really need moving advice - Fort Collins area - Colorado (CO) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

bluescreen73 · 01-10-2014, 11:03 AM

I moved our family (back) to Colorado after 12 years in DFW. Our family income is about 20% lower than yours, and our house cost was 66% higher than DFW, but we're doing just fine.

Keep in mind that you should do an overall cost-of-living comparison. Where in SE Texas are you coming from? RGV? Houston/Galveston? Corpus? The COL will be higher here, but most of the increase will be in housing.

sammy87 · 01-10-2014, 11:28 AM

I travel a lot for the energy industry and lived in Loveland, it was nice I enjoyed it. FOCO is a great college town. I live close to Boulder now. There are pros and cons. I liked the small town feel of N. CO. Housing and water are more expensive here but that should be about it. In a few yrs we might try to build in the foothills, we're in a sub division now and its fine, but I like space. The commute to DIA is easy from up there. 470 is traffic free.

WY kinda sucks and not worth the free income tax. Cheyenne is not as good as FOCO. A lot of my clients in Cheyenne live in FOCO and commute.

Iluvmybabys26 · 01-10-2014, 04:25 PM

Hey there I am going to send you a private message as I am hoping you might be helpful in my current position. Literally thinking of doing the very opposite of you - moving from FOCO to TX.

As for Fort Collins, I love this area I really do. Great for families and the crime is fairly low here. Of course like any place there are areas that are worse than others, but for the most part it is a great place. With what you husband is bringing in financially you should be fine. The home costs are really high here, basically what you can in TX for $250,000 would cost you close to double that here and you will not get a large yard. Even though property taxes are lower the home prices are much, much higher.

Jobs here are few and far between, but if your husband already has a job established that is great. Denver is close so that is always a plus, mountains, fishing are super close as well. Winters have been fairly rough the past few years and the roads can get pretty bad, but as long as you have 4 wheel drive you are good to go.
Hope that helps!

bluescreen73 · 01-10-2014, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iluvmybabys26

Hey there I am going to send you a private message as I am hoping you might be helpful in my current position. Literally thinking of doing the very opposite of you - moving from FOCO to TX.

As for Fort Collins, I love this area I really do. Great for families and the crime is fairly low here. Of course like any place there are areas that are worse than others, but for the most part it is a great place. With what you husband is bringing in financially you should be fine. The home costs are really high here, basically what you can in TX for $250,000 would cost you close to double that here and you will not get a large yard. Even though property taxes are lower the home prices are much, much higher.

Jobs here are few and far between, but if your husband already has a job established that is great. Denver is close so that is always a plus, mountains, fishing are super close as well. Winters have been fairly rough the past few years and the roads can get pretty bad, but as long as you have 4 wheel drive you are good to go.
Hope that helps!

I did the move from the Fort to Dallas-Fort Worth so if DFW is your destination i can help you out.

Iluvmybabys26 · 01-11-2014, 08:16 AM

We are thinking San Antonio or San Angelo area. My husband welds on oil rigs/pipelines so we figure he could find some contract work down in those areas. Want to avoid Houston (have not heard the best things about that area). I am TX stupid so honestly feel like a fish out of water. Have no idea where to even start. Do you know anything about those areas, when it comes to safety and family friendliness? We have 3 kids. Thanks so much for your reply.

sammy87 · 01-11-2014, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iluvmybabys26

We are thinking San Antonio or San Angelo area. My husband welds on oil rigs/pipelines so we figure he could find some contract work down in those areas. Want to avoid Houston (have not heard the best things about that area). I am TX stupid so honestly feel like a fish out of water. Have no idea where to even start. Do you know anything about those areas, when it comes to safety and family friendliness? We have 3 kids. Thanks so much for your reply.

I've lived in the DFW and San Antonio area as well as Northern CO. SA is nice, the NW suburbs are a pretty area, but the city itself isn't so special and the river walk is for tourists only. New Brunfells to the extreme NE is a nice area as well. When I lived there from May-Sept it was atleast 100 everyday, that got old. It was just too hot of an area IMO. I felt like in Texas the only thing to do is go to a restaurant or the mall and see a movie, anything in doors. I enjoy CO because most of the year you can do something outside. I don't know anything about San Angelo.

bluescreen73 · 01-11-2014, 07:45 PM

I'm with Sammy. If you're into outdoor activities at all you'll hate Texas because it's too farking hot in the summer to spend time outdoors. San Antonio is a nice city but it's horrendously sprawled. I haven't been to San Angelo but it's in the transition zone between the hill country and the desert of West Texas and it's rather warm there.