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Old 03-24-2009, 06:04 AM
 
Location: 40 Miles West of Corpus Christi, TX
35 posts, read 129,722 times
Reputation: 24

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This is long. I appreciate your taking the time to read it and reply.
-----------------------------------
I have spent the last few hours (after finding this forum just last night)...reading through a lot of the recent threads.

From what I have gathered, FC public schools are some of the best anywhere...as far as stats go. I keep reading that the people can be a little pious. But that is relative considering where you're originally from and what your natural personality is. Of course, I am a very southern girl that tends to wear her heart on her shoulder. But I endured Germany ok (bad winters and bad attitudes)...so I feel I am somewhat prepared.

My questions are the following...mind you...I have already done a lot of reading on here...but would like some more input...concerning my specific situation.

Well, 1st I should probably explain my "specific situation." LOL
-----------------------------
My husband is a 31 year old, disabled Army vet. He is currently off work, pending foot surgery. But should have no problems returning to the working world shortly after surgery. He receives a little over $700.00's/mo from the VA (for the rest of his life). it also increases by about $40's, each year. He is a jack of all trades (construction, Computers, Electronic Sales, Gym Clerk, Drilling, ect). So, he has always been able to find some work (even if not high paying).

I am a 27 year old stay-at-home-mother. my last real job was 8 years ago, as a waitress. I have a bad ankle and cannot do that type of work anymore...and now that we have 3 elementary age children...it seems best to stay home, take care of the home and save of us the hundreds of dollars in afterschool care...just for me to work a $8/hr job.

I have a 7 year old son (turns 8 June 26th) who has been diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar Disorder. He has been attending a private school the past 2 years and doing well. But we cannot afford private tuition any longer. And really want him to succeed in public school. But the schools here in south texas are not as high-quality in their stats as FC Poudre district seems to be. Nor are they helpful at all in making the effort to accomodate him and help him successfully integrate. He does pretty well on medication and supplements now, mind you.

My 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son (turns 5 May 18th) are doing fine in public school and will adapt well anywhere.

We are considered low income. But have come to realize, that our #1 priority is raising our kids to the best of our abilities, which includes placing them in the best public school system available...and moving to a place to meets our needs/desires most accurately.

We are a conservative family, that place value in outdoor activities/lifestyle, a good-relationship oriented church, but most importantly the best public schools.

We are wanting to move out of this area due to many reasons.
1. Unhealthy, co-dependant relationships with relatives.
2. Desire for better public school system.
3. Desire for better, more involved churches.
4. Desire to be more north (remember we're in south texas).
5. Desire to be surrounded by trees, mountains, lakes and rivers (we've lived near the beach for over 2 years and like it but prefer the woods, mountains and rivers).
6. Desire to start from scratch, and live somewhere we are most likely to retire. We have moved just about every 2-3 years...since we married in 2000 (partially due to the prior Army lifestyle).

Our children need stability, consistency, healthy examples of relationships (My need to constantly defend my right as my childrens' mother to their grandparents & being obligated to do everything for my brother/SIL/Niece on a daily basis...is all truly affecting my kids and my marriage)!

We are looking for affordable housing, preferably a small home to rent from owner that is pet friendly (as we have an adult lab and tabby cat)

Of course, like i mentioned above...the right public school (knowing only what I've read about FC) is a big must.

We have a sweet, female, black lab that we have never been able to really enjoy...outdoors, here.

We really enjoy walking, hiking, camping a lot, going to parks, swimming, good, clean fun-playgrounds for the kids, going to the movies and eating out. That consists of most of our regular activities (aside from work, school and church).

I have been leaning towards FC, but understand that there may very well be othe rsmall-town, outdoorsy type areas in CO as well.

So, knowing our preferences for lifestyle and our basic needs...realistic YET constructive advice is welcomed!
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Old 03-24-2009, 09:02 AM
 
3,555 posts, read 7,836,168 times
Reputation: 2346
Busymom;

Sorry about your husband's wounds and hope he is up and about soon. We moved last year from TX, 20+ years in Houston, 5 in the Austin area and have never looked back. Houses cost slightly more here but rents seem to not be much higher, but overall household expenses (at least for us) are less!

We only ran our A/C about 1 week last summer, low humidity and cool breezes.

Our trash pick-up was "socialized" (every household paid the same) everywhere we ever lived in TX. Here we have the VERY LARGE rolling bin for recyclables and put out a "contractor size" bag every third week or so for trash. With your size family you'd obviously generate more trash though.

Our water and electricity bills average about $60/month here. Our water was always over $75 and you know what TX electric bills are like! We live in Loveland and both are city provided.

All of our friends with kids always talk up the schools, whether in Loveland, FoCo or Windsor, so I guess they're all pretty good. All schools seem to have very good athletic and theater and music programs as well. I am a big believer in that extra cullicular stuff!

