Old Town Square Renovation

Fort Collin’s Old Town Square is one of the most desired and frequented spots in our city for locals and tourists alike. This unique atmosphere provides entertainment, shopping, and dining for anyone and everyone. Because Old Town is such a vital asset to Fort Collins, the Downtown Development Authority has decided to renovate The Square. This particular area of Old Town Fort Collins has received substantial wear and tear over the last 30 years creating much reason to renovate and modernize the highly trafficked area.   

The existing stage will be reconstructed and will include rear storage. The layout will consist of a pedestrian circulation zone including; an enlarged children’s’ play area, interactive water features, a fireplace feature, central art, and sign as well as additional flower beds. Project costs are expected to be $2.86 million and the majority of the renovation should be complete in August 2015 in time for the annual NewWestFest. 

Various activities will be held during the renovation and shops and businesses will continue to operate as normal. To learn more about the renovation as well as events taking place in the Square, visit http://www.downtownfortcollins.org/renovation.html. 

Bingham Hill and Bellvue Video Tour

Here is my first foray into the world of posting video.  My goal is to try and give you a feel for the area and provide some useful background information.  In this first video I ramble about the area you can see from the top of Bingham Hill.  I believe the video was shot in February but I can't remember the exact date. 

I will post some additional footage from this trip and try to keep the videos rolling.  If you have a specific area you would like me to highlight, just let me know.

The video was shot using an Ipad Mini, so pardon the image and sound quality.

Morning Run on Mountain

Sometimes the celestial bodies line up just so during one particular time of the year.  I believe it was last week, when I was out for a morning run on Mountain Ave and I saw this....

Nope, not the trolley coming at me.  The sunrise was directly in line with the trolley tracks and for a few seconds I had to just stop running because the sun was just too intense. 

Never know what you are going to see on an early morning run.

Mountain Avenue

If you have been to Old Town Fort Collins then you have heard of Mountain Avenue.  I am going to spend the next few blog posts highlighting streets, businesses, landmarks, really whatever I am riding past just to give a flavor of Fort Collins.  If you want me to cover something in particular, shoot me a message and I will do it.

Mountain Avenue, Old Town, Fort Collins, CO

This is not the most scenic shot of Mountain but remember it is January 24 (I took this today in our 65 degree weather).  Why is Mountain popular?  First, this shot is down one side of Mountain and you will notice how wide the street appears.  From right to left we have (1) a wide parking lane, (2) a wide bike lane with lines on each side, (3) a wide single lane for cars, (4) a wide, tree lined grass median which also has tracks for a trolley car and then the pattern repeats for the other side for traffic, bikes, etc in the other direction. 

There is also a wide grass and tree-lined space between the street and pedestrian sidewalk.  All of the trees in the median and between the street and the sidewalk are owned and maintained by the city.  Each resident is responsible for mowing, planting, maintaining the grass strip between the sidewalk and the street, but the city maintains road and utility easements in that space.  The result is a wide, beautiful tree lined street that connects the business district of Old Town to City Park (a distance of about 2 miles).   

Mountain Avenue also has a great mix of architecture with $250k homes next to $730k homes. 

If you are visiting Fort Collins on a warm day and want to stretch your legs, take a walk down Mountain Ave, you won't be disappointed. 

Wonderful Weekend Weather

How was it in Fort Collins this weekend?  Well, I met Joe for a bike ride over Bingham Hill and along Horsetooth reservoir and I did it in shorts.  It was comfortable.  Saturday was so nice it was time for some bike washing to remove the winter crude from Roadie and the Long Haul Trucker.  Again, short sleeved shirt....

We usually have some warm spells throughout the winter and I will certainly take them whenever they happen. 

Fort Collins "Downtown" is ranked #1 by Livability

The awards keep stacking up for our great downtown, but hear is a little local secret.  We do not say we are going "downtown", we are heading to "Old Town".  The locals will know what you mean and whether you are local or brand new to town, you will always be welcomed.

