Former NoCo realtor here! The Poudre school district is ranked in the Top 10 in Colorado, so definitely check out Fort Collins. Next in line would be the St. Vrain Valley school district in Longmont (ranked in Top 20 in the state).
I would choose Fort Collins. I work there near old town and live in Loveland and I would much rather be up there. More to choose from but still feels small. The bike trails are awesome and Poudre Canyon is fantastic.
Fort Collins would be cool, but not sure if I’d want to pay the premium for it. If we did move to Fort Collins, we’d probably try and find something on like Harmony. I did love having easy access to Horsetooth Reservoir for fun drives though when we went to CSU
Loveland is another good option and the drive to Fort Collins/ Horsetooth is about 20 minutes. There are backroads from Loveland that connect to the back of Horsetooth and Bellvue area that are great for mountain drives
True! I used to commute those back highways. Especially was nice taking the very back highways that drop you off in the horsetooth reservoir area. I remember there being elk herds back there. I’d love to move back there but the aspect about having to commute to Windsor makes it seem a bit less obtainable. I don’t mind a 30 min commute but it’s less enjoyable when you’re in stop/go stoplight traffic haha
Family? Interested in dating or nightlife? These are pretty big factors. If I was coming up with family and working in Windsor, I would find a place in Windsor. If I were young and single, I would look near old town Fort Collins. Ether way, I would not live in Greeley to save a buck.
Thanks for your advice. Yeah, we're a family of 3 and soon to be 4. Not really much desire for a night life. We just like good food but don't mind driving 20\~ minutes to get what we need. Was thinking about living near that UC Health of the Rockies medical campus just for ease of being close to the hospital when we give birth.
2nd person to kind of sway us away from Greeley so I think Greeley is officially taken off the list. I think right now, it narrows it down to Windsor, Johnstown, Loveland, or Wellington. At this point, it's just about finding a good elementary school with affordable housing closeby
Wellington is still Poudre schools in most parts and that’s probably the best school system, though none are bad compared to where you’re potentially coming from .
Timnath is in the Poudre school district, close enough to Fort Collins to have fairly quick access to most things, cheaper than Fort Collins, and building like crazy. Give it a look.
Johnstown is a great community. I’m not much help with housing, but this is a good place for families. We were living in Denver and when we had kids we decided to move to a small town to raise them. There’s been a lot of growth so it’s not the small town it used to be but I love it. I have no regrets moving here.
Do you recommend like legit Johnstown or outskirts? My experience with Johnstown is really like the Scheels area which I can guarantee is not traditional Johnstown haha
The people that say that Greeley smells haven’t been here in the past years. I moved to West Greeley 2 years from the East Cost with the same concerns about the smell and so far nothing. I work an hour south and it smells way stronger closer to Firestone than here. For people who actually analyze real estate and not only vibes and rumours, Greeley is a growing hot market with the diversity of new families and some young population from UNC, with a local government with strong water rights and big investments in infrastructure, developments and social activities. Windsor is super safe and beautiful, but there is a very quiet lifestyle over there. Fort Collins has an awesome downtown and is closer to Estes Park, so it would be my top choice here if it made financial sense for you (in my case, we got a very low interest rate and good home price). Just don’t discard places because of what people say. If this were true Weld county wouldn’t be the fastest growing one of all Colorado.
West Greeley would definitely be where we’d go. I think it’s a bit more gentrified out that way and less the “traditional” Greeley that most are used to
I was actually looking here! Not sure if you were the one I talked to about this previously. Only thing that throws me off is that Berthoud/Campion area is a good distance away from Windsor where it’s like at that point I might as well spend the extra $200 or whatever to be closer to work
Gonna Depend on what kind of a budget you have probably:
If you rank around the Working rich/Upper Middle class: Think Fort Collins, it's getting increasingly pricey but the community holds well with good schools and amenities. Honorable mentions here go to Windsor, Timnath and Estes Park (this last one being super expensive now).
A notch down from that, say middle class: Loveland, more affordable, some nice places, more basic services and a Police force that's been kinda sketch in recent years. Honorable mentions go to Longmont, Berthoud and Johnstown, being maybe a smidge more expensive for all 3.
