Family move to Loveland?

[chaz1178]

Thank you so much for the info! I am wanting good schools, good job opportunities..not just for me, but them as well. Good shopping center (Gaming & Comic Book Related stuff, cause we're a family that plays and geeks out together), decent weather for outdoor activities, low crime, relaxed lifestyle but close to a big city for other things. Good doctors. Decent cost of living. Good air & water quality.

Think that about covers it.

[UltrazGSD]

What kind of place are you hoping to rent? $1100/month can be on the very low end, depending what you hope to get (and how nice of an area). We live in southeast Fort Collins, and love it here. We're basically in between Loveland and Fort Collins. I go to FC for most things, but do love the Chilson Rec Center in Loveland. I'd like to stay in this general area when we buy. It's convenient, and lovely!

[chaz1178]

We're needing a house...an apartment or duplex is not something we're considering at all.

The area does sound nice! Just hope everything comes together in time. Looks like it'll be the beginning of June. I'm hoping I can find a job without having to drive too far though.

[UltrazGSD]

You will have a very hard time finding a 3 bedroom house for $1100/month. The range is closer to $1200-1400+. Being a renter here sucks. My parents just bought a duplex as a rental investment, and the duplex just down the street from it is a 2 bedroom for rent for $1195. No a/c, pretty small, not in the greatest area. Their 3 bedroom duplex will rent for $1250-1300. I don't want to be discouraging at all, but I do want you to understand that being a renter on a budget is very difficult in this area. We've been living that for almost 3 years now. There's a shortage of rentals, the prices are high, and it's very competitive to even get a place. For example, last summer we looked into renting a 2 bedroom townhouse that was asking $1300. The lady had received 20 applications in 2 days.

I absolutely love this area, but jobs and housing are hard to come by. Just be prepared for that, and have a hefty savings fund before you come. We didn't, and it was a tough first few months. PM me anytime, I'd be glad to help answer any questions.

[chaz1178]

Thanks so much for the information! I am finding that out, but I like hearing from someone who has gone through it. It helps to know what you might be in store for.

[gumba]

I've been here seven years---there is no bad side of town----employers are scarce and wages are not very good but if you have income you would love living here. Altitude is 4900 ft plus, so if you're from low altitude you may have a little trouble catching your breath when you first get here. You'll get used to it. Police force is on top of things as they really don't have that much to do. Zero crime......good housing in the McKee Med center area or if you want to spend a little more got to the west end of town by the foothills. Shopping is really good but they do need a Whole foods or trader Joes here...closest one is opening in Ft collns (15 miles north) later in the year (so they say). FTC already has a Whole Foods-but actually King Soopers (the Cololrado version of Kroger) has just about everything you need. "Downtown" Loveland has a few poor people but they seem to pose no real problem. They're outnumbered by suburbia and they know it. You will need cable TV here.....Antenna HD pixels in and out quite often becuse you're 50 Miles from Denver and 45 miles from Cheyenne--sort of an over the air TV Dead zone. Always danger of wildfires and flood from mountain runoff. Insurance guys adjust rates accordingly. Schools are top notch w/national average. Good place overall for adults and kids People are curteous, drivers only get pricky during the microscopic "rush hour"...(I'm originally from Chicago)--Place folds up by 8PM---Overall rating A- or B plus......thats my take on Loveland-hope you make the right move---

[timeforachangefromcity]

Hi,

I'm enjoying all the info on Loveland and Ft Collins. I'm visiting there this summer at the end of June and again at the end of August. I am looking for a friendly community that I can get involved in and make friends. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area now and it's way too expensive for housing out here and it's just too expensive all around. What is the high temperature in the summer around Loveland/Ft Collins? Where I live now it gets up into the 80s and 90s and I don't like it that hot. It seems to be getting hotter every summer!! How long are the winters? I'm also going to Michigan, which is where I grew up, but left after high school. I am going to northern Michigan for several weeks To Traverse City, which I love and am thinking about moving there because housing is so affordable, but then you have such long, cold winters. It's so hard to find the right place....

