• The value of your property is based on how it existed on January 1, 2021, but based on the market value as of June 30, 2020. A bit confusing, huh? Maybe this example will clear it up: Let’s say you were working on an addition to your home, and it was completed on December 31, 2020. Your new property valuation would consider your home with the addition but based on the market as of June 30, 2020.
• You have the right to protest the new valuation based on properties that have sold between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2020.
• Yes, the protest may result in a decrease in your property valuation (which would reduce your property taxes). Still, you should also know that by submitting a protest, you are opening up the possibility that the value ends up higher than the new valuation.

We just went through the process of creating an electronic ID for ourselves with the myColorado mobile app. The process was mostly intuitive and easy. From what we’ve read, this form of ID will be legal in Colorado as of December 1, 2019. It is also our understanding that these new electronic IDs are not accepted by federal agencies (the TSA, for example).

For more, check out this article in the Coloradoan. And for a video introduction, take a peek at this short YouTube video.

To go through the process of contesting your new property valuation, start here. You will need your Account Number (also known as the Schedule Number). To find this number, click on this link below and enter your address. Here are a few notes and below you will find a video where we go through (and explain) the process ourselves.

Average prices per year in Brown Farm

You may love Brown Farm if:

You want an older neighborhood with large trees.

You want quick/easy access to the foothills.

You want more of an average priced home.

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You may not love Brown Farm if:

You want a new/modern home with an open floorplan.

You want a home larger than 2000-3000 square feet.

Quick access to I-25 is important to you.

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What you need to know:

Because it is one of the largest subdivisions in Fort Collins, Brown Farm consists of at least a few different sub-neighborhoods. For example, some sections of Brown Farm have more rental properties, and some areas are generally more quiet & peaceful.

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Average prices per year in Lexington Green/Village West

You may love Lexington Green & Village West if:

You want an older home, most were built in the 60s & 70s

You want a neighborhood pool – there is a pool in both subdivisions

You like the outdoors (mountain biking/hiking trails are just a few minutes away)

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You may not love Lexington Green & Village West if:

You want a new, modern home.

Quick access to I-25 is vital.

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Everybody will like:

The Spring Creek Trail is nearby and accessed without crossing any busy streets.

Rolland Moore Park is close with large open spaces, softball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts and more!

Buying a new home can be and should be an exciting process. You get to pick out the cabinets, the flooring and paint colors – not to mention lighting and appliances. You will often have a say in the choice of lot, and if you start the process early enough, you’ll even have the opportunity to choose from a handful of different floor plans. The home will be yours; nobody owned it before you, and you get a hand in the creation. For most people, this really is a fun process.

You don’t know what you don’t know: We believe it is our job to present you with the questions you may not know to ask, and to offer insight that only comes from years of experience.

Buying a new home is exciting largely because the process is emotional. Many emotional expressions – like joy, happiness and excitement, are good, and these are largely the emotions we experience when building a new home. These emotions, though, sometimes need to be checked. When decisions are based only on emotion it is easy to ignore flags that pop up that may indicate a different course should be considered; it is when these “good” emotions serve as our only compass that we can tend to make uninformed and risky decisions. This is where we come in. We are here to serve as regulators; we will help you balance your understandable enthusiasm with a bit of practicality. We do this by presenting questions you may not know to ask, and we do this by offering insight that only come from years of experience. The more you know about not just the present circumstances, but also future implications of any decision you make, the more confident you will be in the path you choose.

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With new construction, the variables (both known and unknown) are both larger in number and more subtle in their complexity.

There are hundreds of “moving pieces” when it comes to buying or selling any home, but with new construction, the variables (both known and unknown) are larger in number and more subtle in their complexity. For example, there are seemingly innocuous decisions you can make that, when the day comes for you to sell the home, can be the difference in selling quickly (and for a premium), and not selling at all (or selling at a price well below the market).

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While not “absolutes,” there are a few fundamentals we believe you should think about.