Here is the link to the Livability article:

http://livability.com/top-10/top-10-downtowns-2012/fort-collins/co

New Belgium is a bit of walk from the center of Old Town and not the prettiest stroll down a busy street.  If I were looking for a drink, as the article mentions, I would try Equinox Brewing, Funkworks, Crankenstein, or maybe th.e local favorite "The Mayor" which has over 100 beers on tap.

Whatever you do, just get here and check out Fort Collins.  You will not be disappointed (but do not tell too many people)...

How's the Market?

Friends, family, new acquaintances, my wife, my mom, everyone always asks this question...and rightly so.  Real estate represents a major investment and with all of the different news stories floating around out there how is one to know but to ask a professional.

Here is the tidbit that many of the large media outlets gloss over when discussing this topic.  There is a very large scale national affect to the real estate market, and we all saw that affect during the recession and the housing bubble as a result of the CDO issues that occurred.  However, real estate has a major local component.

An analogy may provide the best clarity, so here it goes:  Talking about real estate on the national level is like talking about the weather on the national level.  The nation on the whole may be a few degrees higher or lower, on average across the nation, and sure that means something, but if you are only concerned about the weather in Fort Collins, CO then you aren't really concerned that the whole nation is a degree warmer on average for the year.  You want to know the daily high's and low's for Fort Collins.  Further, if you are planning to camp at Horsetooth Mountain Park (they have a few backcountry sites but they may be closed due to the recent fire) then you would really like to know the specific forecast for the weather station there, not the high's and low's for the whole city, on average or the high's and low's for the weather station at I-25 and Mulberry.  The weather can be very different in different parts of town, much less different parts of the country.

So, back to the How's the Market question.  According to the Federal Housing Finance Authority, Fort Collins is ranked in the top 20 markets nationally for price appreciation.  The quarterly results (which combine Fort Collins with Loveland into one statistical area) have us up 1.44% for the 2nd quarter and we were up 2.21% for the first quarter.  These numbers would probably be higher if we only considered Fort Collins as Fort Collins tends to have a little higher appreciation than Loveland, but none the less, 3.61% for the first two quarters of the year (that is all the data currently available even though it is October) is pretty darn good.  I bet third quarter will continue the trend, and specific segments of our market are experiencing appreciation at an even higher rate.

With all that good news there has to be a little something else right, some gloom and doom.  The news folks would not lie to us would they?  One segment of the market is lagging a bit, as one would expect in a recovery such as this.  The high end price ranges (over say $500,000 or more) are still a bit soft.  Homes are selling, but there is not huge demand and there are still some bargains, read buyers market, to be had.

English teachers have always taught me that you have to wrap things up with a good conclusion, so here it is: CAVEAT:  These are generalities and each case in real estate is unique!!   If your home is under $400,000 and in Fort Collins proper, chances are good that you have had a good year in terms of appreciation and demand.  If your home is $400,000-600,000, depending on your location, finishes and other amenities, you are holding steady.  If your home is over $600,000, chances are things are still a little soft and you may need to sell at a discount, but maybe not.

This combination of variables means that if you have a home under $400k and you are thinking of moving up to a larger home, now is the time as you may be able to sell in a high demand market (under $400k) and buy in a lower demand (over $500k) market.  If you thrown in the low interest rates, there is a chance you could do all of this without increasing your monthly mortgage payment.

Sorry to any of my past English teachers if the quality of this composition is not up to your standards.


 

Welcome to Fall

I have posted on the weather in Fort Collins before and boy can it be a wild ride.  It was a beautiful fall day in the Fort yesterday.  The leaves have started changing over the past two weeks and we have lots of golds, yellows and a few reds around.  The fall veggies have been showing up at the farmers market and every trip seems like it could be the last chance at red, ripe tomatoes.  There is a crispness in the air.

Yesterday was no exception to the beautiful weather ...until about 5pm and then the wind started blowing and the temperature dropped 20 degrees in about that many minutes.  We all new it was coming but it still does not make it easier.  The college students seem to be the ones to take the brunt of rapid weather changes.  You seem them biking or walking to campus on a warm fall day in shorts, skirts, tank tops, t-shirts, sun glasses just soaking up the rays.  Twenty minutes later those same folks have arms wrapped tightly around themselves, shivering, running, or biking home in a cold wind.  See, when I was an undergraduate, I never checked the weather, and even though today's undergrads have iphones, they don't seem to check the weather either. 

