Possible move to Fort Collins. Housing cost? (real estate, assessor)

[ShampooBanana]

Hi, everyone. So I'm a finalist for a position in Fort Collins. I am confident I have a good chance of getting the job, which would pay around $75-80k. This would be significantly more than I make now but I would be coming from Arizona where the housing is pretty darn cheap and you can find a good sized, newer house in a great neighborhood for under $200k. Looking at home prices in Fort Collins, I was a bit shocked how expensive they were for the size and age. What kind of house and neighborhood could I reasonably expect to afford on around $100k combined income and what are RE taxes and utility costs like there relative to other places? Is there a particular area you'd recommend for a guy and gal with no kids in their mid-30's who might be planning to have kids soon?

I know that's a lot of questions but thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!

[Mike Weber]

In some of the slow years of the past decade, our family of four has lived on significantly less than that $100k figure you mention.

There are lots of good neighborhoods and nice homes in all price ranges in Fort Collins. Your first step would be to contact a lender and find out how much mortgage you qualify for. Then find a real estate professional who can discuss your specific likes, dislikes, wants, and needs for your next property with you and help guide your search.

Real estate taxes will vary depending on what part of the city you live in, due to different water suppliers, school districts, and other various taxing entities. The Larimer County assessor website has a search function that allows you to search for data on any home. The property detail pages have links to exactly what the taxes are.

[Mike Weber]

One example property might give you some of the answers you are seeking:

A currently listed home in SW Fort Collins is a split level home built in 1984 with 1904 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. The home has gas forced-air heating and central air conditioning. The .18 acre lot is irrigated by a sprinkler system.

• The asking price for the home is $234K.
  
  The current county assessed value for the home is $196,100.
  
  Last years taxes for the property were approximately $1358.
  
  The electricity bills for the home in the past 12 months varied between $50 and $120, with the average running about $80 per month.
  
  The natural gas bills have ranged between $26 and $105, with a $39 a month bill being about average.
  
  Water is provided through the city and has been averaging about $90 per month, but bills have been as high as $160 and as low as $30.
  
  City storm water fees run $13 per month and sewer fees are $28 per month.

I don't know how those numbers compare to other areas.

In Fort Collins, you can still find new homes near the $200k mark, if that is what you want. Different parts of town have a different feel to them, so you may wish to explore a bit.

Hope this helps!
Mike Weber

[ShampooBanana]

Thanks for the great info, Mike! I have to admit I was shocked at how low the property taxes are in Colorado as compared to most places. Even slightly lower than Arizona. Utilities are cheaper, too. I'm thinking something in the $300k range for a house would even be easily doable. I qualified for around $330k here in Arizona with a lower income than what I would have there so should be no problem. Guess I'm used to Illinois property taxes (where I'm originally from) which are way higher and shave a lot off what you can afford in a house!