From what I can tell all of the churces here seem very community involved and outreach oriented.

I think many of the "casual" jobs here are not high paying since there are a lot of college kids, CSU in FoCo and UNC in Greeley, but mnay friends my age (60) have no problem finding work.

Loveland as well as many of the other cities have lots of lakes, low rainfall means we have to store the runoff when we have it. There's a large resovoir just west of FoCo.

There are several hiking, biking and snowshoeing clubs in the area that have weekly outings of various difficulty levels.

There's another poster on here who is a Realtor and I'm sure he'll be on with some more details for you.

One thing that does cost more is car registration. It's not the flat $60/year that TX has. I think we paid $250 and $220 first year and those will drop this year but I don't think they ever get quite as low. OTOH we do have much better roads up here.

golfgod
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Old 03-24-2009, 09:36 AM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
719 posts, read 2,613,439 times
Reputation: 495
We natives and longtimers never call Fort Collins "FoCo". Thats an acronym some Chamber of Commerce shill came up with. Please, just say "Collins" or "Ft. Collins" and sound like you've lived here for more than ten minutes.
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Old 03-24-2009, 07:44 PM
 
5,089 posts, read 15,375,274 times
Reputation: 7017
You have such a beautiful family....Your post was much more extensive than I have ever seen...

I am going to be somewhat blunt, as I really want to help--I am a Veteran and I receive treatment at the VA hospital.

The first issue I would say is do not relocate to Ft. Collins, that would be a mistake because it will not have the medical support structure of a VA hospital. With your husbands disability, he will be able to get more services, free, beyond his disability at the VA medical center which is in Denver. Your family may also be entitled to medical care based on the percentage of his disability.

The second and important issue is that your husband may qualify for employment programs for the federal government because he is a Vet and holds a certain percentage of disability. He will have priority hiring. He may also be qualified for specific on the job training because of his Vet Status. This is important in this economy. There are few Federal Jobs in Fort Collins/Loveland. Most of the federal jobs in Colorado are in Denver and the Suburbs. Actually, more are at the Large Federal Center in Lakewood. Metro Denver is one of the largest federal job locations in the nation. The Denver metro area is the place for you, and has living areas that are comparable to Fort Collins. It may even be cheaper in places. You may even consider the Colorado Springs area because of the abundant Federal jobs but there is no VA hospital but there is a clinic--not as good for services.

Do not be taken in by the romance of living in Fort Collins. You will be competing for lower wage jobs with many people who are attracted there by all the good coverage it has got in the news. But your husband will have a better job, higher wages and better benefits, for himself and his family, if he seeks a federal job. You need to look at the practical issues and the Denver Metro area is a great place to live.

Livecontent
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Old 03-25-2009, 01:40 AM
 
Location: 40 Miles West of Corpus Christi, TX
35 posts, read 129,722 times
Reputation: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sockeye View Post
We natives and longtimers never call Fort Collins "FoCo". Thats an acronym some Chamber of Commerce shill came up with. Please, just say "Collins" or "Ft. Collins" and sound like you've lived here for more than ten minutes.
I am sure we all have bigger fish to fry, than wether fort collins is mentioned by a particular preference. No need for stabs like "and sound like you've lived here for more than ten minutes." It's disrespectful.
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Old 03-25-2009, 02:19 AM
 
Location: 40 Miles West of Corpus Christi, TX
35 posts, read 129,722 times
Reputation: 24
Default Keep 'Em Comin' Y'all! LOL ;0)

Thanks for the reply (golfgod)!

All in all, Fort Collins sounds pretty good. Our electricity bill, currently, in this 16x76 mobile home is $250-$290/mo (even through the winter). Reaches above $300/mo in summer. that is a big thorn in our side. Although the vehicle registraion sounds ridiculously high there...the savings in our monthly electricty bills could easily cover that, it seems.

Thank you for the sympathy. He is still able to work, especially if it is a desk job. But most of his experience is in manual labor of some sort. He has an arthritic back with an old fracture that didn't heal right, cysts on his spine and a few disc bulges (the doctors won't operate-too young). Arthritis in his ankle, a hairline fracture and a "loose body" causing damage inside the joint. All pretty much due to his years as a paratrooper, before I met him (90's). But an average person walking buy wouldn't have a clue. Most of those type of long-sustained injuries can be managed well (with pain killers) as they tend to progress gradually over time. Although, at this point he is having an increasingly more difficult time.

He hasn't had surgery on his foot yet (to remove the loose body and hopefully repair the fracture)...but plans to have it done before we would move (weeks/a few months from now max). After he recovers...we expect him to be able to work on his feet again...possibly better than before (since the loose body and fractur causing more pain and damage will be gone). I have had similar surgery on my own foot/ankle. My recovery was long and i still have problems. But Teddy is much healthier and stronger than me. So, we are expecting it to go well and him recover quickly.

