may be 85 degrees in the morning, but around 3 or 4pm there is usually a cool breeze blowing in as the storm clouds form and we get our daily dose of rain.  Open up the windows and run a few ceiling fans, and your home will cool down nicely.  The cool air brought in by these storms will often drop outside temperatures by about 10-15 degrees.

I'm not saying a/c isn't nice to have.  It's great on a super hot day to instantly cool things down without waiting for Mother Nature to do it for us.  I'm just saying that if a home doesn't have it, it's not the end of the world.  And besides, you can add it later if you find it's a can't-live-without.