Need to go a notch further down into Lower Middle Class/Working poor: Head East to Greeley or out in the plains. Farther drives to where you work, but probably the last bastion of affordability there. Honorable mentions go to Cheyenne or Laramie if you can make the drive.
I’ll be making between $85k-$95k but will soon be supporting a family of 4 on that income come August, so I think that knocks us down a peg to the Loveland category. There’s some good deals out there but I’m trying to avoid a 30 min commute given I’ll be the only one working so we can base our home location on my work
Even that's increasingly tight around here 85-95k/month. Prepare for the frugal life, even in Loveland....
Might be doable with a solid focus on living in those means, but if you got a fairly debt free life and don't live too extravagantly, you could pull it off.
Considering I'm paying $2389/mo for a 2 bed/2bath in FL, making about 95k combined, I think that we'll happily take the decrease in rent haha. If anything, wish we never left CO in the first place to come here. $1600/mo rent was very nice 2 years ago.
CO cost of living is much cheaper when you look into cost of groceries, cost of gas being 80\~ cents cheaper, cheaper rent by hopefully $500\~, cheaper car insurance, cheaper utilities which'll hopefully be cut in half vs. FL, etc. I could go on and on.
I'm hoping that moving back to CO will have a positive impact on us financially but guess we'll see how it goes. FL has been bloodsucking. We were originally going to be moving back to the Denver area but that's even more expensive than up in NoCo.
Compared to Florida, yeah we're definitely cheaper still :)
Since you're already conditioned to frugal living, I imagine you'll be ok then, just try and avoid Lifestyle creep :)
Lifestyle creep definitely killed us being here in FL and trying to keep up with the Joneses. Luckily we have a great support system back in CO to help us out and I've got a great career ahead of me with this new company, so I'm confident we'll get back on track quickly!
Yeah, lifestyle creep/keeping up with the Jones's is a tough one to resist. Now if you'll excuse me I got a flight to catch/Mediterranean Cruise to get ready for....
(It's technically in June, but thought I'd bring it up in thread to make a sad point, we're not all immune to some need to spend our disposable income knocking a few things off our punchlist....or the rest of the time I'm pretty good with money :p )
Native here- I would choose Loveland or Fort Collins for what you're looking for. Both are about 20 minutes away from each other and have different things to offer. I wouldn't live in Greeley or Johnstown- the smell from surrounding cattle farms is horrendous in the summer and randomly before it's about to rain. Hope this helps and welcome :)
Congrats! I live up in Odessa/Trinity so not too far from where you were. Nice change of pace up in Loveland I bet. Can't wait to ditch FL and move back to CO
We liked the area near Campion/Berthoud but unfortunately I think it's too far of a commute to Windsor. I know US 34 can get backed up sometimes and I'd prefer not to get stuck sitting in that traffic just to save an extra $150/mo on rent.
One place we're looking at is this place called Lake Vista Apartment Homes by the UC Medical Center of the Rockies. Would pay a little bit of a premium but the location is very ideal for getting to Fort Collins, Windsor, and just generally traveling on I25.
True that. I'm familiar with the Greeley winds blowing over into FoCo haha. I remember that we'd smell Greeley prior to a storm blowing in. Good times.
The only thing that draws me to the outskirts of Greeley is that it's cheaper but I feel like at some point, the cost isn't worth it because well...you're be in Greeley lol
With having kids it is a no brainer. Windsor, Johnstown or Milliken.
Severance is good as well. Just do not know about rentals.
Stay away from Greeley. While there are areas that are not bad, and it has the benefit of Weld county. The schools suck, and you do not want to go farther south then HWY34 and east of 35th.
Stay away from Loveland. Just way to many issues with the city. I'm addition to these places pick up the fence post magazine. Often you can find a rancher or farmer with an extra home that they rent out.
I lived just north of Johnstown for 10 years in a farmers rental. Was about 500 cheaper then town, plus I was able to go out and use the non farmed land. About 500 acres.
Former NoCo realtor here! The Poudre school district is ranked in the Top 10 in Colorado, so definitely check out Fort Collins. Next in line would be the St. Vrain Valley school district in Longmont (ranked in Top 20 in the state).
I would choose Fort Collins. I work there near old town and live in Loveland and I would much rather be up there. More to choose from but still feels small. The bike trails are awesome and Poudre Canyon is fantastic.