It's nice to hear housing isn't too much more/comparable. And really nice to hear electricity is so cheap. We were thinking we would have to find a place that includes electricity in the utilities paid (apartment-no buying right now). But if it is that much less than here...we may not have to narrow our search down afterall.

Yes, we would most definitely generate more trash, even though we are far from wasteful. 3 young children will do that to you, not to mention the cat and dog. LOL But if we are in an apartment (what we plan to do for a good while after buying a couple times now)...trash shouldn't be an issue right?

We both were into extra curricular activites when we were young. And really want our children to begin experiencing the sense of accomplishment and enrichment from them as well. Up till now we haven't had the extra funds to focus on any of that for them. But it is a goal we want to meet sooner than later. Teddy is talented with computers/electronics. I use to play the paino and took voice lessons. Now am really into crafts. Our family is full of "extra curricular" lovers.

We aren't too focused on high paying jobs right now. Neither of us have degrees. Need to go back to college, for sure. My plan this fall. So, the low paying job market isn't too big of a dissapointment right now. About what we're accustomed to, anyhow. We plan to use my pell grant and a student loan to pay for school and help pay the bills (in conjunction with Teddy's $700/mo VA check).

Once we graduate with a degree...then Denver might be a possibility. Who knows. A lot can change in 2-4 years. We may find we want to move to a bigger, faster-paced city with our new fancy degrees....or we may find we love it in FoCo and find rewarding jobs (by that time) right there. But for now...going back to college full time...finishing and getting our degrees are our focus (when we move).

Our #1 focus is the best, public school for our kids...and the best that nature has to offer....as well as a pleasant (small town feel) slower paced-place to live.

LiveContent, Thank you for the compliment! It is much appreciated! As is your candid comments. I tend to be a pretty blunt, realistic person myself. And tend to appreciate it when it is found else where. :0) That goes for you too, GolfGod! Much appreciated!

In response to your input (livecontent) ...I am pretty educated about the VA benefits. I handle all of our finances, as well as his paperwork...as I did back when we were active.

He is 40% disabled. So, I believe he will receive a 10 point preference for federal jobs. We are working on getting that official letter furnished right now. We have to go through regional to get it, but hopefully it won't take too long. Either way, it's very neccessary as you have mentioned.

Concerning Denver, Although he would have commute, if he wanted to find a federal job (most likely) and us still live in FoCo...we lived in a fast paced, metro city (Houston) before...and have also lived in a small town, more relaxed city (Vilseck, Germany)...and know that for our family...living in a slower-paced city...with our #1 priority (good school for our kids & lower crime) met...we wouldn't want to live in Denver. From everything I have read (the past year or so and the past 24 hours on here) everything (aside from the lack of federal jobs) that we desire and need are in fort collins. It wouldn't make sense to move to Denver and compromise the more important priorities for us. I have a feeling we would not be very happy as a family, day to day...and would probably feel muc more stressed with the drastic difference in the pace of the city. Hope all that made sense! LOL

I also wanted to respond to your comment about the lack of adequate VA medical help (livecontent). We have only had a VA clinic within our area...so, are very accustom to not receiving the VA hospital quality care. Although it would probably be better, from your comments. If there is a VA hospital within driving distance...that seems satisfactory to me...as that is what we have been doing this whole time (closest VA hospital is over 2 hours away). We make the trip once or twice a year. Haven't required it otherwise. Teddy's back injury doesn't really benefit from anything. It is progressive and untreatable. Only strong pain killers (Tremadol0 helps with his pain. And they mail it to him, regularly. All his appointments at the VA clinic or when outsourced...to a specialist have been free from the beginning (concerning his back and foot). So, the lack of a VA hospital wasn't really a concern...since we are already accustom to that situation.
-------------------------------------
Based on my more further detailed reply to you all...I would love to hear your comments, opinions, ect!
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Old 03-25-2009, 02:50 AM
 
Location: 40 Miles West of Corpus Christi, TX
35 posts, read 129,722 times
Reputation: 24
I forgot to respond to one other thing you mentioned, livecontent...medical/health insurance for the rest of us. We usually use medicaid or CHIPS for the children...when he doesn't have a job that offers insurance. And even now, with us all being on Blue Cross Blue Shield of texas with our $20 copay...The kids received more benefits and it was easier for us to afford on CHIPS anyway. So, medical coverage for them isn't an issue. I've always been able to receive that, even when we were making double what we are now.

As far as I am concerned...I do have scoliosis, which is becoming increasingly difficult to manage (I am doing alright on Tylenol Rapid Release Gels right now). And Teddy & do have some recent dental issues that need to be fixed. But our #1 priority (right now-while in college) is the kids. So, I am not too concerned about health insurance for myself.

