We all know that Fort Collins is a great place to live, and this is why it can be challenging to find a home that has everything you are looking for at a price you can afford. Nonetheless, it’s still a great time to buy a home in the Choice City. Colorado Real Estate Pros has put together a few reasons why now is the perfect time to buy your dream home here in Northern Colorado. Prices are Plateauing
Even though we’ve seen home prices skyrocket in the last couple of years in Northern Colorado, the market seems to be stabilizing. Home prices are leveling off which is a good thing for home buyers. This means that home values won’t unexpectedly drop off or crash any time soon. While many homes are still going at or above the asking price, the cost-to-value ratio is as good as it has ever been. Interest Rates are Still Low We’ve seen record low interest rates over the past 24 months, and it’s a great time to pick up a fixed long term loan before the rates go back up. On top of this, there are many programs that can help buyers come up with the down payment on a home. Along with other programs, the City of Fort Collins has Home Buyer Assistance (HBA) that can reduce your down payment to as low as 3% down. Newer Neighborhoods are Abundant While it can be tempting to want to buy in an established area of town, often times you will pay the same price for a home near old town or mid town that you would for a brand new home in one of the many blossoming developments around Fort Collins. Sure, having a home closer to the middle of town can mean convenience, but if you are willing to be on the outskirts of Fort Collins, you can get a great home at a great price. Some areas that are north of town or southeast of town are offering affordable homes that are brand new. Surrounding Areas are growing This piggy-backs on the point above, but many of the surrounding areas including Windsor, Wellington, and Timnath are growing rapidly, and offering gorgeous homes that are lower in cost to similar homes inside the city limits of Fort Collins. Loveland is also growing, and offers generally lower prices that Fort Collins. For this reason, it could behoove you to expand your search outside Fort Collins. As long as you don’t mind a little bit of a commute, these places can be great options when looking for a home in Northern Colorado. To learn more about listing your home or your home buying options in Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, Greeley, Windsor, and throughout Northern Colorado, call me at 970-342-3568 or visit www.coloradorepros.com today. Colorado Real Estate Pros 6407 Compton Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-342-3568 Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter See our Google+ page Find us on Pinterest View our Youtube Videos
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Landmark Properties is building out 1200 new student apartments off West Prospect and Lake Street, just across from the new on-campus stadium at Colorado State University.
Why is this significant? Because these is sure to be the newest, nicest apartment complexes that are close to campus and the new digs of CSU Rams football. The details – The project will consist of 3 new complexes, the largest one called ‘The Standard’, and should be open for residency the same time as the opening of the new stadium, in the fall of 2017. With CSU and Fort Collins growing year after year, this is a very important development in the maturity of the city, especially close to campus. To find out more, visit this link here: http://www.coloradoan.com/story/money/business/2016/08/22/housing-projects-would-add-1100-students-near-campus/89100606/ To learn more about homes that are for sale in your area, reach out to me at www.coloradorepros.com or by calling 970-342-3568. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter See our Google+ page Find us on Pinterest Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Here’s some tips to help homebuyers get the most out of their money when it comes to buying a home.
