Relocating to Fort Collins/Loveland area.. :) (Denver, Windsor: rentals, big house, job market)

[fallseasonlover]

My husband and I, with our kids, are planning on moving to the Fort Collins/Loveland area, when exactly - hopefully next year (2011), if not, then the year after. I would like to know what you (people who have lived there before, or currently live there) think of that area of Colorado.

What are some things to do there? Outdoorsy things mostly, like camping, fishing, etc.
What types of jobs are high in demand there?
Would you say that area is family friendly?
What are the best schools of the area?

Also, I am hoping to get to know a few people from that area. Where I currently live I don't know anyone, and it's hard to find people in our age group with kids who aren't in their "partying" stage still. (Age group: 20-25). I'm really hoping to find friends before we head up there, especially with children. My children's only friends are their cousin, lol.

I have done a lot of research and it's a much better area than where I currently live, and it's much more the type of place we would like to live and raise our kids.

Anyway, thank you for reading and replying!

[myszka]

I would be very interested to find out too. We are thinking of either relocating to Fort Collins or Rapid City, SD. How is the job market in Fort Collins? Are there lots of manufaturing jobs? Thanks!

[kiki1964]

Can you tell us where you are coming from? That way we may be able to tell you comparison type things also.

[Mike Weber]

Hello,

Thanks for looking into our area. I have lived in Northern Colorado for most of the past 38 years, leaving twice and coming back both times because it was better than where I went.

The last time I came back was specifically to raise my kids here. The school systems in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Windsor are all highly rated.

We are big into the outdoors and spend time camping in the nearby mountains. We also enjoy hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, etc. The ski areas are a bit far from here, and sometimes a pain to get to. There are opportunities for fishing, hunting, ATV riding, four wheel drive trips, horseback riding, river rafting, kayaking, snowmobiling, etc. We are close enough to Denver that you could attend various professional sporting events. There are many activities for children through the local parks and recreation departments and youth sports leagues.

At this point, it would be hard to say that any jobs are in high demand locally. Due to the popularity of our area, there are usually folks who have moved here, taking whatever job they could to get here and now are looking for a move into their perfect position. There are also many university students who came here for school and fell in love with the area who are willing to do whatever they can to stay here. It would probably be best to secure a job prior to coming.

Good luck and have a great day!
Mike

[fallseasonlover]

WOw, thank you for the info you all have given, it does help. We will be moving from Arizona. Not a huge move, but very much a different one! From desert to snow land. Hehe. We would most definetally be getting a job (at least my husband) before we move. I am looking into college to get a Bachelor's in Accounting.

After doing much research, I think we are sticking with Fort Collins. I'm just hoping things will pan out good and we can be up there as soon as possible. We would very much like to buy a house, however I don't know what the better neighborhoods are, and the houses are (most, almost all) are a bit out of our price range - which I don't know what it is EXACTLY because my husband manages the money, lol.

Can't really think of any other questions at the moment, other than.. if anyone is willing to answer.. gas prices, and utilities - where I lived before AZ didn't have gas, everything was electric, so the gas was new to me. I'm wondering also how many street legal ATVs there are around there, I've seen a few around here recently, and my husband was hoping to do that for transportation to and from work.

Thanks everyone!

[Mike Weber]

The most recent utility data I have handy is from a listing I was marketing this summer. It was a 5000 square foot 5 bedroom, 4 bath house built in the 90's. The data shows the highest amount paid in the past 12 months, the lowest paid in the past 12 months, and the average bill for the past 12 months. Keep in mind this was for a pretty big house.

Water
Fort Collins / Loveland Water Dist
High: $58.32
Low: $11.82

Sewer
South Fort Collins Sanitation
$20 / month

Storm water
City of Fort Collins
$14 / month

Electricity
City of Fort Collins
High: $115
Low: $35

Natural Gas
Xcel Energy
High: $220
Low: $30
Average: $106

[AllisonKlein]

It is a very family friendly area. People are very welcoming and it's very easy to meet new people when you have kids. It depends on your budget. Average home costs about $233K, but of course location is everything. There is construction going on which is a good sign and some of the vacant shops are starting to fill up, but you should definitely look for a job first. Ski season just started so there is sledding and tubing and snowboarding and horseshoeing, etc for the winter. Tons of activities for kids and a great museum in town. The schools are great, some are better than others. Go to www.greatschools.net for more info. You need to take a look and I'm sure you will love it!
All the best,
Allison Klein

[jimamy]

I am also moveing to love land.I work as a manager for a hardware store are there any jobs in the area like small hardware I would like to stay at the same rate what would be the rate over there be, I do not have a degree.
jim

[as-old-as-i-feel]

We will be moving to the Ft. Collins/Loveland area. We are both retired and hope to find an area in one of these towns that fit our life style. We don't want to be around "nothing but old people", but then don't want an area that heads out to work each morning leaving us with nobody to visit with.

We are avid motorcyclist and hope to find other riders that can head to the mountains from time-to-time.

So, which city best fits our needs? Are there areas within these towns that might fit?

[Mike Weber]

Originally Posted by as-old-as-i-feel

We will be moving to the Ft. Collins/Loveland area. We are both retired and hope to find an area in one of these towns that fit our life style. We don't want to be around "nothing but old people", but then don't want an area that heads out to work each morning leaving us with nobody to visit with.

We are avid motorcyclist and hope to find other riders that can head to the mountains from time-to-time.

So, which city best fits our needs? Are there areas within these towns that might fit?

Both towns would likley work equally well. You may get a bit more house in Loveland for the same money, but Fort Collins is a bit bigger and has a few more services. Most neighborhoods in both towns have a good mix of ages. If moving to Fort Collins, you may wish to avoid some of the areas close to the CSU campus, especially just north and just west, due to the concentration of student rentals.