Bottom Line:  This time of year it is always good to be prepared for the quick weather change here in Fort Collins, or at least check the weather to see what may be coming.

The Appeal of City Park

Out for a ride at the intersection of Jackson and Oak next to City Park....

City Park is a popular area for many reasons.  It really is the quintessential heart of residential Old Town.  Old Town shops and restaurants are 12-14 blocks away, a very nice stroll along wide residential streets full of Old Town homes and the park itself is large.  There is Sheldon Lake, City Park Pool, City Park Nine golf course and the wide green expanses of the park itself.  I live close to the park and like many of the area residents, find myself walking around the lake or through the park at least a few times a week, often times more.

One thing that makes Old Town fun is the mix of eclectic sites and sounds you are bound to encounter.  For example, I was coming home a few days ago and saw 3 horses plus riders at the northeast intersection of the park.  A couple times a year we usually see a horse and wagon go by, but I can't remember the last time I saw just horses.  This really is pretty normal for Old Town and that is what makes it such a great place.

Best Food Time of The Year In Fort Collins

Being a consumer of good eats, one of my favorite times of the year is upon us.  The annual Fort Collins Great Plates event kicks of March 1st and goes for two weeks.  This is a great time of year to try out some new restaurants or just enjoy some old favorites.

New to the list this year (or at least I think this is their first year) is Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar.  I can't say enough good about this place....happy hour is fantastic, food is great, and the service has always been top notch. 

My old favorites include many but I think the deal at Coopersmith's is one of the best values of all.  Their NY strip is usually priced at the nearly $25, well at least close, and you get TWO for this price.  The poolside pizza deal is great as well.

Tasty Harmony has seem great things to offer and let's not forget Canyon Street Chophouse.  I haven't had their Great Plates special but their bone in ribeye and all of their other steaks are not to be missed.  If you go, be sure to get an order of the truffle fries and I like the wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon bits.

Gotta run.....I am getting hungry!

Wait, in my haste for food I nearly forgot the link:
http://downtownfortcollins.com/dba.php/greatplates/

Fort Collins Weather

My better half and I both grew up on the East Coast.  I am originally from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, a beautiful part of the country.  I spent my childhood in a very small town of around 200 inhabitants, of which I knew 199 of them.  I hedge my bets a little bit because every town has that reclusive citizen that you see once a year...maybe, but never really get a chance to exchange words.  They like their privacy and so be it.  We had a blinking caution light, a post office and a country store.  It was so country in fact, that you could buy items on credit which meant that the elderly owners would pull out their spiral note book and write your name down with the amount you owed.  Maybe once a week or once a month you would pay off your tab, but I digress.

I bring this up because every time I speak with family or friends or anyone about living in Colorado they always say, "The winters must be so cold and snowy.  I don't know if I could handle it."  They are always surprised when I respond by saying the winters are actually easier in Fort Collins then where I grew up in Virginia and then I proceed to tell them why.  My admittedly unscientific logic (although I do have a background in science) to why Fort Collins winters are more hospitable than winters in Virginia revolves around four variables: temperature, humidity, sunshine, and precipitation:

Temperature:  On average, January is the coldest month in Fort Collins according to Wikipedia with the average daily temp at 29F.  In comparison, here is the info for a town near where I grew up.  The average for January here is 31F....pretty darn close.

Humidity:  This one is a bit tougher to get the numbers, but let's use personal experience.  Humidity in VA, high.  Humidity in Colorado, low.  I always refer to winter's in VA as having a damp, penetrating cold.  The kind that cuts right to the bone.  Not necessarily snowy or icy, but just wet and cold.  Colorado has very low humidity in both summer and winter.  The result is that 30 degrees in VA feels way colder than 30 degrees in CO in general because of humidity.

Sunshine:  Bottom line, we get a lot more of it!  It is also more intense since we are at around 5000 ft here.  This means, it feels very nice and warm in the sun, even when the outside temp is cold.