Although...from speaking to the social worker at the VA clinic here...there must be either a deceased or totally disabled (100%) veteran or I must be the spouse of a child who's parent is either totally disabled or deceased. I found it. I'll copy and paste.
-------------------------
To be eligible for CHAMPVA, an individual cannot be eligible for TRICARE (the medical program for civilian dependents provided by DOD)
and must be one of the following:
1. The spouse or child of a veteran who VA has rated permanently and totally disabled for a service-connected disability.
2. The surviving spouse or child of a veteran who died from a VA-rated service-connected disability, or who, at the time of death, was rated permanently and totally disabled.
3. The surviving spouse or child of a service member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct. However, in most of these cases, these family members are eligible for TRICARE, not CHAMPVA.
--------------
So, we're not eligible for VA medical care. We haven't been eligible for Tricare (since our 90 extention ran out after he got out of the Army in 2005).
So, our best bet for the kids is CHIPs or medicaid (which I am somewhat familiar with-due to previous experience with them). For me...a medical discount card or a job ontop of my college load...that offers coverage for me.

Last edited by BusyMammaOf3; 03-25-2009 at 03:26 AM..
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Old 03-25-2009, 03:43 AM
 
Location: 40 Miles West of Corpus Christi, TX
35 posts, read 129,722 times
Reputation: 24
I looked at Greatschools again, to further compare the elementary schools in the same district as Putnam. I noticed that Dunn has higher test scores and seems to be full of more higher income families. As well as being mainly caucasian.

But Putnam's student to teacher ratio is much better than at Dunn. And considering Putnam has a lot more low-income families...I am curious to know if they offer more for low-income families (as far as additional services, opportunities, educational gatherings for families, ect)...than Dunn.

Considering my oldest (David) has ADHD and Bipolar Disorder ... and fairs much better with more one on one time...Putnam may be best. Not only due to the stuent/teacher ratio...but I read reviews about how the teachers are more attentive to the individual students there and tend to help eachother...in making a student successful.
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Old 03-25-2009, 02:10 PM
 
5,089 posts, read 15,375,274 times
Reputation: 7017
Now this is the type of people I like to help on this forum, caring and intelligent people. Notice the nice response to my suggestions which where very well written. It shows that this woman is much more educated and intelligent than your formal education certificates will show. From much of my experience in life, I have learned that a college education does not necessarily give people anymore intelligence; it gives them the knowledge to use the intelligence they already possess. However, many people look at the diploma as a substitute for brains.

I do not totally agree with her response but that is their lives and wants, but I respect what they are saying. In addition, it is pleasant to here a woman doing research for the programs that can benefit her family.

She has a perception that the Denver Metro area is all composed of a very intense neighborhoods. That is not true because there are many suburban and city neighborhoods that are much quieter; have less traffic; is less crowded than many areas of Fort Collins. I like Fort Collins and when I moved here, I desired to live there' but it did not happen. But today, I do not think I would live in a College Town because I am much older, but Fort Collins is very tempting. If I did move to that area, I think I would choose Loveland for the relaxing distance from the excitement of the college youth but close enough to the amenities.

Enough of my verbosity. The point of this post was to commend this woman and the excellent attributes which she shows.

Livecontent

Last edited by livecontent; 03-25-2009 at 02:18 PM..
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Old 03-25-2009, 06:42 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,911 times
Reputation: 10
Default God works in mysterious ways

Wow! I read your post and thought maybe we are the answer to each others delemias. I am an okie farm girl who married my vietnam vet at 15. This was his home town and it was very beautiful friendly place to be. It's grown,some good some bad but all in all a real nice place to be.
Ft.Collins is a college town so it's a bit rowdy. We have a few christian schools here run at some local churches. I believe they have sliding scale and scholarship programs. There is also a very active homeschooling suport programs here.
Do you enjoy golfing? We drive golf carts to the old loveland golf couarse a few Bks. away. Eight block from the lake/city park which is the center of many community events. The schools are newer and they are opening a new Elementary school which will relieve some over crowding.
We have become a mecca for artist from the world over. We have every
outdoor activity you could think of. I liked going to the lake on summer evenings to fish and just relax. Just sitting on the back porch looking at the mtns. with my morning coffee is awesome. Try google earth and get a veiw of 37th and Taft.
We installed a roof evaporative cooler. The air here is arid so they work great and they are good for you(cheapest way to cool). We also had a humidirier added when we replaced the furnace system. It makes a world of difference.
Our kids are grown and we are planning to downsize for just the two of us. To young to retire, to old to clean a big house or push a mower around this big yard. That's one of the great things about loveland they have great places for us to go and enjoy our second honeymoon for the rest of our days.
The weather is great we are not buried in snow all winter like people think. Nice to have spring days in winter just to get you through those long winters.
It's a nice place.......good luck
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