1. Get ready to write a few letters. Because of the multiple bidding wars that are taking place on quite a few homes in the Northern Colorado area, buyers are writing multiple letters to sellers letting them know why they would be a good fit to buy their home. Some sellers want to get the most out of their sale, while some want a great family to buy their home and live there for a very long time. Think about your story and why it would appeal to a seller. This could be the difference in you buying the home that you have your heart set on. 2. Think about newer neighborhoods. We love seeing neighborhoods with mature trees as much as the next person, but newer, less established neighborhoods will be a little easier to find a better deal in than something in, for example, Old Town. If you are looking strictly in Fort Collins, consider new construction or a neighborhood a little off the beaten path. If you are willing to move your search outside of Fort Collins into Windsor, Loveland or Wellington, you will have many more options. 3. Look for short sales or foreclosures. Homes like this are a rare find in Northern Colorado, but they are out there. If you can stomach doing some major renovation work on a home, or you have the ability to wait a long time to find that diamond in the rough, you might be able to come in a little under your buying budget. Cash is a better option, but you can still get into a short sale or foreclosure by financing. 4. Be ready to act quickly! If you have the ability to close quickly and can make fast decisions, you will increase your chances of buying a home. We have seen a lot of buyers take their time, and lose a home in the process. Get your ducks in a row, and be able to make a confident decision when it comes to buying. 5. Work with a realtor. Many people try the For Sale by Owner route, and it rarely works out well. Realtors have your best interests in mind, will be able to advise you on the things you need to know, and will help you get the transaction completed quickly. For any help with your home buying or home selling in the Northern Colorado area, give me a call today at 970-342-3568. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter See our Pinterest Page Find us on Google+ Choosing the top 10 reasons to live anywhere in Northern Colorado is not an easy task. Since we have had the good fortune to live here for almost 20 years, we think we have a good idea about the best reasons why Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and the surrounding areas is so greatly appreciated. This is our best crack, and we welcome any comments or topics of discussion.
1. Fort Collins is home to some of the best microbreweries not only in the US, but in the world. Not only is New Belgium located in Fort Collins, but you can find Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins Brewery, and many other fantastic small craft breweries located in the city limits. For more info visit this brewery tour site. 2. The people .If you haven't visited Northern Colorado lately, one of the best parts of our region is the people. When you walk down the street in Loveland, you will be greeted with a smile from people who realize how great it is to live in Colorado. We are lucky to live in a state where people are genuinely happy. 3. The outdoors. We don't want to so broadly categorize this, but there's enough hiking to the west of Fort Collins and Loveland to keep you in the mountains for a while, bike trails that go for days, and a few lakes and reservoirs to enjoy boating on. 4. The grub. Fort Collins has more restaurants per capita than anywhere in the United States. Yeah, we have mentioned this before, but we feel it's worth saying again. From Old Town to south Fort Collins all the way to Loveland and Greeley, you can find some of the best food west of the Mississippi. 5. The foliage. Fort Collins has been previously called 'Tree City USA' by the Arbor Day Foundation. There's just a few trees lining such streets as Mountain Avenue, which brings us to the topic below. 6. Mountain Avenue. If you have never driven from Old town all the way west on Mountain Avenue, you're missing out on a spectacular drive. The tree lined street boasts spectacular homes, some built before 1900. If you're lucky enough, you can even ride the trolley from City Park to Old Town for some Walrus Ice Cream! 7. Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins. For all the former Rams (like me) who love CSU, you know how fantastic the university here is, and for those who have never been here, you might want to think about visiting! 8. The city of Loveland has been named one of the top 10 best cities to live in throughout the United States (Westword, 2015). Long known for it's proximity to Fort Collins, Loveland is becoming a destination for many to move to. 9. Breathtaking scenery. If you hike to the top of Horsetooth rock, you can see for miles in all directions, and looking over Fort Collins and down into Loveland never ceases to amaze us. 10. The climate. Visitors sometimes think of Colorado as a cold weather state because of the mountains, and the elevation. Truth be told, there are 4 distinct seasons, and although it might snow one day, you still might be able to run outside the very next day. With over 300 days of sunshine a year, Northern Colorado is one of the best places to live because of the weather. Now that we've rattled off our top ten reasons for living in CO, what are yours? Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter See our Pinterest Page Find us on Google+ Living in Colorado is very desirable. We have known this for a very long time, and as the population explodes throughout our state, many more people are also realizing the same. Loveland, Fort Collins, Windsor, and Greeley are experiencing a significant incline in home prices as a result. As demand for anything grows, so does the price of housing. As of the first quarter of 2016, and according to IRES, the median home price in Larimer, Weld, Broomfield and Boulder Counties combined was $334,250. This figure is up almost a full 8% since the first quarter of 2015. See the link here from BizWest. Clearly we are seeing a huge uptick in home values throughout Colorado, and this has been expected by realtors all over Northern Colorado including Fort Collins, Loveland, and Windsor. We are also seeing cash offers nearly quadruple since the start of 2015. As investors are realizing the time is ripe to buy property in Northern Colorado, many more homes are going up for rent as a result.
