Fort Collins??? How is it? (Denver, Loveland: housing, construction, price)

[mes3fils]

What features of the following requirements does Ft. Collins fill? Please be specific in the ones it does and does not cater to....

Here is what we are looking for in a place to move to:

more to the west side of Denver I guess(?) where it's less flat
good schools (our two smallest will be entering elem school at that time)
mtn views/skiing within less than 45min away
moderate snow each year
outdoor activities
~2000sf home w/basement for under $300k in a neighborhood
closeby to restaurants, shopping, movies etc.

I guess maybe a 'valley-like' area, what type of geography does Ft. Collins have?

Thanks.

[ncrea]

• Fort Collins rests at the bottom of the foothills, so it is flat.
• Fort Collins continually ranks high in the state according to CSAP scores.
• The further south and east you go in Fort Collins, the better view of the mountains.
• Fort Collins is 2 - 2.5 hours away from the Keystone, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge ski areas.
• Fort Collins receives moderate snow, maybe 3 - 4 storms a year where 6 - 12 inches are dropped.
• Outdoor activities are what you make of them. Swimming, Golfing, Fishing, Boating, Hiking, Biking, Sports for Kids, etc.
• 2000 sf home, is that 1000 sf up and 1000 sf in basement, or 2000 sf up and 2000 sf down? Newer construction for that size house will run mid $300's and up. Older homes can be found for that amount.
• Just about anywhere in Ft. Collins, you will be close to restaurants, shopping, and movies.
• Windsor, southeast of Fort Collins, sits down in a valley of some sorts. Smaller town of around 18K people, Fort Collins is around 120K, and Loveland, south of Fort Collins, is around 60K.

[concoulor3]

Take a look at Golden/Evergreen. Housing price might be a little higher, but it fits a lot of your other wants. And you can still find some good home prices if you're open to older homes.