Northern Colorado offers such a wide variety of topography available for you to call home. Many people prefer to live in town, with close proximity to all the shopping and conveniences. The mountains are visible throughout Fort Collins, so if you prefer to be a "flatlander" as they're called, but enjoy views of the Rockies, this is probably the right choice for you.

Be aware that as you move north towards Wellington, or east towards Windsor, the mountains are more distant and the views are not as prominent. The mountains are captivating on a clear day (of which there are many here), but can quickly be obscured with any haze or cloud cover.

The foothills are a perfect blend of rural living while still being close to the conveniences of the city. Areas such as Bellvue, Laporte, Masonville, and west Berthoud are great examples of these foothill areas. Property values are lower per square foot, while lot sizes can be substantially larger with 1-5 acre parcels being common. There are communities both with HOAs and without HOAs in these areas, so you can find the perfect fit for your desired lifestyle.

Living in these areas makes it easy to have horses and other farm animals, and truly enjoy the serenity of life in the west. The tradeoff, of course, is that you're farther from town. In these areas, it's generally 15-30 minutes to get to the grocery store or shopping centers. But if your desire is to live with less traffic, very little noise, and spectacular views of the mountains and the city, then definitely consider our foothill communities!

Living farther out, and truly being in the mountains is not for everyone. It is idyllic in many ways, but requires a level of DIY ability, and a willingness to be more self-sustaining. Having a second home in the mountains is one way people can get a taste of what life is like in the mountains, and many decide to transition to full-time mountain living. My family has personally transitioned from growing up in the city to living full-time in the mountains, and I'll have a dedicated page to mountain living for those that are interested. It is absolutely worth it! But, honesty compels me to say that it is a challenge to adapt and requires sacrificing convenience, to be sure.

When you've been a Realtor for as long as I have, you hear tons of horror stories about homeowner's associations (HOAs). Many clients I've worked with are adamant that their next home not be in an HOA community. That is absolutely understandable; and, for many people, those associations impose too many rules for you to use your home and land as you desire.

Regardless of whether you want to live in town, the foothills, or up in the mountains, rest assured there are options with and without HOAs in all these areas. So, again, you can find the perfect place to be at home.

If you're moving from a warmer climate where snow was rare or non-existent, one major thing to keep in mind when deciding on the HOA question is snow removal. For instance, in the foothills and mountain communities where snowfall can come in feet at a time, the question of "who plows the roads" becomes critical. If you're in a non-HOA community and you get 2 feet of snow overnight, are you counting on a friendly neighbor to be at home, healthy, and willing to plow you out before you need to head in for work? Or do you want to own a $15,000+ tractor just for these occasions?

Many communities that have HOAs in the more remote areas are setup primarily to handle things like snow removal, trash collection, and sometimes water and sewer needs, while rules about how you use your property are generally less restrictive than you would find in town. So remember to temper any desire to completely leave an HOA community if you're wanting to be in a rural or mountain community. As I have the opportunity to understand your goals and needs, we can have a conversation about what's right for your specific situation.

Each of our various regions has its own set of amenities. So it's important for you to know what types of things you want to live close to, as it may influence whether you choose to be in town, the foothills, or even a mountain community.

Being in town, whether Fort Collins, Wellington, Windsor, Loveland, Greeley, or any of the surrounding communities, means easy access to public parks, living near schools, libraries, multiple grocery stores, shopping centers, maybe near a college campus, hundreds of restaurants, and on and on the list could go. Just like any major city, the Fort Collins area has it all!

However, if you're an outdoor enthusiast and want quick, easy access to mountain hiking/biking trails, equestrian activities, farmstands, quaint cafes, less traffic, breathtaking night skies, campgrounds, lakes, rivers and streams, or if you value quiet as an amenity, then you'll definitely want to be looking in the foothills or possibly the mountain communities.

If commute times are important to you, then let's look at what you can expect depending on several different scenarios.

For a person that works in Fort Collins, let's say on Harmony Rd in one of the many healthcare or technology areas there, what will your commute be like from surrounding areas?

Well, if you choose to live north of Fort Collins near the town center of Wellington, you could expect about a 20 minute commute on a typical morning (about 15 minutes during midday). From the town center of Windsor, expect about 25 minutes for the same commute, despite being closer. From Loveland, a short 12 mile commute could take you upwards of 35 minutes! That's not any longer than if you live in the rural community of Bellvue, at about the same 35 minutes. Go all the way to the mountain communities of Livermore, near Red Feather Lakes, and you're looking at about a 50 minute to 1 hour commute (not much different than a normal drive to town from those mountain communities).

Working down closer to Denver, let's say in the town of Thornton (just north of Denver on I-25), you could make the commute from Wellington in an average of 1 hour. From Windsor, expect about 1 hour to 1:10, again, despite being closer. From Loveland, expect 40 minutes to 1 hour. And, from rural Bellvue, expect 1:05 to 1:25.

All of that to say, don't limit your search to one particular area because distance-wise it's closer to where you'll be working. In many cases, you can live in several locations and still make it to work in the same amount of time.

In fact, we have neighbors that moved from Loveland all the way up to Livermore because the commute time would only be 5 minutes different, but from Livermore there is no traffic and the views are incredible!

If you're moving to Colorado from out-of-state, especially an east coast or midwest state, you'll want to at least have a cursory knowledge of water rights issues that exist in Colorado (and most western states). When I moved here from Florida, water had never been an issue. If you wanted to build a house, you got a quick permit, dug a well about 100 feet or so through the sand and limestone and you were set. But, when we got ready to build in Colorado, all of a sudden, water leapt to the forefront of the discussions and the cost to access it in many areas we were considering was prohibitive!