[Count David]

Originally Posted by timeforachangefromcity

Hi,

I'm enjoying all the info on Loveland and Ft Collins. I'm visiting there this summer at the end of June and again at the end of August. I am looking for a friendly community that I can get involved in and make friends. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area now and it's way too expensive for housing out here and it's just too expensive all around. What is the high temperature in the summer around Loveland/Ft Collins? Where I live now it gets up into the 80s and 90s and I don't like it that hot. It seems to be getting hotter every summer!! How long are the winters? I'm also going to Michigan, which is where I grew up, but left after high school. I am going to northern Michigan for several weeks To Traverse City, which I love and am thinking about moving there because housing is so affordable, but then you have such long, cold winters. It's so hard to find the right place....

Loveland/Ft. Collins will routinely get into the upper 80's/low 90's during summer.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by gumba

I've been here seven years---there is no bad side of town----... Good place overall for adults and kids ...---Overall rating A- or B plus......thats my take on Loveland-hope you make the right move---

If you come visit in the late summer.. don't miss this event
Show - Sculpture in the Park
Huge homemade Icecream social Saturday night (with bluegrass)
Bluegrass gospel the following weekend in Masonville.

[DKarp82]

Originally Posted by chaz1178

My family is looking to possibly relocate to Loveland. He will be working in plumbing and I will be leaving my job working for the Wal-Mart home office to find....something. We have 3 kids, ages 16, 15, and 13, 2 dogs and 1 cat. Our oldest child is already prepping for college. We love getting outdoors, and I've read that shouldn't be an issue given the surroundings. We currently rent in NW Arkansas for $1100/mos., so looking to stay in that range. Buying is still a few years down the road. So on to the questions:

1. Are the schools good? I've looked at the great schools ratings, but prefer some first hand accounts. Including colleges in the area.

2. What is the current job market like?

3. Is there a "bad" side of town to avoid? If so, why: is it because of crime, rundown, etc..?

4. What's the shopping like? Is there a lot to choose from? (and I don't mean an hour away, I would like to know the options within the city)

Any info on this town is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I've lived in the Northern Colorado area my whole life and have been in Loveland for 3 years now. I live in a 4-bedroom house in a nice neighborhood and pay $1400/month so I'm sure you can find something in your price range.

1. I don't have children so I can't comment on the K-12 schools. However, as far as colleges go Colorado State U (my alma mater) is a large public university located in Fort Collins, just about 20 minutes north of Loveland. Greeley (about 35 minutes East) has the University of Northern Colorado. It's a good, but not great, school and is slightly smaller than CSU. Boulder (about an hour southwest) has University of Colorado, also a good school but Boulder is a very expensive place to live. There are also 2 community colleges - Front Range (in south Fort Collins) and Aims which has campuses all over.

2. I work in a highly specialized field so I really can't comment on the general job market. I'm sure that it is like most other medium-sized cities in the country, i.e. it's an okay job market, could be a lot better but has been worse. I would recommend getting on with a staffing agency in the area such as Man Power or Aerotek and check CraigsList daily for potential openings in your field.

3. There really isn't a "bad" area in the grand scheme of things. However, the higher crime, older, more run-down area of town is a rectangle bordered roughly by Eisenhower Blvd (north), Lincoln Ave (west), 1st street (south) and Boise Ave (east). But, again, it's not like it's some god awful ghetto.

4. Shopping is abundant! Very abundant. There are two Super Walmarts, two King Soopers (the biggest and best grocery store), a plethora of retail on the east side of town in the new Centerra development which stretches along the north side of Eisenhower (highway 34) from Boyd Lake Rd across I-25 to the new Promende Shops, an outdoor mall. Off the top of my head you can find Ross, Marshalls, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Petsmart, Sportsmans Warehouse, Dicks sporting goods, Macy's, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and a ton more smaller, specialty shops and just about every chain restaurant you can imagine.
The Promenade Shops at Centerra :: 5971 Sky Pond Drive, Suite OFC, Loveland, CO. 80538 :: 970-461-1285

I hope this helps.