Loveland or Fort Collins? (rent, house, buy)

[Iowa Boy]

I know this question has probably been asked before....so I appologize if you are tired of seeing it. I might get a job opportunity in Loveland that is too good to pass up. My family and I live in Cedar Rapids, IA. We have 3 children 13, 10, and 8. They are all 3 in youth sports (basketball and football) and my wife and I want to make sure we live in a good area with good schools.

Would we be better off finding a home in Fort Collins or Loveland?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give us in picking what city to live in.

[Mike from back east]

Not a thing wrong with any aspect of Loveland, so live where you work in this regard.

[Iowa Boy]

Thanks. Our only concern is finding ourselves driving to Fort Collins a lot on the weekends because there is more to do there, than in Loveland.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Iowa Boy

Thanks. Our only concern is finding ourselves driving to Fort Collins a lot on the weekends because there is more to do there, than in Loveland.

Understand. I'd view it from a perspective of living in Loveland and driving one day a week to FC, or living in FC and driving 5 days a week to Loveland. As best I can tell, it's a 25 mile round trip, so it's 25 miles vs 125 miles, not to mention several hours saved and $12+ per week in gasoline saved if living in Loveland. That's not a really big deal to a lot of people. There are many threads on both towns in the forum, found easily with the search tool.

[Mike Weber]

Depending on the part of Loveland in which your employer is located, and the activities in which you wish to participate in Fort Collins, you might have as little as a 3-5 mile trip one way.

Have a look at homes in the Stanton Creek, Ridgewood Hills, Shenandoah, or Registry Ridge Subdivisions. These are located in the southern-most part of Fort Collins and actually are part of the Loveland school district, though they have Fort Collins addresses. The drive to the north edge of Loveland is very short.

I just helped a friend buy a home in Ridgewood Hills. He works in Loveland, but his family splits their time between Fort Collins and Loveland.

Typically, you will get a bit more house for the money in Loveland than in Fort Collins.

Good luck,
Mike Weber

[UltrazGSD]

We briefly lived in Loveland, but moved to Fort Collins after a few months. We were constantly driving to Fort Collins, as we liked it a whole lot better. My husband works in Fort Collins, but aside from that we did our grocery shopping here, nearly always drove here for various restaurants, went to church here, went to the old town area for fun, and like the parks in FC a lot better, too. For us it was an easy decision, and we have not regretted for a second living in Fort Collins over Loveland.

[StealthRabbit]

I would choose Loveland, as you will have more time with your family, less on the road. I rode my bicycle to work nearly everyday while living in Loveland. It has a slower pace, and I don't do traffic or shopping. 1x/ week to Ft Collins is plenty of time to be stuck in traffic.

You will need to evaluate the best overall options for your family, and should rent for awhile anyway (to choose most suitable 'central' location)

I think Mrs. Iowa Boy will make the ultimate decision, and rightfully so... she has to deal more with the logistics. Both places have about equal +/-, and both are quite acceptable.

[Iowa Boy]

Thank you very much for the responses. LOL....you are right "stealthrabbit".....Mrs. Iowa Boy will probably being making the final decision. I like the idea of south FC or north Loveland. I will start looking in the Stanton Creek, Ridgewood Hills, Shenandoah, or Registry Ridge Subdivisions.

How about schools and youth sports programs? I would assume that both FC and Loveland offer great schools and plenty of youth sports, but does anyone have any insight into one or the other?

The other thing is trying to move in the winter. Ugh. Hopefully we can delay until next Spring

[oldtrader]

Here is the best site to check individual schools around the country. It is highly rated by professional educators. Compare not only by city, but by individual schools.

GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community

[StealthRabbit]

(pre) Winter is a fine time to LEAVE Cedar Rapids... NoCo will likely treat you right (with a few exceptions). You definitely want to be in Loveland for Valentines Day AND you will be treated to a few Chinook Winds (WARM) and some nice warm sunny days (That you are unlikely to find in IA).

There are LOTS of sports options for the kids (more in FtCol, but also more competitive). I do hope you can find a college option for kids instead of High School, It sure was good for ours, and saved them lots of College expense (since the state paid till age 18). I think there is a similar program in Colorado to WA 'Running Start'. Many states have it, but it is not well advertised (for obvious reasons). Our kids got both HS diploma and AA degrees before most were done with HS. There are some decent Community College options in each city.