We’ve found that there are a few fundamental ideas regarding new construction. To call them absolutes would go a bit too far, but they are close. In the second part of this series we will give you more depth regarding the “why” piece of the puzzle. For now, please consider:

1. Superficial upgrades (like carpet, countertops, cabinets, light fixtures and paint) should be purchased in moderation. These types of upgrades not only depreciate daily, but the style you choose today will become more and more dated over time.
2. The opposite of a superficial upgrade is what we would call an “enduring” upgrade. This category includes things like an upgraded lot, a “better” floor plan, a three-car garage (when two is standard) a walkout basement, or even a basement with a higher than normal ceiling. We suggest you would be well served to spend more of your budget on enduring, as opposed to superficial, upgrades.
3. It is impossible to overestimate the effect of light. You may love the floor plan of your home, and you may like the finishes, but if the home is devoid of natural light, it may not only affect your enjoyment of the home, but it will likely impact the future saleability.

The second in this short, two post series, delves into why these fundamentals we are offering are largely true.

As I write, I am a working mom and wife in her mid-30s. I have two sons (or three, if you count my truly wonderful husband?) – one in elementary school and one in preschool, and a career in real estate that started nearly 13 years ago. Because I’m a mother, I know the incredible joy our children can bring; and, because I’m a mother, I know the incredible challenges that can result from those same children. If you happen to be in a similar situation/stage of life, it’s likely you, like me, are looking for ways to make your life just a bit easier. If so, and if you’ve been considering a move – this is for you!

This is the first in a series of posts I’ll be writing where we consider some of the obstacles parents deal with, and how these obstacles may influence the next home you buy. It would be nearly impossible to find all of the features we will discuss in these posts in one home, but maybe you can find one or two; maybe these ideas will stir in you a different way of thinking through what you really want in a home. With that, let’s start by considering two of the issues parents run into.

Needing a safe and easy outdoor play area for your kids

If your kids, like mine, have a seemingly endless well of energy, you might consider a property where sending them outside to play is easy. Because it’s not likely you’d want the kids out front without some sort of supervision, living in a home on or near a busy street would be the opposite of easy. But a home on a quiet street, maybe even on a cul-de-sac, would create far less stress/concern – which would certainly make your life easier. Or, consider a home with a small backyard, with nothing to play in or on, and with no room for toys or games. This would likely result in a kid who is bored (and as we know, a bored kid is not an “easy” kid). But a home with a larger/enclosed backyard means the kids will have room to run, play, invent and explore. And if you want the kids to be lost in fun for hours on end, look for a home with a great tree. For more on how one tree can make your life with kids easier, read the tribute my partner, Devin, wrote to his honey locust tree.

Not only do you need the kids to get outside, but you need to get out, too

I don’t know about you, but sometimes we just really, really need to get outside as a family. With this in mind, I suggest you look for a home that doesn’t leave you “landlocked.” Our family really enjoys riding bikes, so we love the idea of having bike trails that are both nearby and are easily accessible. I’ve lived in otherwise great neighborhoods in the past where great bike trails were nearby but were blocked by busy streets. It never occurred to me how much easier life would have been if those same trails were more easily accessed. Loading up bikes and kids in the car in order to go for a ride on a trail is not low stress, but hopping on our bikes at home, and making our way to the trail through our neighborhood is. Easy access to trails that lead to fun places, like the many wonderful parks in our community and Old Town, is something that is important to us, and maybe something you want to consider.  

I’ll leave it at this for now, but in the second part of this series we’ll move inside and consider what to look for in a home if our struggle is clutter.

Thumbing through a copy of Tracks & Trails you’ll find calendars from June through October filled with various activities for younger kids, older kids, really old kids (i.e., adults) and families. For example, if you have a teen between 13-18 years of age, sign her/him up for the Nature Photography for Teens activity. Or, if you want the entire family involved, take part in the Family Nature Club. And if you want to leave the kids behind, sign up for one of the Science Behind the Scenery adult programs.

If you’d like a copy of Tracks & Trails, send us an email — we’d be happy to send you a .pdf version. Or, visit  http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/pdf/tracks-trails2016.pdf. And to sign up for a class you’ll need to create a Fort Collins Natural Areas account. Do this at https://naturetracker.fcgov.com/

We’re lucky to live in a community filled with beautiful and well-preserved natural areas. If you’d like to learn more about these areas, pick up a copy of Tracks & Trails – we’re guessing you’ll find a class you and/or your family will enjoy.