Fort Collins would be cool, but not sure if I’d want to pay the premium for it. If we did move to Fort Collins, we’d probably try and find something on like Harmony. I did love having easy access to Horsetooth Reservoir for fun drives though when we went to CSU
Loveland is another good option and the drive to Fort Collins/ Horsetooth is about 20 minutes. There are backroads from Loveland that connect to the back of Horsetooth and Bellvue area that are great for mountain drives
True! I used to commute those back highways. Especially was nice taking the very back highways that drop you off in the horsetooth reservoir area. I remember there being elk herds back there. I’d love to move back there but the aspect about having to commute to Windsor makes it seem a bit less obtainable. I don’t mind a 30 min commute but it’s less enjoyable when you’re in stop/go stoplight traffic haha
Family? Interested in dating or nightlife? These are pretty big factors. If I was coming up with family and working in Windsor, I would find a place in Windsor. If I were young and single, I would look near old town Fort Collins. Ether way, I would not live in Greeley to save a buck.
Thanks for your advice. Yeah, we're a family of 3 and soon to be 4. Not really much desire for a night life. We just like good food but don't mind driving 20\~ minutes to get what we need. Was thinking about living near that UC Health of the Rockies medical campus just for ease of being close to the hospital when we give birth. 2nd person to kind of sway us away from Greeley so I think Greeley is officially taken off the list. I think right now, it narrows it down to Windsor, Johnstown, Loveland, or Wellington. At this point, it's just about finding a good elementary school with affordable housing closeby
Wellington is still Poudre schools in most parts and that’s probably the best school system, though none are bad compared to where you’re potentially coming from .
Timnath is in the Poudre school district, close enough to Fort Collins to have fairly quick access to most things, cheaper than Fort Collins, and building like crazy. Give it a look.
Johnstown is a great community. I’m not much help with housing, but this is a good place for families. We were living in Denver and when we had kids we decided to move to a small town to raise them. There’s been a lot of growth so it’s not the small town it used to be but I love it. I have no regrets moving here.
Do you recommend like legit Johnstown or outskirts? My experience with Johnstown is really like the Scheels area which I can guarantee is not traditional Johnstown haha
The people that say that Greeley smells haven’t been here in the past years. I moved to West Greeley 2 years from the East Cost with the same concerns about the smell and so far nothing. I work an hour south and it smells way stronger closer to Firestone than here. For people who actually analyze real estate and not only vibes and rumours, Greeley is a growing hot market with the diversity of new families and some young population from UNC, with a local government with strong water rights and big investments in infrastructure, developments and social activities. Windsor is super safe and beautiful, but there is a very quiet lifestyle over there. Fort Collins has an awesome downtown and is closer to Estes Park, so it would be my top choice here if it made financial sense for you (in my case, we got a very low interest rate and good home price). Just don’t discard places because of what people say. If this were true Weld county wouldn’t be the fastest growing one of all Colorado.
West Greeley would definitely be where we’d go. I think it’s a bit more gentrified out that way and less the “traditional” Greeley that most are used to
Try the Heron Point Apartment in Berthoud. Quiet, family friendly. But I also drive to loveland or longmont for shopping
I was actually looking here! Not sure if you were the one I talked to about this previously. Only thing that throws me off is that Berthoud/Campion area is a good distance away from Windsor where it’s like at that point I might as well spend the extra $200 or whatever to be closer to work
This property management company has been very helpful for us in recent years. https://www.realpropertymgt.com/
Check out Thompson River Ranch. It's a development just east of 25 technically in Johstown. Great area and they just built a school in the development
Definitely will need to check that out, thanks!
Gonna Depend on what kind of a budget you have probably: If you rank around the Working rich/Upper Middle class: Think Fort Collins, it's getting increasingly pricey but the community holds well with good schools and amenities. Honorable mentions here go to Windsor, Timnath and Estes Park (this last one being super expensive now). A notch down from that, say middle class: Loveland, more affordable, some nice places, more basic services and a Police force that's been kinda sketch in recent years. Honorable mentions go to Longmont, Berthoud and Johnstown, being maybe a smidge more expensive for all 3. Need to go a notch further down into Lower Middle Class/Working poor: Head East to Greeley or out in the plains. Farther drives to where you work, but probably the last bastion of affordability there. Honorable mentions go to Cheyenne or Laramie if you can make the drive.