That said, families are still able to get into homes in Northern Colorado for under $350,000. Whether you are looking for a single family home, condo, townhome or apartment, there are still many options out there for you. Just this week, we had two condos go under contract for under $180,000, and have some listings coming up for just over $350,000. When we work with buyers, we want to make sure to inform them of all their options in the low inventory market that we are currently in. Where you find your perfect home depends on your search parameters. Are you looking for a specific area like Old Town or Parkwood? If that’s the case, you might have to be a little more patient. If you are flexible, and you’re just looking for a great home in a great location, then you’re in luck. Northern Colorado, whether it’s Fort Collins, Windsor, or Loveland, has some of the best neighborhoods throughout the United States, and finding a home in a desirable location, despite the low inventory, is still very achievable. If you are considering buying or selling a home in Northern Colorado, we would love to be the realtor that you consult throughout the process. Give Brad a call today at 970-342-3568 or visit www.coloradorepros.com to learn more about us. Thanks! Brad Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn See our Google+ Page Find us on Pinterest Over the next two weeks, we will have 5 listings going on the market in Loveland, CO. While we're based in Fort Collins, we have sold more homes in Loveland than anywhere else in the last 2 years. Maybe it's because of the inventory that Loveland can offer, or the fact that Loveland is becoming more of a destination for families in Colorado. We think it's becoming an alternative to Fort Collins when people and families grow tired of the bidding wars that come with looking for property in Choice City.
Some great reasons to live in Loveland: 1. The proximity to Fort Collins, Windsor, Berthoud, and the rest of Northern Colorado. In Loveland, you're simply closer to Denver, you have access to more lakes than Fort Collins (Boyd, Horseshoe, Boedecker, etc.), and can still get to the Poudre Canyon in about 30-40 minutes. 2. The shopping. While Fort Collins has just opened up the newly redesigned and fantastic The Plaza at Foothills Mall, Loveland has Centerra, which gives you anything from shopping to restaurants to a movie theater, and plenty of attractions for the kiddos. Don't forget about the Outlet shops at Loveland as well. 3. Loveland has landed on Westword's list for Ten Best Cities to live in for Colorado Families (courtesy Westword, 2015). We've known this for a while, but Loveland is growing at a rapid rate, and has offered young families a small community feel with an abundance of amenities. 4. Loveland has actually been named as one of the best places to live in the entire country by Money Magazine. 5. The low unemployment rate, combined with a greater number of jobs being offered by employers gives Loveland the growth stability for years to come. Some more things that we love about Loveland? The golf courses - Mariana Butte is our favorite, but the Olde Course at Loveland is also a must play, and is centrally located in Loveland. The lakes - we mentioned above Horseshoe Lake, Boedecker Reservoir, and Boyd Lake. There is also Lake Loveland which has a nice swim beach, Carter Lake, and many smaller lakes that you can canoe and kayak around at will. To learn more about why you should consider moving to Loveland, CO, give me a call at 970-342-3568 today, or visit this page here: http://www.coloradorepros.com/loveland.html Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter See our Pinterest Page Follow us on Google+ See our LinkedIn Page Why you should consider Berthoud as a viable option!For those of you living in Fort Collins, you clearly know that your Real Estate search is much more difficult than it was even two years ago. Less inventory, more expensive home prices, and the competition that just gets fiercer and fiercer every single year. We hope that you don't interpret this post as telling you not to look for a home to buy in Fort Collins. Rather, we hope that you look at this post and realize that there are other options that may be a bit easier both on your psyche and your wallet.
