Loveland/FoCo for a young family? (Boulder, Ovid: real estate, apartment, to rent)

[katiev111]

Hey all,

We may be moving to front range within the next year. We are supposed to go visit this summer to scope out places unless we can’t due to COVID.

We are very interested in FoCo/Loveland and would love any helpful info!

-it’s myself, my husband (in our mid 20s) and we have a 6 month old daughter.

-we won’t be selling our house now (live in Texas but we’re from rural Montana). So we won’t
Be buying for a few years. Our budget initially will he likely around 1500-2000 a month. We are okay renting an apartment at first if we need to. Is this budget too low?
-Husband makes about 80k a year (if that matters in determining if affordability). I’m not working now as I stay home with my daughter but I’m a pharmacy tech and can get a license in Colorado If I need to go back to work.
-we’re pretty center politically, I know some areas like boulder lean super left. Not sure how FoCo/Loveland leans.

-we like hiking, good walking trails, walkable downtown with farmers markets. my husband is a fly fisherman, though I know we will have to drive a bit west.

-we don’t care about nightlife at all, except we do like to walk downtown and maybe hit up some breweries.

-how are the schools? I know we have years to go but I’d like to settle somewhere with good schools.

-if anyone has any insight about the vibe of these areas please let me know!

[EastwardBound]

Originally Posted by katiev111

Hey all,

We may be moving to front range within the next year. We are supposed to go visit this summer to scope out places unless we can’t due to COVID.

We are very interested in FoCo/Loveland and would love any helpful info!

-it’s myself, my husband (in our mid 20s) and we have a 6 month old daughter.

-we won’t be selling our house now (live in Texas but we’re from rural Montana). So we won’t
Be buying for a few years. Our budget initially will he likely around 1500-2000 a month. We are okay renting an apartment at first if we need to. Is this budget too low?
-Husband makes about 80k a year (if that matters in determining if affordability). I’m not working now as I stay home with my daughter but I’m a pharmacy tech and can get a license in Colorado If I need to go back to work.

You should be able to rent a house or apt for $3k. When you get ready to buy, real estate can be on the higher end.

You should be fine on $80k if you don't live completely extravagantly.

-we’re pretty center politically, I know some areas like boulder lean super left. Not sure how FoCo/Loveland leans.

You will be fine in Loveland, as most people don't talk about politics and it is divided about 1/3 Dem, 1/3 Rep and 1/3 Ind.

-we like hiking, good walking trails, walkable downtown with farmers markets. my husband is a fly fisherman, though I know we will have to drive a bit west.

Lots of hiking in the area in Loveland, Ft Collins, Boulder, the mountains, etc. Fly fishing up the Big Thompson, Poudre, etc. Several farmers markets around.

-we don’t care about nightlife at all, except we do like to walk downtown and maybe hit up some breweries.

Good breweries in the area. Not a lot of nightlife in the Loveland area, but some in Ft Collins, but sounds like that is fine by you.

-how are the schools? I know we have years to go but I’d like to settle somewhere with good schools.

Not sure about schools.

-if anyone has any insight about the vibe of these areas please let me know!

Both Loveland and Ft Collins are growing rapidly with lots of new sprawl and all the negative issues associated with it such as lack of proper planning, traffic, hideous tract housing and such. I would look at old town Loveland or Ft Collins for the long term.

.

[katiev111]

Originally Posted by EastwardBound

.

Thank you so much!

[Thoreau424]

Originally Posted by katiev111

-we live in Texas but we’re from rural Montana
-Husband makes about 80k a year (if that matters in determining if affordability). I’m not working now as I stay home with my daughter but I’m a pharmacy tech and can get a license in Colorado If I need to go back to work.

The two above notes are the ones I'd keep in mind. People in CO are very against Texas and Texans. Even if they don't openly voice it / share it, it's still there and runs deep, and the resentment will eventually show through. Though there are some Montana types in the rural areas, you'll mostly find different types in the city areas. So keep cultural / regional differences in mind.

Cost of living is probably much more than you are considering. Going by 80k per household is definitely erring on the low side. You need to take a good look at cost comparison for various bills from where you live now vs. northern Colorado.

The area has more workers than jobs, and you'll be competing with many. Lots of employers prefer people from CO, and they will get the edge and priority.

https://www.city-data.com/blogs/blog...-colorado.html

[katiev111]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

The two above notes are the ones I'd keep in mind. People in CO are very against Texas and Texans. Even if they don't openly voice it / share it, it's still there and runs deep, and the resentment will eventually show through. Though there are some Montana types in the rural areas, you'll mostly find different types in the city areas. So keep cultural / regional differences in mind.

Cost of living is probably much more than you are considering. Going by 80k per household is definitely erring on the low side. You need to take a good look at cost comparison for various bills from where you live now vs. northern Colorado.

The area has more workers than jobs, and you'll be competing with many. Lots of employers prefer people from CO, and they will get the edge and priority.

https://www.city-data.com/blogs/blog...-colorado.html

Thank you for the insight! I definitely plan on telling people I’m from Montana LOL. We’ve only lived in Texas for a couple years so I don’t consider myself a Texan. Luckily my husband has a job he’s just transferring with this company and he will be getting a pay raise so he will be making more than 80 K a year. I was also offered a job working from home so that will help as well. Nonetheless, cost-of-living definitely will increase for us so we have to take that into account.