Depending on how things go with my wife's dad and stepmom, we MAY be moving to Loveland (when/if is still up in the air). Which means we'll be needing to look for work, and housing (duh). Does anyone know how difficult it is, for a dental tech to get a job? What about a carpenter/welder? When/if we move, I may have to find a job for awhile, until we get ourselves situated

How are the schools and hospitals there? Does anyone know where the closest Native hospital is to loveland? - I'll assume in Denver.

What's an average cost of a 4Bd/2Ba house with a shop/garage on 2Ac? (I'm on 2Ac now, and would really hate to have to give that up)

What are you guys paying for liability insurance on your rigs? What about registration? How often does that need to be done? Anually, or bi-annually? Is there emission testing in Loveland? If there is, how strict is it? Can I keep my 429 in my wheeler, and a dodge 360 in the wife's Scout?

How's the weather, in general, during each of the seasons? How far is it to Moab? What oher offroad attractions are there?


My wife's dad has a growth on his bladder, as well as a couple other serious concerns on his lymph nodes, and prostate. And her stepmom is going thru Schroan's (sp) disease (a cancer in her lynph nodes as well, but her dad doesn't have that), so we might end up using our tax returns to make the move - or to help pay for the move. And we don't even know if it's gotten to be that serious yet, so we're just getting a feel for what to expect when/if we do have too. We've been there once, but that was only for a week, in August, 3 years ago. No idea what winter and spring is like, or anything else for that matter. Hence all the questions

Loveland is a great area and it's growing fast. There's a huge new medical district going up where the Interstate goes through town so the dental position may be easy to find. Construction labor might be spotty, a welder may do good, but I don't know that market very well.

Schools and hospitals are probably amongst the best in the country. Ft Collins just north of Loveland has some of highest ranked internal medicine docs in the world and a lot of them will be relocating to the new medical center in Loveland I'm sure. Greeley also has outstanding medical facilities. I'm not sure about a native hospital, I've never heard anyone mention one.

A house like you describe will probably start in the 350K range and go up fast, especially with that much property. If you go 20 miles east of town, the prices drop dramatically and the commutes are easy.

Auto insurance is all over the map. I pay about $700 every 6 months for full coverage on two vehicles, liability on one other, and storage on three more. From what I've been told, my bill is small. You'll have to shop around for the best price.

Loveland does have emissions and CO emissions are as tough as California if not tougher. The state will give exemptions, but again, you'll need to research it carefully. The rules are meant to be bent, but you may need to jump through some hoops such as having emissions equipment correct to the engine year. The emissions area doesn't extend very far around the Front Range area (Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins). It's another good reason to look for housing in Weld county, but steer clear of Greeley as they are in an "island" of emissions testing.

The weather in Loveland is pretty agreeable, as long as you don't mind brown for six months of the year. We don't get much snow or rain, and the temps get pretty extreme. Spring and fall last a couple weeks each with a hot summer and a mild winter in between. We'll see a couple cold snaps where it'll be below zero for a few days at a time, but it only happens once or twice a year. The summers will average 90 degrees plus from late June through early September with some wicked thunderstorms. Most of the time it's pretty damn nice really.

The offroading is great. Moab is about a 5 hour drive, there's about every kind of four wheeling you can imagine (except mud) within two to three hours of town, and a lot of good weekend trips and open camping within an hour or so. Most of the land here is national forest and open to the public. There are a couple of the toughest trails in the country within 4 hours of town, Independence near Canon City, the Montrose trails, and a couple near Grand Junction. Buena Vista and Leadville about four hours away have the world class alpine roads with the old gold mines on them, there are more further south.