We spoke a bit about Johnstown in our last post, because we have been seeing more and more families look for affordable housing just south of Fort Collins. While we love living in the Fort, and will do whatever we can to help our real estate clients find the perfect dream home up here in Choice City, we have been getting quite a few requests to see some homes in the Berthoud area. What do you know about Berthoud? We spend a lot of time there, from our involvement with Berthoud athletes, and of course as a sponsor of the Berthoud Sports Hall of Fame. Up until about two years ago, we had only sold a handful of homes in Berthoud, as we stayed around Loveland and Fort Collins pretty exclusively. But Berthoud has become one of our favorite cities, for a number of reasons. 1. Berthoud is a town of about 6,000 people, and it has an incredible small town feel to it. You won't find anyone in a hurry unless they are wizzing by on Highway 287, which is very accessible and close to downtown Berthoud. 2. The schools. Berthoud has two elementary schools - Ivy Stockwell Elementary, and Berthoud Elementary. Turner Middle School provides the education for the 6th-8th graders, and Berthoud High School takes care of everything through a student's senior year. 3. The proximity to everything in Northern Colorado. Berthoud is just minutes from Loveland, and about 35 minutes from downtown Fort Collins. Denver is easily reachable in under an hour via I-25, and Longmont is just 20 minutes south of Berthoud on CO 287. 4. There are some very nice new construction housing developments being built in and around Berthoud currently, and the PGA Tour just broke ground on a TPC golf course, to open up in 2018! We couldn't be more excited to offer our Real Estate services in Berthoud, CO, and if you would like to schedule a consultation to get started with your home search in Berthoud, just give me a call at 970-342-3568. You can view our web page about Berthoud here: www.coloradorepros.com/berthoud.html Find us on LinkedIn Colorado Real Estate Pros on Twitter Like us on Facebook See our Youtube Videos Colorado Real Estate Pros on Google+ Colorado Real Estate Pros 6407 Compton Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-342-3568 www.coloradorepros.com With all the publicity that Fort Collins is getting for the jump in home prices, and the shortage in inventory, we’ve seen quite a few of our clients look in other cities throughout Northern Colorado for their home needs.
Because of this, we have been helping families buy and sell in cities like Berthoud, Windsor, and Johnstown where there is more inventory, and more new construction projects currently than Fort Collins. We have received some great feedback on Berthoud and Johnstown, so wanted to share that with our readers. We’ll focus on Johnstown in this post, and highlight why we think the city is such a great place to move to. Johnstown is located about 30 minutes south of Fort Collins, and about 50 minutes north of Downtown Denver, both via I-25. The population is just north of 12,000, and the city is growing rapidly due to new construction projects, and because of the great small town feel. Schools: Johnstown is home to the following schools. -High Schools - Roosevelt High School is the only high school within the city limits of Johnstown. -Middle Schools – Johnstown utilizes Milliken Middle School, located just outside of the Johnstown city limits in neighboring Milliken, CO. -Johnstown has two elementary schools, Letford Elementary, and Pioneer Ridge Elementary. -Johnstown is also home to Knowledge Quest Academy, a charter K-8 school. To learn more about the Johnstown school district, follow this link here: http://www.townofjohnstown.com/79/Schools Johnstown is a fantastic small city in a great location in Northern Colorado. To learn more about living in Johnstown, click the link below, or give me a call at 970-342-3568 and we can discuss buying a home in this fantastic town! http://www.coloradorepros.com/johnstown.html Find Colorado Real Estate Pros on Twitter Like us on Facebook Colorado Real Estate Pros Google+ See our Youtube Channel Find us on LinkedIn We don't think there's much of a debate when it comes to whether you should rent or own real estate, but we still get asked all the time if it's worth a buyer's time to own a home. Some of the biggest gripes is that you need to pay for upgrades, fixes, and multiple other things when you are the homeowner, versus simply having someone else pay for, say, a new washer and dryer if you are simply renting. Why you should Buy a Home!We want to make sure we educate as many people or families as possible on why buying is still the best investment you can make. Some points are below, and remember that we're mostly talking about the Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, and Northern Colorado region.