Precipitation:  If it falls in the winter, it is usually snow.  None of that freezing rain or rain at 36 degrees that makes it even colder than snow, and our storms generally don't last longer than a day.  We are rarely socked in for gray days on end like can happen on the east coast.  There is nothing like a nice, fresh blanket of snow and a great sunny day to take advantage of it.

So, winters here are really very nice....but don't tell everybody.

FHA fee increases start April 1st

Just a tidbit for those folks anywhere in the country that are thinking of buying a property using an FHA loan.  As of April 1st those loans are going to be more expensive, so it may be worth acting now if you are making a purchase in the next 6 months or so.  

The below is excerpted from Jill Hartman at Premier Mortgage Group Fort Collins-

I wanted you to be aware that FHA will increase its annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) by 0.10 percent (from 1.15% to 1.25%) for loans under $625,500.  Upfront premiums (UFMIP) will also increase by 0.75 percent.  The UFMIP will be increased from 1 percent to 1.75 percent of the base loan amount.  This increase applies regardless of the amortization term or LTV ratio.  FHA will continue to permit financing of this charge into the mortgage.  This is quite a significant increase and is effective April 1, 2012 which means your lender must assign a case number before April 1^st in order to use the current, lower amount.

Here is a link to the press release from the FHA:


http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=%2Fpress%2Fpress_releases_media_advisories%2F2012%2FHUDNo.12-037

Christmas Trees Options in Fort Collins

If you are new to town or have been here for many years you may not be aware of all the different options for Christmas trees.  I have a background in Ecology and am concerned about my impact on the environment, so I have always felt a bit torn when facing the Christmas tree dilemma.  Nothing screams the holidays like a fresh cut Christmas tree, covered in lights and ornaments forming the centerpiece of your holiday season.  However, I always think about where that tree came from and feel those pangs of post holiday guilt when I drop it off at the Christmas tree "recycling center".  The good news is that there are some conscientious options right here in our own back yard. 

We have a great program here put on through the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest.  You can go cut your own Christmas tree up near Red Feather Lakes.  Now, I know your next thought....but Erik, you think it is great to go cut a tree down in the national forest.  Isn't all the logging and clear cutting a problem?  Not in this case.  This is a specially designated area that is an old clear cut that is in a rejuvenation phase.  The young trees are coming in very thickly and need to be thinned.  By properly choosing your tree, you are actually making a healthier forest by allowing room for the remaining trees to grow properly, stretch their limbs, so to speak. 

You can get all the details by HERE.  For $10, pack a picnic lunch and hot chocolate, and take your family and friends, dogs, cats, parakeets, up to the cutting area near Red Feather and choose your tree.  The dates are Dec. 3rd-11th.  You can buy permits there BUT ONLY ON THE WEEKENDS.  For a during the week cutting, pick up your permit from the Ranger Office in FC before you go.

This is a great program and lots of fun.  If you can't make it all the way to cut your own, then head out to the tree lot beside the Bellvue Bean.  They cut trees from the same area of the national forest and you can get some great hot drinks and food from The Bean while you are there. 

When choosing your tree always think about where that tree is from.  A fir shipped in from Washington or Oregon may be pretty, but think of the impact of shipping that tree across the country.  Choose a local tree and a local supplier when making your purchase. 

Also, a live tree that you can plant after the holidays is also a great option.  I am sure one of the local nurseries would be thrilled to help you out.

Here is to Happy Holidays!

Fort Collins Schools

We are really lucky here in Fort Collins to have great schools.  It is a testament to the Poudre School District that there are so many options.  The PSD School Choice programs allows families to select the school that best meets their child's educational needs.  For a serious overview go to THIS PAGE and click on the link to download the "Educational Choices" overview near the bottom of the page. 

School options in the area include Standards-Driven Curriculum Schools, Special Focus Schools (bilingual immersion, gifted and talented, and science, the arts, or technology focused), Core Knowledge Schools, International Baccalaureate Schools, Advanced Placement and Post-Secondary and Career Credit Options. 

I think one reason for the quality of our schools is the collective brainpower of the community.  Fort Collins as a city has a very high percentage of residents with post-secondary degrees.  Here are some stats from a survey of the most educated cities in the US.  Fort Collins is fifth on the list. 