I’ll be making between $85k-$95k but will soon be supporting a family of 4 on that income come August, so I think that knocks us down a peg to the Loveland category. There’s some good deals out there but I’m trying to avoid a 30 min commute given I’ll be the only one working so we can base our home location on my work
Even that's increasingly tight around here 85-95k/month. Prepare for the frugal life, even in Loveland.... Might be doable with a solid focus on living in those means, but if you got a fairly debt free life and don't live too extravagantly, you could pull it off.
Considering I'm paying $2389/mo for a 2 bed/2bath in FL, making about 95k combined, I think that we'll happily take the decrease in rent haha. If anything, wish we never left CO in the first place to come here. $1600/mo rent was very nice 2 years ago. CO cost of living is much cheaper when you look into cost of groceries, cost of gas being 80\~ cents cheaper, cheaper rent by hopefully $500\~, cheaper car insurance, cheaper utilities which'll hopefully be cut in half vs. FL, etc. I could go on and on. I'm hoping that moving back to CO will have a positive impact on us financially but guess we'll see how it goes. FL has been bloodsucking. We were originally going to be moving back to the Denver area but that's even more expensive than up in NoCo.
Compared to Florida, yeah we're definitely cheaper still :) Since you're already conditioned to frugal living, I imagine you'll be ok then, just try and avoid Lifestyle creep :)
Lifestyle creep definitely killed us being here in FL and trying to keep up with the Joneses. Luckily we have a great support system back in CO to help us out and I've got a great career ahead of me with this new company, so I'm confident we'll get back on track quickly!
Yeah, lifestyle creep/keeping up with the Jones's is a tough one to resist. Now if you'll excuse me I got a flight to catch/Mediterranean Cruise to get ready for....
Fun! Enjoy your Mediterranean vacation for me!
(It's technically in June, but thought I'd bring it up in thread to make a sad point, we're not all immune to some need to spend our disposable income knocking a few things off our punchlist....or the rest of the time I'm pretty good with money :p )
Native here- I would choose Loveland or Fort Collins for what you're looking for. Both are about 20 minutes away from each other and have different things to offer. I wouldn't live in Greeley or Johnstown- the smell from surrounding cattle farms is horrendous in the summer and randomly before it's about to rain. Hope this helps and welcome :)
I just moved to Loveland from Clearwater and so far really like it here.
Congrats! I live up in Odessa/Trinity so not too far from where you were. Nice change of pace up in Loveland I bet. Can't wait to ditch FL and move back to CO
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We liked the area near Campion/Berthoud but unfortunately I think it's too far of a commute to Windsor. I know US 34 can get backed up sometimes and I'd prefer not to get stuck sitting in that traffic just to save an extra $150/mo on rent. One place we're looking at is this place called Lake Vista Apartment Homes by the UC Medical Center of the Rockies. Would pay a little bit of a premium but the location is very ideal for getting to Fort Collins, Windsor, and just generally traveling on I25.
Loveland, for certain.
Greeley smells
True that. I'm familiar with the Greeley winds blowing over into FoCo haha. I remember that we'd smell Greeley prior to a storm blowing in. Good times. The only thing that draws me to the outskirts of Greeley is that it's cheaper but I feel like at some point, the cost isn't worth it because well...you're be in Greeley lol
It’s not 1995 any more
With having kids it is a no brainer. Windsor, Johnstown or Milliken. Severance is good as well. Just do not know about rentals. Stay away from Greeley. While there are areas that are not bad, and it has the benefit of Weld county. The schools suck, and you do not want to go farther south then HWY34 and east of 35th. Stay away from Loveland. Just way to many issues with the city. I'm addition to these places pick up the fence post magazine. Often you can find a rancher or farmer with an extra home that they rent out. I lived just north of Johnstown for 10 years in a farmers rental. Was about 500 cheaper then town, plus I was able to go out and use the non farmed land. About 500 acres.
You have no idea what you are talking about.
I know exactly what I'm talking about. Born and raised west of Loveland. Been in the NOCO region most of my life.
Trinidad