IT industry in Ft Collins (Denver, Colorado Springs: 2013, rentals, crime)

[J_R_2013]

Hi,
Looking at Ft Collins to live and was wondering if anybody could tell me what the job market is like for a .net software architect with 13+ years experience is?
Or should we stick to the Denver area?
Thx

[J_R_2013]

Also is trying to find a house with character in old town possible with 350K budget? Is that too close to college and crazy college kids or are there areas like that that cater to families?

[J_R_2013]

Hi,
With 350K budget and two elementary aged kids what subdivisions put us within a mile from downtown but also retain a kid friendly, good schools and safe area? Need a 3/2 house.
Thanks!

[J_R_2013]

Nobody has an advice on this? We are coming out end of August and would like some thoughts on which areas would be good for us?

[Mike Weber]

Originally Posted by J_R_2013

Also is trying to find a house with character in old town possible with 350K budget? Is that too close to college and crazy college kids or are there areas like that that cater to families?

Originally Posted by J_R_2013

Hi,
With 350K budget and two elementary aged kids what subdivisions put us within a mile from downtown but also retain a kid friendly, good schools and safe area? Need a 3/2 house.
Thanks!

Currently there are 11 homes with at least 3 bedrooms and 2 baths available in areas close to Old Town. There are another 10 that are already under contract and 43 have sold in the areas covered.

Character is defined in many ways, but some of these are from the late 1800's and early 1900's and with the many additions and modifications over the years, some have retained some interesting character while others have developed a character of their own. As you get into University Acres and Highlander Heights, near the Poudre Valley Hospital, you find more of a mid-century modern and '60's character.

You will find that university students can be found just about anywhere, but the highest concentrations are within a few blocks on the south, east, and north sides of campus. On the west side of campus there seems to be a higher number of student rentals and they stretch up to a mile or more from campus.

Fort Collins is generally a safe town, but if you are concerned about specific areas, you can Google a crime map and have a look. You will find that many of the crimes that show up are minor and often due to rowdy students.

Generally the schools are highly rated throughout town, as well. Greatschools.com has ratings and the Poudreschools.org site has a school finder tool that will tell you which schools are the specified schools for a particular address. You will find a god education just about anywhere in the city, but some schools may have more resources based on their location.

Homes closest to Old Town are typically the oldest homes in town. The lots are often deep and narrow. Some homes have garages. The streets are wide and tree lined and laid out in a grid pattern. The sized and looks of the homes vary.

As you move south and west from Old Town, you get into homes built in the 30's -50's. These sometimes have more room, but many have more of a plain architectural style. Many are on smaller lots.

Near the hospital, there are homes built in the 60's on larger lots. Many of these are split levels and often the same floor plan was used on several homes in the same neighborhood.

Hope this helps,
Mike Weber

[bluescreen73]

The IT market in the Fort is really slim for developers. I've been scouring the job sites looking for ASP.Net/C#/SQL jobs lately because my wife has been badgering me relentlessly to move from Denver to Ft. Collins. The number of jobs that came back in the last month can typically be counted on one hand, and most of them are mid-level jobs that pay around $65k a year (or less).

You're going to have considerably better odds if you concentrate your search in the Denver/Boulder and/or Colorado Springs areas.

[J_R_2013]

Blue screen 73, that has us concerned, DH is of same background as you. Good to know from someone that is out there. All jobs sites we have scoured through confirm that too. Thank you for feedback.

Mike, as always, thanks for info.

[barefootmeg]

I just saw an IT position listed recently, ... like within this past week. It was after we emailed back and forth. But now I can't remember where. Rats! I'll try to remember where I saw it and come back here with a link.

[J_R_2013]

Thanks Meg

[barefootmeg]

I haven't seen it again. Bummer.

Sorry!