Graduate and/or Professional Degree: 16.66%
Bachelor's Degree: 24.39%
Associate Degree or Some College: 31.81%
High School Diploma: 20.43%

 

All of this secondary education means that residents understand the value of education and support it both in the schools and at home.  These people volunteer in their child's schools and when the teacher wants to have a special section on Geology, they don't just show a video, they bring in little Susie's dad who happens to be a Geology Professor at CSU.  When they take the field trip to the Aquarium in Denver one of the chaperones is little Johnie's mom who is a Professor of Marine Biology.  

All of this and the best news is that these schools are all public!

Fort Collins in the 8 Healthiest Housing Markets in Builder Magazine

As those of us that live here know Fort Collins is a great place to live.  This is good news for the housing market as 2012 is shaping up to be a strong year.  Check out this summary of an article in Builder Magazine where Fort Collins makes #2 on the list

 Article Excerpt:  "Many of the housing markets projected to have the biggest gains into 2012 tend to be the home to major universities, strong private sector employment, or have nearby military bases, according to a list of the healthiest housing markets by Builder Magazine."

We have both a major university and a strong private sector here in Fort Collins and unemployment is on the decline with the Unemployment Rate at 6.0% for September 2011.  This is down from a high of 8.5% in January 2010.  A positive growth outlook and declining unemployment all point towards rising home prices in 2012.  Time to enjoy these historic low interest rates while you can.

Tree Damage Information

Hey Folks,

It has been too long since my last post but hopefully this information can help someone out.  The City of Fort Collins will be collecting storm damaged limbs for free.  See the link below for more information!


http://www.fcgov.com/news/index.php?id=4046

Happy Thursday!

Downtown Fort Collins - aka Old Town...pretty much, sort of..

If you are interested in getting a better vibe for Old Town, then you need to check out this site put together by predominantly Old Town businesses.   There are lots of events that happen in Old Town that are funded, promoted, supported in a number of different ways by the city and the Downtown Business Association. 

We have First Friday Art Walks, Great Plates, concerts galore, and more festivals than you can shake a stick at (sorry to my high school English teacher for ending a sentence with a preposition--she would not be happy).

I live and play in Old Town so I am slightly biased, but I think it is one of the coolest places to be with a very strong sense of community, the kind of place where you always see people you know, you feel comfortable, you feel at home.  Visit Old Town on a warm summers evening after a hard day of hiking, biking or paddling.  Grab a beer and sit on the patio of Coop's (Coopersmith's to the non-locals) and I bet you will want to stay.  I did.

Best Places to Live and What not...

I really enjoy living in Fort Collins and I know we get lots of national recognition for being a great place to live. I am starting to put together a list of all of these accolades and in using the almighty Google I found out that the City of Fort Collins has already done a pretty good job of keeping track of all the "official" rankings. There is no reason for me to re-invent the wheel here. Check out this link on to find all of The Rankings and Accolades for FC.

I will highlight some of the highlights I personally found interesting:

First, Fort Collins weather and topographic info:

• Fort Collins is nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River.
• The city lies approximately 5,000 feet above sea level.
• Residents enjoy a moderate, four season climate with an average of 300 days of sunshine and 14.5 inches of precipitation a year. (*****I think this 300 days is low. I can count on two hands and a foot the number of days that are completed overcast from dawn to dusk******).
• July is the average warmest month (Avg. High 86°F - Avg. Low 57°F)
• January is the average coolest month (Avg. High 42°F - Avg. Low 14°F)

Bike Related Highlights: ***Remember this is only the City not the County Open Space or State Parks which we have a lot of here.

Gold level Bicycle Friendly Community: League of American Bicyclists - September 2008
***There are only 10 Gold Level in the nation****

The City maintains more than 600 acres of parks, 30,000 acres of natural areas, 20 miles of off-street hike/ bike trails and 200 miles of on-street and off-street trails for pedestrians and bicycles. As a side note, our Bike Path system is awesome with a paved trail running from Fort Collins to Laporte and Bellvue. This trail follows the Poudre River and is very scenic with an amazing bike bridge over the river near Laporte.

