Living in Fort Collins The Podcast

Fort Collins Real Estate Market Update: Who's Winning Right Now (Buyers vs. Sellers)

The Fort Collins real estate market is sending mixed signals — and if you only read the headlines, you're missing the real story. In this market update, Patrick Soukup breaks down what's actually happening on the ground, backed by data from nearly 200 recent home sales. Here's what we're seeing: 41% of homes are selling below list price, 34% are selling right at list, and 25% are selling above — with some of the most sought-after homes drawing 8 offers and selling hundreds of thousands of dollars over asking. The same market giving buyers room to negotiate is producing bidding wars just a few streets away. So which one are you walking into? In this episode, Patrick covers: * Why neighborhood, pricing, and turnkey condition decide whether a home flies or sits * The exact numbers on how homes are selling relative to list price * A buyer's playbook — when to negotiate hard and when to bring your most aggressive offer * A seller's playbook — how to prep, price, and position so your home jumps off the market instead of going stale * Where mortgage rates, mortgage applications, and local demand really stand heading into the season Whether you're buying, selling, or just keeping an eye on Northern Colorado real estate, this update will help you move with confidence instead of guessing. 📍 Serving Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Timnath, Greeley, Wellington, Berthoud & all of Northern Colorado. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly Northern Colorado market updates, neighborhood deep-dives, and relocation guides. Patrick SoukupThe Soukup Group | eXp Realty📞 970-893-3533📧 patrick@soukuprealestate.com [patrick@soukuprealestate.com]🌐 www.soukuprealestate.co [http://www.soukuprealestate.co] LET'S CONNECT

FoCo in 15 Minutes | School Closures, Passenger Rail to Denver, Utility Increases & Summer Events

Welcome to Living in Fort Collins — The Podcast, your weekly insider look at what’s happening across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado — from growth and development to housing, business, infrastructure, and local events shaping the region. This week in Fort Collins & Northern Colorado: 🏫 PSD Moves Forward With Potential School Closures — Poudre School District officially adopted new policies guiding a major consolidation effort that could close anywhere from 2 to 10+ schools beginning in 2027–28 due to declining enrollment and excess capacity. 💵 Colorado Workers Still Among Highest Paid in the U.S. — New labor data shows Colorado hourly workers now average nearly $40/hour, ranking 8th nationally, though the state’s competitive advantage is narrowing as other states catch up. 🏦 PNC Expands Northern Colorado Presence — Following its acquisition of FirstBank Holding Co., PNC named new regional executives for Northern Colorado and Boulder, signaling continued banking and lending shifts across the region. 🚴 Fort Collins Launches “Summer Moves” Challenge — The city joined a regional initiative encouraging residents to walk, bike, roll, and use transit throughout the summer, reinforcing Fort Collins’ outdoor-first and bike-friendly culture. 🚆 Passenger Rail to Denver Targets 2029 Launch — The proposed Colorado Connector rail service would bring direct train service from Fort Collins to Denver Union Station with three daily round trips and estimated fares around $14 each way. 📍 Debate Intensifies Over Rail Station Location — Council remains divided between the proposed Drake Road station site and alternative Old Town/Vine corridor options, with major implications for future development and property values. 💧 Major Utility Rate Increases Coming — Staff projected steep increases to water, wastewater, stormwater, and electric bills beginning in 2027 as the city addresses aging infrastructure and the Halligan Reservoir expansion project. 💰 Fort Collins Facing ~$15.5M Budget Shortfall — City officials are weighing roughly $20M in reductions amid slowing sales tax growth, economic uncertainty, and rising operational costs. ⏱️ Passenger Rail Decisions Coming Fast — A resolution supporting the Drake station concept is expected back before council in mid-June ahead of a possible November ballot measure. ⚽ Aggies FC Women’s Soccer vs. Colorado Pride — June 3 🎉 Loveland Heart Improvement Plan Block Party — June 5 ⚔️ Colorado Medieval Festival — June 5–7 🎶 Bohemian Nights at Old Town Square — Thursdays 🌸 CSU Annual Flower Trial Garden — Open Daily 📲 Thinking about buying, selling, or relocating to Northern Colorado? My team and I help clients make confident, well-informed real estate decisions with both data and boots-on-the-ground insight across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Patrick Soukup📞 970-893-3533📧 patrick@soukuprealestate.com🌐 soukuprealestate.com

FoCo in 15 Minutes | Flock Camera Showdown, Shake Shack Opens, 45-Mile Trail Complete & $350M Venue

