It is a tough time to be a buyer right now! With inventory as low as it is and the competition as fierce as it is, making sure you’re making buying decisions rationally and logically is really difficult.
Supply and Demand
When it comes to housing, there are two main drivers: supply and demand. Historically speaking, a supply of 6 months of homes is a “healthy” market. Meaning it is going to take the market 6 months to eat up all of the inventory if not one more home comes on to the market. Well, we are seeing LESS than 1 month of supply. It has remained that low consistently over the last many months.
Northern Colorado is significant population growth and has been for many years. Currently, between Larimer and Weld county we have about 700k people. Well, by 2030, that number could EASILY be over 1m people.
Economics
When it comes to median incomes per household, it is $74,150 for Weld County and $71,881 for Larimer County which, really, is not enough to afford median housing prices. BUT, with the availability of EXTREMELY low interest rates, people are scrapping together down payments and can afford the monthly mortgage.
Dual working households in today’s economy is absolutely necessary to be able to afford our monthly budgets.
In addition, we have many people moving here from all over the country that are retaining their high paying jobs in other states. They are moving to Northern Colorado making six figures and buying in a market at a discount from where they are coming from.
Property Taxes and Metro Districts
Property taxes in Larimer vs Weld County are 5-6% different, so for example in Larimer County, you can expect to pay $2,450/year for a $450,000 house, while in Weld County it’s $2,300/year.
Metro districts. These are special taxing districts that developers are using to build out their developments. Be sure to look at the metro district if you’re moving here because it will affect the affordability of that house on a monthly basis. There ARE SOME metro districts in Fort Collins and Larimer County, but they are heavily used in Weld County.
Statistics of buying a house in Northern Colorado in 2021
Here are some hard statistics of buying a house in Northern Colorado thus far in 2021:
- The rolling 12-month average median price in Larimer County: $449,000, 5000-6400 houses sold per year
- The rolling 12-month average median price in Weld County: $395,000, 7000-7500 houses sold per year
- Median housing price in Larimer County: $477,000
- Median housing price in Weld County: $420,813
Last thoughts
Hopefully, this article helped you set some expectations and prepared you for the process of buying a house in Northern Colorado. The real estate market is fast and furious right now so get ready to battle for your dream home.
If you have any questions or need help, I’ve got your back! Drop me a message and we’ll get started!
In the meantime, check out the full video below for more details about what it’s like buying a house in Northern Colorado in 2021.