1. Home values are going nowhere but up. According to this post about Northern Colorado Real Estate Projections, home values are going to double within the next ten years, and we think that could even happen within the next five to seven years. Prices are peaking, which means that your home value is only going to help your total investment in the future. Some people think that buying a home is not an investment, but we couldn't disagree more. You are building equity, and if you are smart enough to buy or you already own a home in Fort Collins or Northern Colorado, you are building a nice little next egg for the future. 2. Even if you have to do some minor or major fixes in or around your home over the next few years, consider this. Every single mortgage payment you are making pays off some of the principal of your home loan. So, say you are starting out on a 30 year fixed rate, and you are currently paying $1200/month for your mortgage. Every single payment you make, you are making money on your investment, even if you are paying interest. And the value of your home is rising. You might be thinking 'This water heater is going to set me back a thousand bucks, and I don't have that right now'. But think about what you are gaining by owning a home. The positives outweigh the negatives, and it's not even close. 3. You have control. Even if you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, you still have the right to do with your home what you want to. Don't like the paint color? You can repaint. Don't like the way your roof looks? You can replace it. Don't like the deck in your backyard? You can rebuild or repair it. Nobody is telling you not to fix up your home because you own it. 4. You can always sell. And in the current market here in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, and throughout Northern Colorado, most homes are flying off the shelves very quickly. If you need to upgrade because your family is growing, we can help you find a home that you can grow with. If you're looking for more land, we can help with that as well. The average price of a home in Northern Colorado is rising exponentially every year, so you have a leg up when it comes to selling. 5. Tax benefits. Renting gives you very little or no tax benefits. Owning gives you the interest deduction yearly on your taxes, which can help you when it comes to Uncle Sam trying to collect your hard earned money. Make sure you check with your accountant to be sure of what is deductible, but your interest, property taxes, and some of the costs of buying a home are going to save you some money come tax time. 6. Lastly, owning a home gives you the freedom and stability that you won't have if you are renting. These may be the two most important factors to us because, with the rising costs of rent, you are most likely paying less to own a home than you would to rent a 2-4 bedroom home in Fort Collins. To learn more about buying or selling your home, visit www.coloradorepros.com or call me today at 970-342-3568. Find Colorado Real Estate Pros on Twitter Like us on Facebook Colorado Real Estate Pros Google+ See our Youtube Channel Find us on LinkedIn ![]() We have a few clients who move to Colorado from out of state, and since we're in Aruba at the moment, we thought it would be a great time to discuss what needs to happen when you are closing on a new Northern Colorado home from a different state or country! First, if you are closing on a home in Colorado, or you are closing on a home in another state, always check the state laws for Realtors so you know exactly what to do when faced with this situation. We can help you navigate the mountain of paperwork that is needed for all Real Estate closings, but for your own peace of mind, make sure that you know every step of the process. Your responsibility as a home buyer or seller is to apprise all parties of your intentions to close remotely. This would include your mortgage lender, your title company, of course your Realtor, and all other parties involved in the transaction. If you would rather give power of attorney to a person or company of your choosing, that can be arranged prior to the closing. They would of course need to be in close contact with your Realtor, title company, and lender to insure everyone is on the same page. Some other things to keep in the front of your mind: 1. Make sure that you know how you or another party will deliver the closing documents on the day of closing. If you are faxing them from out of state, you may be required to provide a notary on the documents, so check on that before hand. Docusign can suffice for some documents (but not Purchase or Sale documents), so check what documents require an actual or e-signature. 2. Any money that is required to close on the home must be either wired or given to a power of attorney to present at the closing. It's highly recommended to make this your first priority, as if you don't have a check or wire to present at closing, the transaction has a high probability of falling through. 3. If you are signing any closing documents that require an actual signature (versus a faxed document), make sure to overnight any documents to your title company or power of attorney. If you have any questions about closing remotely, simply contact me and I can speak with you about how it's properly done. I look forward to helping you buy or sell your home in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado! |
AuthorI'm Brad, owner of Colorado Real Estate Pros. This blog will talk more about my day-to-day as a Fort Collins Realtor, and my life as well. Enjoy! Archives
February 2024
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