All around Loveland is one of the best places in the country to live. Ft. Collins was voted the number one place in the country to live this year, I think Loveland has a lot more to offer. The only thing I complain about here is that the trees are naked for six months and we don't even get the snow to enjoy :toothless

$700 for full coverage is what I pay for liability, here, so that's reassuring (to that extent anyway. I guess I'll just have to call AAA, and get quotes from them, for CO)

For the schools, I was more asking about for the kids, but the other ifo is good to know, too

** Even as I type this, her dad just called, and said the docs told him that it's a good chance he has lymphoma, but they won't know for certain, until about this time, next week. **


So, with the emission testing, I'll assume that would also be best to call the Ref station for Loveland? I'd sure like to hear stories from other people, at least in that county, that have different engines and from different years, and how they get passed for their testing, so they can get their vehicles registered

The real estate a bit more devastating than here, but not entirely surprising. And if I have to commute 20-30 miles, to save money, that's perfectly fine by me. I actually prefer to be outside of a major town anyway. That way, I can run my grinder at all hours of the day, and not worry about pissing anyone off :toothless

The weather, terrain, and drive-time to an area, sounds fairly comparable to here, so that's cool

Thanks alot Lars, this confirmed some of my questions, and answered others. So, until I know for sure, I'm still going to move ahead, as if we are going to plan to move

So, with the emission testing, I'll assume that would also be best to call the Ref station for Loveland? I'd sure like to hear stories from other people, at least in that county, that have different engines and from different years, and how they get passed for their testing, so they can get their vehicles registered



Starting January 1 Colorado is repealing ALL emission requirements for gas cars. Diesels still need to be emissioned, but not gas. You will still have to take your truck into a station and they make sure your check engine light isn't on.

As far a weather, Loveland gets very little snow and has a fairly mild climate compared to the rest of the front range. Even down here in the springs the winter isn't that bad.

Off-Roading is awesome. In the spring you can find lots of mud. Summer you have thousands of miles of mountain roads to explore. Fall has some of the best scenic driving in the nation. Then in winter you get to play in the snow. :thumbup

Loveland is kind of small so there isn't much crime. Most people don't even lock their doors. It's close enough to Denver that you have anything you need within a 45 minute drive. They have some big car shows up there too. Only down side, Denver schools kinda suck, I don't know about Loveland.

The housing market is huge out here so you should be able to find work easily. As far as dentist stuff, the whole state is growing so quickly I can't see it being a problem to find a job, but I really don't know.

You definitely need to come out here so I can get bumpers without paying for shipping!!

Starting January 1 Colorado is repealing ALL emission requirements for gas cars. Diesels still need to be emissioned, but not gas. You will still have to take your truck into a station and they make sure your check engine light isn't on.


Not to hijack, but do you know this to be absolutely true? They've been saying this for 4 years now and it hasn't happened yet.

EDIT: I found the official letter. Only Larimer, Weld, and El Paso counties are ending. The notice is here: http://www.fcgov.com/airquality/pdf/shutdown-letter.pdf

I thought it was the whole state, oh well glad I'm in El Paso since I don't have any emission equipment left, sshhhh.

EDIT: I found the official letter. Only Larimer, Weld, and El Paso counties are ending. The notice is here:

Well that blows. I assume Loveland isn't in one of those counties? how the **** am I going to get my trucks registered then? Not one of my trucks is emissions legal. I better keep a P.O. box here :toothless


That bit about the crime rate is VERY reassuring. We don't lock our doors here, either - but I don't leave my keys in the trucks either ;) I've always known the wheeling out there to be better than above average, so I'm not worried about that. I'm mostly concerned about the real estate there. 350K for a house and a small piece of land? Good God, I HOPE it gets much lower, outside of town - especially since I don't ever want to live IN town. Not real thrilled about possibly working in Denver, either, but if I have too ...

I live in Greeley, Colorado...about 20 minutes east of Loveland. Greeley is not the best town in Colorado (we are known for the smell from the cattle farming), but overall it is not a bad town at all. I used to live in the Devner metro area. I travel down that area every few weeks, and to be honest...I can wait to get back up here to the loveland/greeley area. It is growing, but still small and quiet enough that you don't have traffic constantly.