OTHER COOL STUFF:

• One the Top 25 Best Places to Retire: CNNMoney.com - September 2010
• One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today - September 2010
• One of the top six 'Smarter Cities' for Energy: Natural Resources Defense Council, (population 100,000-249,999) - August 2010

And I really like this one:

Named 5th Most Educated City in the country based on education levels of our adult population: Portfolio.com - December 2010. Here is the stat from the Census Bureau via the City website "Approximately 48.2% of the population has completed four or more years of college (2006 US Census)." I think we are probably above that 48.2% number by now.

There is lots more, so check out the city website I link to above or shoot me an email.

Off for a ride.....Be Well.

Snowshoeing in Red Feather Lakes

From L to R- Dr. B, Winston, Dr. H, and Dr. S.  in the parking lot on Deadman Rd.

We had a great day of snowshoeing that was quite a surprise.  We initially had plans to go to a new area west of Boulder that Christi and I had never visited, led by our fearless friend Dr. S.  When we picked up Dr. S and Dr. B at 8am, the snow was already flying in Fort Collins, so we thought the drive to Boulder might be dodgy.  Instead, we decided to live on the edge and head to the Red Feather Lakes area.

Red Feather Lakes is about 45 minutes northwest of Fort Collins.  If you have never been there, it is well worth a visit, or many visits.  It really is an impressive landscape, not only for the mountains that surround it but more for the smattering of large rock formations scattered throughout the many meadows and small lakes that dot the area.  These are all encapsulated in evergreen forests filled with ponderosa, spruce and clumps of aspen.  Incidentally, our snowshoe route took us through some stands of aspens with some of the largest aspen trees we have collectively ever seen. 

I initially describe this trip as dodgy because, except for the last mile or two of the drive, we thought we may not have enough snow for snowshoeing.  We thought we might enjoy a nice mixed conditions hike, but we indeed had plenty of snow.  In fact, it snowed the entire time we were hiking.  Our route was an out and back circuit on Deadman Road, a forbidding name, but quite a nice place.  We probably went a total of 6 miles and had great snowshoeing conditions.  Deadman Road is a Forest Service road that goes on for 20 or 30 miles and eventually connects with the Laramie River Road.  Although I have not traveled the route personally, I believe one would be able to eventually link to roads that would wind into Laramie, WY or to Cameron Pass.  I think we often fail to realize just how much public land there is in this corner of the world.  We are talking lots, tons, a truckload here.  Incidentally, I already have summer plans for a bike tour that will just do this, probably linking into Cameron Pass and heading back down the Poudre Canyon.

We all had a very nice snowshoe, caught a brief glimpse of a moose gliding through about 3 feet of snow like it was no problem at all, and topped off the trip with a couple of Girl Scouts on a Ski Lift (those were the names of the hot chocolate beverages imbued with some peppermint schnapps that we consumed at the Pot Belly Restaurant and Bar, another great place to visit).  However, I personally believe Winston had the best time of all as he ran six times the distance we covered and enjoyed a lot more smells and then got to sleep the whole way home. 

Reservoir Ridge - Michaud Lane

First Trail Junction and view Northeast

If you are new to Fort Collins or have lived here for years and never been to Reservoir Ridge you should check it out. It is a fantastic area for hiking, trailrunning and mtn biking and it is minutes from Fort Collins. A perfect place to go for a 3 to 5 mile hike and be back in town in less than 2 hours door to hike to door. In fact, the trailhead is exactly 9 minutes by car from my doorstep. I would guess it is about 20 minutes or so by bike. I ride by the turn all the time on my bike rides, but as I do not have a mountain bike I just keep on spinnin' by. I have been trail running over there lately, which is fantastic! Here are some pictures from a this past Sunday on a sunset hike with Christi and Winston. The first is the view from the first trail junction just at the top of the first little set of switchbacks. You can see northern Fort Collins and the south end of Wellington.

Deer on the Ridge

A little further south on the trail we came across six deer. Here you can see two silhouetted on the ridge line below this lone pine. It really is a very neat place 10 minutes from our house.


What would be a sunset hike without some pictures of the sunset. The sky just keep getting better and better!