Water rights issues date back well over 100 years in the west, when farmers had to protect their water for crops and livestock from new people and developments moving in upstream from their locations. Water from the mountains here doesn't just flow to Colorado, but also flows both east and west to many other states. So, protecting and allocating that resource has a major impact on a large portion of the country.

I'm not qualified to give you all the legalities of water rights... in fact, there are attorneys who do nothing but water rights cases. In short, if you're considering building a home in this wonderful state, I can give you some specific guidance on what to watch out for, who to talk to, and a ballpark of what it may cost to get access to water for your build. It can cost as little as $4500 to well over $80,000 depending on where you're building and what options exist there.

If you're buying a home, you'll want to have a working knowledge of the different types of sewage systems that exist, and understand the pros and cons in order to make an informed decision. Not understanding a septic system, and its current condition for example, can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs down the road. However, understanding the simplicity of a septic system and its proper maintenance, can inversely save you thousands of dollars over the years.

If you're considering building a home, you'll need to know what your options are for sewage. In town, you'll almost always be required to connect to the public sewage system. It's easy and convenient, though not necessarily inexpensive. Rural areas will typically have septic systems. These are not difficult to install, but can get quite expensive for leach fields with new, stricter government and health department requirements. Costs of $30,000 are not uncommon, though they can often be less.

If you're in the mountain communities, septic systems are also quite common. However, some areas due to water table levels and other environmental factors may require a sealed vault system. Vaults are basically a large septic tank without the leach field. The sewage goes into the tank and once full, has to be pumped by a qualified sanitation company. The cost of the pumping can run $300, and depending on the number of people in the house and your usage habits, could be needed every 4-8 weeks.

A few mountain communities have hybrid systems in place that can provide substantial cost savings and provide the benefits of full septic systems.

Coloradans love our winter sports, and the beauty of a snow covered landscape! But, with the fun and the beauty comes a lot of responsibility and understanding. As I mentioned in the HOA section, knowing who is responsible for plowing the roads after a big snow storm is critical. Most HOAs provide plowing of the neighborhood roads out to the main road or highway. But, even in those communities, you're responsible for shoveling or plowing your own driveway.

And, most municipalities also require that owners clear the sidewalks that cross their property, many stipulating that it must be done within 24 hours or you can face fines. That's right! If you're on vacation and it snows, you need to have a snow removal service or a neighbor on standby that can clear your sidewalks and driveway, or you may get fined.

Most of our winter snows in Northern Colorado are dry and very powdery. That makes them extremely lightweight! So, shoveling really doesn't require much effort, even to clear 8-10 inches. In the springtime or early fall, snowstorms can produce very wet snow, which packs and sticks together much easier. This in turn makes it quite a bit heavier, and shoveling can be a lot more challenging. Especially if it's had time to pack down a little bit. These fall and spring snows are closer to what a lot of easterners experience all winter. The nice thing in Colorado is that the winter snows are much dryer and easier to manage.

New state laws also require that your vehicle be equipped with rated snow or snow and mud tires, and/or that you carry chains depending on where your travels take you. Road conditions, generally, are fine even during periods of snow. The state and county road crews do an outstanding job or preparing the roads prior to storms, and clearing them during and after snowfall. However, surprise storms or storms heavier than expected can and do occur and can sometimes cause ice and slippery road conditions. Taking a driving course specific to winter driving is a great idea, and these are offered in some mountain communities.

Again, if you're moving from out of state, another thing you'll want to consider when buying a home or property on which to build, is the orientation of the driveway and garage area. There can be a difference of a week or more in how quickly snow will melt from a driveway that slopes slightly south, versus one that is flat, versus one that has a slight northward slant. And, if your property is on the north or east side of a hill or mountain, you can pretty well expect to have snowfall stick for the duration of the winter and well into spring.

At our home, our driveway is flat, but we intentionally sloped it just a hair to the south. Snow usually melts within 1-2 days if the sun is out, even if temps are below freezing. Our next door neighbor has a driveway that angles ever so slightly to the north as his property slopes towards ours. His driveway will stay snow covered for several days to maybe a week. In fact, there is a sharp line along our property line where the snow stays or melts as the slope changes right at that point.

If your dream home has a driveway that is likely to stay covered in snow, simple solution is to buy a snowblower! It will make short work of clearing your driveway and any sidewalks.

If you live west of Interstate 25, you can expect wildlife to be part of life in Colorado. And, if you live west of highway 287, you can definitely expect to encounter wildlife fairly regularly. Above all, common sense in dealing with wildlife will keep you safe. Keeping 100 yards between you and the animal will almost always keep you safe. Animals are not prone to attacking humans, and generally want no part of being around you. Given the opportunity, they'll shy away from getting too close.

Remember that it is against the law to feed wild animals. Though it may seem fun, there are many stories of neighbors who feed the bears and other large game, only to find out the animals don't understand why you stopped. That creates nuisance animals who break into homes, cars, and other structures in search of food. In many cases, these animals have to be put down. So, please, don't feed wildlife! Let them stay wild.

In Northern Colorado, you can expect to have fairly frequent sightings of mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, magpies, eagles, red foxes, marmots, coyotes, and more! You'll also see, somewhat less frequently, bison, bears, moose, and maybe a fleeting glimpse of a wolf!

Coloradans love their outdoor activities. In fact, over 35% of the land in the state is protected public land! Colorado hosts 11 national forests. In Northern Colorado, those forests include the Arapaho National Forest, the Roosevelt National Forest, and the Routt National Forest. Visit my Summer Activities and Winter Activities pages for a list of some of the many things you can do year-round to enjoy your outdoor areas!