The price of real estate in greeley is very low...my parents own a home up here that is approximatley 3400 square feet...and they paid under 200,000 for it. the house we had in the denver metro area was half that square footage, and we sold it for near 270,000. Although, my parents house isn't even close to 2 acres.

Now, on security issues...Greeley is TERRIBLE! Worthless, to say the least. Last winter my bronco got broken into...my deck, money, cd's and pool cue were stolen. On top of that, last week my girlfriends car was broken into and about 800 dollars worth of shit was stolen from her.

On the job part...greeley has a population of about 80,000. Half are mexican...who are willing to work for near nothing...so the job market is pretty full and if you find a job it pays nothing. The other half consist of college kids (university of northern colorado is up here), and people over 70. Haha.

And, if you only want to drive 20-30 miles for work, driving from loveland to denver everyday is not an option. It can range from 45-60 miles to the downtown area.

oh, one more thing. I am not sure what county loveland is...but greeley is in weld county. therefore emissions shouldnt be needed starting jan. 1.

the weather is nice...colorado is known for its weather...the good days and the days it can change in a second. hot summers, cold winters with a few snow days. wheeling is good here...as said above.

hope i have been helpful...hope the family gets better. Although, it would be nice to have an admin up in my area...that way we can start having meets closer to the northern colorado area.

Well that blows. I assume Loveland isn't in one of those counties? how the **** am I going to get my trucks registered then? Not one of my trucks is emissions legal. I better keep a P.O. box here :toothless


That bit about the crime rate is VERY reassuring. We don't lock our doors here, either - but I don't leave my keys in the trucks either ;) I've always known the wheeling out there to be better than above average, so I'm not worried about that. I'm mostly concerned about the real estate there. 350K for a house and a small piece of land? Good God, I HOPE it gets much lower, outside of town - especially since I don't ever want to live IN town. Not real thrilled about possibly working in Denver, either, but if I have too ...

Loveland is in Larimer county so the program is ending there. I'm glad to see it as I've got a couple "modified" rigs that just gained a 1000% bigger market :toothless

You need to get quite a ways out of town before the prices start dropping, that's why I mentioned the 20 mile thing. The realtors here have everyone believing that they MUST have a new house, the old ones are crap (BS!!!) and everyone wants a couple acres on the edge of town. The five to ten mile band around the towns is far worse price wise than in town. It's not unususal to see a 4 bed, 2-3 bath house on two acres push, or exeed, a million bucks. I live in a little town about 20 miles east of Ft. Collins. In our area, houses that run 300k to 400k in FTC are priced under 200k. If you want some details, shoot me a PM and I can get you some information.

Im pretty sure Loveland is in Weld county.If your Bronco is a 78,You dont need any emission equipment other than fuel filler restrictor and if it will pass...you can put collector's plate on it.Your vehicle has to be over 25 years old and pass emissions before you can get plates but this is coming from Denver so it may be different up there in Loveland.Collector plates are good for 5 years and at renewal you dont need emissions again if it doesnt expire.I have done it for years.My 63 fairlane would never pass again with the new engine in it--12-1 compression,huge cam,blah blah blah.:rockon
The weather out here stays pretty nice.Not too much snow.Rarely get down below zero.High desert.....Dry and no humidity.Good place to be.

[QUOTE=Aurorabusa;1096671]Im pretty sure Loveland is in Weld county[QUOTE]

No, Loveland is in Larimer county. Get a map.

The weather out here stays pretty nice.Not too much snow.Rarely get down below zero.High desert.....Dry and no humidity.Good place to be.

That's where I am, now - in Oregon's high desert, so I know I won't be worried about that. Mostly, my biggest concern is real estate, but I'll deal with that when/if we move there.