Welcome to Living in Fort Collins — The Podcast, your weekly insider look at what’s happening across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado — from growth and development to housing, business, infrastructure, and local events shaping the region. This week in Fort Collins & Northern Colorado: 📡 Flock Camera Debate Intensifies — The May 19 City Council meeting drew 34 public speakers, nearly all opposed to Fort Collins’ Flock Safety license plate reader system. Concerns centered around data ownership, civil liberties, outside agency access, and long-term surveillance oversight. 🍔 Shake Shack Opens Early in Fort Collins — Northern Colorado’s first Shake Shack officially opens May 27 at Foothills Mall, four days ahead of schedule. The opening marks another major national brand entering the Fort Collins market. 🚴 Poudre River Trail Officially Complete — The final one-mile segment connecting Timnath to Windsor is now finished, creating 45 continuous miles of paved trail from Bellvue all the way to Greeley. 📈 Larimer County Posts Lowest Unemployment Rate in the Region — At 3.2%, Larimer County now has the lowest local jobless rate in Northern Colorado and the Boulder Valley, continuing to strengthen Fort Collins’ relocation appeal. 🎶 $350M Entertainment Venue Could Come to NoCo — Fort Collins and Greeley are reportedly frontrunners for a massive 12,500-seat entertainment destination that would become the largest purpose-built venue in Northern Colorado history. 📡 Council Requests More Flock Camera Restrictions — Rather than removing the system immediately, Council directed staff to bring back options around shorter data retention windows, automatic access agreements, and expanded Citizen Review Board oversight. 🏘️ Saunders Residents Demand Developer Accountability — Residents voiced frustration over delayed promised amenities tied to metro district agreements, including pickleball courts, irrigation systems, gardens, and artist studios. 📚 Southeast Community Center & Library Moves Forward — New renderings were unveiled for the future SECC library branch, featuring makerspaces, teen areas, study pods, and expanded community gathering spaces ahead of the June 10 groundbreaking. 🚲 Fort Collins Wins National Vision Zero Award — The city received national recognition for its Safe Routes to School and bike/pedestrian infrastructure efforts supporting youth safety. 🏗️ East Mulberry Growth Continues — Council approved the Peakview Annexation bringing roughly 70 acres into city limits near Mulberry and Greenfields, continuing long-term east corridor growth. 🎶 Spring Into Summer Festival — May 31 | Lyons 🚴 Poudre River Trail Ride or Run — Anytime This Weekend 🍔 Shake Shack Grand Opening — May 27 | Foothills Mall 🍺 Odell Small Batch Weekend — May 29–31 🏒 Colorado Eagles vs. Chicago Wolves — May 28 | Blue Arena 📲 Thinking about buying, selling, or relocating to Northern Colorado? My team and I help clients make confident, well-informed real estate decisions with both data and boots-on-the-ground insight across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Patrick Soukup 📞 970-893-3533 📧 patrick@soukuprealestate.com 🌐 soukuprealestate.com

FoCo in 15 Minutes | Housing Crisis, $350M Venue, Flock Cameras & Memorial Day Weekend

