New to Fort Collins - help (Loveland: real estate, apartments, rental)

[OKSunny]

Hello,

I am moving to Fort Collins the week of February 14th, 2011 from Norman, OK.

I am a 34yr old single mom with an 8yr old son and a dog. I graduated with my Masters in May 2010 in Library/Information Studies. I was offered a position making 38K. I am looking into signing a 6 month lease with the Peakview Apts by Horseshoe Lake while I look for a house. Does anyone have anything to say about these apartments?


Also, I am trying to plan ahead and find out about things like:

Good mechanic
Good place to shop (clothes & food)
Good veterinarian
Good school
Good after school program
Fun and age appropriate things to do with an 8yr old boy

Any help would be really appreciated!

[AllisonKlein]

Those apts are fine I just find it hard to rent put your child in a school and then if you find a house outside of that school then you have your child switch schools again, and it will take a while for a second or third grader to move in the middle of a school year. This is really going to be tough on your child. I would really try and find a place you like and get lots of recommendations from other parents about the schools and go for the best school you can as that is probably what is most important to you.

[Davros]

Originally Posted by AllisonKlein

Those apts are fine I just find it hard to rent put your child in a school and then if you find a house outside of that school then you have your child switch schools again, and it will take a while for a second or third grader to move in the middle of a school year. This is really going to be tough on your child. I would really try and find a place you like and get lots of recommendations from other parents about the schools and go for the best school you can as that is probably what is most important to you.

Perhaps it will be a little tough on the kid to switch schools, but I think it is the right decision to rent first, especially on a salary that is not huge for 2 people to live on. Also, 6 months after February puts the OP in August. Therefore, the kid would only be switching schools mid-year now in February. And that is inevitable, since the mom's got to have a job. To me, your post sounded a little to tough on this mom. It's not her fault she's got to find a job and pay for a place for the kid to live. I think Colorado is a better place to grow up than Oklahoma, so I think the kid comes out ahead in the end.

As for the OP, my top advise is to read the lease very carefully and negotiate about provisions that are unacceptable to you. It is possible to get changes to the lease written in. Secondly, according to apartment ratings, some fellow thought he had a 6 month lease there but it was a 9 month lease, so be sure to read the lease carefully before signing anything. That's all I have for you since I don't live in Ft Collins any more, but my opinion is that all the schools in the Ft Collins-Loveland area are pretty good, so I don't think there's a huge amount to worry about. Your rental is in Loveland, so I guess you're ready to commute. Loveland is a nice place, but housing is not cheap. You're more likely to find an affordable place to buy in Fort Collins. It's possible that on your income you'll have to continue renting.

I agree with Allison that the best way to find recommendations is from people you meet out there. 6 months is a good amount of time to find out the info. But don't wait. Do your research. 6 months will go fast. As a librarian, you should be ahead of most people in your research skills. Also, get together with a realtor, whether you are planning to rent or buy.

Hopefully someone with local knowledge will post.

[oldtrader]

Two factors to consider.

Living in Ft Collins, is 18% more expensive than Norman Oklahoma, when cost of living is compared. Cost of housing is 36% higher in Ft Collins.

Real Estate prices have declined 3.4% in Ft Collins in the past year, and still in the decline mode.