When we find out about my FIL's test results, we'll either plan for the move, or plan for a week vacation there, this summer (I want 2 weeks, but I'll take what I can get)

Northern Colo is a good place to go, way to ugly and boring in Southern Colo. Don't even bother looking for a place down here. We all live in
http://www.elliottmasie.com/archives/tin%20shack.jpg

Way too crowded also, and no room to build
:goodfinge

Northern Colo is a good place to go, way to ugly and boring in Southern Colo. Don't even bother looking for a place down here. We all live in
http://www.elliottmasie.com/archives/tin%20shack.jpg

Way too crowded also, and no room to build
:goodfinge


WTF are you talking about?

WTF are you talking about?

He's just stating that southern Colorado Springs and all points south suck.

Depending on how things go with my wife's dad and stepmom, we MAY be moving to Loveland (when/if is still up in the air). Which means we'll be needing to look for work, and housing (duh). Does anyone know how difficult it is, for a dental tech to get a job? What about a carpenter/welder? When/if we move, I may have to find a job for awhile, until we get ourselves situated

How are the schools and hospitals there? Does anyone know where the closest Native hospital is to loveland? - I'll assume in Denver.

What's an average cost of a 4Bd/2Ba house with a shop/garage on 2Ac? (I'm on 2Ac now, and would really hate to have to give that up)

What are you guys paying for liability insurance on your rigs? What about registration? How often does that need to be done? Anually, or bi-annually? Is there emission testing in Loveland? If there is, how strict is it? Can I keep my 429 in my wheeler, and a dodge 360 in the wife's Scout?

How's the weather, in general, during each of the seasons? How far is it to Moab? What oher offroad attractions are there?


My wife's dad has a growth on his bladder, as well as a couple other serious concerns on his lymph nodes, and prostate. And her stepmom is going thru Schroan's (sp) disease (a cancer in her lynph nodes as well, but her dad doesn't have that), so we might end up using our tax returns to make the move - or to help pay for the move. And we don't even know if it's gotten to be that serious yet, so we're just getting a feel for what to expect when/if we do have too. We've been there once, but that was only for a week, in August, 3 years ago. No idea what winter and spring is like, or anything else for that matter. Hence all the questions

I won't hijack this thread, but you better come visit if/when you show up there (see my other post)....we're (my girlfriend, soon to be wife) looking at a piece of property in Thornton. It's for sure I am moving there David, at this point around April '07 or so , just a matter of the house. She currently has a house in Erie, but we want something more and for us both. Stay in touch man.:beer

He's just stating that southern Colorado Springs and all points south suck.

LOL...some places are nice in S. COS....I mean there is the Broadmore....:duh

RevT

My wife is a dental hygienist and may have some contacts for you. I got a buddy who does framing on custom homes and he is constantly on the search for a good hard worker not on dope. Drop me a PM if I can help and keep us posted here.

That'd be great! Altho, I still don't know if we're even going to be having to move. AFAIK, my F-I-L doesn't have Lymphoma, but is still having his growth looked at. We're going to see how things are for them, come tax time. And if it looks like we still need too, then we'll move


At the very least, we're still planning on spending a week down in Loveland, sometime next summer, so I expect to have 3-4 days of wheeling to do, while I'm down there

LOL...some places are nice in S. COS....I mean there is the Broadmore....:duh

RevT

Shhh, don't tell them that. We have a good thing down here. Nice small town feel and great weather...


uh-oh, said too much, need to take a cyanide pill now...............

LOL...some places are nice in S. COS....I mean there is the Broadmore....:duh

RevT

The Broadmore is so over priced yuppie ville it doesn't really count. The hotel is nice though. You have to admit, North end is better.

The more time goes by, the more likely it's looking like we might end up moving, with our tax returns after all. step-mother-in-law is back in the ER, and my F-I-L goes in for his surgery tomorrow

It'll still be 3-4 months, before we actually move - if that's how it actually goes for us - but when/if we do, I'll be hitting you guys up, for your offers, and some more questions :thumbup