Welcome to Living in Fort Collins — The Podcast, your weekly insider look at what’s happening across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado — from growth and development to housing, business, infrastructure, and local events shaping the region. This week in Fort Collins & Northern Colorado: 🏘️ Northern Colorado Needs 47,500 New Homes — A major new housing report from the NoCo Foundation warns the region needs nearly 50,000 additional housing units over the next decade to avoid worsening affordability issues. Larimer County now has the largest income-to-housing-cost gap in Colorado. 🎶 $350M Entertainment Venue Could Land in NoCo — Venu Holding Corp. is actively exploring Fort Collins and Greeley for a massive 12,500-seat entertainment venue that could reshape the regional hospitality and entertainment economy. 💧 Fort Collins Declares Water Shortage Watch — The city issued its first Water Shortage Watch in nearly five years due to drought conditions, low snowpack, and unusually warm temperatures. Residents are being asked to voluntarily conserve water. 🚌 Major Transfort Route Changes Finalized — Fort Collins officially approved a redesigned bus network focused on high-demand corridors and improved reliability while maintaining the city’s fare-free transit system. 🍔 Shake Shack Opens May 31 at Foothills Mall — Northern Colorado’s first Shake Shack is officially opening later this month, continuing the momentum of retail and restaurant growth along South College. 🌽 Larimer County Farmers Market Turns 50 — The region’s oldest farmers market opened its 50th anniversary season, continuing one of Fort Collins’ most iconic community traditions. 🏥 Columbine Health Systems Completes $154M Sale — One of Northern Colorado’s most recognizable senior care brands has completed a major ownership transition involving eight communities across the region. 🎓 CSU Names New Permanent Provost — Dr. Lise Youngblade officially becomes CSU’s provost beginning June 1, overseeing academic operations for one of Fort Collins’ largest economic drivers. 📡 Flock Cameras: “Keep & Reform” Strategy Emerges — Council appears poised to keep the Flock ALPR system active while implementing stronger oversight policies, shorter data retention periods, and tighter controls on outside agency access. 🚲 Vision Zero Gets Elevated Priority — City leaders acknowledged achieving zero traffic deaths by 2032 will likely require lower speed limits, longer travel times, and infrastructure trade-offs favoring pedestrians and cyclists. 💻 Technology Governance Framework Coming — Council discussed building a broader citywide policy framework governing surveillance and future technologies instead of evaluating tools one-by-one. 🗣️ Who Actually Represents Fort Collins? — Council debated whether highly engaged residents who attend meetings accurately reflect the broader community — especially renters, younger residents, and underrepresented groups. 🍺 Odell Small Batch Weekend — May 29–31 Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Plaza — May 24 🎸 Tab Benoit at Washington’s — May 22 🚋 Historic Fort Collins Trolley Opening Weekend — May 23–24 🌊 Greeley Outdoor Pools Open for Summer — Starting May 23 🍻 Memorial Day Weekend Bar Crawl — May 23 | Old Town Fort Collins 📲 Thinking about buying, selling, or relocating to Northern Colorado? My team and I help clients make confident, well-informed real estate decisions with both data and boots-on-the-ground insight across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Patrick Soukup📞 970-893-3533📧 patrick@soukuprealestate.com🌐 soukuprealestate.com

FoCo in 15 Minutes | Housing Crisis Warning, $350M Venue, Water Watch & Shake Shack

Welcome to Living in Fort Collins — The Podcast, your weekly insider look at what’s happening across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado — from growth and development to housing, business, infrastructure, and local events shaping the region. This week in Fort Collins & Northern Colorado: 🏘️ NoCo Foundation Warns Region Needs 47,500 New Homes — A major new housing report says Northern Colorado needs nearly 50,000 additional housing units over the next decade to avoid worsening affordability issues. Larimer County now has the largest income-to-housing-cost gap in Colorado, while Weld County remains one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. 🎶 $350M Entertainment Venue Could Come to Northern Colorado — A proposed 12,500-seat entertainment venue is being explored in either Fort Collins or Greeley, potentially transforming the region’s entertainment, hospitality, and real estate landscape. 💧 Fort Collins Declares Water Shortage Watch — For the first time in nearly five years, Fort Collins Utilities issued a Water Shortage Watch due to low snowpack, drought conditions, and unusually warm temperatures. Residents are being asked to voluntarily reduce water usage. 🚌 Major Transfort Route Changes Coming August 17 — Fort Collins finalized a redesigned bus network focused on high-demand corridors and improved reliability while maintaining the city’s fare-free transit model. 🍔 Shake Shack Opens May 31 at Foothills Mall — Northern Colorado’s first Shake Shack officially opens later this month, continuing the momentum of retail and restaurant expansion at Foothills Mall. 📡 Flock Safety Cameras Continue to Dominate Public Debate — The May 5 meeting drew one of the largest public turnouts in recent memory, with residents voicing concerns over privacy, surveillance, and oversight related to automated license plate reader cameras. 🏠 Housing Action Plan Approved — Council approved funding to begin developing a new citywide Housing Action Plan, partially driven by state legislation and growing regional affordability concerns. 🚍 Infrastructure Investments Continue — Council approved funding for new Transfort buses, Connexion broadband expansion, and the Vine Drive Bridge replacement project. 🔥 Wildfire & Air Quality Concerns Growing — Officials highlighted upcoming wildfire smoke workshops and praised emergency response teams following the recent Pond’s Fire. 🎵 Head for the Hills: Pickin’ on the Poudre — May 16 | Mishawaka 🎸 That Eighties Band at Washington’s — May 16 | Old Town 🥕 Larimer County Farmers Market Opening Day — May 16 🚣 A1 Wildwater Rafting Season Opens — Starting May 15 🍺 Odell Small Batch Weekend (Coming Soon) — May 29–31 📲 Thinking about buying, selling, or investing in Northern Colorado? My team and I help clients make confident, well-informed real estate decisions with both data and boots-on-the-ground insight across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Patrick Soukup📞 Call/Text: 970-893-3533📧 Email: patrick@soukuprealestate.com🌐 Website: soukuprealestate.com